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Vans & Minivans Minivans - Domestic or Foreign
3643 messages, Last post on May 20, 2009 at 6:32 AM
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Replying to: wendyc5 (Oct 11, 2008 8:16 pm) 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. |
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Replying to: ateixeira (Oct 14, 2008 11:26 am) 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.
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Replying to: yatesjo (Oct 14, 2008 4:34 pm) 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? 
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Replying to: yatesjo (Oct 14, 2008 4:34 pm) 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. |
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Replying to: thegraduate (Oct 14, 2008 7:40 pm) |
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Replying to: wendyc5 (Oct 11, 2008 8:16 pm) 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.
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Replying to: hansienna (Nov 04, 2008 1:39 pm) That's all I'm going to say.
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Replying to: ateixeira (Nov 05, 2008 12:21 pm)
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Replying to: hansienna (Nov 10, 2008 7:03 pm) 
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We're planning on buying a minivan within the next couple months. Not worried about resale value as we keep our vehicles a long time. Our price range is 20-22K max. We've been looking at Kia Sedonas, we like the warranty and the price. Can't really buy a NEW equally equipped van in T&C or Sienna (and not really crazy about what I've read regarding the new T&C anyway). Though we could buy a used loaded Sienna for the price of a new mid-range Sedona. But we keep going back to that 10 year warranty. This is going to be our first car payment in a while, so want to make the right decision. Posting here to see if I could get some other opinions. All are welcome.
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