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If you haul plywood, measure to make sure that you can get a 8X4 sheet into whatever you get. Sometimes it means the seat has to be VERY close to the steering wheel. Not good if you do it often.
Maybe one of those extended cab pickup trucks would work better for you. Some of them have a lot of room on that second seat. At least as much as some of these dorky little things you see running around now.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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I vote for the sienna
I have an 06 Sienna that I bought used. I was really luck and found one with only 200 miles on it. Anyway, I love this minivan. The back two rows of seats can fold down for hauling stuff. Plus you can reconfigure the seats to a certain extent making the middle row seat one, or the back row seat two and lower one seat for cargo space, etc. Also, the middle windows go down about 1/2 way which is a huge deal for the kids. Ours came with the remote sliding door on one side door which is nice, but I can live without it.
Do you have a carmax near you? We've had great experience with them.
Prior to this I had a '99 Grand Voyage. I don't know if that was a bad year or what, but that thing had issues after about 2 years. Serpentine belt went, they never could get the air to function properly. Stuff that shouldn't have happened as early as it did. It got to the point that it was so unreliable I couldn't drive it anymore.
While the Toyotas and Hondas cost more, I would definitely stick with them. I would NEVER buy an American vehicle except for full size trucks. Even there I am starting to lean toward the Toyota Tundra.
If you have never driven a Toyota or Honda, you should at least test drive one. You won't believe how smooth the engines are and how crisp the handling is. You can't even hear the new/newer models running. Not to mention the far superior reliabiltiy.
I did see that Chrysler/Dodge did come out with the new "lifetime powertrain" warranties. This in is response to people like me who would NEVER buy a Chrysler product because the are NOTORIOUS for transmission failure.
Give you an example on longevity... my family purchases well used vehicles. My DH and I have a 91 Toyota Previa minivan that we purchased this year. So, 16 yrs old, 147K miles, and pleasantly broken in. We then learned that Previas have a lifespan into the high 200's or even 300's when regularly maintained. My inlaws have a 95 Honda Odyssey. They purchased at about 100K several years ago and it has been a super vehicle. They have only had to do minor maintenance (exhaust pipe bracket, brake pads, tires, tune up, timing belt, etc), and it is currently sporting about 160K.
My Honda Civic is running strong at 231K with only typical maintenance expenses. I do have to replace the wheel bearing, which is expected at such a high mileage, but that is only about $200 at the shop.
Meanwhile, all the minivans in my family (2 Chrylers, many Fords) have all bombed out at about 100K with MAJOR engine problems, blown transmissions, front suspension falling apart.
We are very much DIY people too. I don't know the space available for the newer vans, I know I can get a decent amount in the Previa. The replacement model is the Toyota Sienna, and it does have less cargo space than what I have, but not by much. The Odyssey is a little smaller than ours as well, and I would consider it more of a station wagon type vehicle than I would a minivan - but, the one I'm accustomed to is a 95 model, so the newer may be better. Good luck with your purchase!
While the Toyotas and Hondas cost more, I would definitely stick with them. I would NEVER buy an American vehicle except for full size trucks. Even there I am starting to lean toward the Toyota Tundra.
If you have never driven a Toyota or Honda, you should at least test drive one. You won't believe how smooth the engines are and how crisp the handling is. You can't even hear the new/newer models running. Not to mention the far superior reliabiltiy.
I did see that Chrysler/Dodge did come out with the new "lifetime powertrain" warranties. This in is response to people like me who would NEVER buy a Chrysler product because the are NOTORIOUS for transmission failure.
Too bad that is a good 10 years after the first wave of bad trannies on the Dodge brand. The bad tranny trend affects the trucks and mini vans mostly. The trucks are also notorious for the front ends falling apart, meaning premature death of most of the front suspension components.
Another factor of the non-American mini vans.... They retain their resale value! Unlike the throw aways in Chrysler, you won't end up oweing significantly more on your loan than what the vehicle is worth once it hits the 100K mark. If you decide to sell, you will still get a good asking price for it (from those like me that purchase well used vehicles) as long as it has been well maintained. Well, and even the not so well maintained sell pretty good... my Honda Civics life was certainly a rough one before I got her.
Too bad that is a good 10 years after the first wave of bad trannies on the Dodge brand. The bad tranny trend affects the trucks and mini vans mostly. The trucks are also notorious for the front ends falling apart, meaning premature death of most of the front suspension components.
