Jdrum1

At the end of the day, it's hard to beat the space and ease of entrance/exit (super important with kids and car seats) of a minivan.

ceophlo

No snow here. I'm in South Atlanta but I frequent NY. Most times I fly but every now and then I may want to drive. That's why I threw the Pilot in the mix because they come 4WD. I thought there was an AWD odyssey but I maybe wrong.

Never considered a Durango before. I thought the earlier models sucked. Maybe they got better. I will research.

Vitt

I'd go for the Odyssey, but also consider a Mazda5, which will be out of production after this year (or was it 2014?). My friend told me that even though it appears smaller than the previous Mazda MPV, it is roomier inside. And it's based on the second gen Mazda3 chassis which has good balance.

8.5kallday

I'm not a minivan guy but I do sell alot of them of all makes and models. Most midsized suvs lose their trunk once you put the 3rd row up while the minivans still have massive space for items being carried by the kids and their friends. I hate them due to the soccer mom look but you can't beat the odyssey or sienna. Typically the odyssey has more tech,car like drive and better gas mileage but the sienna has the option of awd which the odyssey doesn't at all but in your area I doubt you'll need the awd anyways.

WolfpackS2k

^The OP has two kids. How much shit do you think they need to haul? Nobody needs a 5,000 lb behemoth to transport a family of 4 (anywhere).

The current gen Durango is massively improved. Shares it's platform with the Grand Cherokee, and was developed mostly by Mercedes Benz (all R&D done before they split). Very solid.

SlowTeg

A friend has a brand new MDX and the third row seat is a pita to get in and out of. It's really no comparison to a minivan in terms of pure utility.

I'd also be wary of Odysseys with their tranny issues, not to mention everyone comments with a Pilot/Odysseys how annoying Honda's VCM is. I really wish they did away w/ it. The Sienna is definitely more bland and has less features but is more reliable.

marthafokker

Are you talking about the 5-speed auto tranny? The newer ones are now 6-speed only. Are you saying the 6-speed are having problem too?

I was watching MotorWeek yesterday (was not going to sit still watching 49ers game... ) with the minivan showdown. I was surprised the Ody did not win. Instead, they chose the Kia Sedona. I was also surprised how they liked the newly improved Sienna. I have a 2011 Sienna, and it seems like a lot of suggestions I gave in the survey was implemented into the new one. Better drive, quieter, better hvac layout, better material.

SlowTeg

I don't know. Personally I don't trust any honda v6 auto trannies given the horrible reputation they have developed over the last 10+ yrs. The new ones might in fact be reliable, but I'd be very careful. If that wasn't reason for enough concern, the VCM is/was clearly a half baked solution for honda, who used its customers as testers for the technology, all for the sake of the marketing guys being able to say it get an extra 1mpg or so. The reality is the VCM has been a disaster and I'd be very cautious buying any car with it (and just another reason the Sienna is noteably more reliable).

If you do a search regarding honda VCM issues you'll come across the lawsuit not to mention many different issues. Did they finally fix it with the latest iteration? Who knows. I think you'd be a fool to roll the dice personally.

ES2K

Mini Vans are far more utilitarian than SUVs. Mini vans have greater interior volume than a similar sized SUV and typically can carry as many or more people than most SUVs. I happily owned three mini vans in the course of raising children through college years. By removing (or fold and drop with newer mini vans) the middle and rear seats, I have moved entire bedroom sets in one load. With sliding side doors, access to the middle row is easy in tight parking spaces (think little kids in car seats). The greater interior room also makes road trips with kids less painful.
I currently own a 3 row Sorento (besides the S) and like it very much. We bought the Sorento for a smallish vehicle for maneuverability in city traffic that can carry small kids in a pinch and travel to snow country for the occasional ski trip. However, 3 row SUVs are huge by comparison and are a pain to drive on crowded surface streets. We like the Pilot, but it was too large for our desires. However, one can't beat the intimidation factor of a big SUV. Don't worry about image, go for what fits your needs. From articles I've read, a late model Kia Sedona is a good buy.

HKStallion

Minivan.
Better gas mileage
More space
More versatile.
Cheaper insurance and tco.
Kids take a lot more room than you think.
It is nice to see out the back window on a road trip. As well as let my wife walk back and take care of the kids or get some snacks.
We fit 2 kids in boosters and an entire walk in ikea closet from clt to ral.
You can fit 10 foot lumber and 8 foot sheet of drywall/plywood completely inside the van.

You can tow with a van, usually as much or more than many of the unitized suvs.

Most important for car guys, I know my kids will never ding your doors.

The odyssey trans fluid is extremely easy to change. Easier than an oil change actually. My 2005 ex-l has 220k miles and the engine/trans are going strong. Vcm is not an issue. Pax was more of an issue.