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Minivans - Domestic or Foreign

3643 messages,  Last post on May 20, 2009 at 6:32 AM

You are in the Vans & Minivans Forum. Your Host is Karens

What is this discussion about? Toyota Sienna, Dodge Caravan, Chevrolet Venture, Mazda MPV, Kia Sedona, Honda Odyssey, Chevrolet Uplander, Nissan Quest, Hyundai Entourage, Van


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#3558 of 3643
Re: 7 vs. 8 passenger seating? [thegraduate] by wendyc5
Oct 12, 2008 (12:58 pm)
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Replying to: thegraduate (Oct 12, 2008 12:09 am)

Thanks for the sage advice---you've helped tremendously!
#3559 of 3643
Re: 05 Sienna v. 08 Sedona? [jw1127] by jpf
Oct 12, 2008 (2:28 pm)
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Replying to: jw1127 (Oct 11, 2008 8:32 pm)

Prior years Sedonas have not been very reliable. Plus the resale value is horrible. Go with the Toyota.
#3560 of 3643
Re: 05 Sienna v. 08 Sedona? [jpf] by ateixeira
Oct 14, 2008 (11:22 am)
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Replying to: jpf (Oct 12, 2008 2:28 pm)

IIRC the 100k warranty is not transferable, so you only get a 5/60 warranty.
 
That could be one reason used ones depreciate so fast.
#3561 of 3643
Re: 7 vs. 8 passenger seating? [wendyc5] by ateixeira
Oct 14, 2008 (11:26 am)
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Replying to: wendyc5 (Oct 11, 2008 8:16 pm)

I'm going to offer a different perspective - I would definitely recommend the 8 seater.
 
We got one, and when there are 5 of us you don't need the 3rd row at all. That means you can carry 5 and still have 99 cubic feet for cargo, more than any other van, even with 5 comfortably accommodated.
 
For the small child, the middle seat can slide forward about 8 inches, so mom can reach the infant. It's short-term, sure, but you'll love it for the first 2 years or so.
 
Plus, that offsets the seats, so the 12 and 8 year old will have their shoulders behind the middle seat.
 
We have a nanny, plus 2 kids, so we drive around with 5 in the car quite often. At other times, we put the dog in a crate and he sits in the middle, between the kids.
 
That 8th seat is incredibly useful. In fact we use it much more than all seats in the 3rd row combined. Easily.
#3562 of 3643
Re: 7 vs. 8 passenger seating? [ateixeira] by yatesjo
Oct 14, 2008 (4:34 pm)
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Replying to: ateixeira (Oct 14, 2008 11:26 am)

I have to agree with ateixeira on this one. The Sienna 8th seat is very useful. It is wide and comfortable enough that a large adult can sit comfortably even between two car seats for extended trips. The front and center position is excellent for taking care of infants. While the 8 passenger model doesn't have captain's chairs with arm rests, if no one is sitting in the center seat it can fold forward to make a good armrest and table.
 
For me the luxury of captains chairs was no where near the value of having an eighth seat. I can have all three children ride in the van with none banished to the wayback. I have a huge space available behind the second row most of the time. Other times we can take another family of three with us in the same vehicle- a real bonus when we have friends and family come to visit.
 
By contrast, the plus One seat in the Odyssey is a neat idea but I found it too small and uncomfortable to use on a regular basis and when it isn't in use it is in the way.
#3563 of 3643
Re: 7 vs. 8 passenger seating? [yatesjo] by thegraduate
Oct 14, 2008 (7:40 pm)
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Replying to: yatesjo (Oct 14, 2008 4:34 pm)

For me the luxury of captains chairs was no where near the value of having an eighth seat. I can have all three children ride in the van with none banished to the wayback.
 
Eh, when I was "children-sized" ( ) I know I enjoyed having some space from being crammed up against some of my cousins when we'd go in my Uncle's Suburban. I could have been beside them where they bothered me and had no window to escape to, or I could have the third row and not be banished to the middle.
 
Unlike the Suburban though, the Odyssey and Sienna can have the 3rd row split folded, so that you don't lose the whole cargo area. Just have the seats in place that you need. In my aunt's Odyssey last year, we had one 2nd row chair, and the one-seat portion of the third row up. We then had lots of room for our cat's big kennel (big enough that her litterbox and bed fits in it). Nice to have the versatility of a minivan these days isn't it?
#3564 of 3643
Re: 7 vs. 8 passenger seating? [yatesjo] by ateixeira
Oct 15, 2008 (7:09 am)
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Replying to: yatesjo (Oct 14, 2008 4:34 pm)

Ody's plus-one seat is neat but indeed, very small, plus the 3-across width is a lot less.
 
In the 8 seat model, the Sienna's outboard seats are set farther apart. The middle seat is a full 20" wide, I actually measured.
 
I haven't measured the Ody's middle seat but I'll take a SWAG - it appears about 7" wide. So basically if you sit in the middle you crowd the outboard seats.
 
I don't even think a big infant seat would fit between an 8 and 12 year old. Just use the 3rd row if that's the case. The plus-one seat would be OK for quick trips, though.
 
Like I said, we love having 5 real, adult-sized seats (22", 20", and 22" wide) and 99 cubic feet of storage. Can't be beat.
#3565 of 3643
Re: 7 vs. 8 passenger seating? [thegraduate] by yatesjo
Oct 15, 2008 (11:40 pm)
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Replying to: thegraduate (Oct 14, 2008 7:40 pm)

Kids change as they get older and wouldn't be surprised if my sons later fight about who gets to sit in the third row. But for now we have a two y/o and a three y/o that want and need to be in easy reach, particularly to make sure they are properly buckled in to their seats. The infant in the center seat moved forward is not only in easy reach for parents, but also out of easy reach of bored and sometimes jealous older siblings to either side.
#3566 of 3643
Re: 7 vs. 8 passenger seating? [wendyc5] by hansienna
Nov 04, 2008 (1:39 pm)
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Replying to: wendyc5 (Oct 11, 2008 8:16 pm)

Get the 7 passenger Odyssey because you will have MORE comfortable seats for ALL 7 people in the van when you have only 7 people but still have seating for an 8th person if necessary.
 
Very few people would be satisfied sitting in the 2nd row of the 8 passenger Sienna where there are NO armrests. Putting the arm rests down is the FIRST thing everyone does when they sit in a 2nd row seat in our Sienna...even before they put on the seat/shoulder belt.
 
IF maximum cargo space is required when 7 people are in the vehicle, get the Sienna 7 passenger because the Sienna has THE MOST cargo space behind the 3rd row seat of any minivan.
#3567 of 3643
Re: 7 vs. 8 passenger seating? [hansienna] by ateixeira
Nov 05, 2008 (12:21 pm)
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Replying to: hansienna (Nov 04, 2008 1:39 pm)

You really ought to put "in my opinion" before what you say because a lot of us disagree with you.
 
That's all I'm going to say.

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