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2008 Minivans - READ ONLY

1261 messages,  Last post on Feb 27, 2008 at 7:47 AM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Caravan, Hyundai Entourage, Mazda MAZDA5, Kia Sedona, Car Comparisons, Car Buying, Van

#394 of 1261 Re: Empty nesters and minivans? [dennisctc] by artgpo Sep 29, 2007 (3:49 pm)
Replying to: dennisctc (Sep 29, 2007 5:34 am) At the time I bought the Olds there were much safer choices on the market. I finally snapped out of my coma on October 3, 2005, the day I bought the Odyssey.   My son and daughter-in-law went van shopping again today. They borrowed my Odyssey and took it to a Toyota dealer for a test drive of an '08 Sienna XLE. Their opinion was that there was not much difference between the two vans except that the Sienna seemed to have a shorter turning radius. They are leaning toward the Sienna at this point. Replies to this message: hause7 (Sep 29, 2007 4:47 pm) ateixeira (Sep 29, 2007 4:55 pm)
#395 of 1261 Re: Empty nesters and minivans? [artgpo] by hause7 Sep 29, 2007 (4:47 pm)
Replying to: artgpo (Sep 29, 2007 3:49 pm) Good job on snapping out of your comma lol, yeah the Odyssey and Sienna are both good vans . I got my issue of Car and Driver and the Ody was number 1 because of handling and the Sienna was number two, they loved the engine, it won every performance test.
#396 of 1261 Re: Empty nesters and minivans? [artgpo] by ateixeira Sep 29, 2007 (4:55 pm)
Replying to: artgpo (Sep 29, 2007 3:49 pm) There really isn't that much difference, you saw Car & Driver gave the Ody an 8 and the Sienna a 7 for handling. Plus, reverse those scores for ride - they scored Sienna higher.   There's no question the Toyota leans towards comfort, and that's what I wanted - a quiet, comfy ride so the kids can relax on those long trips.   The turning radius is amazing. C&D didn't test for that but Consumer Reports did. The Sienna turns tighest among all vans, but it also does a tighter U-turn than the Subaru Forester it replaced, which is amazing because that's more than 2 feet shorter.   VW? The Vanagon was big, not really a "mini". It will be interesting to see what they do with the Chrysler platform.   As for the minivan formula, let's not kid ourselves, Chrysler invented it, perfected it, tuned it. Competitors were wise to finally copy them. Does anyone actually miss the old Ody with 4 swing-open doors? Or the mid-engined Previa? About 12 people.
#397 of 1261 Took a look by mfletou1 Sep 30, 2007 (12:29 pm)
Probably not in the market, at least right now, but took at look at a combo Honda/Toyota dealer today. We're using my dad's 2006 Grand Caravan SXT since my wife's car is in the shop, so that is my point of reference for minivans at the moment.   Right now, Honda dealers are really dealing...the Prices Paid forum for the Ody is showing EX and EX-L's going for 26ish which strikes me as an excellent value. I will be interested to see the 08 freshening...I can see why the dash needs it in the Ody, its a little tired looking.   Great feel up front..more room than the 06 GC for the driver. Not crazy about the Ody console but it is convenient.   Looked at a "base" Sienna XLE...more expensive right now, of course. Not crazy about the type of fake wood. Like the three zone auto climate...Ody gets it for 08. Also good driving position.   Tough to rank the two without driving them...high hopes for the Sienna engine and Ody handling. Styling wise I probably would take the Ody, but that's not a driver. If/when we went one, it would probably depend on what the best deal is at the time, particularly when certain options like Bluetooth are factored in.   I might look at the 08 GC/TC, but probably wouldn't buy. Not impressed with the build quality of the 06, driving dyanmics, steering, powertrain, etc are all subpar. My dad loves his van for utility, and it was a great deal...SXT for $21k when he bought it new. But reliability means a lot to me, and my experience with vehicles has indeed tracked with what CR finds--the American cars that my family has owned have had major problems and ended up being ranked below average, and my Camry and my mom's Forester have been absolutely perfect.   I would note that in terms of reliability, sometimes its not just a part that fails, its how the manufactuer handles it. For instance, Toyota has already redsigned the Intermediate Steering Shaft on the 07 Camry. When my made a bit of a noise, I brought it in, there was a TSB on it, it was replaced with a totally redesigned part that Toyota is now putting in 08s. And that was the end of it..it works perfectly now, etc. Contrast that to my last GM product...in 45k miles, it had FOUR steering shafts...including two within 5k of each other. See, it was a faulty part...and GM never replaced it. They just kept putting the same part in over and over again until your car is out of warranty and they don't have to pay for it.   Its a lousy way to treat customers. Its like they just don't care. Now its not relevant to this discussion because GM doesn't make a minivan, but...it will be a long time before I ever buy another GM product.   So the focus on recalls really isn't the whole story. Hopefully the new Chrysler philosophy will be better, but...is it worth taking a chance with 25+k? Replies to this message: ateixeira (Oct 01, 2007 7:54 am) hansienna (Oct 01, 2007 8:23 pm)
#398 of 1261 Re: Took a look [mfletou1] by ateixeira Oct 01, 2007 (7:54 am)
Replying to: mfletou1 (Sep 30, 2007 12:29 pm) The trim on the LE and CE is interchangeable, if you don't like the plood (it's plastic).   I agree with your early impressions - Toyota wins for the powertrain, Honda for the handling.   The new Dodge falls in the middle for both, if you believe in C&D.
#399 of 1261 Re: Finally got my C&D [ateixeira] by dennisctc Oct 01, 2007 (3:09 pm)
Replying to: ateixeira (Sep 27, 2007 5:49 pm) I finally got my Nov issue today. It's obvious the C&D team only cared about handling and nothing remotely what most Minivan buyers purchase their vehicles for.
#400 of 1261 All they cared about was "fun to drive" by drfill Oct 01, 2007 (5:27 pm)
If the Sienna is $3k cheaper, has more passenger space, more cargo space, more std safety features, is faster, and more efficient, would you take that over a 10-15% handling advantage?      C&D has slipped, a lot, over the past decade.      But they've always contradicted themselves, especially when it come to 10 Best.        There comparisons are useful in that you can draw your own conclusions, in case their's makes no sense.      Which is often enough.       DrFill Replies to this message: bobw3 (Oct 02, 2007 3:47 am) ateixeira (Oct 02, 2007 8:45 am)
#401 of 1261 Thats fine but... by mfletou1 Oct 01, 2007 (7:20 pm)
Right now, regardless of MSRP, the Odyssey is running quite a bit cheaper than the Sienna. 07 Ody EX-L's with sunroof, heating seats, and leather are going for around $26 even. You can't get a Sienna with that level of equipment for that price. Not even close.
#402 of 1261 Re: GM reliability? [mfletou1] by hansienna Oct 01, 2007 (8:23 pm)
Replying to: mfletou1 (Sep 30, 2007 12:29 pm) My 2001 Chevrolet Blazer LT now has 125,000 miles with no significant problems. My 1993 Ford F-150 pickup has also had no significant problems.   As stated before, my 1970 Dodge Sportsman van was THE WORST vehicle I have ever owned but I was completely satisfied with my 2002 T&C LX.
#403 of 1261 Re: All they cared about was "fun to drive" [drfill] by bobw3 Oct 02, 2007 (3:47 am)
Replying to: drfill (Oct 01, 2007 5:27 pm) how much more pass/cargo space does the Sienna have over the Odyssey? Replies to this message: ateixeira (Oct 02, 2007 8:45 am)

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