branshew Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 We recently found out that my wife is pregnant w/ our 2nd child. She currently has a VW Passat Wagon, but now she thinks that she wants a minivan. The Passat is sporty enough, fun to drive, and sips gas. It has minimal cargo area, but certainly enough for us now. It's been a good car in terms of functionality, but not in terms of reliablity. I grew up in the first generation of Minivan Kids in the 80's and I learned to drive on my Mom's 10 year old Dodge Caravan. I always hated the minivan for what it was - a lame, grocery getting mom-mobile. But I will say that minivans have come a long way over the years. My wife has made some convincing arguments and I'm starting to cave (I actually went to Edmunds and started doing research). Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna would be my two choices, but I find myself leaning to the Honda. I'm thinking 2002-2003 MY and I like the Odyssey styling better in those years, but I'm not ready to write off Toyota yet as I have been driving them for the last 10 years. Any thoughts, experiances, etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98es Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 I'm only in my early twenties and I really like the way today's minivans drive. My stepmom had a '99 Sienna that had the toyota v6 in it and it drove like a 6cyl camry, pretty impressive. IMO, I like the Sienna's better. Honda seems to have been plauged with tranny issues since the late nineties. I'm not sure if they've corrected this yet or not, i know it was still an issue in '02. Anyways, either minivan would be a great car and you'll be surprised how they drive. I've got a friend with a brand new sienna limited, and it's amazing how much it looks like a lexus on the inside. It's even got the laser cruise control. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexKid630 Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 Congratulations! My brother's wife used to have a mid 90's purple Sienna and she never had a problem with it. In 2000 she traded it for a toyota camry which she still has today. I've never driven the Sienna or Honda Odd. but from what i hear they are excellent in reliability. They also look good! Safety is another BIG thing you may want to consider. My wife is currently 5 months pregnant with our 4th child so we thought it would be best if she had an LS for safety. Luckily two of our kids are in college so we don't need a minivan. The Sienna would be my pick! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 Sienna would be (and is) my choice. :) It is on our "to be purchased" list. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nc211 Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 (edited) My dad just went through this delima last year. He had a Honda minivan...rode rough, seats were hard and uncomfortable and quite a bit of road noise. The lease came up and he went shopping. His favorite was the Toyota for sheer craftmanship in the details. He loved how quiet it was and comfortable. Then he went to check out the Nissan Quest. Although he preferred the Toyota, Nissan cut him such an increadible deal that he got that one instead, and he loves it. It's white with grey leather, fully loaded. It was a steal! But the Toyota is better in my, and his, opinion. Plus, I think it's rated the safest all minivans by the highway transportation crash institute AND the insurance crash institute for the off-set crashes they do. That alone, considering the cargo that'll be in it, would make up my mind right from the start. I think the Nissan looks better, and it is very comfortable and such, I think the Honda looks better now with the updates, but I don't like the way Honda's ride, shift or drive as much as Toyotas and Nissans. Toyota is the winner in my book, for safety, ride, quietness and all around craftsmanship, which translates into longevity of ownership happiness. Edited January 17, 2006 by nc211 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
branshew Posted January 17, 2006 Author Share Posted January 17, 2006 I heard about the Honda tranny issue. I thought it was more limited to their cars, but I'll keep an eye out for any reviews on that. The only complaint that I have heard about the Toyota Sienna is that there was a problem with excesive brake squealing on the 99-04 models that could not be remedied by Toyota. The new 05-06 Sienna LTD is extremely nice, but I think it's a little more than I want to spend right now. I'll still look for one with all the bells and whistles though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Personally? I'd buy the Honda because I think it offers the most enthusiastic driving experience out of the two, and is much more stylish. The Toyota's a great van though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviej Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Two years ago, my best friends were about two have two additions to their family (twins). They needed to get a minivan. I took them around and we test drove every minivan (except for Chevy and Ford). It came down to a 2004 Honda and a 2004 Toyota. The Toyota prevailed and they just love it. I get to use it to haul the karate team to tournaments. It is wonderful. Great ride, good pickup even with 7 teenagers and adults in it. It has lots of room and plenty of cubbies for everything/anything. I hope this helps. steviej Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
branshew Posted January 19, 2006 Author Share Posted January 19, 2006 I'm still in the initial stages of comparison. I'll have to do some more research and test drive a few. It will probably be an early summer purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysrme Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 To make a point, car and driver TV raced a Road Runner VS an Odyssey around a long auto-x track. The Odyssey's FWD, and modern suspension let it win by more than 5 seconds. Either one would be a good choice. Take the better price, the sienna for build quality, or the odyssey b/c it's faster & handles more like a honda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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