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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.
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.
Originally Posted by 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.
These are all reasons I want a minivan. Even with two kids a mid size suv just doesn't do the job. Especially on road trips. We just came back from new york last week. We went shopping up there plus we had luggage etc. It was so cramped in the Sorrento. Even a full size SUV isnt that much of a room upgrade. A minivan will most certainly fit my needs. For the kids, for the fellas, for family road trips, hauling lumber and dry wall, and even towing the S2K. Motorized sliding doors are awesome.
I really dont see them as this hideous machinery that most people see.
^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).
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.
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.
My mom now lives across the street from me as well. She has medical issues and doesn't drive. She will also be in the mix. The space is definitely needed. And even with two kids a midsize SUV isn't enough. Ever tried to fit two car seats and anything else into a bench seat?
My mom now lives across the street from me as well. She has medical issues and doesn't drive. She will also be in the mix. The space is definitely needed. And even with two kids a midsize SUV isn't enough. Ever tried to fit two car seats and anything else into a bench seat?
No one *needs* a minivan, but I could argue we don't NEED a whole lot of things that we have, so it's kind of a moot point. With that said, a minivan with 2 kids, a dog, grandparent, and possibly other family around sure can be very convenient. I think what made it painfully obvious was seeing a new mdx first hand. The space inside with the 3rd row was very cramped, and the higher ride height makes it harder to get in and out of.
Revisiting old threads and I just wanted to update. I purchased the Odyssey. I love it. Couldn't be a better daily. It is a huge behemoth but the kids are able to get in an out without help. I can transport the wife, children, mother, in-laws, and my parents when they are in town. Road trips are a dream. I also drove to Jacksonville and picked up my hardtop earlier this year and it fit right in the back with the third row folded away. There is so much leg room. It's awesome on gas. For some reason though it's a ding/rock chip magnet. That's mighty annoying. Other than that I love this thing.
Ha thanks for the update. We got a Sienna fall of 2015 as well. Wife has a Tucson, and I kept the S as well. I love the Sienna for its space and comfort. I know I'm getting old as well because I prefer to drive the Sienna many days over the S. The bumps/cramped/loud nature of the S sucks for commuting.
Good choice on the Odyssey. SUV's are a jack of no trades, I really do not understand the appeal.
But the biggest car my parents had when my brother & I were young was a Ford Escort wagon.
loaded up 300lbs of guns, targets and ammo, 3 adults up a mountain off road and came back down. Passed a Jeep along the way. Little wheel slip but shawd sorts it out:
No minivan will do that.
glad you like it. It saddens my heart to see owners of these things. I hear the vacuums are great, so much suction they get your soul too!
I'm way late to the suggestion part of the thread but if your ego can handle it (which it appears it can) I would also have picked the Odyssey. We bought a Chrysler T&C a few months back for similar reasons. My wife felt the Mazda5 was too small. I half agree. We looked at the Odyssey and it was my assumed pick but the fold away center row seats are a killer app for the van. Were it not for that one feature I probably would have gone with the Honda as simply the safe choice. I will say that Chrysler clearly got their act together with the 2016 (last of the previous gen) interiors. The 2017 Chrysler van is REALLY nice but we passed because my wife wanted a sunroof. That's easy in the old Chrysler or Honda. The new Chrysler requires you to get the $45k super delux van with the skylight roof. I wasn't interested in that. Anyway, I totally agree on the great road trip part. We also like that we can take the center console out (between front seats, no console between middle seats) which allows my wife to climb from the front to the back to deal with kid issues. Minivans are just that perfect vehicle that you want to have in the stable because they just do so much so well but never want to admit you like them.
10-05-2015, 03:46 PM
