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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 379 of 381

#3772 of 3798 Re: Buying first minivan and need advice [momneedsavan] by sebring95

Aug 17, 2011 (10:50 am)

Replying to: momneedsavan (Aug 17, 2011 10:09 am)
$20k is pretty tough to get into a reasonable mileage Honda/Toyota IMHO. We sold our '05 Odyssey with 100k miles back in Feb for $16k. Stupid money in my book...but I'm not complaining. You can get into a decent fairly new Chrysler for that coin though. We have had Caravans in the family over the years and most were very reliable. However my parents now have a 2007 that has been a disaster and most of the reliability ratings haven't looked that good for that generation. I would try to get into the newest generation of them and hope for the best.
 
Starting in '08 the Dodge/Chrysler have safety ratings on par with the Honda/Toyota crowd.
 
So if wer're talking 2008+ I would recommend shopping for the features/comfort/driving dynamics YOU like. We were very happy with Odyssey and besides my wife just getting tired of it, I would have assumed we kept it a lot longer. We just bought an '11 Sienna largely because she liked the color

#3773 of 3798 Re: Buying first minivan and need advice [sebring95] by ateixeira

Aug 17, 2011 (12:39 pm)

Replying to: sebring95 (Aug 17, 2011 10:50 am)
Dodge just put in the Penastar V6, but at $20k you'd probably be looking at a used one. Kia also just dropped an upgraded engine in the Sedona.
 
Since you're concerned about reliability, consider a CPO model with a 100k warranty. Or maybe a base model Sedona with the 10/100 warranty, and sacrifice the goodies to buy new.

#3774 of 3798 Re: Buying first minivan and need advice [ateixeira] by momneedsavan

Aug 17, 2011 (2:14 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Aug 17, 2011 12:39 pm)
Thank you for the replies. A few more questions. Along with reliability, I am also concerned with lifespan. Could we expect to drive a Honda or Toyota for longer than a Dodge/Chrysler/Kia? What advice would you give for the most cost effective option for the long term? In other words, will spending more now, save us in the long run? I expect that we would keep the van until it was more costly to fix than it was worth.

#3775 of 3798 Re: Buying first minivan and need advice [momneedsavan] by ateixeira

Aug 17, 2011 (4:37 pm)

Replying to: momneedsavan (Aug 17, 2011 2:14 pm)
That generally used to be the case, but Kia's engine and trans are new, so reliability is unknown. But remember, you have the 10/100 powertrain warranty to address any teething issues.
 
Same with Dodge - they put in the Pentastar V6 and a new 6 speed trans as well.
 
Toyota is arguably using the most proven powertrain - the 2GR V6 has been reliable and used in the Sienna since 2007, plus other models longer than that. The 6 speed trans was new in the Sienna for 2011, but it's been fine so far.
 
Ody has been good also, especially post 2004 or so, with the improvements to the trans. 2003 and prior had trans issues to I'd avoid those, if you shop used.

#3776 of 3798 Re: Buying first minivan and need advice [momneedsavan] by sebring95

Aug 17, 2011 (6:45 pm)

Replying to: momneedsavan (Aug 17, 2011 2:14 pm)
I really can't speak for the Kia's but IMHO I think they can all be reliable for a very long time. The big boost you get with the Honda/Toyota is resale which at some point doesn't add much to the equation if you're keeping it a very long time.
 
You can easily get into a 2010 Chrysler with sub-30k miles for $20k. A similiarly equipped Honda/Toyota will be $5,000 more easily. That pays for a lot of repairs many years down the road.
 
As I mentioned earlier, find something you like and go with it. Driving something that's super reliable that you end up hating is far more annoying than buying something that has a few problems but overall you like it.

#3777 of 3798 Re: Buying first minivan and need advice [sebring95] by ateixeira

Aug 18, 2011 (7:53 am)

Replying to: sebring95 (Aug 17, 2011 6:45 pm)
Used vans from Honda/Toyota fetch absurd money, so I'd stretch to get a basic model else look for better values elsewhere.
 
When the new Sienna came out, prices went up, so used prices followed. For a while there 1 year old used models were priced same as new had been a year before.

#3778 of 3798 Re: Buying first minivan and need advice [momneedsavan] by loucapri

Aug 18, 2011 (9:06 am)

Replying to: momneedsavan (Aug 17, 2011 10:09 am)
My feedback is based on your price point.
 
For $20K, forget about new van. You are not going to get anything new at this price. I would say at least $25K for anything based model if you really want NEW. So let's look at used van.
 
$20K actually get you some pretty good used vans. I was looking for one myself a while back. I could get a 06 Limited Sienna (leather, sunroof, headed seat, HID headlight... with 53K miles or 2010 LE (pretty basic, not as fancy but still under warranty) for that prices, just an idea.
 
Used van sure has better value. I like the 04-2010 sienna better then 2011+ . I owned an 04 AWD sienna before and compared to 2011+, there are many dislike on the 2011+ Sienna IMO.
 
Just remember used car do have problems so check out service history and if you able to find a clean, well taken care of used sienna, I think it is better then reaching out for a new based model sienna. Good luck

#3779 of 3798 Re: Buying first minivan and need advice [momneedsavan] by tifighter

Aug 18, 2011 (12:15 pm)

Replying to: momneedsavan (Aug 17, 2011 10:09 am)
The Mazda 5 can definitely be had new for $20k. Whether the size works for you or not only you can determine, but it works for lots of families in Europe and Asia.

#3780 of 3798 You CAN buy a new van for $20K (approx) by grrldriver

Sep 02, 2011 (7:12 am)

I have been offered brand new Kia Sedona LX vans for $19,999 (NE Ohio area). Also someone mentioned the Mazda 5, but that is not truly a van but a station wagon with sliding doors; it is VERY small if you are used to a regular minivan.
 
The problem with the Sedona LX is that at the base level, they have stripped out everything that makes them nice -- no alloys, cheap plastic hubcaps, cheap peach fuzz upholstery, fewer cupholders, no fog lights, etc.
 
Also: several dealers have informed me this is the LAST YEAR Kia will make the Sedona. Hyundai has already discontinued it's sister van, the Entourage. It is not clear what they will replace the Sedona with, if anything. It was a poor seller for them -- they won't even lease you a brand new loaded Sedona because of the model's severe depreciation problems.
 
You can of course buy a used van for $20K -- I've seen 2009 Nissan Quests with 30K miles for that price. But you can't touch a Honda or Toyota; they sell for hyper-inflated values because of the name. Good vans, but seriously overpriced.
 
The biggest thing is to look for a van with low miles; they are hard to find. Most people buy a van to run it into the ground, and if they have kids, the van can look like trash in a year.
 
Today it is common to see Japanese vans asking $20-25,000 with 90K and not even clean condition. People will pay anything for that Honda/Toyota nameplate.

#3781 of 3798 Re: You CAN buy a new van for $20K (approx) [grrldriver] by ateixeira

Sep 02, 2011 (7:42 am)

Replying to: grrldriver (Sep 02, 2011 7:12 am)
Keep the stock wheel/tire set as your beater/winter tire, and get a set of alloys with tires mounted, probably a grand or so.
 
That's dirt cheap, is that with the new engine? Not a year-old model? Bargain, I say.
 
Buy the kids each an iPad, another grand.
 
Add a portable GPS.
 
For about $22 grand you have all that you really need, with a warranty that goes until 2021!

Messages Page 379 of 381

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