View Full Version : Mini van owners
Wheel-Nut
05-26-04, 11:29 AM
Wasn't there someone here that purchased a minivan about 1 1/2 years ago after doing a bunch of research?
Seems I am in the same boat. With the recent addition of another rug rat (2 total) my wife seems to think her Altima is just not a family friendly car. She seems to think we need a minivan. :thumdown:
After talking her out of the Dodge Caravan she seems to have her heart set on the Honda Odyssey.
Anyone have any horror stories about the Honda or any other make of minivan?
I think Warlock! is our mini-van expert. That talk about motorcycles is just for show.
My wife has a Mercury Villager that she has run up to 150,000 miles with next to no trouble. Now she has her eye on either the new Ford Freestar or an Odyssey.
Napoleon
05-26-04, 12:06 PM
I think Warlock! is our mini-van expert. That talk about motorcycles is just for show.
correct - he ended up with a Honda Odyssey
racer2c
05-26-04, 12:50 PM
Talked her out of the Caravan? If you haven't seen the new fold away seats in the Caravan, you should. Best thing Chrysler has done since they invented the remote sliding door for the Caravan, the driver side sliding door for the Caravan and well, the mini-van itself.
More room, more power, more features for less money, but I know how people feel about plastic Honda badge. :rolleyes:
I prefer the Town and Country with three rows of leather. :)
Warlock!
05-26-04, 12:53 PM
*head down*
Yeah... that was me.
As far as minivans go (which ain't that damn far), the Odyssey was head n shoulders above the rest. However, the 2002 we purchased had a tranny go out a year ago (at maybe 20k miles) and recalls are going out for 2002 thur early 2004 models to get the tranny fixed. Nuthin to complain about otherwise... 240 HP gets it around a lot quicker than the others I tried as well. Nowadays it seems as though the others are catching up in features and HP, so it may be a completely different ballgame.
One thing I noticed tho, is that all the other minivans still seem to brag about their features vs the Odyssey's. Obviously Honda created a benchmark for the other companies to shoot for...
It still really sucks driving around in a minivan, tho... never kid yourself. You will officially be everything you never wanted to become. Your life is over.
F***ing deal with it.
Warlock!
JLMannin
05-26-04, 01:05 PM
I bought an '02 Toyota Sienna about 18 months ago, and have had no problems to speak of. I went to one of the mega dealers and test-drove a Kia Sedona, Mercury Villager, Honda Odessy, and Toyota Sienna. The Odessy and Sienna were equal to me and far, far superior to the Kia. The Mercery was scary as hell. At 45 mph, there was a vibration so bad I thought the thing was going to shake apart. There were squeaky and creaky noises everywhere in that thing. The final Odessy/Sienna decision came down to the following:
Odessy's were selling at sticker, no negotiation!
Layout of controls
If you don't want to drive a mini-van, then don't have children.
It's okay, 'lock. Many minivan owners don't fit the mold. :p
We bought an Odyssey waaaay back in '97, just before baby #2 was born. It's still going strong, no real problems at all. Ours has the old four door config rather than sliding in the back, and is only 4 cylinder - we could maybe tow a bicycle or two. :saywhat: :D But plenty of power for highway/city driving and overtaking. Very smooth ride. Not as big as the current Odysseys - although we did manage to bring home a 4'x8' piece of deck lattice inside the van one summer, holding it over our heads...kinda hard on the neck. (Our new giganterrific diesel truck will do all our towing and hauling...and actually, its back bench seat is wider than the van's.)
We've had a bit of an annoyance with the electronic locks. They don't seem to do this anymore, but for about a year they would lock and unlock spontaneously. Bit disconcerting. That's stopped, although now we cannot open the passenger side door with the key, only the driver's side door and the trunk.
Other than those small things, we're very happy with it. According to hubby, we can't have any more kids because we've now filled the van's seat belts - although there is any extra centre belt in the middle bench seat... :eek:
Anyone that gives you crap about driving a minivan can go **** themselves! Minivans are SO convenient for so many things, and they don't eat gas like the big-ass SUVs.
We don't own a minivan (we own a Sequoia to tow a 5500 lb. trailer), but I spent much of the early 90s traveling around the country bicycle racing with rented Aerostars. They held lots of crap, got fairly good mileage, and are invisible to most cops! :cool:
A couple friends have Odysseys and love them. I'm a big Honda fan, so that would be my first choice. And as racer2c mentioned, the Caravan/Town & Country is very nice too.
