Looking for a van, want some opinions

I've been reading around online and am now thoroughly confused, lol.

So, we're getting to the point where we need to replace my car. I got my 98' Monte Carlo sometime around 99'-00'. It's been a good car to me, but we'll probably have a second child in the next couple of years. I've also got +150k miles on it and DH thinks we're rapidly approaching the point where the maintenance costs will outweigh the value for us. In current condition & mileage, I can probably get $1,500-2,000 out of it. We'll have our other car (02' Regal) paid off around the end of the year.

Our first car buying experience was a fiasco of epic proportions, so we're gun-shy now. (It was truly a nightmare. We were naive. I was pregnant at the time. The salesman bullied us, used unethical tactics, and then outright lied to sell us a car. They only agreed to take the car back because I threatened to call the BBB, Chevy, etc. ) We ended up buying our Regal from a family friend and got a terrific deal.

We've been kicking around what to get next. We think we want to just go ahead and get a minivan, but aren't sure which one. For sure, we're not getting anything brand new. Our budget will probably be $10-12k. I don't want anything with more than 100k miles on it. We'd really like to go 05' or newer if we can. If I can get side curtain airbags in the rear rows, I'd like to have them...but I would probably be okay without since DS (and anyone else who comes along) will be in seats with wings for quite a while yet. I like the look of the Hondas. I'm nervous about the quality/maintenance of a Kia. I'm just confused, lol.

So, brilliant car people...realistically, what am I looking at? Or what should I be looking at? We're not in a hurry and won't even really be looking to buy until the end of the year. But after how badly it sucked the last time, I want to have firmly in mind what I want before ever setting foot on a lot.

Edmonds.com has a lot of good car info. It will give you approx prices and it has great articles on buying and selling. Read the Confessions of a Salesman article.

I highly highly recommend buying from the internet dept if you don't buy private party. You do all your negotiating through email. You can play dealers off of each other. When everything is agreed upon, you show up, sign some paperwork and get your keys. We just bought 2 cars this way and it was so much better than playing the salesman game. Also get your own financing ahead of time. Decide what extras you want before going to the dealership. Know beforehand if you want gap, credit life, etc.

I had one of the "bad" Kias. It had terrible quality control issues. But-I'd still consider the newer version (06+). It's really a completely different animal. Buying used, you get a lot more bang for your buck than with a Honda or Toyota.

See, now the quality control issues were what we were worried about with a Kia. But a Sedona in the +06' model would probably be okay?

What about with a Oddsey or a Sienna? Anybody know if there are good/bad model years with them? (My searching mojo is weak right now. I spent an hour looking last night and all I kept seeming ito turn up with either hopelessly vague or totally anecdotal.)

Should I pretty much have it down to one of those three models? Are there others we should look at?

We did our own financing this last time around through my credit union. (One of the issues we had with the salesman is that we were very clear about using our own financing and when we went to sign the papers, it was all written for their financing. I should have walked away right then and saved the headache of having to get nasty with them later.) We'll do it that way again, whether we buy private party or from a dealer.

This is my understanding on the Kias. I may not be exactly acurate, but the gist is Kia and Hyundai used to be completely separate companies. Then Kia was having problems and was bought out/taken over by Hyundai. I think this was around 2003. Hyundai didn't make any changes to the Sedona van right away. They kept the crappy Kia model and still had the crappy Kia issues. When they did the redesign in 2006 it was completely revamped. Now it's made by Hyundai and has Hyundai quality.

I had a lot of issues with my 04 Sedona. We just replaced it a few months ago. A year or two old Sedona was my fall back car when I wasn't sure if I'd be able to buy new or not with the last vehicle I bought. I don't think that the Sedona is the greatest thing ever. I don't know that I'd buy one new because they have bad resale value. But at your price range, I think you'll get a newer lower mile vehicle than if you buy a Honda or Toyota.

Hyundai had it's share of serious quality issues too, but they were resolved by the early 2000s. 2006 is pretty well past their "bad" period so definitely a much safer bet.

That's very interesting! So I'll put an 06 or newer Sedona on the possible list then.

DH wanted me to ask about the Town & Country. Any thoughts on those? (I've done installs in the Toyota & Honda, but haven't been in a T&C.)

