Originally Posted by
diabloridr
Mini-vans get no respect, but in many ways they are the most useful vehicles on the road.
My only concern is that the market seems to be pushing manufacturer's to optimize them more towards hauling passengers than stuff, reducing utility while pushing up cost.
Overall we prefer our 2nd Gen Odyssey to the current gen version, it's just a matter how long we can keep it running (140,000 miles so far and no big issues).
Agree on the loss of utility. But if you get a shorty (short wheelbase and a foot shorter overall) KIA or Dodge minivan they are cheaper and not overloaded with bells and whistles and don't fell so minivany and have a tighter turning circle. Not easy to find though.
We decided on a '08 KIA Sedona shorty with 12k on it which was a steal on the used market with full remaining warranty. With modern traction and stability control, we manage Wisconsin winters nicely without AWD.
Here it is rigged out on our 8800 mile trip to Alaska a year ago. It never missed a beat. Nice cushy futon mattress inside kept us comfortable for 6 weeks. Took the Schwinn CrissCross along
250 ponies and loaded to the gills, we still got 21 mpg highway
