Minivans? lol

[biomajor]

While you're still window shopping, go to www.cars.com It has price ranges, specs and research. That's one of the reasons I picked my Jeep (not just the cute front headlights, except that's what my husband thinks)

[Pliablemoose]

My 2 cents:

 

Any of the minivans listed are pretty good vehicles, the days of buying a "bad" car are really over.

 

Only suggestion I have is to NOT buy one of the Chryslers with a 4 cylinder engine, they don't have enough power, especially if you have it loaded with people & or luggage.

 

Are you doing a trade in? If so, have them work up a deal with & without the trade so you can see what they're really giving you for the trade in.

 

I also suggest you get a pre approved loan through your credit union and don't worry about financing through the dealership, you'll save a lot of desk time at the dealership if you tell them you aren't interested in financing through them. When they hear you don't want to finance through them, they'll only throw their best deals at you (rates etc), then, if they do offer a great interest rate go for it...

 

Out of the vans mentioned, I really like the Chrysler that folds the rear seats completely into the floor, the removeable seats sound good when you're buying a mini van, but the reality is they're a bitch to remove, carry and store...

 

<--Owned 1 minivan, rented a Chrysler & drove it 2,500 miles last year, and have owned 4 full sized vans

[m61376]

We just leased a new Odyssey- and it is by far the best minivan! We've had minivans for a dozen years, and this one is superb! It rides and handles like a car, is quieter, and has a slightly better turning radius that the older model (which was care free for the entire length of the lease). And- I'm getting around 21 mpg- not bad for a minivan! You really should take a look at it. We considered the Sienna, but the seats are a bit too shallow for taller people- the cushioning is MUCH better in the Odyssey. All the safety ratings/car reviews rave about the Odyssey and the Sienna, but we found the handling and ride better in the Odyssey. Just adding my 2 cents for what it's worth...good luck!

[freesia39]

if i was in the market for a minivan, i'd seriously only look at the odyssey or the sienna.

 

while my parents chrysler minivan took us on so many trips over the years, i also remember the peeling the paint, the many many repair jobs, the rebuilt transmission, and when we finally gave it away, the car not being able to go past 30mph.

 

no dodge, ever. too many people in my family have had problems with dodge's family of vehicles and transmission problems. it still hasn't stopped either, you'd think someday they'd learn to look over the quality of their vehicles...

[jamesave]

yup sienna or odyssey. better built, imo

 

check out if you can get deal out of the penfed since you are in the military. I heard they have really good rates compare to the other. www.penfed.org

[aplefka]

Man, I wish I had seen this the day it was created. Tomorrow I'm going to be really busy and I'm too tired now, but one of my former teachers who is also a psychology teacher has taught me the way to find brand new cars for anywhere from 15-40% off of the sticker price, which works out to being cheaper than a used car.

 

I will write a guide one of these days, but this coming week, starting tomorrow, I'm gonna be really busy. Sorry I can't help out this time.