Minivans vs carseats

In reply to tuna55:

Your kids are about the same age as mine. (Mine are 28 months and 9 months). My wife hasn't mentioned having more yet though.

Our family car is a 1999 V70. It fits two kids just fine but for longer trips it can get full quick. We're looking into buying a minivan just to have a little more room.

We are seriously looking at the MPV. You can get an 03-05 ES for about the price range you're looking for if you do a little shopping around. (I know because I'm looking in the same price range).

Sounds like we have a little too much in common. Should hang out next time I'm visiting my parents in Wellford, SC.

The rooftop carriers are good options if you only need the extra space occasionally. I'd highly recommend a minivan with 3 kids plus their stuff. I have a friend who's had very good luck with his Dodge Caravan, I believe it's a '99 model. Plugs are a pain to replace for the rear bank, but other than that it's been very good to him. The Ford vans also seem to offer a lot of value.

Odysseys in your price range will be the '99-04, the transmissions had some pretty major issues during that run, so beware. If it has a tow hitch and no extra transmission cooler installed run away.

We bought a minivan in preparation for our 2nd and it's been one of the best vehicle choices we've made.

My wife wants a minivan. But a transverse V6 under the windshield make me cringe.

What's the deal with Pontiac Montanas? Any good?

dankspeed wrote: What's the deal with Pontiac Montanas? Any good?

Same thing as a Chevy Venture and Olds Silhouette. I'd guess no, but have no idea.

Junkyard_Dog wrote: Since this is GRM and you guys are lame I'll say it: ASTRO. Dirt cheap, loads of room, RWD, easy to V8, AWD available, Tows WAY more than a FWD Mopar (still got that pickup?) and more reliable to boot ....I could go on forever.

Only problem with the Astro - it's damn uncomfortable for me to drive. The pedals are so far offset from the wheel it's like they're in another zipcode.

For the rear bank plugs on the transverse V6, just get them from underneath. It ain't fun but it can be done.

m4ff3w wrote: My wife wants a minivan. But a transverse V6 under the windshield make me cringe.

On the GM vans you could remove the upper front "dogbone" engine mount and the engine would flop forward and give you much better access.

Junkyard_Dog wrote:

m4ff3w wrote: My wife wants a minivan. But a transverse V6 under the windshield make me cringe.

On the GM vans you could remove the upper front "dogbone" engine mount and the engine would flop forward and give you much better access.

You don't even have to drop the front dogbone. Take the front two bolts out of the engine tray and the entire thing will drop forward enough to throw a party behind the engine. Well not really, but you can change the plugs, alternator and other assorted stuff. It's easier to change the plugs in it than it is my E-150. All in all they aren't too bad.

Another vote for the chrysler minivans. I picked up a '92 with the 3.3L (pushrods = no timing belt changes) for $500 off of CL almost a year ago. The previous owners used it for hauling, so it didn't come with any rear seats. It had full sheets of plywood in the back when I bought it.

With a junkyard rear bench in the middle seating row I have comfortable seating for 4 plus a car seat and tons of cargo space. I am thinking of swapping in a RAM truck front bench (some fabrication needed of course) to get that cool flip down center console and my wife leaning against me for road trips.

As a bonus with my woody minivan I appear to be invisible to just about every police officer I've come across, and the one that did pull me over gave me a warning. Gas mileage is somewhere between 20.9 and 23.4 MPG depending on where I set the cruise and A/C.

I actually think we may get a Mazda5 and get a cargo carrier and a tow hitch. The manual transmission thing is a super win and the mileage is great. We could fold one of the rear chairs down for dog parking. The budget would take a major hit, but it may be worth it.

tuna55 wrote: I actually think we may get a Mazda5 and get a cargo carrier and a tow hitch. The manual transmission thing is a super win and the mileage is great. We could fold one of the rear chairs down for dog parking. The budget would take a major hit, but it may be worth it.

The Mazda5 is cool but that back seat is way too close to the rear hatch and glass. I'd hate to get rear ended with my kids back there.

Maybe its just me, but the Mazda5 seems to have a lot LESS room than the brick. And if you're going for a rooftop carrier/hitch box anyway why not just keep using the wagon for trip with the same add-ons? BTW those boxes will KILL any MPG advantage a 5 has due to its comparative lack of power.

People who think minivans have lots of space crack me up. We've got an '05 MPV, which is small as minivans go, and it's great for day-to-day stuff. We've got TWO kids, and when we travel, the MPV is loaded to the roof. Speaking of which, we even use a soft bag on the roof rack, which holds a few more cubic yards of stuff. Every trip we take, we find ourselves wishing we had spent the extra $$ and bought the Odyssey. Even then, I wonder if it would be big enough.

Once you bring THREE kids and their carseats into the picture, the whole minivan concept goes out the window in my opinion. Even in a "big" minivan like the Odyssey or Grand Caravan, there simply isn't enough space for luggage once you've used the third row seat. Add dogs into the equation, and even with the new math, there's no way to make it work.

You need something HUGE, like a Ford Club Wagon, or the equivalent. Maybe an old school bus. You can find them pretty cheap at auctions. Anything smaller will entail far too much suffering on the part of all involved.

Like some famous person once said: "Go big, or go home!"

In reply to 1988RedT2:

There is a lot of truth in that. In the end we decided to get what my wife wanted to drive and figure out the space issue later, using a roof rack or getting one of those platforms that hook in to a hitch. Unless you get a Suburban or something similar you are going to run out of room.

