Tell me about your minivan!

[angelamaria]

i am looking to buy - so far my top pick is the nissan quest although i am also interested in the toyta sienna and honda odyssey. my requirements are: must have a camera in the back so i won't run over anything or anybody and must be able to comfortably fit at least 2 possibly 3 carseats.
if you have a minivan what kind is it and what do you like and dislike about it?
TIA!
angela future minivan driving soccer mom :rolleyes:

[Beth Y]

When we had the twins, we needed a van, much to my dismay about being a "minivan mom". Anyway, based on everyone's recommendations, we got a 2002 Odyssey. Yeah, the doors are great. Yeah, the seats move easy, etc. But it is in the shop all the time. Door won't open, radio stopped working, all new brakes, loses power all the time, especially on the interstate. I had a long talk with the service manager at my dealership, asking what happened....isn't a Honda supposed to be so reliable,etc. and he told me the "the consumer" demands so many bells and whistles these days that the new Odysseys have so many computers and electronics that they can be expected to have lots of problems. He has told me the loss of power thing is something that Odysseys just have and that they will not be able to fix. They did something that made it stop for a while, but now it is back. One of my friends has a 2003 and hers does the power loss thing too. She also has had transmission and brake problems. I would not recommend that you get a new one.

I have an old Toyota 4 runner with 160,000 miles and it has only been in the shop for new tires and standard maintenance. Our Accord has done fine, but the Odyssey STINKS!

Just one man's opinion, Frank.

[misskitty100]

I don't have one but we just were given a "tour" this weekend of our friends "new to them" Honda Odyssey. VERY NICE!!!! They said they decided on the Honda over the Toyota strictly because the Toyota's were more $$$$. They love their Honda but did say that it doesn't fit into their garage -- they have 2nd fridge in the garage that they would need to get rid of if they wanted to put the van inside. So I guess be aware of garage space if that could be an issue.

In their van there are 2 captains chairs in the middle then a bench seat in the very back that seats 3. Our friend said you really couldn't fit 3 adults back their very comfortably but if you had to, it is available. Also, the back row folds into the floor of the van so if you don't need the seats you don't have to remove them and store them somewhere, they just fold up right into the van.

Happy Shopping!!

[Laura]

I rented a Toyota Sienna to go on a long road trip. It has a remarkable amount of space, good get up and go, and wasn't horrendous on the gas mileage. I don't know how they are price wise, but if I was in the market for a minivan, it would be on the top of my list.

[MusicMom]

We have a 2005 Toyota Sienna XLE model and absolutely love it, but we don't have the camera feature you're looking for. In our area, the Odysseys were more expensive at the time (about one year ago). We also found that the legroom in the front passenger seat in the Odyssey was shorter than in the Sienna- a major drawback for us.

The Sienna does have an 8 passenger model so you can fit three seats in the middle row and even pull up the center seat so that it's easier to get to from the front if you have a little one who needs attention. I don't know about the Odyssey's seating arrangements.

The Sienna has the fold-down back seat, which is much easier than having to remove it like we did in our old Caravan.

I liked the overall feel of the Sienna better than the Odyssey as well as its shape.

You might want to check out Edmunds.com for more comparison information.

[zwieback]

We recently purchased a 2005 Chrysler Town & Country (have had it for about a month). We really like it. All of the back seats fold into the floor and if they aren't folded down, there are compartments for storage. The seats fold really easily, too. I think their seats were the easiest to handle out of all of the cars we test drove. The side doors and back doors open/close automatically (with the push of a button). It is really comfortable, too. I think some models of the T&C do have the camera but, I'm not positive.

We went into the car buying process thinking for sure we'd get a Toyota Sienna or a Honda Odyssey. We test drove the Toyota first, then the Honda. We much preferred the Honda over the Toyota. The Toyota was a nice car but, it just wasn't the greatest for the price (not as comfortable for us). We really liked the Honda but, we weren't ready just yet to make a purchase and decided to look at a Buick Terraza. We liked that one a lot but, were a little cautious since it was the first year on the market. We also noticed online that the Buick dealer wasn't selling too many. We went back to Honda one night to make an offer on the Odyssey but, they couldn't find the key and were fiddling around. The sales guy could have told us at some point he was still looking for the key but, didn't say a word. So, we just left (we know that the key was the problem because the guy had called our house and left a message). We went to Chrysler and test drove the T&C and about a week later or so, DH made an offer over the internet, they accepted it and we have our nice, new car.

