Yep, a what ... thread

Ian F wrote:

carknut wrote: In reply to Klayfish: Thanks for the quick replies, but SWMBO dislikes the minivan.

Tell her to GTF over it... superficial chumps buy SUV's over minivans if they don't need to rather specific attributes a large SUV provides (larger towing capacity, off-road ability). <-- single, 45, owns a minivan - great for keeping my rather expensive bicycles out of sight. And as mentioned: portable changing room. I'm actually looking to get rid of mine. Not because I don't like it, but because I miss having a fullsize, raised roof conversion van.

I smell a great opportunity for a fly and drive for a van! I work in a dealership and deal with contacting some customers to bring them in and numerous times I have been told by women that a minivan destroys their 'image' and they wanted a suv instead .

Gearheadotaku wrote: Fullsize van. Much more room than a mini, tow anything, price is about the same. Nice wheels and some window tint - you're good to go.

I agree with this. The mileage blows just like an suv, but more space than a minivan. Plus even more room for "activities"

As for trecherous roads, my old e150 has driven through the woods on what can generously be described as a trail, through wisconsin winters, and even across a rocky beach without problems. Admitedly the beach was a bit frightening, but it was worth it to have music by the bon fire...

I can only imagine newer ones being more capable in every way, except brown-ness. Mine is extremely brown.

We're now thinking van, we hit the hotspots last night, olive garden, grocery store, target, etc, and it is handy. We're thinking about offering on the ody. My question now is that comparable money will get you a lower mile t&c or caravan, but you give up some luxuries from the EX-L Ody. I am spooked about transmissions on the ody, as The van just comes with the basic 60day warranty. In GRM all powerful opinion, what you guys think?

Well, for me the main selling point of the T&C/Caravan was the Stow-n-Go seating. Being able to quickly convert from passenger mode to cargo mode in about a minute (literally) is something I'll miss.

2001-2006 generation Suburban. You give up just a little on mileage but it's huge, does everything, and lasts forever. There is a reason that everyone who owns a 'burban says they will always own one.

carknut wrote: We're now thinking van, we hit the hotspots last night, olive garden, grocery store, target, etc, and it is handy. We're thinking about offering on the ody. My question now is that comparable money will get you a lower mile t&c or caravan, but you give up some luxuries from the EX-L Ody. I am spooked about transmissions on the ody, as The van just comes with the basic 60day warranty. In GRM all powerful opinion, what you guys think?

I hate to say it, but it's the right tool for the job.

carknut wrote: We're now thinking van, we hit the hotspots last night, olive garden, grocery store, target, etc, and it is handy. We're thinking about offering on the ody. My question now is that comparable money will get you a lower mile t&c or caravan, but you give up some luxuries from the EX-L Ody. I am spooked about transmissions on the ody, as The van just comes with the basic 60day warranty. In GRM all powerful opinion, what you guys think?

I am not sure how useful this will be for you but we are about a year into ownership of a 2010 Odyssey EXL also 2010 I think we first year for power tailgate? Anyway we bought it for just under 20 or so with 50-60k miles on it but I am pretty sure even tho the title is clear it was a NE flood effected vehicle. There was some rusty surface stuff on the seat brackets and things like the accessory power outlet and aux jack dont work. It's got a few more dings and whatnot than I would have liked for that price but its been a great vehicle. Hasn't eaten tires or brakes like crazy. The transmissions from what I have heard only seem to have issues with heavy towing and the solution for that is just adding an aftermarket trans cooler. We got lucky also and the add said the van had the DVD system (which it did not) so the dealer installed one for us. My personal preference we stuck to the Honda's for the nicer interiors and better well known reliability and resale. The stow n go isnt useful for me in terms of needing to go full pickup truck with the van.

We went through the same thing kind of funny actually my wife even had a pact with her sister about not allowing eachother to ever own a minivan yet both of them ended up with one when the kids were smaller. She actually sold hers now that the kids are 8 and 11 mainly because she has a work paid for car that also pays for gas

We've leased all of our Ody's to date (no more leasing after this one due to mileage), so I have no real-world experience in that arena. I don't think I'd be worried about the trans on an 09. If you buy it, do a few dump/fill cycles with Honda ATF and new filter(I'm told by others with more smarts than I that they are picky about the Honda brand), and do a filter change and pan dump/fill every other oil change.
That schedule made my wife's supposedly glass Saab 9000 trans go over 200k before we sold it.

We bought a 1999 Ody new, a 2002 slightly used, and a 2011 more used w/60K. Still have them all. The 1999 and 2002 have about 200K each on them now. The 2002 has been rear-ended 4 times, squished between two cars once, and broadsided yet another time and no one has been hurt (oddly, the 1999 just gets hit when parked). I imagine they didn't get totaled any of those times because of higher resale. Honda gave us one transmission for each of them; we had to buy the 3rd trans for the 1999 (used, for $1300 installed). Our teenagers get the privilege of driving these two vans/tanks (what fun--they grew up in them, now they "own" them). The 2011 has been great. Even with the transmission issues, these things have been dead-nuts reliable, never towed, safe, and have hauled just about everything. We think the reliability and quality for the Hondas were worth the extra price. Our marriage vows included "no minivans" but look where we ended up...

I really like the Mazda5 with a manual transmission option. I actually want one, but I just bought a giant one ton, extended Ford van with a 24" high top for moto hauling ability. Too much overlap with a mini van and a MAXI van.

One issue my grandmother had with her van was that the side windows don't roll down, they only open and inch or two and are hinged at the front. Dogs couldn't stick their head out so they were always trying to climb over her while she was driving to get at the open window. Some vans have side windows that roll down like a normal car, which ones?

