8 passenger minivans

tesslouise

New member
Long story short, I love my Mazda5 but we are, as a family, outgrowing it, now that my in-laws live with us.

DH wants two more kids, taking us from a family of 6 to eventually 8. Not much point in getting a van that only seats 7!

2014 Odyssey vs. 2014 Sienna. Which one has a more usable eighth seat? Which is more maneuverable to drive? (I LOVE my 5 and never wanted a minivan.) How could I best arrange seats to hold one FFing DD1, one RFing DD2, one (future) baby, and two adults in the back, in a way that isn't crazy-making?
 
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jjordan

Moderator
Odyssey is the favorite for seating 8, in that generation. I can't speak to the maneuverability of the vehicles though.

For seating, I prefer to have babies in the middle row so that it is easier to get them into their seats. Assuming that the other RF child can climb into a seat by herself, then I'd probably put her and the FF child in the third seat, and the two adults in the remaining two middle seats so that they don't have to climb into the back.
 

DawgDad

New member
For 8 passengers, especially in car seats, the Odyssey is going to be your leader here. The middle row expands in what they call "wide mode" allowing more room between the seats and making it easier to put multiple car seats throughout the middle row & mostly making that 8th seat (which has LATCH and a rear tether) usable. It also has 6 tethers to the Sienna's 3...so it offers more flexibility to where you can install a car seat safely for FF.

The pricing is pretty much the same, but I believe 2014 models comparatively the Honda added more standard safety features that are offered in all of their lines. You also get a little bit more tech standard as well.

Something to note...2015's should be hitting the lots late in September or October. 2014 prices will be at their best between November and December when no one buys a car. Look for .9% financing on a 60 month purchase for an Odyssey during those months (if you aren't buying outright).
 

tesslouise

New member
Something to note...2015's should be hitting the lots late in September or October. 2014 prices will be at their best between November and December when no one buys a car. Look for .9% financing on a 60 month purchase for an Odyssey during those months (if you aren't buying outright).

That's why we're looking now, hoping to get a good deal on a 2014 later this fall.

Don't know about financing yet, we have both a paid-off '07 Ford 4-door pickup and a paid-off 2010 Mazda5 to trade in or maybe sell? We don't need three vehicles (we'll still have DH's '07 Ford Focus) but we can't afford a car payment either.

Looks like test drives are in our near future.
 

DawgDad

New member
That's why we're looking now, hoping to get a good deal on a 2014 later this fall.

Don't know about financing yet, we have both a paid-off '07 Ford 4-door pickup and a paid-off 2010 Mazda5 to trade in or maybe sell? We don't need three vehicles (we'll still have DH's '07 Ford Focus) but we can't afford a car payment either.

Looks like test drives are in our near future.

Definitely! I always encourage and support that...it's a pain, but you will truly find what car matches your needs better when you drive it around.
 

lgenne

New member
I'll echo what everyone said about better seating options in the Odyssey. I'd say they're about even in terms of drivability.
 

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