A select few car companies? If you hate Ford, but like Chevy then you really hate only Chrysler and Ford as those and GM are the only American car companies.
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Help me decide which minivan to buy!
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A select few car companies? If you hate Ford, but like Chevy then you really hate only Chrysler and Ford as those and GM are the only American car companies.
We have a 2005 Honda Odyssey Touring that we love,love,love!!!
When we were shopping for a van, we were like you, didn't know which one was the best. The Honda dealer and the Toyota dealer parking lots joined so we tried out a Sienna, which I thought was a great van until we went next door and drove the Honda. I could tell immediately that was the van for me, even though the Sienna was lots cheaper. It has the leather seating and it still looks new, very good grade material. We had a GM vehicle before that had softer leather and it started cracking, and splitting.
We have had many people tell us that they really liked it. Great buy!
It also has the ECO for fuel saving when you are driving.
When we were shopping for a van, we were like you, didn't know which one was the best. The Honda dealer and the Toyota dealer parking lots joined so we tried out a Sienna, which I thought was a great van until we went next door and drove the Honda. I could tell immediately that was the van for me, even though the Sienna was lots cheaper. It has the leather seating and it still looks new, very good grade material. We had a GM vehicle before that had softer leather and it started cracking, and splitting.
We have had many people tell us that they really liked it. Great buy!
It also has the ECO for fuel saving when you are driving.
We have a Mitsubishi Delica (4x4 people carrier), it's made of awesome win. It does however only get ~25mpg and it's a turbo diesel :S, we just use it as a second vehicle for getting to raves/festivals and if ever we need to transport more than 4 people which in this family is a common occurrence.
It's a grey import so don't expect to see one at the local Mitsubishi dealership
It's a grey import so don't expect to see one at the local Mitsubishi dealership
Do you really need a minivan?
I mean, do you need that big of a car? If you do, thats fine, I am just wondering.
A Subaru Outback or Forester might be a better option.
I had an Odyssey and really liked it. We got rid of it when we moved to Colorado. If they had an 4WD or AWD we would have gotten another one. Instead we got the Honda Pilot.
Really unless you need the complete functionality of a minivan, I would go with a Pilot or something along those lines. The difference in fuel economy is not that great. The pilot is actually based of the minivan. My neighbor has a Sienna and gets 19mpg. My friend mom has a pilot and it gets 18mpg. Both AWD. Resale is probably better on the pilot I would guess in that its a popular SUV.
I really think AWD needs to be switched back to 4wd. AWD hurts your fuel economy by a couple mpg.
I really think AWD needs to be switched back to 4wd. AWD hurts your fuel economy by a couple mpg.
Chrysler minivans (Caravan and Town & Country) are made in Windsor Ontario. The only Chrysler vehicles assembled in Mexico are the Ram 2500 and 3500, the PT Cruiser, and the Journey.
I'll stick with my (made in Ota, Gunma) Impreza.I'm partial to the (made in Indiana) Subaru, myself.
Grey imports don't exist in the U.S. unless you have a bunch of money to drop, or you feel like registering it as a show car only, and then driving it anyway. Not really worth it for a minivan.
We're going to have three kids in carseats, so the convenience of getting to the back row easily seems important.
This is why Ohio (where I live) it is filled with Hondas. I even drive a 2001 Honda Accord Coupe. BTW my vote is for the Honda Odyssey.
The Odyssey and Sienna are both excellent car and have great reviews. The main difference between them is the standard Honda emphasis on sportiness versus the Toyota emphasis on comfort. Personally I prefer Hondas.
The Odyssey also has simpler option packages making it simpler to buy.
The Town and Country is a step down in areas where it really counts, like the engine and transmission. A minivan doesn't need two DVD screens, one is more than enough.
The Odyssey also has simpler option packages making it simpler to buy.
The Town and Country is a step down in areas where it really counts, like the engine and transmission. A minivan doesn't need two DVD screens, one is more than enough.
They do, but you have to look carefully. Look for a woman driving anything other than an Odyssey or Camry.
I have a 2004 Toyota Sienna, with 90,000 miles. I run Mobil One Extended Synthetic, and Nitrogen in the tires (34 PSI) and get 27-28 mpg
I have done all the oil changes every 5K as well as tire rotations, and all the major services 30,60 and up coming 90 K. Nothing has broken,gone wrong in 4 years/90,000 miles.
With the 90K I'll be putting on another set of Michelin Hydro Edge Tires (I removed the factory garbage before it left the showroom)
I run an Airport Shuttle business, and this Van is busy. I plan on keeping it for 250 K, doing just what I've been doing, doing all the normal maintenance's. I'd recommend the Sienna HIGHLY, and would purchase another one in a heartbeat
I have done all the oil changes every 5K as well as tire rotations, and all the major services 30,60 and up coming 90 K. Nothing has broken,gone wrong in 4 years/90,000 miles.
With the 90K I'll be putting on another set of Michelin Hydro Edge Tires (I removed the factory garbage before it left the showroom)
I run an Airport Shuttle business, and this Van is busy. I plan on keeping it for 250 K, doing just what I've been doing, doing all the normal maintenance's. I'd recommend the Sienna HIGHLY, and would purchase another one in a heartbeat
Yeah, I am pretty sure the OP is looking for that kind of car. Good try though.
Makes sense. I would go with a Odyssey. I think the interior is much nicer than the Sienna.
The interior is much nicer in our Odyssey then the Sienna had.
A friend of mine just got a Pilot and the gas milage is the same. We were on vacation a few months ago and we got 26 miles to the gal. We made sure we didn't drive crazy and ended up using the ECO more because of it.
One thing I forgot to mention. Ours has the run-flat tires which has beautiful rims, but to replace the tires are expensive, and they don't get that great of milage either. It is nice not to worry about having a flat on the road though.
A friend of mine just got a Pilot and the gas milage is the same. We were on vacation a few months ago and we got 26 miles to the gal. We made sure we didn't drive crazy and ended up using the ECO more because of it.
One thing I forgot to mention. Ours has the run-flat tires which has beautiful rims, but to replace the tires are expensive, and they don't get that great of milage either. It is nice not to worry about having a flat on the road though.
The Honda is the way to go. It also has very nice steering and handling. You will grow to like that precision and hate the slop of others. Also, very good resale value. Try to find a used one without a million miles. Well, maybe now some fool will try to sell theirs at a $15000 loss to get two more mpg..
I've heard horrible things about run flat tires. My friends mom has a sienna and it eats through the run flats like crazy. I also heard that they are not as comfortable as regular tires.
Not sure if you're kidding or not, but the Odyssey I just "built" online has an MSRP of $44,675. I would hardly call that cheap.
Still can't decide which way to go -- Ody or Sienna. I don't think it really matters all that much as each has its pros and cons and both are great cars. I'm going to stay away from AWD in all events (Toyota offers it, Honda doesn't) because if you get AWD, you're stuck with the run flat tires. So that's no longer a deciding factor.
We've been very happy with our 2005 Odyssey. We have the nav system, entertainment, etc. I recommend the extended warranty from Honda. It has already paid for itself with some post-normal-warranty repairs we've had to have done.
Get the Oddessy, it has won almost every single magazine comparison I have ever read. You can't beat Hondas reliability or resale value. Check CR for the most recent reliability data for the Sienna and the T&C. The Sienna turns out to not be all that reliable and I won't even start in on the Chrysler. Sure, the Chrysler has a lifetime warranty but what is that vehicle going to be worth when you go to sell it? They are going bankrupt soon because they can not produce a competitive, quality vehicle.