you can't get a Minivan with Power operated sliding doors, leather etc for less than 30k.

[Black88GTA]

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: DrPizza
If you really want a new vehicle, go for it. That's not what I would do - I would buy a 1 or 2 year old vehicle as others suggested - but the decision is yours, based on your own reasons.

As far as the SUV vs. mini-van debate... I drove a Jeep Cherokee for years. Absolutely loved the vehicle. It went anywhere I wanted it to go. (I went off-road quite a bit, especially during hunting season). Then, I got a Nissan Pathfinder. Far less room inside; absolutely worthless as far as "utility vehicle" goes; and as I needed to use it for those purposes, it sucked majorly. A year or so ago, my wife got a Grand Caravan. Best vehicle for utility purposes we've ever had. It's hauled 50 4x6x8 landscape timbers for a fence... it's hauled an alpaca, dirtbikes, tons of wallboard, plywood, etc. I regularly load it up with 1000 pounds or so of coal. It's hauled everything that most people would relegate to a pick-up truck, except for a freezer (won't stand up-right in the van ) And, it's pretty good at towing our boat and/or our trailer. (Towed both at the same time last year - put the boat on the trailer , plus 2 kayaks on the roof of the van)
As far as handling, I'd have to say that it's far better than either the Pathfinder or Cherokee with the exception of when I had either SUV in 4-W drive on roads covered in slush. In regular snow, it handles great.

And lastly, for the people calling them 2 ton vehicles, check the stickers on the door... Grand Caravan is right around 3 tons. 3 1/2 a lot of times when I load it up

You put coal inside your van to haul it? Also a dirtbike in the van?

And an Alpaca?? Weirdest cargo evar!

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Originally posted by: dwcal

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: ts3433

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE
those arent SUV's those are crossovers. so yea, EVERY SUV is based on a truck frame.

Lexus RX330 is a crossover? I don't think so. Try again.

Yes, it is. Crossover SUVs are SUVs based on car platforms, like the RX (Camry).

i disagree, there has to be another term for those, afaik, crossovers are minivan/suv mixtures, such as the Ford Freestyle, Chrysler Pacifica etc.

at least that's what i thought, you could be right tho.

If anyone's unclear on the difference between SUV and crossover, come back after you've taken the RX330 off-roading... if you ever make it back. Crossovers are SUV-style bodies on a car-based chassis with some light-duty AWD hardware.

It is exactly what it was designed to be, an AWD vehicle for the road. Most SUVs never go off-road anyway, even those designed to do so.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: cKGunslinger

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: kthroyer
OP,

I bought a new 04 Ford Freestar SEL with all bells and whistles (less DVD system) for $24000 out the door including taxes, title & dest. The sticker was $33000. I looked at used Odyssey's and Sienna's, and would have gone that way easily, but the peace of mind of having a new vehicle compared to a used one, won out. This was Janaury of 2004, so I'm sure prices will have gone up a bit. So far, I can't complain about anything on the Freestar. I do remember trying to find low mileage used Honda's and Odyssey's was not easy, YMMV.

i've been looking at fords, chevy's and chryslers and i've never purchased a japanese car in my life, but this time i'm considering it.

to be honest, the domestics just don't feel as nice. with my last car i ignored all those things and just bought a ford because i always buy fords. this time, i'm not so sure.

i am seriously considering the Kia Sedona tho. if you guys go out and check one out, you'll be shocked at how much they out and out copied the sienna.