Sean O'Gorman
05-26-04, 02:37 PM
Don't laugh, but have you considered the Kia Sedona? We used to have some in our rental fleet a few years back and there were a couple that were fully loaded and as nice as the Town & Country or Sedona (the benchmarks for luxury vans IMO), and they seemed to hold up fairly well for the 6-12 months of their life. I remember one went 20,000 miles before its first oil change so it ended up being pulled out of rental and given to my dad as a company car and holding up fine for the rest of its time there.
DjDrOmusic
05-26-04, 03:22 PM
I have owned 2 Caravans and 2 Astros(currently own an Astro) both Caravans were great for getting the family around but both of them left me on the side of the road with tranny problems. The Astros are rear wheel drive and bigger than a Caravan, they can haul the family and tow a camper or boat plus they get fairly good gas mileage. I've driven the AeroStar and Windstar and the Nissan whatever it's called, plus the Honda, but for what I need a mini van for(4 kids and 4000 lbs of sound and lighting equipment) I'm very happy with the Astro.
After checking out a few vans, we went with the Honda as well. Ours is a 2003 and the only serious problem was that the DVD player died within the first year. It was replaced at no charge.
The DVD player was worth every penny. It was used extensively during last year's trip to M-O, and it will get the same use when we head out there for the ALMS race in June. Trips are timed in the number of showings for Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. ;)
I am concerned about the transmission and I assume we will be getting the recall letter. The transmission is sometimes slow to engage Drive after reversing and it will occasionally downshift hard when braking.
Otherwise, no complaints.
As for being a Honda - I proudly display my "Bridgestone presents Champcar World Series Powered by Ford" sticker prominently on the rear window. :thumbup:
Wheel-Nut
05-26-04, 03:53 PM
So according to 'lock minivans just aren't cool!
Racer2c, I looked at the Caravans on the web. That extra storage looks nice but I figure it would be extra space for her to cram sh ite in meaning extra sh ite for me to unload. A mechanic buddy of mine says the Chrysler products have some quirky electrical issues. I don't know if he is just blowing smoke but . . . .
JLMannin, I have looked at the Sienna but for the options my wife wants, leather / DVD player we just can't swing the note on a Toyota. Extra daycare bill now and all. $1300 a month for daycare alone, ouch!!
anait, I don't have to worry about carrying any type of "honey-do" type materials, I have my truck for that kind of stuff. We will just be toting the usual kid type stuff to and from grandmas house. Thanks for the comments.
Rich, what catagory did you race? Pro, Cat 1, Cat 2? The Odyssey has these neat built in bike holders. The type that clamp into the front forks. Good selling point!
Sean, thanks but no-thanks.
DjDrO, Any vehicle that strands me or my family is history. Again, I am not really carrying anything heavy.
I can't believe she even wants to get a minivan. I tried to talk her into a wagon but she would have nothing to do with that kind of talk! and 'lock, lifes not over, it is just beginning.
Example:
Son: That sure is a neat looking kart dad. Who is it for?
Dad: Yes son it is. 250cc shifter, all the extras you could want and I bought it for you!
Son: REALLY?!!
Dad: Really, but until you are old enough to drive it I will keep the seat warm for you!! Now go wash up for dinner. Tell mom I won't be in for dinner!
Rich, what catagory did you race? Pro, Cat 1, Cat 2? The Odyssey has these neat built in bike holders. The type that clamp into the front forks. Good selling point!
Whoa, that is a great selling point, I didn't know about that. I raced Cat2, and also was a collegiate racer & national champ in the team time trial. It's a great sport!
racer2c
05-26-04, 04:20 PM
Wheel Nut, go to either Dodge.com or Chrysler.com and click on their mini-van section and click on "learn more about Stow and Go". It's a little Flash promo that shows the fold away seats. Dropping both rows of seats in seconds! Very cool.
I tried talking my bro-in-law into one but he opted for the Toyota because he "like the feel of the switchgear better". I've read that switchgear is the single most decisive factor when buying a new car other than style. I like his Toyota. Solid van, although I find it to be much smaller feeling than my friends Town and Country. The second row seats are about three inches smaller in width.
Dirty Sanchez
05-26-04, 04:21 PM
Honestly, why do the Moms in this country have something against wagons? :o
Honestly, why do the Moms in this country have something against wagons? :o
Cuz it's what their mom drove. Ever try telling your wife/girlfriend that she is acting like her mother? :eek: :eek: :eek:
Dirty Sanchez
05-26-04, 04:46 PM
Cuz it's what their mom drove. Ever try telling your wife/girlfriend that she is acting like her mother? :eek: :eek: :eek:Well if that's the case, I'd tell her that her mom was cooler than she is then. ;)
racer2c
05-26-04, 04:59 PM
Two words...Dodge Magnum. 345hp Hemi powered grocery getter. Shweet. I saw one for the first time in person two days ago and it looks better than the pictures.
http://www.dodge.com/nav/photo/magnum_rt_4_main.jpg
Cuz it's what their mom drove. Ever try telling your wife/girlfriend that she is acting like her mother? :eek:
:rofl: Actually, one of my high school boyfriends drove the family station wagon. Red, with wood paneling. Ick. Hm, the only boyfriend who had his own car drove a Camaro.
