Best Minivan I can get for 6-8K?

DH and I are in the market for a minivan and have between 6 and 8k to spend. I currently drive a 95' Escort and although it is somewhat reliable, it is a stick shift, a pain in the butt drive and presumably not very safe. I have a 3 year old and 10 month old, both in Marathons.

I have been looking at some Toyota Siennas in the 2000-2002 years. Most of them have between 90 and 120,000 miles on them. From what I have seen on Edmund's those years had some engine problems associated with them.

I have also considered the Kia Sedona, but I don't think we can afford a 2006 or newer, which appears to be the best as far as reliability goes.

I really just want the best van possible for the money, as safe and reliable as I can get. What are my best options in this price range?

Look into the Mazda MPV. When I was looking for a new van, I found a few 05's in the 8K range. That may have been the last year is was made, though.

You might find this recent thread helpful

As for my personal opinion i would look at a generation 4 chrysler/dodge van..... or if possible a 2nd generation Honda Oddy with a rebuilt or new tranny. A 2004+ Sienna CE (basic trim level) might be in your price range as well....

Mags462 said:

You might find this recent thread helpful

As for my personal opinion i would look at a generation 4 chrysler/dodge van..... or if possible a 2nd generation Honda Oddy with a rebuilt or new tranny. A 2004+ Sienna CE (basic trim level) might be in your price range as well....

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I will definitely check out that thread. I feel like I have been researching non-stop and I just wish I knew what would be my BEST bet. It feels like every car has it's good points and bad points. I just don't know whether I should focus on a van with the lowest mileage, a specific make, a specific year, etc. Confusing!

Dillipop said:

Look into the Mazda MPV. When I was looking for a new van, I found a few 05's in the 8K range. That may have been the last year is was made, though.

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Thank you for suggesting this! I had not even looked at this vehicle before. I really like the "smaller look" of this van and it looks like I could stay toward the lower end of my price range and still get an 03-05 model. Anything else I should know about the MPV as far as years to stay away from or known safety/reliability issues?

MirMom said:

I will definitely check out that thread. I feel like I have been researching non-stop and I just wish I knew what would be my BEST bet. It feels like every car has it's good points and bad points. I just don't know whether I should focus on a van with the lowest mileage, a specific make, a specific year, etc. Confusing!

Click to expand...

You will probably get a different response for this question from everyone

I would focus on what your top priorities are in terms of features. Is price most important? brand? safety? reliability? how long do you want it to last? In the end i think a domestic van needs to have lower miles because it won't last as long - it just won't. An import van depending on the years will have certain known issues (oddy tranny for example) but will go a long time as long as those issues are fixed.

It will all boil down to a test drive and selecting what fits your needs best. Look at the carfax for any vehicle you consider buying, drive it, drive it again, and drive it one last time in every type of condition you can think of. Make sure any known issues for the make/model year are fixed and go with your gut instinct.

If you have time, look and wait for a good deal. It took me 4+ months to find the exact van i wanted for the price i wanted - i also had to drive 3 hours south to the dallas metro plex to find it. IMO it was worth the wait. I got exactly what i wanted at the price i wanted - a 2005 Sienna XLE with 77K miles for just under 10K. That was 2.5 years ago..... so i bought a 5 yr old van with slightly higher miles with one undesirable feature in the market - it didn't have leather seats. Most people that want a top trim level desire that leather. It made no difference to me, so it was a perfect match because it had the features i wanted - dvd player, power doors/hatch, etc.

So prioritize and that will help you narrow it down a little.

We just got our 2006 sedona for a hair under $8k.