Are Kia's much better now than when they first began production? I know my hair-brained sis-in-law bought a "cute" Kia Sportage when they first came out. She had the engine replaced 3 times, the transmission replaced twice, and the entire electrical system rewired before she dumped that POS 2 years later. She said when she waited for warranty service, there was like a 3-week waiting list at that particular dealership.

their quality gain has been less than Hyundai's (owns Kia), but they are really nice vehicles. Hyundai doesnt have a Minivan out however.

i believe the best deal currently is the Grand Caravan, but Toyos and Hondas are excellent, im not sure which i would get as i havent ridden in any.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: kthroyer
OP,

I bought a new 04 Ford Freestar SEL with all bells and whistles (less DVD system) for $24000 out the door including taxes, title & dest. The sticker was $33000. I looked at used Odyssey's and Sienna's, and would have gone that way easily, but the peace of mind of having a new vehicle compared to a used one, won out. This was Janaury of 2004, so I'm sure prices will have gone up a bit. So far, I can't complain about anything on the Freestar. I do remember trying to find low mileage used Honda's and Odyssey's was not easy, YMMV.

i've been looking at fords, chevy's and chryslers and i've never purchased a japanese car in my life, but this time i'm considering it.

to be honest, the domestics just don't feel as nice. with my last car i ignored all those things and just bought a ford because i always buy fords. this time, i'm not so sure.

i am seriously considering the Kia Sedona tho. if you guys go out and check one out, you'll be shocked at how much they out and out copied the sienna.

If you haven't test driven the Sienna, Odyssey, MPV, or Quest, you are doing yourself a disservice, even if you ultimately don't buy one of them.

I haven't had a chance to see the new Kia Sedona, but the previous generation was "good". It felt well built, using reliable but out-dated tech, but reliability and handling still fell short of the Japanese models.

Overall though, Kia/Hyundai have made some major improvements in reliability as well as styling, practicality, and comfort. While I would definitely still buy a Japanese model for myself, I would most likely choose a Kia or a Hyundai over a comparable Domestic model.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Originally posted by: cKGunslinger

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: kthroyer
OP,

I bought a new 04 Ford Freestar SEL with all bells and whistles (less DVD system) for $24000 out the door including taxes, title & dest. The sticker was $33000. I looked at used Odyssey's and Sienna's, and would have gone that way easily, but the peace of mind of having a new vehicle compared to a used one, won out. This was Janaury of 2004, so I'm sure prices will have gone up a bit. So far, I can't complain about anything on the Freestar. I do remember trying to find low mileage used Honda's and Odyssey's was not easy, YMMV.

i've been looking at fords, chevy's and chryslers and i've never purchased a japanese car in my life, but this time i'm considering it.

to be honest, the domestics just don't feel as nice. with my last car i ignored all those things and just bought a ford because i always buy fords. this time, i'm not so sure.

i am seriously considering the Kia Sedona tho. if you guys go out and check one out, you'll be shocked at how much they out and out copied the sienna.

Are Kia's much better now than when they first began production? I know my hair-brained sis-in-law bought a "cute" Kia Sportage when they first came out. She had the engine replaced 3 times, the transmission replaced twice, and the entire electrical system rewired before she dumped that POS 2 years later. She said when she waited for warranty service, there was like a 3-week waiting list at that particular dealership.

The original Sportage was garbage, but the new one is much improved. I talked my stepmother out of buying a Sportage, and she has been very pleased with her Subaru Forester.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE

Originally posted by: cKGunslinger

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: kthroyer
OP,

I bought a new 04 Ford Freestar SEL with all bells and whistles (less DVD system) for $24000 out the door including taxes, title & dest. The sticker was $33000. I looked at used Odyssey's and Sienna's, and would have gone that way easily, but the peace of mind of having a new vehicle compared to a used one, won out. This was Janaury of 2004, so I'm sure prices will have gone up a bit. So far, I can't complain about anything on the Freestar. I do remember trying to find low mileage used Honda's and Odyssey's was not easy, YMMV.

i've been looking at fords, chevy's and chryslers and i've never purchased a japanese car in my life, but this time i'm considering it.

to be honest, the domestics just don't feel as nice. with my last car i ignored all those things and just bought a ford because i always buy fords. this time, i'm not so sure.

i am seriously considering the Kia Sedona tho. if you guys go out and check one out, you'll be shocked at how much they out and out copied the sienna.

