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What spacious SUV could I find at that price point? Most of the SUVs I've been in are glorified cars with slightly more trunk space than a sedan. Unless we were looking at a Pilot or Highlander, which has the added 3rd row, I figured we should eliminate SUVs from our search.
What SUV make/model would you recommend at the price point im at?
i say go for the chrysler minivan, or the dodge version. my brother owns one now, and has owned a number over the years, and they have all been good vehicles.
Looking to buy a home and don't want to add a car payment into the mix. I have $7k in cash I could use to buy a mini van outright.
I am finding older Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey in the price range but tend to be nearing 200k miles and 10 years old.
Another option is a dodge or Chrysler that's only 7 or 8 years old. Less miles too
Concerns are:
1) what does that say about dodge or Chrysler if they're only worth $7k after 7 years... but I see the newer year and less miles and instinctually think it's better because older cars have more problems and neither my wife or I are mechanically inclined
2) if I should opt for an older Toyota or Honda (some in my prince range are 11 years old) would I be investing in a money pit? Do those years/models have known issues?
3) would the reliability of Honda or Toyota outweigh the newer age of other brands?
4) safety features. Looks like older Hondas and toyotas didn't have all the air bag capacity that they have now. One reason I am considering brands like dodge is the safety measures taken in newer vans vs older vans
Would we be better off looking at a more reliable make/model in SUV? We have wanted a mini van for quite some time. Our Nissan Altima is too small as a family of 4. We need more room and trunk space.
Toyota, Honda or walk in that order. NEVER the Chrysler.....the Sienna typically costs 5K when new less than Honda and it's a better minivan but, not as "good looking"......the Honda Odyssey's tend to be bit underpowered and the transmissions give up the ghost at that age if not before....used 10 year olds are 3-5k......have a 2008 Sienna right now and it has about 95K miles....believe it or not, it's needed less maintenance than my camry's which I adore.....it's a stellar power plant and if you keep changing the oil with synthetic, don't haul 5,000lbs of whatever in it they hold up.....V6 is rock solid smooooooth and the transmission hasn't given us a lick of trouble...handles well too....newer ones are even better.....
I've looked at used Honda's quite a bit and they all seem to have that transmission issue either side of 120,000....nice looking but, underpowered....AC isn't as strong either.....they look more cross-overish which gets the chick vote and the sale...not as good of a van though.....
The Chrysler vans are junk....we had them in a fleet for shuttles and they never held up....they literally fall apart....skip it....
I'm a firm believer that ratty old vans are the best of all possible vehicles. You can take the back seats out and use them as a pickup truck - throw anything big you need in there, and it's covered. You can camp in them. And when people ask for a ride you say, "sorry, I don't have any seats!"
I had a wonderful 1993 Plymouth Voyager that lasted to 198,000 miles. I think I bought it for about $5000 in 1998, and drove it until 2006. It ran perfectly until it developed a chronic oil leak.
I currently have a wonderful 2005 Dodge Caravan that is on 140,000 miles. I bought it for $7000 in 2011. I've never had to do anything more than regular oil changes, until I just bought a new battery a few weeks ago.
No question...and I don't buy American cars! So you know I mean it ...
Mercury Villager(Nissan Quest), period....do the research...
I learned this from a brilliant mechanic turned salesman that drives from Seattle to Tucson!
He knows...I trusted him and now I know....the least maintenance EVER!
What a car....van.
Even less maintenance then my Toyotas and Hondas.
Read what others have said. I'm hooked.
Toyota, Honda or walk in that order. NEVER the Chrysler.....the Sienna typically costs 5K when new less than Honda and it's a better minivan but, not as "good looking"......the Honda Odyssey's tend to be bit underpowered and the transmissions give up the ghost at that age if not before....used 10 year olds are 3-5k......have a 2008 Sienna right now and it has about 95K miles....believe it or not, it's needed less maintenance than my camry's which I adore.....it's a stellar power plant and if you keep changing the oil with synthetic, don't haul 5,000lbs of whatever in it they hold up.....V6 is rock solid smooooooth and the transmission hasn't given us a lick of trouble...handles well too....newer ones are even better.....
I've looked at used Honda's quite a bit and they all seem to have that transmission issue either side of 120,000....nice looking but, underpowered....AC isn't as strong either.....they look more cross-overish which gets the chick vote and the sale...not as good of a van though.....
The Chrysler vans are junk....we had them in a fleet for shuttles and they never held up....they literally fall apart....skip it....
Last time I seen the hp rating on an Oddyssey, it was 295 at the crank..." underpowered"...
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