Comparison review: Minivans vs. crossovers

[FordBuyer]

Maybe a better comparison would have been using a Ford E-Van or a Transit Connect. They are both vans, one mini and one full size. Both have lots of cargo room and can carry lots of passengers. I have rented an E-Van in the past for vacation and twice got nine people in one with all their luggage and gear for white water rafting weekend. Fuel mileage was not that bad even fully loaded.

[NickF1011]

And need I bring up again that there are cargo carriers available for the few times a year most people will ever have these types of vehicles jammed to capacity. :shrug:

[fordmantpw]

And need I bring up again that there are cargo carriers available for the few times a year most people will ever have these types of vehicles jammed to capacity. :shrug:

 

There you go again Nick, trying to bring common sense into the discussion. Would you just stop?!?!?

[aneekr]

I bet you also that nothing will be said about the Sienna's quality issues. One issue after another.

Please describe these issues- having owned a first-year, early production 2004 Sienna, I can say its few problems (such as liftgate struts that weakened after about 60k miles; Toyota reimbursed me for the repair in full) were quite minor compared with the POS Chrysler minivan I had prior to that.

Edited January 6, 2010 by aneekr

[Deanh]

ludicrous comparison from the get go, ANYONE with any grey matter will realize the different target ausinces between the utility of a Minivan ( incomparable ) to the superior comfort, drivability and dare i say refinement of a CUV, they are totally different beasts ALLTOGETHER....does it REALLY take someone writing a reveiw to underline the fact?....are/ have we become THAt clueless that we need the obvious to be stated ??????

next up a showdown between the Nissan Cube and a 15 passenger clubwagon.....

[FordBuyer]

ludicrous comparison from the get go, ANYONE with any grey matter will realize the different target ausinces between the utility of a Minivan ( incomparable ) to the superior comfort, drivability and dare i say refinement of a CUV, they are totally different beasts ALLTOGETHER....does it REALLY take someone writing a reveiw to underline the fact?....are/ have we become THAt clueless that we need the obvious to be stated ??????

next up a showdown between the Nissan Cube and a 15 passenger clubwagon.....

 

Since he is complaining about cargo space, why not a 15 passener clubwagon? :happy feet:

[FordBuyer]

Please describe these issues- having owned a first-year, early production 2004 Sienna, I can say its few problems (such as liftgate struts that weakened after about 60k miles; Toyota reimbursed me for the repair in full) were quite minor compared with the POS Chrysler minivan I had prior to that.

 

First up was a fuel leak as it was first introduced. The Sienna is in the news again as it's being included with all the other Toyota vehicles and their problems. You named another one. I know the Odyssey has had transmission problems. And yeah, I know Ford has had its problems also over the years. It's hard to name a minivan that has not had more than its share of problems to be fair. Minivans have more complicated doors and mechanisms and engine bay is not as accessible.

[Deanh]

Since he is complaining about cargo space, why not a 15 passener clubwagon? :happy feet:

guess post #29 was too subtle.......think either of those guys would be happy with a minivan/...its ALL about ones needs...

[PREMiERdrum]

First up was a fuel leak as it was first introduced. The Sienna is in the news again as it's being included with all the other Toyota vehicles and their problems. You named another one. I know the Odyssey has had transmission problems. And yeah, I know Ford has had its problems also over the years. It's hard to name a minivan that has not had more than its share of problems to be fair. Minivans have more complicated doors and mechanisms and engine bay is not as accessible.

 

Don't forget the plastic panel that could become loose and trap the accelerator in the down positions (a runaway Toyota? I know, shocking), and the sliding door recall of 2008 (?) where a failure in the track/stopper caused the door to fall off the track when opened.

[rmc523]

I bet the Honda or Toyota minvan will be first and Sedona third with Caravan fourth.

 

+1.....I could perhaps see Grand Caravan squeezing out 3rd because of the "fancy" Stow-N-Go/Swivel-N-Go or whatever that stuff is if equipped.

