Question Buying 1st minivan

Veronemilie

New member
After our car decided to hit a deer last weekend our insurance company decided our car was a total loss. We will be getting 4,000$ to spend on a new vehicle, I would like to get a minivan.

Now I know that the Chev & Pontiac Vans are death traps & from other threads I have read on here most people here prefer the Toyota & Honda vans, but there arent that many in our area that are in our price range. The most widely available van here is the Dodge.

Someone please help me choose Hubby is being completely useless with helping me choose, his answer: If thats the one you want go buy it. !?!?

This one is the cheapest & the oldest, has the 3.8L motor but needs a few minor repairs (breaks & either the belt on the front or the alternator (she said it was squeeking)) She lowered the price to 1,800$ because of the repairs.
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/gatineau/dodge-caravan/1027690765?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

This one is through a used car dealership
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/gatineau/2005-dodge-caravan/1027558152?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

This one is the newest but also the most expensive
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1022910511

This one was posted this morning, it's a Toyota & it has the back seat that folds into the floor (my favorite part :)) but it's a 2004 (I read somewhere on here there are reliability issues before 2006) & it has a little more mileage than I would like.
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/gatineau/2004-toyota-sienna-ce-fourgonnette-fourgon/1027754761?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

I need to make sure to choose properly because we wont be able to replace this vehicle in the near future & honestly I hate vehicle shopping. The vehicle I choose needs to last more than 1 or 2 years & we can only afford to use the insurance money.

Someone please help!

Thank You :)
 
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jjordan

Moderator
Could you do a 2006 or newer Kia Sedona? Better safety ratings than other minivans of the 2000's, generally thought to be more reliable than Dodge/Chrylser, and definitely better for car seats (especially boosters) than Dodge/Chrysler.
 

Veronemilie

New member
Did a search of all Honda's, Toyota's & Kia's 2006 & newer only two under 10,000$. One for 6,500$( & they had already reduced their price so I higly doubt they would drop another 2,500$) & one for 8,900$.

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/gatineau/2006-honda-odyssey-fourgonnette-fourgon/1025204278?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/gatineau/2006-sienna-xle-awd-minivan/1024807939?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

My budget is only 4,000$, There really is no way for us to spend any more on a van. The imports are very popular cars around here but the people that do buy their vans either dont sell them or are way out of our budget. I only have so much to choose from. :(

We only have 2 kids right now (1 in a booster & 1 18mnths RF) but I want the extra cargo space & possibility to have more passengers. Also I am quite good at doing seatbelt instals when needed. :)
 

jjordan

Moderator
Did a search of all Honda's, Toyota's & Kia's 2006 & newer only two under 10,000$. One for 6,500$( & they had already reduced their price so I higly doubt they would drop another 2,500$) & one for 8,900$.

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/gatineau/2006-honda-odyssey-fourgonnette-fourgon/1025204278?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/gatineau/2006-sienna-xle-awd-minivan/1024807939?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

My budget is only 4,000$, There really is no way for us to spend any more on a van. The imports are very popular cars around here but the people that do buy their vans either dont sell them or are way out of our budget. I only have so much to choose from. :(

We only have 2 kids right now (1 in a booster & 1 18mnths RF) but I want the extra cargo space & possibility to have more passengers. Also I am quite good at doing seatbelt instals when needed. :)

The problem with the Dodge/Chrysler vans and car seats is really with boosters - it is very difficult to find a booster that works in the third row. Now, with only two kids, you won't have to put one of them in the third row... but at the same time, it's something to consider, for sure.

Can you widen your search radius? Are there other places to look besides kijiji?

ETA: autotrader.ca has several 2005 Kia Sedonas in Ottawa for under $4000. I bet that if you have time to wait a little, one will show up in the subsequent generation (2006 or newer) in your price range!

ETA2: Here is a 2007 listed for $4995, very close to your target price. That should be encouraging at least!
 
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Veronemilie

New member
I am in Quebec & need a QC vehicle (plus we are 1h30mins from Gatineau & Ottawa), also the sooner we get a vehicle the better as DH's truck is not the best on gas or for carseat instal. We need to wait for the check from the insurance company to come in anyways but I want to have a backup in case I cant find one of the imports. I have been looking on lots of sites but Kijiji is my 1st stop as I seem to find more on there. Thanks :)
 

squisherrific

New member
I just sold my dodge caravan 2005 for $800. They are terribly build vehicles and have nothing about them that lasts. But, I was able to put a wide variety of car seats in without any issue. Was my favorite vehicle to install seats.
 

Veronemilie

New member
I just sold my dodge caravan 2005 for $800. They are terribly build vehicles and have nothing about them that lasts. But, I was able to put a wide variety of car seats in without any issue. Was my favorite vehicle to install seats.

Would you mind telling me what kind of issues you had with it? Thanks :)
 

squisherrific

New member
The suspension is awful. Sway bar links, tie rods, air conditioning went out twice, electrical problem, window motors went out, power door locks went out. Radiator was crap, oil leaks at seals, water pump went out, ignition had issues with turning off while driving. Stereo and CD player quit working, although the DVD player still worked, lol. It was just not a sturdy built vehicle. It seemed to me like everything about it was done cheaply.
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
Are you planning to have more children? Or is this just for carpooling? What I'm getting at is, do you need cargo AND extra passengers? Or extra passengers around town OR 2 kids + cargo for trips?

I would look at Kia Sedona, Mazda5, Kia Rondo, Ford Freestar before I gambled on a Caravan.
 

Veronemilie

New member
We are buying a business so no more kids for the next few years lol. I want the extra space for carpooling (ex: groceries with a friend & her kid/s) & for cargo (I am into recreational dog sledding :) ) I love the option of folding down the 3rd row so I can have massive amounts of cargo space if I need it but I also want to be sure that it is useful for people hauling.

I am asking a lot aren't I? lol I seem to have a gift for that lol :)

Thanks everyone for all the input :)
 

Mysweethoneybee

New member
I have had several Dodge Caravans. They all had problems with the electrical stuff but some was a easy fix as in you had to unhook the battery completely for 5 minutes to reset. One major problem all of them had isn't a problem since we know about it but Dodge never recognizes it.

The way the water drains from the windshield when the vans get a little older (like over 5-7 years old) sometimes when it rains or snows the water runs down onto the alternator and so the battery doesn't charge and you end up with a completely dead battery. So if you start having a dead battery when it rains or snows or you go through the car wash then you have to tell the mechanic that water running from the windshield is shorting out the alternator and then they can just put a new tube thing on it to help the water get past the alternator. But they won't be able to diagnose it for you.

The one we have now is a 2005 with stow and go seats and I love love love it even with its problems.
 

Veronemilie

New member
So time is running out if I cant find a van I want I am going to end up with a Chev! So other than an import (I have looked EVERYWHERE) what are my options? From Passable to Don't Even Bother. Please I really need to get this figured out! Thanks
 

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