Are Kia's much better now than when they first began production? I know my hair-brained sis-in-law bought a "cute" Kia Sportage when they first came out. She had the engine replaced 3 times, the transmission replaced twice, and the entire electrical system rewired before she dumped that POS 2 years later. She said when she waited for warranty service, there was like a 3-week waiting list at that particular dealership.

their quality gain has been less than Hyundai's (owns Kia), but they are really nice vehicles. Hyundai doesnt have a Minivan out however.

i believe the best deal currently is the Grand Caravan, but Toyos and Hondas are excellent, im not sure which i would get as i havent ridden in any.

actually, this fall hyundai will release a minivan called the Entourage, it's identical to the current Kia Sedona. they are consolidating their lines because it just doesn't make sense to not do so.

hence, this current kia will have the quality of the current hyundais.

kia also has the 10yr 100k power train warranty. and i checked out the service department, no waiting list, no lines.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: AnonymouseUser

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: kthroyer
OP,

I bought a new 04 Ford Freestar SEL with all bells and whistles (less DVD system) for $24000 out the door including taxes, title & dest. The sticker was $33000. I looked at used Odyssey's and Sienna's, and would have gone that way easily, but the peace of mind of having a new vehicle compared to a used one, won out. This was Janaury of 2004, so I'm sure prices will have gone up a bit. So far, I can't complain about anything on the Freestar. I do remember trying to find low mileage used Honda's and Odyssey's was not easy, YMMV.

i've been looking at fords, chevy's and chryslers and i've never purchased a japanese car in my life, but this time i'm considering it.

to be honest, the domestics just don't feel as nice. with my last car i ignored all those things and just bought a ford because i always buy fords. this time, i'm not so sure.

i am seriously considering the Kia Sedona tho. if you guys go out and check one out, you'll be shocked at how much they out and out copied the sienna.

If you haven't test driven the Sienna, Odyssey, MPV, or Quest, you are doing yourself a disservice, even if you ultimately don't buy one of them.

I haven't had a chance to see the new Kia Sedona, but the previous generation was "good". It felt well built, using reliable but out-dated tech, but reliability and handling still fell short of the Japanese models.

Overall though, Kia/Hyundai have made some major improvements in reliability as well as styling, practicality, and comfort. While I would definitely still buy a Japanese model for myself, I would most likely choose a Kia or a Hyundai over a comparable Domestic model.

the quest is too quirky looking, the mpv is too small feeling. my parents and my sister have owned honda's and they have been nothing but problems. my sisters last honda odessey that she just traded in for a Sienna had transmission problems after only 3 yrs and my brother in law takes meticulous care of their vehicles.

i've never liked hondas, my family has had nothing but problems with them. don't know why the others keep buying hondas.

besides, frankly hondas reliability ranks with the domestics, they just feel better when they aren't broken. toyota is the only japanese make i'll consider and that's only because my wife insists on it because of their reliability.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: AnonymouseUser

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: kthroyer
OP,

I bought a new 04 Ford Freestar SEL with all bells and whistles (less DVD system) for $24000 out the door including taxes, title & dest. The sticker was $33000. I looked at used Odyssey's and Sienna's, and would have gone that way easily, but the peace of mind of having a new vehicle compared to a used one, won out. This was Janaury of 2004, so I'm sure prices will have gone up a bit. So far, I can't complain about anything on the Freestar. I do remember trying to find low mileage used Honda's and Odyssey's was not easy, YMMV.

i've been looking at fords, chevy's and chryslers and i've never purchased a japanese car in my life, but this time i'm considering it.

to be honest, the domestics just don't feel as nice. with my last car i ignored all those things and just bought a ford because i always buy fords. this time, i'm not so sure.

i am seriously considering the Kia Sedona tho. if you guys go out and check one out, you'll be shocked at how much they out and out copied the sienna.

If you haven't test driven the Sienna, Odyssey, MPV, or Quest, you are doing yourself a disservice, even if you ultimately don't buy one of them.