[Deanh]

+1.....I could perhaps see Grand Caravan squeezing out 3rd because of the "fancy" Stow-N-Go/Swivel-N-Go or whatever that stuff is if equipped.

see, and heres where I differ from Pioneer, even if I had 3 kids I wouldnt buy a minivan, basically the ONLY time I could see that as a requisite would be on a cross country jaunt with luggage and alternatively MAYBE carting some of their friends, but THAT would be sans luggage to a soccer game or the like, so that point is moot, I would rather have a vehicle I APPRECIATED than a vehicle that tends to a bi-yearly need or necessity. And if that need/ or necessity DID rear its head I would rather rent than be stuck 365 with a vehicle I dis-liked.....

[FordBuyer]

+1.....I could perhaps see Grand Caravan squeezing out 3rd because of the "fancy" Stow-N-Go/Swivel-N-Go or whatever that stuff is if equipped.

 

The Stow-N-Go concept is nice as long as you don't have to sit on it. It's like sitting on a bar stool. Great for little kids I guess.

[NickF1011]

see, and heres where I differ from Pioneer, even if I had 3 kids I wouldnt buy a minivan, basically the ONLY time I could see that as a requisite would be on a cross country jaunt with luggage and alternatively MAYBE carting some of their friends, but THAT would be sans luggage to a soccer game or the like, so that point is moot, I would rather have a vehicle I APPRECIATED than a vehicle that tends to a bi-yearly need or necessity. And if that need/ or necessity DID rear its head I would rather rent than be stuck 365 with a vehicle I dis-liked.....

 

When I was younger (in a family of 6) we had a fullsize van for those cross-country jaunts. 98% of the time it sat collecting dirt in the driveway. None of the other vehicles we had even had 6 seats. :lol:

[Deanh]

When I was younger (in a family of 6) we had a fullsize van for those cross-country jaunts. 98% of the time it sat collecting dirt in the driveway. None of the other vehicles we had even had 6 seats. :lol:

bingo, but why Ford doesnt adress taht market is beyond me.....ahem!

[FordBuyer]

I have a feeling that we may have driven DC Car Examiner out of here. I appreciate the effort of his posts and his detailed reviews and pictures, but I still don't get the comparison. My recommendation which is not worth a cup of coffee would be to compare minivans against other minivans and CUVs against other CUVs. That would be more useful IMO. I wasn't trying to be disrespectful, just didn't get it as some others on here didn't also. I hope he comes back and feels free to post.

[Anthony]

I have a feeling that we may have driven DC Car Examiner out of here. I appreciate the effort of his posts and his detailed reviews and pictures, but I still don't get the comparison. My recommendation which is not worth a cup of coffee would be to compare minivans against other minivans and CUVs against other CUVs. That would be more useful IMO. I wasn't trying to be disrespectful, just didn't get it as some others on here didn't also. I hope he comes back and feels free to post.

 

Yeah, welcome to BON. Friendliest place on the interwebs.

[rmc523]

see, and heres where I differ from Pioneer, even if I had 3 kids I wouldnt buy a minivan, basically the ONLY time I could see that as a requisite would be on a cross country jaunt with luggage and alternatively MAYBE carting some of their friends, but THAT would be sans luggage to a soccer game or the like, so that point is moot, I would rather have a vehicle I APPRECIATED than a vehicle that tends to a bi-yearly need or necessity. And if that need/ or necessity DID rear its head I would rather rent than be stuck 365 with a vehicle I dis-liked.....

 

I think I'd have to agree with you on this viewpoint.

 

I have a feeling that we may have driven DC Car Examiner out of here. I appreciate the effort of his posts and his detailed reviews and pictures, but I still don't get the comparison. My recommendation which is not worth a cup of coffee would be to compare minivans against other minivans and CUVs against other CUVs. That would be more useful IMO. I wasn't trying to be disrespectful, just didn't get it as some others on here didn't also. I hope he comes back and feels free to post.