I don't have a T&C, but I have had 2 Grand Caravans (T&C sister) - an '06 and an '09. When it's time for a new minivan, it'll be another GC. The Chrysler/Dodge minivans have a history of transmission and brake issues, but, to my knowledge, most of the transmission issues were pre-2005/2006. The front brakes do wear a little earlier than some, but I think a lot of that is due to the load the front end carries when braking. I think you'd definitely be able to grab a 2006/2007-ish (not loaded) in your price range. I'd definitely consider - lots of space. If you have more specific questions, let me know...and I can answer based on my GC.

Installs depend on which year. The redesigned 2008 and newer have a slanted 3rd row, which can make installing some seats a little difficult. The captains chairs are pretty straightfwd and I've never had or heard of an issue.

Were I buying a used minivan and I wanted reliable AND inexpensive, I'd probably go with the MPV. If I wanted somewhat reliable and downright cheap, I'd definitely consider the Sedona. The Freestar is something else I'd consider (NEVER new, since they depreciate quite a bit in those first few years) but they're not AS reliable although because they're so common they can also be found cheap. I personally just can't get on the Caravan bandwagon.

To be perfectly honest, I'd rather have a 2003 Honda Odyssey or 2004 Toyota Sienna over even a 2008 or newer Korean or domestic. Heck, I'd rather have an early 2000s MPV over those newer options Oh--hey--the new bodystyle Quest started what year? 2004? They're not super popular, so I suspect there's a deal to be found there, too.

I don't know what to say as far as getting burned on a deal.. but car buying can be an emotional experience, especially once you have your heart set on a vehicle. Might I recommend that you take somebody more experienced with you, who is able to remain impartial and assist you with any potential oversights?

-N.

clov878 said:

I don't have a T&C, but I have had 2 Grand Caravans (T&C sister) - an '06 and an '09. When it's time for a new minivan, it'll be another GC. The Chrysler/Dodge minivans have a history of transmission and brake issues, but, to my knowledge, most of the transmission issues were pre-2005/2006. The front brakes do wear a little earlier than some, but I think a lot of that is due to the load the front end carries when braking. I think you'd definitely be able to grab a 2006/2007-ish (not loaded) in your price range. I'd definitely consider - lots of space. If you have more specific questions, let me know...and I can answer based on my GC.

Installs depend on which year. The redesigned 2008 and newer have a slanted 3rd row, which can make installing some seats a little difficult. The captains chairs are pretty straightfwd and I've never had or heard of an issue.

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:yeahthat:

I'm no expert on mini-vans... I've been a lifelong SUV girl, but due to budget constraints and the ease of getting 4 kids in carseats in and out of my car... soccer mommy I am

Anyways... we just bought a 2006 T&C with 64,000 miles for $10,000. And bonus: it had a DVD player!!! I never thought I'd say it, but I the darn thing already. Can't speak for longevity, but dh's co-worker has the same one, and they haven't had any problems.

I thought I'd pop back in and update since we're getting closer to getting something new (hopefully in the next week or 2). We paid off our other car (more than a year ahead of schedule, yay!) so can now move forward.

So, I have learned several things. It's hard to find used cars around here. My understanding, after talking to friends, is that since the biggest car auction in our state is like 10 minutes away from here nobody keeps much in the way of used inventory. It looks like there are quite a few options if you're looking for something in the last 1-3 years, but beyond that it starts to get hard. Secondly, there are basically no MVP's around here. I searched and searched since somebody suggested that...but the closest is pretty far away and even then the pickings are slim. Also, it's really hard to find anything that wasn't a rental at some point in its past!

So, after going around and around...we've found an 07 Sedona with something like 65k miles on it listed for right around $10k that we're going to try to look at this week. I wish it wasn't beige on beige. They also have an 06 Sedona with 76k on it for closer to $8k (list price) that we might look at. It's black with a tan interior. (We haven't seen either in person yet, this is all from the dealer's website.)

Any thoughts on the difference between those two options? Both are the "LX" versions. Both are at a reputable local dealership. According to the Carfax, the 07 was listed as a "rental" for a few months and was a personal vehicle after that (one owner, I think, though not local). The 06 is pretty much a one owner and has always been local. I haven't side-by-side compared the options yet on each one yet to see how the trims stack up. Both Carfax reports look clean...no accidents, no serious service issues listed.

