Which Minivan in PDX? Is AWD important/popular? (Portland: buy, moving to)

[Intermittently]

Which Japanese minivan do people in the Portland area drive, given the weather? (And rare trips to go skiing, I imagine?)

Let's say you were choosing between the Honda Odyssey front wheel drive and the Toyota Sienna all wheel drive, and that you actually liked the Honda a little better:

Would you go ahead and buy the Toyota anyway, just to get the all wheel drive to use in the PDX wetness?

[OmShanti]

Being a lifelong subaru owner and having them in the family forever, I can say that the AWD has saved my ass multiple times.

DEFINITELY worth the AWD. So worth it. It's great in wet/slick weather but also helps to stabilize the vehicle, which is important in top heavy vehicles such as mini vans. I have saved myself from hydroplaning, multiple accidents, loosing control in the snow, cornering too quickly...

Best & worst used cars

Toyota Sienna is the top pick by Consumer Reports.

[Intermittently]

Thanks OmShanti.

My wife and I have been driving Subarus for 8 years now. Half of that in an area with snowy winters where the AWD was great, half in an always hot area where the AWD is not noticed.

Now I will be moving to the PDX suburbs, and one of the Subarus needs to be traded in for a minivan due to family growth.

As I understand it, in PDX snow is rare and doesn't stick, but based on my reading I imagine that the roads are damp for more than half the year, no?

So I am wondering what the suburban minivan crowd in PDX does. Do you see the Toyota Sienna with AWD on the roads a lot? Or do you see the Honda Odyssey more often? (Or the regular front wheel drive Toyota Sienna?)

[wanderbygrace]

Well, it's not Japanese, but we have a Chrysler Town & Country and have enjoyed it. In Ohio, we never had a problem w/it with the weather, and we got everything plus the kitchen sink thrown at us there (lots of ice, lots of snow, lots of rain). The #1 reason for its purchase was the Stow & Go seating, because we frequently alter the seating configurations (growing family), and that option with its completely flat back end was very nice for us. 2nd choice was the Odyssey at the time - but its back end didn't go completely flat.

If I were in the market for a new minivan right now, I'd certainly consider the T&C again. Not sure how far the others have come in the 5+ years we've owned our minivan, but it's always been pretty reliable and certainly fine in the Ohio winters. I can't speak for any others, but that might be another option for you - most notably for it's Stow & Go seating.

[roneb]

Our two cars are a Subaru and a Ford Windstar. To be honest, I'd just get the van you like the best (I'd lean toward the Honda Odyssey). In all our years here there have been maybe two occasions that I might have wished for AWD while in the van, and both of those probably would have been fine with newer/better snow tires.