I need a minivan. My wonderful wife and I have a 3 month old and small cars just don’t cut it. Doesn’t help that our previous car is no longer with us. So I borrowed a minivan. And wouldn’t ya know it, my wife decided we need one. So what should I get? Or what should I watch out for? I don’t want to spend a ton of money, mostly because we don’t have it. Help me out here.
Honda Odyssey. Roomy as hell, good gas mileage, nice design. And the fold-down rear seats are darn convenient. You can also pretend you’re flying a Star Trek shuttlecraft if you need to preserve your dignity. 
(No, I don’t have one. I wanted to get one, but I got overruled by the wife…)
Ditto the Honda. We love ours. Before we had a 4th car seat, we removed one of the captain’s seats and had LOTS of great floorspace for diaper changes, picnics in the car, etc. The doors on both sides are great. I really like having a door on the driver’s side, which most vans don’t have, and we’ve had no untoward problems with the power doors. Though, the one side doesn’t always close properly now and I have to get out and hit it with my shoulder to get it to shut (it’s 5 year old and is used a LOT). We’ve been very pleased. And it had the best crash rating of any minivan when it came out.
I had a Mazda MPV as part of my fleet when I belonged to a car co-op. I was always happy with its performance.
Checking Consumer Reports, I see they recommend Chrysler’s Town & Country, Dodge Caravan, Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna for 2005. Apparently the 2000/01 models of the MPV were good, but more recent years are less reliable.
If you’re looking to save dollars, I’d strongly advise to buy used - you can get a great car at a good price and let someone else eat the depreciation costs. But you knew that already…
My parents had a less-recent MPV (1995? Perhaps even a little earlier than that, but not too much) some years ago and it was awful. There was a problem with the headers, so the engine clicked. Mazda said, “Change oil more frequently.” And the moonroof leaked. And our dealer sucked, but that’s a rant for another day. However, the year they got rid of it (2000?), the new models were raved about as fantastic by all sorts of car magazines/testers. If you do choose the MPV, I’d recommend choosing a newer model, say post-2001. I have heard good things about them. Stay away from earlier models.
I don’t have much experience with the foreign maker minivans, but Chrysler and Chevy do seem to have consistent problems with transmissions and head gaskets, both of which are fairly costly repair jobs. I have not heard these same complaints from Honda, Mazda, or Toyota owners, but then again, that is not much of a surprise considering those manufacturers all have fairly solid quality records.
Ha! So between Barbarian and I, if you’re going with the MPV, get a 2000 or 2001 model, and avoid the rest. Love it.
I’m with the OP. On an impulse last summer I traded in my beat up Explorer for a used Pontiac Montana.
Christ, for all that people make fun of minivans their great for family driving. There’s enough damn room in there for two car seats, a stroller, suitcases for travel and probably a dog I forget to lock up.
I admit to being surprised. But I’m also admitting to being pleased.
I’ve got a '96 Honda Odyssey that now has 180k miles on it. There have been no problems and no major repairs needed. It’s very handy to operate and convenient for travel, particularly with children.
It’s a bitch to change the spark plugs on a 2002 Dodge Caravan. My wife loves it though, it gets great mileage, and can hold 7 people with ease.
I’m in the market also since I have twins on the way in June and have been doing a lot of research lately.
I was somewhat set on a Dodge Caravan because the price was right but looking at reviews and reliability I think I’m going to have to pass.
So now I’m looking at base model Siennas and Odysseys. I’m hoping to get one new for around $22-$23K. That’s a Sienna CE or a Odyssey LX.
Unfortunately, when reading reviews they always compare the “loaded” models that run over $30K so I don’t know which is a better buy for the base models.
If the base models are just way to skimpy I’ll have to look at used ones with under 20K miles.
At our last Auto Show I looked at mini-vans and was impressed at how much space they offered. Then I looked at SUVs and wondered why anyone would waste their money on a vehicle with less interior space, lower gas milage, and a higher price???
We have a 99 Plymouth Voyager. Now, I didn’t drive till I was 35, but that thing handles so easy it practically drives itself. It’s also very comfy and handy for our son to move around as needed - when the car isn’t moving, of course. As your child gets older, it will be nice to have a car that allows him or her to get in and out easily without help. I would recommend the “Grand” version of this van because it has more cargo space.
I’ve been pretty happy with my 92 Dodge Caravan.
I don’t know if it’s the particular year, but the paint is real bad to peel. I suspect it’s a Dodge Caravan thing rather than a 1992 thing, as I’ve seen other people driving the same vehicle I do and most have paint peeling in the same places we do. Surely they’re not all driving 1992’s.
I know my wife’s ex had, or possibly still does have, a Dodge sedan from that time and it, too, peeled terribly. I don’t remember what model it was, though.
IME, the folks who choose an SUV over a minivan tend to be driven by the impression (deserved or not) that SUVs are safer.
I got a Ford Windstar in April 2003 and love it. It was cheaper to insure than my wife’s '97 Stratus because of safety thingies like side air bags. They cut me a great deal because they weren’t moving at the time. It get 25 MPG and rides very comfortably, no rattling or wind noise. The two sliding doors are really nice and the two back seats go in and out with very little trouble.
I don’t see why people give minivans such a hard time. They’re comfortable, they’re roomy, and I’ve never been pulled over in my '99 Dodge Grand Caravan for speeding because it’s a minivan. 
Plus the middle row has built in carseats that fold into the back of the seat when they’re not in use, which I started using very shortly after my son started facing forward in the car. Very nice, very convenient.
We just hit 100,000 miles in the last week. I’m proud of her. 
Minivans are great. I would NOT recommend the Pontiac Montana. I have the '98 model and I’ve had to replace the transmission and 2 cracked heads. In fact I wouldn’t recommend any minivan by General Motors.
My 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan has been a joy. Ditto on buying used.
:: sigh :: I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t own the minivan. I can’t explain it, but safety had nothing to do with it. My husband even campaigned for a minivan. We have three children, and do the cross-country trip events all the time, but I said no. I’m insane. I know.
FaerieBeth (who passed on the Odyssey and got the CRV)