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SUVs SUV vs Minivans
1826 messages, Last post on Nov 29, 2009 at 12:33 PM
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Replying to: jayhawk70 (Feb 01, 2009 11:23 pm) So true... I just got back from a family reunion in Florida. The amount of people (up to 8 at any given time) and especially luggage that thing carried was incredible. And it handled the payload well, no bottoming out, and nothing had to go on the roof. Coming back from Florida to DC it carried 6 people and their luggage, and almost all of the luggage in the cargo area (up to the ceiling). Everyone was comfortable so no compromising. We had about a dozen suitcases, 2 of them oversized. The utility can't be beat. Oh, and they watched movies coming back. No asking "are we there yet?" We hauled coming back (dad hit 90 at one point) and had lots of weight, so mileage was just 24 mpg or so. I usually do 27-30 with a lighter load and at more prudent speeds. |
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I am currently a mother of two, a one year old and a six year old. However, I will have a new addition to our family in several months. We will have two full size car seats and a booster seat. I will also have two strollers and a pack and play. Therefore, i have come to the dreadful conclusion that at the age of 28, i need a minivan. I am having a hard time deciding which one to choose. We put about 20,000 miles on my car every year. I like the idea of stow and go seating, would like a rear entertainment system, automatic doors, and a few bells and whistles. I have always driven foreign cars (my last two were a VW and a honda) but I am not opposed to domestic (my husband is a ford man). We would like to stay around 20,000 or less whith less than 30,000 miles. Does anyone have a suggestion? Thanks.
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Replying to: mlezuke (Sep 30, 2009 8:45 am) The Ody is the only other van to even offer 8 seats, and there's no way it will be wide enough for an infant seat, a child safety seat, and a booster, all 3 side-by-side. Better still, in the Sienna you can position the middle seat forward, so you can reach the baby from your seat. The older kids would sit outboard. Plus you would still have 99 cubic feet behind that row, i.e. tons of space. In any other van you'll need the use the 3rd row for that 6 year old, and he/she will feel cheated. Tip: get power doors, they're great (LE 8-passenger w/pkg 2 or higher).
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Replying to: ateixeira (Sep 30, 2009 11:41 am) In my family, my cousins in a similar boat here. The family now has a 2001 Navigator, with a 3 year old, 5 year old, and an 8 year old. Since he could put on his seatbelt, he's LOVED finally being on the third row, being the "big boy: all by himself. All he has to do is walk between the captains chairs, just like in a 7-passenger minivan, except in today's minivans, the rear seat accomodations are MUCH more comfortable than the back of an old Navigator. Just a thought; it may actually be preferable to have the two captains chairs in the 7-passenger Sienna or the 8-passenger Odyssey with the removeable center 2nd row seat. That way, he/she can get back to the 3rd row without having to move a carseat/booster seat to move the 2nd row chair out of the way for them to get back there Both the Odyssey and Sienna are nice vans which are aging relatively gracefully (the Odyssey debuted in '05, while the Sienna debuted in '04 and has gotten a new powertrain in the last two years). Putting that many miles on a van, you might also consider the Entourage or Sedona with their 100k warranty. If you're grimacing a lot about checking out a minivan, I'd suggest at least looking at the Chevrolet Traverse/GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook/Buick Enclave by General Motors. They are the roomiest crossovers, offer similar economy to the vans (while still not having the amount of room as a minivan), and lots of luxury options. Ateixeira won't lead you astray; he has an 8-passenger Sienna and loves it. I've put many miles on an '05 Odyssey and love that it handles like a 120% Accord; very carlike and feels smaller than it really is. The Sienna wins in the engine-department, while the Odyssey is simply the better drive of the two. Happy hunting!
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Replying to: thegraduate (Sep 30, 2009 8:28 pm) When you don't need to put passengers in the 3rd row, you have SOOO much more cargo space. A friend of mine has 3 kids and traded a Suburban with a 2nd row bench for a Chevy Traverse with captain's chairs. She must always use the 3rd row for one kid, so her cargo space is less than half of what it was before. She's had trouble adjusting to packing so light for trips. The Ody is a lot bigger than a Traverse, so that may not be a problem, but check it out carefully, take the kids with you, ask them if they are comfortable, make sure you still have enough room for gear. We chose our Sienna democratically - both kids and even the nanny had a say in our purchase. Everyone voted Yes for the Sienna. Other vehicles got 3 or 4 votes, but nothing else was unanimously liked by all. I vetoed the Expedition because of horrible gas mileage and because it drives like a truck! |
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Looking at the soon-to-be-released Nissan NV2500. This looks like a $45,000 vehicle. I LOVE the size. I was thinking about buying Dodge Sprinter but it's reliability is questionable. Does anyone know is there are plans to make a basic plain-jane cargo version of the NV2500? Hopefully, I could get one for around $30,000. I want to be the NV of the neighborhood!
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Replying to: grumpyoldguy (Oct 01, 2009 3:41 pm) Looks like it's possible that Nissan could start making them in Canton next year. NY Times They may wait as long as they can to see how the Ford Transit does. |
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NV2500 is not to be confused with the NV200 (which is Nissan's version of the Ford Transit) NV2500 is TWICE as big and at LEAST twice as pricey. The "Transit" type vehicle are okay I guess. There are MILLIONS of them in Europe already. Perfect delivery and maintenance vehicle for their narrow streets and alleys. May not catch on here though. More comfortable mini-vans can carry just as much junk when rear seats are removed. We'll see.
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Replying to: grumpyoldguy (Oct 01, 2009 4:18 pm) The NV2500 looks like a Chevy Avalanche that ran into one of those old utility company crewcabs with all the doors hanging off everywhere and quadrupled the cubby holes. |
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Replying to: grumpyoldguy (Oct 01, 2009 3:41 pm) The diesel ought to be plenty reliable. They've been used for ages in fleets. |
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