I haven't had a chance to see the new Kia Sedona, but the previous generation was "good". It felt well built, using reliable but out-dated tech, but reliability and handling still fell short of the Japanese models.

Overall though, Kia/Hyundai have made some major improvements in reliability as well as styling, practicality, and comfort. While I would definitely still buy a Japanese model for myself, I would most likely choose a Kia or a Hyundai over a comparable Domestic model.

the quest is too quirky looking, the mpv is too small feeling. my parents and my sister have owned honda's and they have been nothing but problems. my sisters last honda odessey that she just traded in for a Sienna had transmission problems after only 3 yrs and my brother in law takes meticulous care of their vehicles.

i've never liked hondas, my family has had nothing but problems with them. don't know why the others keep buying hondas.

besides, frankly hondas reliability ranks with the domestics, they just feel better when they aren't broken. toyota is the only japanese make i'll consider and that's only because my wife insists on it because of their reliability.

a LOT of Hondas had Tranny issues, i mean it was a VERY large issue with them.

 

[dwcal]

Originally posted by: AnonymouseUser

Originally posted by: dwcal

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: ts3433

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE
those arent SUV's those are crossovers. so yea, EVERY SUV is based on a truck frame.

Lexus RX330 is a crossover? I don't think so. Try again.

Yes, it is. Crossover SUVs are SUVs based on car platforms, like the RX (Camry).

i disagree, there has to be another term for those, afaik, crossovers are minivan/suv mixtures, such as the Ford Freestyle, Chrysler Pacifica etc.

at least that's what i thought, you could be right tho.

If anyone's unclear on the difference between SUV and crossover, come back after you've taken the RX330 off-roading... if you ever make it back. Crossovers are SUV-style bodies on a car-based chassis with some light-duty AWD hardware.

It is exactly what it was designed to be, an AWD vehicle for the road. Most SUVs never go off-road anyway, even those designed to do so.

I know that, but some crossover SUVs retain more off-road styling cues than others, to give the illusion of driving an off-roader. Compared a CR-V to a Pacifica (I know not in the same size class, but just for example). The CR-V has the spare tire on the rear hatch and more ground clearance. Neither of those features are very useful for driving on the road.

 

[dwcal]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
i've never liked hondas, my family has had nothing but problems with them. don't know why the others keep buying hondas.

besides, frankly hondas reliability ranks with the domestics, they just feel better when they aren't broken. toyota is the only japanese make i'll consider and that's only because my wife insists on it because of their reliability.

Most Hondas I've seen have been pretty reliable, but because they're so popular I've seen a lot of dealers have an arrogant attitude, both on the sales side and on the service side when someone does have a problem with their car.

This is how popular they are. Dealers have bribed Honda executives to get their allocations:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FJN/is_n5_v30/ai_18728442
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/1997/08/11/story4.html

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: dwcal

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
i've never liked hondas, my family has had nothing but problems with them. don't know why the others keep buying hondas.

besides, frankly hondas reliability ranks with the domestics, they just feel better when they aren't broken. toyota is the only japanese make i'll consider and that's only because my wife insists on it because of their reliability.

Most Hondas I've seen have been pretty reliable, but because they're so popular I've seen a lot of dealers have an arrogant attitude, both on the sales side and on the service side when someone does have a problem with their car.

This is how popular they are. Dealers have bribed Honda executives to get their allocations:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FJN/is_n5_v30/ai_18728442
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/1997/08/11/story4.html

i never said honda wasn't marketed well or that it wasn't popular, it is, but that doesn't mean that they are good. one does not corelate directly with the other.

my experiences with honda my family members have owned have all been bad.

 

[dwcal]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

i never said honda wasn't marketed well or that it wasn't popular, it is, but that doesn't mean that they are good. one does not corelate directly with the other.

my experiences with honda my family members have owned have all been bad.

I'm not really disagreeing with you. I probably wouldn't buy a Honda either. Most times, I don't think the cars are worth the higher prices and dealer attitude (both of those because of their popularity).