[Beth Y]

Just to clarify my post, that I love all the features of my Odyssey, the doors,etc. have saved me many a day. The split or bench middle seat option makes it easy to get back to my older child in the back...and we have certainly put 4 carseats and three adults in there...even for long hauls. I thought it was peppier driving than the Sienna that year(2002). It has just been REALLY problematic. In and out of the shop, costly repairs.

[angelamaria]

ok i must confess i test drove the nissan right before i posted and i really liked it. i liked the sunroofs, i like the dials being in the middle, it has a camera and can have the dvd player etc for long road trips.it has 2 captains chairs in the 2nd row and 3 seat bench in the back. all the seats fold down and or stow. it rode well. the engine is a v6 and had a little pickup, gas mileage is comparable to the others. the styling is a little fresher than the reg minivan look. i think i will have the dh test drive it and see what he thinks.
thanks for all the info!
angela

[Gecko]

Despite the fact that my girls think that the Quests shape is much cooler, I would probably get the Sienna. I read in Comsumer Reports that it is much more reliable. I am in such bad need of a new car right now it isn't funny, so this purchase may be sooner rather than later. My van (a 1993 Chevy Lumina :eek: ) has decided that its engine just wants to cut out whenever it feels like. Our mechanic has been unable to trace any problem. I think it is possessed.

[Robyncz]

We also have a 2005 Town and Country Touring. Before that I had a Plymouth Grand Voyager. It was dependable and reliable, but for a variety of reasons, I was sure my next car was going to be an Odyssey or a Sienna. However, when it came time to make the purchase, the "employee discount" pricing and rebate incentives on the T&C made the decision for me. It would have cost about $10,000 more to get the Honda or Toyota with equipment comparable to what we got in the T&C.

We love the Stow and Go feature that allows all of the 2nd and 3rd row seats to fold into the floor and we've already used it on several occasions. The wells that the seats fold into also provide additional in-car storage that we found really helpful when we packed the car for our recent vacation.

I have put as many as 5 car seats (3 boosters with backs, one forward-facing carseat, and one back-facing infant seat) in my Voyager at one time. There was one in each 2nd-row captain's seat and three in the back-row seat. My friend, who drives a Nissan, was not able to get the 5th seat into her back-row seat. I haven't tried that yet in the new car (and with luck I won't ever have to), so I don't know if they would all fit in the T&C.

I have also had to ride with two adults and a carseat in the back row seat of the Voyager, and the fit was snug, but doable.

I don't know if the T&C has the camera option you're looking for. Ours doesn't have it and it wasn't something we asked about. They do have a reverse warning sensor available, but it only makes a noise--doesn't let you see what you're about to mow down. . .

Good luck making your decision. We're very happy with ours!

[jabelt]

So far, I have 3 good friends that have broken down and went the mini-van route. All 3 did extensive research and all 3 ended up with a Siena.

No complaints yet from any of them.

[RunnerKim]

Sounds like you've found a good fit, but I"ll post anyway. We have a 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan EX (mid-level) and are happy with it. We didn't even look at the Toyota or Honda because we couldn't afford them. We were able to get the Dodge new with 0% apr b/c they were coming out with the new model year early. So ours doesn't have the stow and go seating and our back seat splits 50/50 not 70/30 or whatever.

I didn't have any issues getting a minivan b/c we were really getting it for the dog :D . the 50/50 backseat works great for us because we have half the back seat removed and a dog crate in there - perfect size.

I love having power doors/lift gate. It's come in very handy when having a infant car seat in one hand and a pre-schooler holding the other hand.

I have a friend who has a pre-schooler and just had twins, they went with the Sienna b/c they can put all 3 car seats in the middle row. I would not want to be climbing to the back to do a seat belt.

Enjoy your extra space.

Kim

[cocoa'smom]

I have an OLD Quest - 1995 with 180,000 on it. It's really old - no sliding door on the driver's side, no cup holders in the middle row :eek: But, aside from one issue (that took it breaking down 3-4 times), once we got that diagnosed and fixed, have had no trouble at all. I would recommend the Quest - the new ones look so cool and have lots of great features. I have a neighbor with the Odyssey that loves it, 2 neighbors with the Sienna - 1 has had a lot of problems with it and with the dealer. The other loves it.

[mbrogier]

My best friend's parents were in a head on collision with a drunk driver in their Toyota Sienna (front passenger side) and walked away. The drunk was going 50, and they had pulled to the side of the road to try and get out of his way. I am impressed at the safety of that van.