Another factor of the non-American mini vans.... They retain their resale value! Unlike the throw aways in Chrysler, you won't end up oweing significantly more on your loan than what the vehicle is worth once it hits the 100K mark. If you decide to sell, you will still get a good asking price for it (from those like me that purchase well used vehicles) as long as it has been well maintained. Well, and even the not so well maintained sell pretty good... my Honda Civics life was certainly a rough one before I got her.
Good point on the resale! My sister had a Warner Bros Edition Chevy Venture. It was probably 5 years old...cost about $30k...with about 100k on it. It was displying some tranny or engines issues (I never drove or rode in it). She traded it in on a new Honda Passport and I think she got $2,500 for the trade!!! And she is no push over to salesmen.
My buddy bought a new Chrysler Town & Country for over $30k 3years ago. I don't have the heart to tell him what it worth today. I would say less than hald of what he paid at best. OUCH!
There is a reason the Big 3 are bumming while Toyota and Honda are flourishing.
Location: Ohio, but moving to El Paso, TX August/September
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TimtheGuy
My buddy bought a new Chrysler Town & Country for over $30k 3years ago. I don't have the heart to tell him what it worth today. I would say less than hald of what he paid at best. OUCH!
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I got our Honda about 3 1/2 years ago. Brand new, and we spent a lot less than $30k. I think people sometimes think Hondas and Toyotas are more expensive, but if you can strike the right deal, it can be cheaper than Chrysler. What I did, and it worked great, was play the Toyota and Honda dealerships off of each other until one could no longer drop their price any more.
Maybe one of those extended cab pickup trucks would work better for you. Some of them have a lot of room on that second seat. At least as much as some of these dorky little things you see running around now.
I agree. Minivans are car-based - they're more for hauling people and some gear, but you don't want to strain it by using it like a truck.
If you look at the Odyssey in Consumer Reports, the '04 is the best rated year for used Odysseys.
I wasn't excited at first to purchase a 3-4 year old used vehicle, but the savings was awesome. I paid $850 for the extended contract, which is why it is now to 110K miles and 2012 instead of running out at 36K/3 years (or whatever it is). I normally don't do the extended warranty thing, but I thought that was well worth it. Note: can only do this thru a certified used honda dealer, not places like car-max.
My payment is now lower than my trade-in's was (a passat wagon), and my insurance is lower too, despite it being a more expensive vehicle (because it is safer).
Once the stow-n-go is down, the middle seats come out (not stow-n-go in '04, but easily taken out), and there is TONS of room. we moved quite a bit of junk a month ago by doing that.
What I did is monitor used vehicles within 100 miles (I got a higher trade in 2 hours away!) on places like edmunds.com, yahoo, etc. When I saw "mine", I went and bought it the next day!
Location: When things get hot they expand. Im not fat. Im hot.
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Im having trouble making myself go look. I havent had a car payment for quite a while and I dont want one. WHINE. But Im going to do it. First I need to do my homework so I dont sound stupid when I go to do battle with the car salesmen/weasels. Also I hate looking at cars by myself. I got a guy rounded up to go with me next week. I figure while the salesman is concentrating on him Ill be able to look in peace. My negotiating strategy is to act like Im not interested and let my companion talk me into it because its such a good deal. Works for me . .
Im leaning towards the Honda Odyssesy. Hearing your opinions and being able to voice my thoughts has been a big help. Thank you. I was surprized too that the 2004 was better rated than 2005 & 2006 by consumer reports. I definitly plan on getting the longest warranty I can get. I like to keep my stuff for as long as I can.
Ive owned a small wagon, full size wagon, full size van and now minivan . Ive driven pickups. I prefer the car feel over the truck feel if that makes sense. I dont haul the stuff I used to when I was younger. Ive slowed own some in my old age. But I hate having to ask to borrow a vehicle if I want a 2x4 or I see a nifty tidbit along side the road. I know not to haul cement blocks. Im not that bad. LOL.
I compared the Odyssesys measurements to my minivans. Theyre very close so it should be business as usual. Im going to keep checking stuff this weekend. Even tho Im leaning towards the Honda Im still keeping an open mind.
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I vote for the sienna
My negotiating strategy is to act like Im not interested and let my companion talk me into it because its such a good deal. Works for me . .