In reply to Petrolburner:

The sliding door windows in Caravans have roll-down as an option (that mine doesn't have - static dooe windows). Higher end models also have powered rear side windows (angle out). Wish mine had that as well, since you basically have to climb all the way into the van to open them.

Of course, a relic from my long-hair, metal-head days is a general dislike of driving with windows down, so the lack of these options doesn't bother me much.

Tell your wife she's being irrational, because that always ends well...

XC90? It tows almost 4,000lbs, gets decent mileage, is incredibly safe, and has a comfortable third row.

In reply to carknut:

Well if you do get a minivan maybe it will make you feel better to know I'm 25, single, and occasionally wish I could trade my wagon for a minivan cause moar space for stuff.

BlueInGreen44 wrote: In reply to carknut: Well if you do get a minivan maybe it will make you feel better to know I'm 25, single, and occasionally wish I could trade my wagon for a minivan cause moar space for stuff.

And Activities?

In reply to 2002maniac: No one wants to hear that they are being irrational. Wives get to argue with you until you say "no mas".

Our 2010 odyssey the side windows in the middle row go almost all the way down the ones on the slider, it also has sunshades which is nice for the kiddos

rcutclif wrote:

BlueInGreen44 wrote: In reply to carknut: Well if you do get a minivan maybe it will make you feel better to know I'm 25, single, and occasionally wish I could trade my wagon for a minivan cause moar space for stuff.

And Activities?

Nothing attracts the ladies more than the "I don't care what people think" image projected by driving a beater minivan.

Or maybe I made that up.

So a dealer about 45 min away had 10 vans to look at according to the website. I get the family talked into going to look so we get there and all of them are goneI get maybe 2 or 3 have sold since updating the website but none are available! Frustrated.

BlueInGreen44 wrote: Nothing attracts the ladies more than the "I don't care what people think" image projected by driving a beater minivan. Or maybe I made that up.

How about getting sidewayz with one?

Just skip the interesting paint job.

I love these threads where someone says No Minivan and the guys with the minivan kool aide go to work.

How about you guys go have a mini van circle jerk and stop mucking up the guy's thread about minivans when he said in the first Berkeleying post NO MINIVANS!

To OP, you are on a unicorn hunt. The mid size SUVs are too small according to you. Your milage requirements rule out a full size SUV. You need to decide where to compromise your criteria. Which is more important? Size or mileage? I vote for compromise on your milage requirements. If you figure how many miles you will drive, the difference in mileage and the actual difference in cost, isn't as much as you think. Plenty of choices in the full size SUV market that will otherwise fit your size requirement. I'm partial to Suburbans and you can find a great one in your price range. Nothing else gives you three rows AND room for luggage/crap like a full size. And no minivan has reasonable storage with the third row in use.

In reply to G_Body_Man:

There is one of those for sale locally, but after envisioning cargo capacity of a van, plus sliding doors eliminating ding on my other car, I'm not sure I can go back. I've gone to the darkside.

In reply to maj75:

I love 'burbans my folks always had them as a kid but 2 problems with them are: 1 it wont fit in the garage, and 2 most of the time this whip will be used as a car/grocery getter by the wife. So a burban, like the 'gator will be/is overkill.

maj75 wrote: I'm partial to Suburbans and you can find a great one in your price range. Nothing else gives you three rows AND room for luggage/crap like a full size. And no minivan has reasonable storage with the third row in use.

I already said it, but suburbans are quite close to fitting his needs. expensive to feed though.

I 100% disagree with your statement about reasonable storage with the 3rd row in use. In fact, I would say exactly the opposite. Other than the suburban/yukon xl, no SUV has reasonable storage with the 3rd row in use. Our Odyssey has incredible space behind the 3rd row.

Also - for a fun monday morning, check specs 2005 odyssey vs 2005 suburban on total cargo volume (or i'll do it for you).

Odyssey:

CARGO CAPACITY, ALL SEATS IN PLACE 38.4 cu.ft. MAXIMUM CARGO CAPACITY 147.4 cu.ft.

Suburban:

MAXIMUM CARGO CAPACITY 131.6 cu.ft. (Edmunds didn't show 'all seats in place' stat).

carknut wrote: We're now thinking van, we hit the hotspots last night, olive garden, grocery store, target, etc, and it is handy. We're thinking about offering on the ody. My question now is that comparable money will get you a lower mile t&c or caravan, but you give up some luxuries from the EX-L Ody. I am spooked about transmissions on the ody, as The van just comes with the basic 60day warranty. In GRM all powerful opinion, what you guys think?

HA! In an earlier post you said something about "Soul sucking appliance." Then you went and took a couple of these things around the block and figured out most of them are nearly 300hp and will easily outrun, and are a LOT more 'fun' to drive than any lifted station wagon.

You get WAY more for the dollar with the Caravan/T&C. The trouble is your budget. You are going to drive one with the 3.6 Pentastar and that will almost instantly put any talk of 3.3/3.8 out... The pentastar puts down nearly 300hp and get better than 20mpg all the time. 25-26mpg cruising the highway.

We started with our budget at 10K and got to looking at 100k mile vans.. once the budget expanded to 15K we started getting picky about what we really wanted to have. We crossed shopped the Japanese stuff and it just didn't impress for the price premium. ultimately we ended up with a fully optioned 14 Caravan R/T. We LOVE it.

One of the noticable differences is the slightly stiffer springs. The T&C option is the 'touring' suspension or something like that. It isn't much of a change but really makes a nice difference when driving the thing..

Since June of last year we have put 23K on ours.. We really like it.