Mini Van owners/Parents-need opinion

[BandAid]

Ok,My wife is due in 3months,our 1st child
Having trouble deciding if we need a minivan,my wife is 5'2",I have a heriated disc in my back for the last 3weeks now,,so maybe those should help deciding ,but I am not clear what is the best one out there,kinda leaning toward 1 where the seats fold into the floor(which do this??)probably has 2 sliding doors, what else should I look for...
Dennis...

Thanks Everyone

 

[turbosam6]

NOOOOOOOO! Not a minivan!

Come on, get an Impala SS or something, nothing is worse than cruising the minivan and pulling up next to a nice ride and being embarrassed. Or get an SUV, something, anything!

 

[BandAid]

Originally posted by turbosam6
NOOOOOOOO! Not a minivan!

Come on, get an Impala SS or something, nothing is worse than cruising the minivan and pulling up next to a nice ride and being embarrassed. Or get an SUV, something, anything!

Hey Sam ,hows the little guy doing,,holding a toque wrench yet,,We did an unltra sound and we are having a boy also...

I have a Jimmy now,but she is going to have a problem getting him in there,and I will have a problem getting him in her Galant (mitsubishi) cause of my back and the bending,
We plan to move to Florida ( so I can drive the Buick all yr round

So I wont be needing a Winter 4x4 like I have now...
Take care
Dennis

 

[turbosam6]

Sure, move to Florida, the unsloved murder capital of the country. Wussy. Whatsa matter, you gettin' cold here in the midwest?

I don't blame ya, the midwest can suck at times. I'll be thinkin' of ya when the hurricanes hit!


The little one is doing fine, he keeps us on our toes and up at night. But its rewarding when you come home and get to see him there. I tried to get him to walk the dog as one of his chores, but he kept tipping over.

The way he goes through diapers and formula I told him he's going to have to start pulling his own weight around here! No freeloaders!

We have a Grand Prix GT, and its working out fine but I can honestly say if your back is acting up don't even think about it. Buy one of those Dodge magnum station wagon type deals, at least they are kinda cool.

 

[INEEDAGN]

Minivans, while definitely NOT COOL, are the easiest things on the planet to get in and out of. Good for sore backs.

Dodge makes the best minivan. Always has, always will. They are the original inventors of it. My boss is a die hard shivvy guy and won't own any van thats not a dodge. They have the stow n' go folding seats too. I've been in magnums and they sit pretty low, and due to the roofline you have to duck your head to get in and out.

check em out.

bob

 

[BOOSTEDGNs]

sister has town and country folding seats its her second one first had 150k miles before trade in very comfy all around, my brother has the honda oddysey has great pick up and gas mileage but rides a little rough for me I also have herniated discs probs so I know what you mean..Im by no means a minivan guy but if I had to these would also be my 2 choices

 

[Army MP]

2005 Nissan Altima SER! 270 hp. 4 door! 6 speed or 5speed auto. pick which ever! Many go fast goodies to buy also!

Seriously, check em out they look good too!

 

[gordyzx9r]

Didn't Plymouth make a turbo-charged mini-van? I thought I remember reading a post here (or one of the other boards) about someone taking one to the track or something.

 

[lieu910]

We bought our first minivan last year. After living with a van as our family car there is simply no way we will live without one again. The kids love it and so do we - it makes life soooo much easier!!

Someone here posted "buy an 96 Impala". Well, with your back being an issue, trust me the last thing you want to do is bend and strain with a 25lb child & car seat for the sake of being an"uncool" van owner.

I laugh at the "uncool" image some people are obsessed with. This purchase is not about "your image" - who the heck cares anyway? You make this decison on what is most practical and what is safest for your family.

By the way, I'd rather have my family in a late model minivan instead of a 10 year old sedan in an accident.

As for choices - if you want the seats into the floor option - the Dodge Caravan is what you should look at. We have the Caravan and are very pleased with it. However, you may want to look at Toyota and Honda also as they make a nice van as well.

Again, forget image. Also, I would make the case that the minivan will be alot more economical than some 14 MPG SUV.

When the kids get older maybe a van will not be needed, but in the world of car seats, strollers, etc., etc., there is nothing better than a minivan.

 

[Kingsford]

I agree that minivans are definately not the coolest rides on the planet but they do have their place. I consider them to be a tool. Don't waste your money on some loaded model with leather seats and all kinds gee-wiz power goodies. Your just gonna use it to get your kid(s) around and run errands.

I have four kids (#5 due on April 14th!!! ) and I've owned 3 minivans. With only one child in your home your options are almost limitless. In addition to a minivan you could also consider any number of SUV's or 4-door cars. However a minivan is really the only way to go if you have back problems.

As far as I know Chrysler is the only manufacturer to offer a minivan with the sto-n-go seats. Other manufacturers (Honda and GM) offer vans where the 3rd row seat folds flat into the floor. I think Chrysler's set-up is really slick but I'm not a fan of their products. I know too many people who have owned them and were sorry they bought them. All the minivans I've owned were GM models. They aren't the smoothest or fastest but they've all been tough as nails. My wife totaled our second van (2001 Pontiac Montana) in when she pulled out in front of another car doing almost 50 mph. The airbags didn't deploy and she still walked away with only a scratch on her knee.

If your interested in getting a new van consider Honda, Toyota and GM. If your looking for a nice used van look no further than the GM models.

Just my $.02

 

[turbosam6]

It kills me when people have ONE KID and immediately feel the need to go buy a suburban or other monstrous truck.

