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Minivans - Domestic or Foreign

3798 messages,  Last post on Mar 31, 2013 at 5:37 PM

You are in the Vans & Minivans Forum.

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

Messages Page 377 of 381

#3754 of 3798 Re: Looking to buy a used minivan for $6-7K [gs451] by ateixeira

Dec 22, 2010 (11:36 am)

Replying to: gs451 (Dec 22, 2010 11:34 am)
For both Sienna and Ody, a good rule of thumb is 2004 or newer. No sludge (2% were affected per Automotive News, but why risk it?), no trans issues.

#3755 of 3798 Re: Marketing '11 Odyssey [tsu670] by tsu670

Dec 23, 2010 (12:30 pm)

Replying to: tsu670 (Dec 14, 2010 3:33 pm)
Got around to reading Dec. 6, 2010 issue of newsweek. Inside the back cover is a Honda ad. Three vehicles pictured: CR-V, Pilot and Odyssey. Get this. Lots of room to display each vehicle in it's entirety, but the marketing types chose to position the Pilot such that it's front covered the rear quarter panel (lightening bolt area) of the Odyssey. Hillarious!

#3756 of 3798 Re: Looking to buy a used minivan for $6-7K [gs451] by marine2

Dec 26, 2010 (12:22 am)

Replying to: gs451 (Dec 22, 2010 2:19 am)
Well if your not just looking for a passenger hauler, you can't beat the versatility of the Chrysler mini vans
 

#3757 of 3798 9 Speed Automatic for Chrysler Minivans coming? by ateixeira

Jan 12, 2011 (9:28 am)

I'm not sure whether this is cool, or total overkill:
 
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/11/zf-developed-nine-speed-transmission-is-comin- g/
 
Wow!

#3758 of 3798 Cool Kia Concept by ateixeira

Jan 12, 2011 (9:30 am)

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/23/kia-bringing-kv7-gull-wing-concept-to-detroit- /
 
I hope that's the vision for their next van.
 
They got the powertrain upgraded, but let's face it, their van is sad looking. I test drove one anyway, but this concept looks a thousand times better.
 
Note the rear window echoes the grille design, a neat styling cue.

#3759 of 3798 Re: Cool Kia Concept [ateixeira] by yatesjo

Jan 16, 2011 (5:58 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Jan 12, 2011 9:30 am)
The KV7 doesn't do anything for me. And while gullwing doors make a cool looking concept car at the show in the real world they would make getting in or out of the vehicle in a tight parking spot impossible. I've concluded that those big sliding doors are the van's biggest advantage over other vehicles.

#3760 of 3798 Re: Cool Kia Concept [yatesjo] by ateixeira

Jan 19, 2011 (10:32 am)

Replying to: yatesjo (Jan 16, 2011 5:58 pm)
Yeah, no doubt the gullwings would not make production, but I do like the unique, boxy shape.

#3761 of 3798 Quest - First Impressions by ateixeira

Feb 01, 2011 (10:43 am)

Nissan Quest - interior of this seems more SUV and less minivan. Strange. All seats fold forward. This means you keep the well behind the 3rd row all the time, but the 3rd row itself is tiny, not adult-sized like competitors.
 
Floor is higher, too. Folding the 2nd row leaves holes and gaps, an odd arrangement, but easy to use at least.
 
Cargo floor is not nearly as long as 4'x8' fitting competitors. Cup holders cannot accommodate mugs, not even one.
 
Materials were a mixed bag, soft but still cheap looking. Peach fuzz headliner and visors scream cheap. Vinyl arm rests also but the angles all adjust (nice). Some double-stitching looks nice.
 
Little storage. Way behind competitors there.
 
Overall a B-, could have been better with a little more thoughtful design.
 
Grand Caravan got upgraded, too, but it went from being Rubber-Maid cheap to being merely cheap. The new Quest and Ody are still nicer. The Sienna materials are on par, but the design is better. Don't like all the vinyl - seems like even "leather" seats are 99% vinyl with a tiny leather insert in the middle. The top-of-the-line Town & Country had a nicer suede-like material, at least. No 8 seat model and for me that's a priority.
 
Finally checked out an Ody. I like the inside a lot better than the outside. Opposite of Nissan - they had TONS of storage. Bigger bins and more of them, cooled even. Cup holder fit mugs as most do. 3rd row window is disappointingly small, especially given they make a big deal about the styling being functional. Probably best in class materials, but not by much.
 
Kia - went to check that out as well, and the good news is the modern V6 and a 6 speed automatic are now standard, sort of like Dodge did. This beats Honda's 5 speed only if you're poor strategy, and Toyota's standard 4 cylinder. I think in the low price segments the Kia makes a lot of sense. The 3rd row window is HUUUUUUGE, 2 times bigger than Honda's, making Honda's claims about the styling being there to improve visibility a bunch of hogwash. Seriously, Kia's panoramic view simply puts Honda to shame.
 
Funny thing is, each van has its flaws. There is no perfect van, still, even in this mature segment.
 
* Honda needs better styling, AWD, bigger 3rd window, 6 speed standard.
* Toyota needs to go back to the old 8 seater and nicer materials from the 04-10 Sienna.
* Kia needs a styling update to go along with the new powertrain. AWD too and 8 seats.
* Nissan needs a longer cargo floor and an adult-sized 3rd row, plus AWD and 8 seats.
* Dodge needs to double the recent improvements to interior material quality, AWD, 8 seats.
 
Basically a very competitive segment, with each van having certain advantages, and no clear leader at all.

#3762 of 3798 Re: Quest - First Impressions [ateixeira] by tifighter

Feb 01, 2011 (11:11 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Feb 01, 2011 10:43 am)
Good review Juice. Seems to me that no obvious segment leader plays nicely into Chrysler/Dodge's hands. They had a lot to lose, and might just hang on okay, especially given the content for the money on the Dodge side...

#3763 of 3798 Re: Quest - First Impressions [tifighter] by ateixeira

Feb 01, 2011 (2:14 pm)

Replying to: tifighter (Feb 01, 2011 11:11 am)
Yeah, but I wasn't a fan of the lower end Dodges they had there. The top-of-the-line Town & Country were nice, but then you're at $40k.
 
Honestly I felt like Kia played the value card the best, but I'd like to see a fresh design, perhaps based on their recent, cool concept.

Messages Page 377 of 381

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