My mom had a pretty cool car. Couldn't tell you the make or year, I wasn't into cars. But it was from the late 70's or early 80's, bullet-like, with sparkly bright blue bodywork along with some white... Some kids I used to babysit thought it looked like a race car... :D A Mercury of some sort??
ETA: Checked with my mom - it was a Pontiac LeMans coupe, she thinks 1976. I found a pic of a '72, but it doesn't look right, a bit too long and horizontal. Our car had more curves. Although this one looks similar, but I'm pretty sure there was a division in the side windows...
http://www.pontiacserver.com/luxurylemans/index.html
Sean O'Gorman
05-26-04, 05:21 PM
Honestly, why do the Moms in this country have something against wagons? :o
I thought wagons were coming back and it was minivans that were out of style?
Every "decade" of mothers does not want to seem like the batch older than them. They want to see themselves as "young mothers."
The batch of mothers from the mid- 1970s to the mid-1980s drove wagons. Thus, the next batch refused to. The "new moms" from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s drove minivans, to set themselves apart from the station wagon set. The "new moms" from the mid-1990s until around now drive SUVs, because they didn't want to be seen in mini-vans. Now that SUVs have been en vogue for about 10 years, we're seeing a big comeback in station wagons. Very few manufacturers made wagons 5 years ago. Everybody is coming out with one now.
As for the Magnum - why on earth would you name a car after a condom?
racer2c
05-26-04, 05:50 PM
The SUV roll over fiasco helped in the return of the wagon. I'm reading in the car mags that lower SUV and mini-vans are the next thing. You can see it in the new Nissan mini-van. Crossover is the buzz.
Winston Wolfe
05-26-04, 06:43 PM
Wasn't there someone here that purchased a minivan about 1 1/2 years ago after doing a bunch of research?
Seems I am in the same boat. With the recent addition of another rug rat (2 total) my wife seems to think her Altima is just not a family friendly car. She seems to think we need a minivan. :thumdown:
After talking her out of the Dodge Caravan she seems to have her heart set on the Honda Odyssey.
Anyone have any horror stories about the Honda or any other make of minivan?
"NUT - you have got to get a hold of me. You know I am your Honda connection, and I can definitely get you handled at the best price possible. Honda has a lease for $259 per month on the EX (Cloth) model with a DVD player, called the Value package, and the lease is only for 24 months!!!! You cant beat that friggin' deal. I can probably get you one a little cheaper if you want... Keep in mind that an ALL NEW, Odyssey will be coming out in September, but it will be MSRP sticker deals only for the first few months, as it is going to be a class leading minivan once again....
PM me, or send me an email, and we will get you taken care of....
My wife loves our 2003 with the Navi, and now wont drive anything unless it has a Navi.... Let me know if you want some help on this thing....
get her an Outback or Volvo XC wagon and tell her that's that, no ifs ands or buts. :D
My mom just bought an Odyssey to haul grandkids around in the summer when they come to Camp MeMe. I have driven it a couple of times.
My positives:
It has good power.
It's quiet.
My negatives:
I never did figure out how to get the dvd player to work with the wireless headphones and then be able to listen to the stereo while driving. More complicated than a cellphone with tiny buttons.
Stupid shift lever. It just feels funky and not right when you put in gear or return it to park.
The power doors don't work if the car is in drive. I know its a safety feature for the rugrats but, when your kicking them out at the curb for school, you have to put it in park and then open the door. I am used to just keeping my foot on the brake and screaming at them to get out. I was really getting mad until I figured out they were telling me the truth that they couldn't get the door open. :D I thought they were being like me and just not wanting to go to school. :eek:
Drove the Town&Country/Caravan - then bought a Pacifica. Similar in size, versatility and price to the minivans, but head & shoulders above in ride, comfort. Handles more like a car.
Drove the Town&Country/Caravan - then bought a Pacifica. Similar in size, versatility and price to the minivans, but head & shoulders above in ride, comfort. Handles more like a car.
The Pacifica is very nice looking. Dodge/Chrysler keeps turning out some good looking stuff.
Railbird
05-26-04, 08:47 PM
I like that big Dodge Magum
My kid is grown and gone but that thing looks like something great for big ol' roadtrips.