If someone was buying a Honda, I'd suggest to stay away from the first year of a new model, both because of working bugs out and because the popularity of a new body style drives prices up.

In any case their quality is behind Toyota, and not sure how I'd rank them compared to the rest. You're right that they do feel better when they're not broken. I guess it's like owning a Benz but without the VIP dealer service.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA

Originally posted by: KK

You put coal inside your van to haul it? Also a dirtbike in the van?

And an Alpaca?? Weirdest cargo evar!

Yes, I put coal in the van. Where else am I going to put it to get it home... on the roof??
Since I buy the coal a ton at a time, I split it in half and carry 1000 pounds each trip. (We heat our house with coal... about 1/4 the cost of heating with natural gas, if that.)

 

[Mloot]

In late '97 I bought a '96 Ford Aerostar with 16K miles on it. At the time, my wife and I had a 1.5 year old son and all we had was a single cab Nissan Pickup with a 5-speed manual. I really disliked shifting the tranny with the car seat in the way, and when my wife got pregnant with our 2nd kid, we knew it was time for something a little larger. Nowadays, we regularly keep our 2 nieces for a day or two every week, and when you have to haul around myself, the wife, and 4 kids between the ages of 4-10 years old (not to mention two dogs that sometimes accompany us) nothing beats the convenience of a minivan. Now, it's got tons of body roll and it's getting a little rough around the edges, but I'm 500 miles away from hitting the 200K mark on the odometer and I have to say that it was the best vehicle purchase I've ever made. I haven't had the opportunity to drive one of the newer minivans (i.e. Oddysey, Sienna, etc.) but I can't imagine buying anything but another minivan when the time comes to give up the Aerostar.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: Mloot
In late '97 I bought a '96 Ford Aerostar with 16K miles on it. At the time, my wife and I had a 1.5 year old son and all we had was a single cab Nissan Pickup with a 5-speed manual. I really disliked shifting the tranny with the car seat in the way, and when my wife got pregnant with our 2nd kid, we knew it was time for something a little larger. Nowadays, we regularly keep our 2 nieces for a day or two every week, and when you have to haul around myself, the wife, and 4 kids between the ages of 4-10 years old (not to mention two dogs that sometimes accompany us) nothing beats the convenience of a minivan. Now, it's got tons of body roll and it's getting a little rough around the edges, but I'm 500 miles away from hitting the 200K mark on the odometer and I have to say that it was the best vehicle purchase I've ever made. I haven't had the opportunity to drive one of the newer minivans (i.e. Oddysey, Sienna, etc.) but I can't imagine buying anything but another minivan when the time comes to give up the Aerostar.

i seriously think the minivan is the perfect family vehicle. i don't see them improving on it too much as far as form factor.

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: Black88GTA

Originally posted by: KK

You put coal inside your van to haul it? Also a dirtbike in the van?

And an Alpaca?? Weirdest cargo evar!

Yes, I put coal in the van. Where else am I going to put it to get it home... on the roof??
Since I buy the coal a ton at a time, I split it in half and carry 1000 pounds each trip. (We heat our house with coal... about 1/4 the cost of heating with natural gas, if that.)

Where else would you put it, on a trailer, not inside your van. That's probably a sight to see you going down the road with a load of coal. probably have it stacked right up to behind the front seats, hell it may even be piled up on the passenger side seat. How big of a dirt bike can you fit in it? I can see the alpaca, if he's laying down, but a decent size bike I would think would be too tall.

 

[Boxxcar]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
WTF is up with that.

minivans over 30k.

holy fvck. i can't think believe i'm considering buying one of these.

not only that, even the Kia Sedona with all the options is over 30k.

THIRTY THOUSAND for a Kia. am i crazy for even considering it?

Not true. I have a 2005 Chrysler T&C Touring. Leather, power sliding doors/liftgate, Sirius Sat radio, etc, all for less than $24K. And it was new off the dealers showroom. Not an ex-demonstrator or rental. I even had a choice of colors. (San Antonio, TX)

 

[vi edit]

Nissan Quest (looks are a bit polar to people) can be done for under $30k w/ leather and sliding power doors.