I guess I am of the opinion that a vehicle should be enjoyable. Theres nothing enjoyable about a minivan. But since most everyone here probably has there own "fun" cars, its a different story.

When I said get an SUV, I meant like a Nissan Murano or something, which gets better mileage than a lot of minivans, is more reliable than any dodge, and probably more comfortable, and those things are cool.

For me its just the principle. I will never own a minivan, because I hate them. Its like how I won't shop at Wal Mart: Sure, its cheaper, easier, etc, but they are the devil, so I don't shop there.

 

[Welby]

My motto, and I'm completely serious about it is "Death before minivan". I will never.... ever own one. There's just something about them that just screams "I have lost my will to live, I have been defeated." No offense to those that own them

I can semi-understand if you have a bunch of kids, but like said above, why even consider it as soon as you find out that one baby is on the way? . We have a 2 month old daughter, and the thought of a minivan was never even was brought up. We have 2 four door Jetta's, what good would a minivan do?

If you need something more roomy, why not look into a wagon? There are alot of nice ones out there nowadays that will give plenty of room for anything you need. There are the Mazda3 and Mazda6 five doors that are nice and sporty, or you could do a Subaru WRX wagon or a Forrester turbo. You'd still spend less than what a minivan costs (The prices on them are insane), have a fun/fast car to drive, and AWD to boot

 

[Shane]

I used to drive my Grandma's minivan when I was a Senior in High School. My old T-Type NEVER EVER ran right, so the mini van was a great back up car.

I think it was like a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan. She has had a stroke, so she doesn't drive anymore, but still leases a new van every two years for some apparent reason.

That was a great van. It had the autostick, and it could peel out if you pegged it. It had remote sliding doors too. I say if you HAVE to have a minivan, get a dodge.

 

[troGNman]

Have you considered the new "wagon" style vehicles like the Ford Freestyle or Chrysler Pacifica?

I have two kids aged 4 and 9 and we get along fine in two 4 door sedans. It gets a little tight after a trip to the wholesale club where a wagon would suit us. My wife and I are in agreement that a minivan will never be in our driveway.

 

[Drac0nic]

Get an Astro van, if you decide to go wild a 350 is a shoe-in almost. They also have plenty of space, and are avalible in AWD, and the stock 4.3s have enough torque to get the job done for utilitarian use.
The AWD 3.8L (didn't know Chrysler made a 3.8) caravan seems fairly decent power wise too. Just be sure to do some research to make sure the trannies hold up better then the ones for the 3.0 did.
Far as the whole "tool" aspect, there are people out there doing stuff just as wild as any other car you've seen. Just because it's a van doesn't mean that you can't have fun with it.

 

[lieu910]

I will add one more point of consideration. I've been a career firefighter for 15 years. I can tell you that when it comes to auto accidents - I've seen the worst imaginable.

Vehicles are a very personal choice, but when you are talking about your wife and kids - a Sherman tank would suit me fine.

The simple rules of physics will always apply. Mass vs. less mass is not a good scenario. Furthermore, take a look at the bumper height on an SUV or truck and then compare that to where it would strike a sedan on the side. Your rear passengers will absorb an impact at the torso or head level depending on the two vehicles.

I'll take a minivan with 5 star ratings all around thank you. If the worst happens I'll know I did everything possible to protect them at the expense of a little vanity. - Nice pun!

Do not get caught up in what other people think. My suggestion is consider renting a minivan and see what you think. Try loading a weighted car seat in and out.

As for quality of vehicles bare this in mind. Since '89 my family has owned 8 Chrysler products - only the used '97 Intrepid went in for unscheduled maintenance (timing belt at 80,000). Two close friends and GM mechanics also affirm that domestics are really comperable in quality. Those who say different typically do so because they don't like a particular automaker or have a narrow frame of reference.

I will openly admit however that I will consider a Honda next time out for thee better resale and they do have notably nicer interiors, quality in my opinion.

Hope this helps.

 

[wagon]

Build a turbo waGoN.
It probably only takes a week of working part time at it, and you have a few months to do it. . Then you have another turbo Regal, and you have the family truckster at the same time. The back seat folds down if you want to go to the grocery store and really stock up, or if you want to carry a rear end and assembled exhaust to the shop. (Although, the tail pipes have to stick out the back window)

Like others have said, it's your choice, just offering up my opinion. I don't like minivans either, and especially would not get one unless I had BIG family. No thank you.

 

[Little6pack]

A VASECTOMY.

GET THE EXTENDED MINI VANS like a GRAND CARAVAN you will need the extra space in back.

 

[bishir]

If you're going safety, you can't get better than the Pacifica. I rented one once and it was very Nice and has room for 7 people easily. It was the nicest van I've ever been in even though it's typically a hybrid.

I was in the same boat as you a few months ago, and I would have bought a Dodge Magnum if it weren't for the limited supply at the time. I highly suggest the RT since it will hold it's resell value better than the others. It's also a very nice ride. Dahmler is the best thing to happen to Dodge/Chrysler. If you don't know already, minivan values drop like rocks once you buy new.

It hasn't been suggested yet, but if you want ROOM and you want something to tow your turbo buick I'd get a supercrew F-250 in a turbo diesel if you can afford it.

I looked at the Nissan Murano that was suggested and felt it didn't have enough room. My wife descided on a Grand Cherokee when it was all said and done. I like it because she runs over curbs and it has good ground clearence.

 

[Kingsford]

Originally posted by littlesixsteve
A VASECTOMY.

They're not 100% effective. Let's just say someone's gun is reloaded.