IlliniRacer
05-26-04, 09:21 PM
98 Grand Caravan owner. Will probabley turn over 200K by the end of the year. Basic maintenance and parts (water pump, alternator) is all I have every done.
Minivans :rofl: :laugh: :rofl: I can't think of a more emasculating thing for a guy to drive.
Using the racing road trip thing as an excuse is a good cover though.
Warlock!
05-27-04, 07:44 AM
...and 'lock, lifes not over, it is just beginning.
Keep the dream, my man. I remember when I felt that way.
One Saturday morning I was driving the van to the car audio store to have a DVD sytem installed. I'm driving down State Hwy 281, a bone-straight, practically deserted 18 mile stretch of road. I have a beer in my hand, and a spare in one of the many cupholders. I have Ministry blaring the song "Just One Fix" and "Jesus Built my Hot Rod". What the Hell, I think to myself... lessee how fast this bee-otch'll go. It accellerates quickly, passing 115 mph with ease. At 119mph the speed limiter kicks on. "Damn", I think to myself, "this thing still had a lot left!" It felt stable as could be at that speed as well.
I slow back down to 65 or so, feeling pretty good about my choice of minivan. Uh-oh... cool part of the song comin' up, so I reach down and tweak the volume, making it a bit louder. Head bobbing, I finish my beer and throw it in the waste-paper basket my wife put in the van. This ain't bad at all... why was I so hesitant about buying a minivan?
A few miles later and I'm beginning to head thru the downtown section of Bowling Green. BG is a college town, so I obviously start scanning the sidewalks for 19 year old college hotties. Ooh!!! There's one that looks promising... long legs, tight pants, tight a**... my gal's got it goin' on! As I drive by I look at the sideview. Oh my... darling is a bit top-heavy... very nice... but somethin' ain't right. Directly behind her, reflecting off the glass storefront, I see...
A 35 year old bald guy in a frickin' "Granite-Green" minivan!!!
Talk about the ego getting ratcheted down a few notches... It's truly a humbling experience. But you're right... life's just beginning... :shakehead
;)
Warlock!
Wheel-Nut
05-27-04, 09:06 AM
^^^ :rofl: :rofl:
Wheel-Nut
05-27-04, 09:09 AM
"NUT - you have got to get a hold of me. You know I am your Honda connection, and I can definitely get you handled at the best price possible. Honda has a lease for $259 per month on the EX (Cloth) model with a DVD player, called the Value package, and the lease is only for 24 months!!!! You cant beat that friggin' deal. I can probably get you one a little cheaper if you want... Keep in mind that an ALL NEW, Odyssey will be coming out in September, but it will be MSRP sticker deals only for the first few months, as it is going to be a class leading minivan once again....
PM me, or send me an email, and we will get you taken care of....
My wife loves our 2003 with the Navi, and now wont drive anything unless it has a Navi.... Let me know if you want some help on this thing....
I don't think a lease would be right for us. My wife puts 17k+ miles a year on her current vehicle, I would think the milage overage would kill us. Besides, I don't know for sure but I think here in Texas there are some disadvantages when leasing vs. buying.
Minivans...I can't think of a more emasculating thing for a guy to drive.
Obviously you've never had sex with my husband.
:p
I s'pose it depends on who you're trying to impress/snag/seduce... Driving a minivan may not get you in with your cruisin' buddies, or catch the eye of the perky university co-eds, but do either of those people-genres plan on parking their runners beside your bedside table anytime soon?? ;)
Maybe I'm an old fuddy-duddy...but show me a man who has the heart and the drive of a sports car, and I don't give a flying fish stick if he's piloting a bus-for-the-masses to tote the kids around. And other ladies and wives like me, who admittedly are less perky than we once were but who have other benefits, find it incredibly sexy to see a man who puts his responsibilities ahead of his desires during the day...who saves the powerful, sexy ride for later - hopefully to share it with us. :D
Dirty Sanchez
05-27-04, 09:53 AM
Responsibility? Screw that noise. Gimme the hot car! :D
Obviously you've never had sex with my husband.
:p
no, and I hope I never do!!
I s'pose it depends on who you're trying to impress/snag/seduce... Driving a minivan may not get you in with your cruisin' buddies, or catch the eye of the perky university co-eds, but do either of those people-genres plan on parking their runners beside your bedside table anytime soon?? ;)
why yes, the latter if you must ask :p
Maybe I'm an old fuddy-duddy...but show me a man who has the heart and the drive of a sports car, and I don't give a flying fish stick if he's piloting a bus-for-the-masses to tote the kids around. And other ladies and wives like me, who admittedly are less perky than we once were but who have other benefits, find it incredibly sexy to see a man who puts his responsibilities ahead of his desires during the day...who saves the powerful, sexy ride for later - hopefully to share it with us.
just as long as he doesn't share it with US ;)
viva la sports car!!