 

[Boxxcar]

My .02

Back in the late 80's when minivans were first introduced, I wouldn't have thought twice about ever buying one. Besides, it seemed as though for the first couple years the only people who had one were themselves enormous and over-weight. One associate of mine had a wife that tipped the scales at probably somewhere between 250 & 300 lbs. Another had a wife well over 200lbs and only 5 and half feet tall. So it appeared as though minivans had cornered the fat people market.
Then.... in 1991, I rode in one, a Dodge Caravan. What a surprise! Large, spacious, and rode like a car. I was expecting it to ride like a truck. My viewpoint of the minivan changed. They were no longer only for fat people - they were actually very nice vehicles and very versatile. Whether you shuttle your family or transport a sofa, they?re great vehicles. They are also great for long trips too. Kids can watch DVD?s or lie out on the rear seat and snooze.
I am actually on my third one now. I?ve had a 92 Grand Voyager, a 97 Grand Voyager, and now the 05 T&C Touring. I guess I should say it?s the wife?s van and no, she?s only 105lbs.
So if you?re considering one. Do it, you won?t regret it, unless of course you buy the wrong minivan. Stick with the Chrysler.
I?ve never driven the Honda so I cannot provide a recommendation although they are supposed to be very good. I personally think they?re over-priced.

 

[imthebadguy]

get a ford freestar, solid van, we rented one a while back

 

[pmanipole]

we bought a Saturn Relay for around $25k.

it has DVD, onstar, powered passenger side door, and some other crap that we didnt need.

overall it is better then our 2000 windsuck that we had. gets good milage, snappy looking, plenty of room inside, and there is not a million of them on the road. plus saturn is really good with thier service.

 

[pmanipole]

Originally posted by: imthebadguy
get a ford freestar, solid van, we rented one a while back

we had a windstar that had the same chasis and transmission of the taurus. we spent over $5k on transmission problems with it because whatever is wrong with your car seems to never be covered under warranty. i will never buy another ford product for the rest of my life. their service is terrible, at least in richmond va.

we bought a saturn sli in 97 and have only ever had to replace the brakes and tires on it. best car service wise i have ever had.

 

[LeadMagnet]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
seriously, for me, the minivan is for me or my wife to transport our kids in, when i arrive somewhere with my kids, looking "hip" is the single most important thing on my mind. :roll:

No but seriously what I mean is, don't you have any friends or siblings or coworkers that would sort of giggle about the fact that you drive a minivan? Honest question.

do you really think i'm the kind of person that would give a flying fvck what someone thinks of what i drive?

and the actual answer is, most of my friends are married and have kids and they all either own minivans or wish they had purchased a minivan instead of the SUV they ended up buying.

i looked at some SUV's i even made a thread about buying Lincoln Aviator instead of a minivan, but after driving it and driving several minivans, it became clear to my wife and i, no SUV is going to ever be as convenient and usefull as a minivan.

practicality is actually quite important.

My wife drive the Ford Expedition "aircraft carrier edition" and we get 12MPG and wish she had a minivan with electric sliding doors. A minivan would be soooo much better that the oil tanker she is driving now.

This monster SUV sucks when you have very young children you have to pickup and climb into the the vehicle just to put them in a bayseat located in the middle.

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby
Anyone who buys an SUV instead of a minivan because they're too cool deserves punishment.

Fixed for ya. You're welcome.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: pmanipole
we bought a Saturn Relay for around $25k.

it has DVD, onstar, powered passenger side door, and some other crap that we didnt need.

overall it is better then our 2000 windsuck that we had. gets good milage, snappy looking, plenty of room inside, and there is not a million of them on the road. plus saturn is really good with thier service.

we were thinking of getting the relay. i like how it looks but then started hearing some bad stuff about them.

but might take a new look once the 07's get out