Junkyard_Dog wrote: Maybe its just me, but the Mazda5 seems to have a lot LESS room than the brick. And if you're going for a rooftop carrier/hitch box anyway why not just keep using the wagon for trip with the same add-ons? BTW those boxes will KILL any MPG advantage a 5 has due to its comparative lack of power.

JD, I don't really think a hitch box will mess with aero that much... I could be wrong though. The third row is what the 5 has over the brick. Here is the mentality: 80% of the time my wife will drive it alone or with a kid or two. 15% of the time it will be driven with me, her and three kids. only 4.5% of the time will it be driven with me, her, the kids and luggage. The remaining 0.5% of the time we can throw the dogs in there and be uncomfortable. This way we get something that can get 30 mpg for the vast majority of the time. Since we are stopping at three kids, we can keep one seat perpetually down/out for extra storage space too...

No?

We're on our second Grand Caravan. It's an 07 model with the stow and go seats. We took our kids and my parents to Disney World and it swallowed all of our luggage with ease. The underfloor storage comes in really handy. We have the basic 3.3 and I take extra care of the transmission.

I never worry about feeling imasculated when I'm driving the van. I figure that driving around with a van full of kids pretty much proves that I've got the goods to get the job done.

In reply to tuna55:

As a Mazda 5 owner with 3 kids I can say it is perfect for my purposes. I am in agreement with much of the above as it outlines how we use ours with the exception of the dogs. 2 adults, 3 kids and 2 dogs will be very cramped IMO though.

I don't know about your MPG expectation. In FLA in the summer we are happy when we get 24mpg around town and was thrilled at getting 27-28 on long hwy trips. Small sample size of real world reporting http://www.fuelly.com/car/mazda/5

Oh and since no one else has said it:

BRING LESS STUFF AND KEEP THE CARS YOU HAVE!

Seriously. The amount of utter crap most parents heave around these days is ludicrous. I remember traveling with nothing but a window to the world until I got a walkman when I was in junior high. Hell, The Brady Bunch went to the Grand Canyon singing all the way.* Actual conversations and/or learning, oh noes!

License plate bingo FTW.

*yes I know that wasn't real life, but the point is there wasn't a DVD playing Sponge Bob in sight.

Junkyard_Dog wrote: Oh and since no one else has said it: BRING LESS STUFF AND KEEP THE CARS YOU HAVE! Seriously. The amount of utter crap most parents heave around these days is ludicrous. I remember traveling with nothing but a window to the world until I got a walkman when I was in junior high. Hell, The Brady Bunch went to the Grand Canyon singing all the way.* Actual conversations and/or learning, oh noes! License plate bingo FTW. *yes I know that wasn't real life, but the point is there wasn't a DVD playing Sponge Bob in sight.

Well, we can't leave the third kid at home, and three abreast in car seats is really tough, if not impossible, depending on the car. So we pretty much need another vehicle just based on that alone.

When I was six I rode most of the way to Florida on the speaker deck of a 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham... I looked like a native when we got there (on one side of me at least). Look at how screwed up I am from that experience!

Grand Caravan, trust me, rent one from Enterprise for a weekend and see if you like it.

1988RedT2 wrote: People who think minivans have lots of space crack me up.

The Odyssey has a surprising amount of space. I've hauled a Ford 8.8" rear axle along with two kids (and carseats) in back with no issues. When the third seat is up, you get significant space below the level of the floor. And for when we have an extended trip and need to bring more stuff, we have the rooftop carrier.

I grew up in a household that had multiple Suburbans and extended cab trucks, so I'm spoiled in terms of space. With the third row folded down in the Odyssey (~ 95% of the time), I'd say there's as much usable cargo space as a Suburban. The Odyssey is a large vehicle, but it still gets better MPG than a Suburban in most situations, and is the more responsive vehicle. Unless you're towing or hauling a lot of weight, I think the Odyssey is a pretty good compromise.

I didn't get to read the whole thread....sorry, I'm stuffing lunch down my throat at work and have two minutes...but here's my $.02

Minivan. About 4 years ago, my wife and I had just one child. We decided to go for a second, and guess what....we hit the jackpot and got twins. As soon as we found out she was pregnant with twins, after the shock wore off, we knew our sedans wouldn't cut it. My wife is a car lover too. She always said she wouldn't ever want a minivan. But after looking at all options, the rationale side won out. No small SUV/crossover/station wagon on stilts thingy could have anywhere near the usefulness of a minivan. Mid-size SUVs didn't cut it for us either...too roll over prone and still lack the family friendly versitility of the minivan. So we bought a leftover 2006 Kia Sedona minivan. Bought it brand new in early 2007 for sub $17k. It was the best investment we've made. It is so easy to load the kids in and out, can carry cargo, is easy to drive, etc... The only downside is fuel mileage. We're getting 18-20mpg.

I know you said your budget is $5.5k, so new vans are out. But look at the first generation Kia Sedona, or the Freestar. You'll be happy you did.

Don't the Mazda5s get better MPG with the automatic over the manual? I thought so. I'd go used caravan myself.

dankspeed wrote: Don't the Mazda5s get better MPG with the automatic over the manual? I thought so. I'd go used caravan myself.

Nope, the EPA says one mpg higher in both city and highway with the manual over the auto

tuna55 wrote:

dankspeed wrote: Don't the Mazda5s get better MPG with the automatic over the manual? I thought so. I'd go used caravan myself.

Nope, the EPA says one mpg higher in both city and highway with the manual over the auto

DOH!