These seem like the best deals we're going to find locally right now. We're to the point where my beloved Monte just has to go while we can get a bit out of it to throw into the down payment. (I have to say that it breaks my heart a little that I'm turning 30 this week, selling my little sporty car, and getting a mini-van. ) DH doesn't want to go the T&C/etc. route. We can't find an Oddesy or Sienna with less than 100k miles on it, and we're just not comfortable sinking $10k-$12k+ into something that has that many miles on it and is an 02-03 model (at best).

I was in your shoes a couple years back, and we ended up with an '07 Sedona which we absolutely love.

I did so much research on the safety ratings of vans, and found that the '07 Sedona was simply excellent in all regards. Our van was also a rental briefly, and we haven't had a single problem with it in the two+ years we've owned it, including on the 1700 mile (each way!) road trip we took with our two boys this summer.

It drives like a car, is a dream to install car seats in, and is very versatile in terms of seat configurations. We have no regrets about buying it.

Thanks!

DH is anxious about having something that had been a rental since people are often pretty hard on rental vehicles (unfortunately). But I was thinking that since that one had only been a rental for a few months, it might be okay.

Actually, rentals have usually been wonderfully maintained compared to privately-owned vehicles. We bought an 03 Corolla in 03 that had been a rental for 6 months, and it was pristine, perfect. Looked (and ran) like it hadn't been used at all and had low mileage. We didn't have a real mechanical problem with it for 7 years, when finally the air compressor went (and, well, that's not abnormal after the amount of wear and tear we put on it.)

I have an 06 Sedona and love it. Its been great. I bought it with 50K and you do have to keep up with the recommended maintence so just save up for that. I've had to replace all 4 tires (painful), front brakes...and thats it besides the recommended maintence.
It has 2 rear tethers in the 3rd row plus its wider than the Grand Caravans.
I had an 03 Sedona and everything went wrong on that van so stay away from those

I think we're going to try to drive both toward the end of the week and then go from there. So it sounds like both the 06 & 07 are decent options then...which is a relief. I'm leaning more toward the 07, but I want to see the 06.

Per the maintenance, anybody know if you can do some of that stuff yourself (assuming you're relatively competent) or is this one of those brands where you have to have it done by a mechanic? My DH usually does our brake work himself, for example.

CommMom said:

Per the maintenance, anybody know if you can do some of that stuff yourself (assuming you're relatively competent) or is this one of those brands where you have to have it done by a mechanic? My DH usually does our brake work himself, for example.

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Some of the things like the transmission fluid flush, brakes, oil changes can be done by your dh if he is mechanically savy. But at 60K miles the timing belt has to be replaced and that is a HUGE job and very expensive. But really, I've done next to nothing to my van and its just great.

Thanks for the tip about the belt!

We drove the 07 today and really liked the van. However, given that the belt had not been serviced (DH called our mechanic to verify that it would need to be done right away and get the $400+ quote on it) and that it had some interior cosmetic issues (scratching on the surfaces and it smelled a lot like dog ) we could not come to an agreeable price. Go figure. Also, can I say that the tan was even uglier than I'd expected, lol.

We'll be looking for something similar though. I really liked the overall space and that it looked great for car seats. (I wanted to try the MR65 I had with me in the various seating positions...but honestly, the pet-ish smell of a car that clearly hadn't been cleaned yet made me not want to put my car seat in there!)

CommMom said:

That's very interesting! So I'll put an 06 or newer Sedona on the possible list then.

DH wanted me to ask about the Town & Country. Any thoughts on those? (I've done installs in the Toyota & Honda, but haven't been in a T&C.)

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We just bought a van on a $10K budget and found that our only real options were the Dodge Caravan or Town & Country (basically the same car) if we wanted a newer year

Honda and Toyota we would only have gotten a 2000/2001 for that budget.

We did not look at the Sedonas. Don't remember that coming up.

Well, after much continued searching...we ended up getting an 06 Sedona. We had 2 we wanted to look at today. The one that was probably the better deal of the two sold last night. So, we ended up getting the other one. It's pretty nice. It has a built in DVD, which we weren't really looking for. Some wear on it, but not as much interior wear as the 07 we'd looked at previously. The only thing I really don't like is that it's been smoked in. The smell wasn't overwhelming though, even before they detailed it...so I'm pretty sure it'll air the rest of the way out quickly.

I do think I'm going to have to get a new seat for DS though. Just tossing it in for the test drive, I could not get an install FF with the MR65 that I'd be comfortable with. Guess maybe a Nautilus? I'll have to play seats later.