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2008 Minivans - READ ONLY

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

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

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


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#954 of 1261
Re: Great list of things to look for in a minivan? [ateixeira] by marine2
Dec 04, 2007 (12:58 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Dec 04, 2007 8:35 am)

That's what the roof rack is for.
  
Stow-n-Go wins when it's raining, though.
 

 
Try putting a computer desk with a hutch up on the roof rack. Or put a chest, dresser or six chairs up there. But as I say, if you mostly only haul people, most of the others are fine. Mine is a work horse, I use it for both people and hauling things and it still looks as good as the day I bought it three years ago this month. I got rid of a truck because of stow-n-go. I knew from my Brother's 2001 van, how much they could carry. I just didn't like taking the seats out of it. When stow-n-go came out, I jumped on it. Obviously so did he, as he traded his in for a 2006 Dodge Minivan. My Sister also has a 2006.
#955 of 1261
Re: BEST Things to look for in a minivan? [hansienna] by marine2
Dec 04, 2007 (1:12 pm)

Replying to: hansienna (Dec 04, 2007 10:00 am)

For me, the Odyssey still has and ALWAYS had the MOST COMFORTABLE seating for all 7 or 8 people.
 
I believe that. I also believe Chrysler's middle seats don't come near the comfort as the Toyota and Honda's. middle seats. But as I have stated, even though they are not as soft and nice, they are still comfortable. But you give up some of that softness for seats that can fold into the floor and for gobs of storage. If I were to mostly carry people and maybe only use the fold down seats and storage, once or twice a year, I would probably buy something else. At least up to the 2007 Dodge/Chryslers The new ones have so much more on them, I might still buy one just to get all their new stuff and that life time warranty. All depends on what your going to use it for.
#956 of 1261
Re: Great list of things to look for in a minivan? [marine2] by ateixeira
Dec 04, 2007 (1:28 pm)

Replying to: marine2 (Dec 04, 2007 12:58 pm)

All of those items would easily fit in my Sienna if I simply tumble the 2nd row seats forward.
 
Quest owners can also just fold the 2nd row down.
 
Ody owners may have a problem, though, as the 2nd row seats do not tumble forward.
 
Stow-n-Go would be the only way to get the full 8 feet of cargo length on the floor, of course, though I have have carried 4'x8' lattice panels inside with all 8 seats in place, only folded flat. Don't think I could do that with rigid plywood, though.
 
Back to roof racks, though, I did carry a double chest on the roof rack of my Subaru Forester. Fully assembled, though it was pine, a relatively light wood.
#957 of 1261
The point, though... by mfletou1
Dec 04, 2007 (2:57 pm)
How am I going to carry my family and all this wonderful cargo?
 
The point is that if I have no family with me, than you can fit just about all these items in ANY of these vans. If you do have your family with you, you will lose space, no matter if its Stow and Go or the Ody or Sienna system. You're still going to need to have seats up.
 
So for me, this just isn't an issue.
 
And can we FINALLY agree that seat comfort is subjective. I don't know how many times I have to say it--I've spent thousands of miles in the Grand Caravan Stow and Go seats, and I find them uncomfortable. Some may not, I do.
 
For my needs, I'd rather have a very comfortable seat that doesn't fold down completely over, in my view, an uncomfortable seat that does.
 
Someone else may have a different equation, but I submit that for the bulk of what people need, my experience is more normal.
#958 of 1261
Re: The point, though... [mfletou1] by marine2
Dec 04, 2007 (3:58 pm)

Replying to: mfletou1 (Dec 04, 2007 2:57 pm)

My daughter's SUV seats fold over and because of that, she can't get those things in because there was not enough room from seat backs to ceiling. You can lose 4-6 inches that way that you don't lose with stow-n-go. I am sure it would be the same with the Toyota and Honda, as thick as those seat backs are..
 
Comfort is subjective. Most of the time, you would never set back there anyway. If seat comfort in the middle row is more important to you than storage and the convenience of hauling big stuff, than you have a lot of choices of what to buy. If comfortable, but firmer seats is ok in the second row and storage and convenience of hauling big stuff without pulling seats out and re installing them, stow-n-go is the only choice you have. All depends on what you use your van for. It's obvious, most people haul not much more than people in theirs.
#959 of 1261
carseats and seat angle? by bobw3
Dec 05, 2007 (9:24 am)
how well do rear-facing infant car seats fit into the T&C because from the photos, the seats angle up a lot? Anyone with experience? In my Freestyle, the second row seat is pretty horizontal, so the car seat fits great, but I was wondering on these really angled seats like the T&C, is there's some seat bottom adjustment to make them horizontal?
#960 of 1261
Re: The point, though... [marine2] by ateixeira
Dec 05, 2007 (9:26 am)

Replying to: marine2 (Dec 04, 2007 3:58 pm)

You can lose 4-6 inches that way that you don't lose with stow-n-go. I am sure it would be the same with the Toyota
 
No, actually, you would not lose any floor-to-ceiling height on the Toyota.
 
As I mentioned earlier, the seats fold and tumble forward, up against the front seats. You would lose a foot or so of cargo length, front to back, but you will not lose any height at all.
 
The items you mentioned would fit easily in the Toyota.
 
Here's a wild suggestion - maybe try a Sienna?
 
Just kidding, though it might not hurt you to take a closer look at some competitors if you're going to talk about them often.
 
Comfort is subjective
 
On that we agree.
 
I'd even go a step further, not only is comfort subjective, it's subjective for each individual, because we are all shaped differently.
 
Example: people RAVE about the Recaro seats in the Mistubishi Evo, but I *hate* them and simply do not fit in them at all. To me they are completely unacceptable. To others they are the best seats in the industry.
 
Totally subjective and individual.
#961 of 1261
Re: The point, though... [ateixeira] by hansienna
Dec 05, 2007 (3:49 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Dec 05, 2007 9:26 am)

The 2006 Sienna LE 2nd row seats are DIFFICULT to remove and replace compared to the Quad seats of my 2002 T&C LX. They are also NOT as comfortable as the T&C LX 2nd row seats or the Odyssey 2nd row seats.
 
Additionally, the passenger side 2nd row seat of my 06 Sienna was installed incorrectly at the Toyota factory. I am not impressed with Toyota quality.
#962 of 1261
Re: The point, though... [hansienna] by hause7
Dec 05, 2007 (4:25 pm)

Replying to: hansienna (Dec 05, 2007 3:49 pm)

You are the only person i know that does not like their Sienna. Why not get rid of it if it is garbage to you? all you do is complain about it. That is why we got rid of our previous Town&country, we complained on it's horrible quality and leaving my grandmother stranded more than once with under 30,000 miles. I personally think seat comfort of the Sienna is the best then the Odyssey, than the Town&country.
#963 of 1261
Re: The point, though... [hause7] by hansienna
Dec 05, 2007 (8:27 pm)

Replying to: hause7 (Dec 05, 2007 4:25 pm)

The point is that the Sienna is NO better and NO worse than the Odyssey, T&C, or GC. Each has advantages and disadvantages as I have described more than once.
 
I LIKE the VERY comfortable driver's seat, largest cargo space behind the 3rd row seat, and the good gas mileage of my 06 Sienna. I also like my closest Toyota dealer who promptly sent me a 2008 Sienna brochure when I requested one on a routine customer service questionaire from the dealership.
 
The Sienna is a very nice minivan and I have NEVER called the Sienna "garbage".

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