 

+1 I didn't really get it, either.

[Sixt9coug]

I like Chrylser minivans. In fact, we just got rid of our company E350 Super Duty 12 passenger (an 06 with just under 90K mechanically trouble free miles) for a new Chrysler Town and Country. Its about to break 1000 miles on it and i like it. I even like the Stow N Go (ive rented them before, its handy).

 

We will see if it fares as well mechanically as the Ford did. The only problem with the Ford was an arm rest bolt came loose on the drivers seat, and the jack storage cover kept popping off. The Chrysler has a strange clicking sound on the drivers side sliding door when it opens, but i suppose we will get it looked at soon.

[RichardJensen]

Yeah, welcome to BON. Friendliest place on the interwebs.

Rest of the world is a lot meaner than this place.

[DC Car Examiner]

I have a feeling that we may have driven DC Car Examiner out of here. I appreciate the effort of his posts and his detailed reviews and pictures, but I still don't get the comparison. My recommendation which is not worth a cup of coffee would be to compare minivans against other minivans and CUVs against other CUVs. That would be more useful IMO. I wasn't trying to be disrespectful, just didn't get it as some others on here didn't also. I hope he comes back and feels free to post.

 

I've seen too many car people look at crossovers as just minivans with swing-out doors to think that someone who doesn't pay close attention wouldn't be misled. It's certainly not as if people don't cross-shop a minivan against another type of family hauler, especially when two major automakers abandoned the segment outright.

 

And I've dealt with much worse on other forums. It was GMInsideNews where I was told that suggesting that the Hyundai Sonata was a good buy would ruin any future careers because potential employers would track down those posts and laugh. Haven't quit there either.

Edited January 7, 2010 by DC Car Examiner

[DC Car Examiner]

Fourth place: Kia Sedona

 

 

Don't let the Kia Sedona's ranking below the other three minivans fool you – it's not a loser. The four vans have virtually tied, each bringing its own unique strength and weakness to the table.

 

This Kia's strength, predictably, is its price – below $25,000 out the door, nicely equipped, which is over $2,000 less than the next-cheapest van. It also strikes a surprisingly good balance of ride and handling, has a powerful, rich-sounding engine, earned top crash test scores, and has industry-leading warranty coverage.

 

But some weaknesses count against the Sedona...

 

Continued at link:

http://www.examiner.com/x-1017-DC-Car-Exam...rs-fourth-place

[Sixt9coug]

i recently rented a Sedona and i thought it well... sucked is a strong word but it certainly felt super cheap. It rattled like hell over any bump (like interior panels or seats or something rattling) and it was insanely cheap inside.

 

It was quicker than i expected, but it was probably gearing that made it feel that way. Not a bad vehicle, but certainly inferior to the Traverse or Flex.

 

 

Hmm. its weird.... ive actually driven quite a few of these vehicles in this comparison myself. The Traverse, the Flex, teh Sedona, and the Caravan. In come cases ive also got almost 1000 miles of seat time with them too. (Sedona , Caravan and probbaly 500 miles in the Flex).

Edited January 7, 2010 by Sixt9coug

[rmc523]

And I've dealt with much worse on other forums. It was GMInsideNews where I was told that suggesting that the Hyundai Sonata was a good buy would ruin any future careers because potential employers would track down those posts and laugh. Haven't quit there either.

 

Those GM guys have to find something to do/be "postive" about...

[NickF1011]

Rest of the world is a lot meaner than this place.

 

Yeah, I was gonna say, compared to most other automotive forums I've visited over the years, this place is downright heavenly. :lol:

[RichardJensen]

I've seen too many car people look at crossovers as just minivans with swing-out doors

Which is one of the beefs I've got with your whole comparison. It's a week long treatise on how minivans are more practical than crossovers for hauling kids and suchlike.

 

You're either preaching to the converted, or you're wasting your time. Those that haven't been persuaded otherwise can't see your point, and those that already get it, well, uh, already get it.