[lindrusso]

Just popping in quickly to say that I love my Sienna - it's almost 5 years old. I don't know much about the Quest, but we were seriously considering the Odyssey but when we were buying, they were so popular they didn't even have one on the lot to test drive and we would have had to wait quite a while to get one!

From what I've researched about the Sienna and the Odyssey, they are both great vans. It would probably come down to price and/or personal preference. Both are very reliable.

I have not test driven the Odyssey or the Quest, but the Sienna is very easy to drive - doesn't really feel any bigger than a car to me. I actually feel more comfortable driving my Sienna than driving my husband's Mazda 626. I'm short and the Sienna just has a good seat height for me.

The Sienna has changed since I bought mine, so I can't really comment too much on the other features - but I know they now offer the fold down seats that I would have loved to have!

I usually start with what Consumer Reports rates as the most reliable and then decide by price and personal preference.

Good luck and have fun new car/van shopping. :)

Alysha

[TwinMom]

Another thumbs up for the Sienna. We have a 2004 LE model (the newer version). It drives so nicely, great pick up, and feels like a car rather than a big van to drive (but higher up!).

I love that the rear seats fold into the back if we need them down. But we usually have them up for the dogs to sit on. The back then has a nice deep "well" for storage behind the 3rd row. We have each DD in the second row captains chairs and they love the van as well.

We don't have the highest model, just the basics, but I know the more $ models have the camera and lots of bells and whistles. We have one remote sliding door and traction control, which I recommend. Would love to have 2 remote doors and rear door on remote as well, but couldn't justify the extra $. The safety features are great with wrap around air bags, etc...

Good luck and test drive several vans to see which you feel most comfortable it...

[Lrimerman]

Just to pipe in and say that we have a Chrysler T&C Limited that is going on a year old. Love it. My dad is a retired GM employee and I have never bought a new car that wasn't GM, until now. I love the features (stow and go seats, GPS, DVD, Auto doors and liftgate, etc.). It has the rear alert feature for backing up, but not a camera. Only had minor repair stuff so far, one was the fuse kept blowing on the radio/dvd, etc. turned out there was a penny stuck in the power outlet for the cell phone (must have been my 3 year old) they fixed it under warranty even though it should have been paid by me since it was a penny in it. Also, replaced the seat belt where my daughter sits, it sort of looked like it was wearing in one spot where she puts it through the booster car seat. No questions asked they replaced it.

Very satisfied with the van and the service.

Lisa

[stacy7272]

I don't have a minivan but a few years ago when we were in the market for a car we looked into them. What I remember from reading Consumer Reports is that the Nissan Quest was terrible with reliability. Now, that was years ago and many cars come a long way in a few short years so I would check with Consumer Reports before I did anything.

Recently in Westways (AAA's magazine) they test drove 3 minivans, the Odyssey, the Sienna, and the Town & Country. All three did well. The Town and Country is substantially cheaper but it seemed to have fewer safety features. The Odyssey seems to have a new feature that interested me: it had adjustable pedals for us shorties!

[clairea]

I have a 2004 Odyssey and I love it. I think I probably would have been equally happy with the Quest or Sienna, but the Odyssey had the best combination of features and price at the time so we went with that. I do like the feature on the Town & Country where the middle seats fold down into the floor like the back row on the Odyssey, but since that wasn't a feature on any of the models we were really looking at it wasn't a deal-breaker. The middle seats aren't hard to take out if I need to, and I think I have only done that once in the time I have had the a car anyway.

I haven't had any problems with reliability on my Odyssey, and I drive a lot in heavy (Atlanta) traffic and several road trips (have put 25,000 miles on the car since May 05). I would check Edmunds, and also consumer reports, though, as it sounds like there might be some issues. The car I had before this (VW Passat) had major reliability issues and it is a real problem to have an unreliable car with 2 or 3 small children!

Has anyone said they can get 3 carseats across the back of the Odyssey? I have one in a booster seat and one that doesn't need a seat so I have never tried it. I have put 3 booster seats (the little backless ones) and it was a really tight squeeze, and I don't think that 3 real carseats would have fit).

[Robyncz]

The Odyssey seems to have a new feature that interested me: it had adjustable pedals for us shorties!

My Town and Country has power adjustable pedals. I LOVE them. I'm only 5 feet tall, and never in my life have I driven with my heel on the floor. It's wonderful!!!