(or Subaru, Audi, Volvo wagon)
Warlock, that is funny as hell! I got the Offspring and Kid Rock in the 6 CD changer in the Merc Villager. Those are for when I'm doing the navagating.
We bought a 2001 Villager (in early 2002). Got a good deal on it (new) and have had zero problems. Nada.
My thoughts: Can get aftermarket DVD for cheaper than dealer, but I bought a 9inch tube TV with built-in DVD that you hang between the front seats. But the 6 and 3 year old sit in the very back...
Never leather. Look, the first thing you do is cram a carseat in there and crank down the belts. Perma-dimpled leather covered in old milk and candy? Not for me.
Villager rides like a car.
Drawbacks? Only way to transport 4X8 sheets is at an angle hanging out the lift window. Works ok for that, but try not to do it on very cold days. Brrrr.
I do not like the way the seats are configured in the 2001 (may have been updated). You can remove the 2/3 width middle, then fold up the rear and push all the way (or part way) to the front. the 2/3 seat is freaking heavy!
Other vans? My sis's Town& Country rides like a van. I'm only 5'10" and I can NOT give myself enough legroom. DEALBREAKER right there.
I also do not know ANYONE that did not have the tranny go out on a Caravan/T&C, sis included.
oddlycalm
05-27-04, 02:52 PM
Ya gotta love a place where a minivan thread is this entertaining at the same time it's being informative. :thumbup:
oc
but I bought a 9inch tube TV with built-in DVD that you hang between the front seats.
My wife bought one of those a couple weeks ago. After she installed it (properly), I showed her what would happen in an impact by pulling on it has hard as I could. Half of it ended up in our daughter's car seat. I pulled in the direction toward where her head would go, and it went 1/3 into that area, and one of the tether buckles snapped.
And this is just with me pulling on it, not a violent car crash impact. I took it out, boxed it up, and returned it.
Be careful with that thing, there's alot of mass to swing around.
racer2c
05-27-04, 03:46 PM
Warlock, that is funny as hell! I got the Offspring and Kid Rock in the 6 CD changer in the Merc Villager. Those are for when I'm doing the navagating.
We bought a 2001 Villager (in early 2002). Got a good deal on it (new) and have had zero problems. Nada.
My thoughts: Can get aftermarket DVD for cheaper than dealer, but I bought a 9inch tube TV with built-in DVD that you hang between the front seats. But the 6 and 3 year old sit in the very back...
Never leather. Look, the first thing you do is cram a carseat in there and crank down the belts. Perma-dimpled leather covered in old milk and candy? Not for me.
Villager rides like a car.
Drawbacks? Only way to transport 4X8 sheets is at an angle hanging out the lift window. Works ok for that, but try not to do it on very cold days. Brrrr.
I do not like the way the seats are configured in the 2001 (may have been updated). You can remove the 2/3 width middle, then fold up the rear and push all the way (or part way) to the front. the 2/3 seat is freaking heavy!
Other vans? My sis's Town& Country rides like a van. I'm only 5'10" and I can NOT give myself enough legroom. DEALBREAKER right there.
The Chrysler mini's come with built in child seats. Leather and kids not mixing was a good way for dad to not have to pop for the extra cost. Leather is actually what you want with kids. Drop your ice cream? Wipe it off. Spill your Coke? Wipe it off. Dirt from little shoes jumping around, you guessed it, wipe it off. All of my vehicles have leather and I'll never go back to cloth.
Not enough leg room? I'm 5'11" and there is a foot in front of me in the second row of my buddies T&C. They sport the largest interior room of the bunch. :confused:
The Chrysler mini's come with built in child seats. Leather and kids not mixing was a good way for dad to not have to pop for the extra cost. Leather is actually what you want with kids. Drop your ice cream? Wipe it off. Spill your Coke? Wipe it off. Dirt from little shoes jumping around, you guessed it, wipe it off. All of my vehicles have leather and I'll never go back to cloth.
Not enough leg room? I'm 5'11" and there is a foot in front of me in the second row of my buddies T&C. They sport the largest interior room of the bunch. :confused:My kids' car seats put pretty deep dimples in the seat fabric/cusion. JMO.
I drove my sis's T&C to/from the airport. I put the driver's seat all the way back. My knee needed to have a nearly 90 degree bend. My BinL's opinion was that it was for soccer moms, not dads.
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