Advice needed: minivans

"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures) 10/09/2014 at 11:55 • Filed to: Car buying, advice, HELP ME TOM!

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Rally car for your time.

After eleven years and 180,000 miles our Grand Caravan is about to shart it's engine out its tailpipe. It's second engine. Our mechanic has told us we'd be idiots to fix it (which would mean replacing the engine again), so it's time for a new vehicle. And after three Caravans, two engines, one transmission, three A/C compressors, one computer, and one wiring harness, we're thinking its time for something a bit more reliable. Problem is we don't know which minivans are known for their reliability. So I turn to you, Oppo.

Here are the parameters: used, under $10,000 and the closer to $5,000 the better, must have three rows of seats that can either be folded flat or removed, must be able to fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood INSIDE (none of that "strap it to the roof" crap), must have an engine that won't gargle its pistons every 90k. Technically it doesn't have to be a minivan, but I doubt there are many SUVs within budget that fit our requirements. So what are our options, Oppo?

EDIT: additional notes/parameters. Ceiling must be high enough to fit tall flower arrangements. Flower baskets and vases will tip in the back from time to time, spilling dirt and water. Ideally we want another vehicle where that can be taken care of with a shrug and a wet/dry vac.

Steve in Manhattan > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 11:56

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AWD Toyota Sienna. End of discussion.

Leadbull > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:00

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Inb4 "PREVIA, THEN RALLY THAT TOO."

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:01

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2nd gen Sienna or any Odyssey. There is a reason they are the perennial superpowers. With your budget, that won't be easy. The early Hondas had transmission trouble so be mindful of that. My wife mourns her 2002 Ody just about every day.

Strapping sheets to the roof ain't bad. If I have the choice of disassembling my van to go to the Orange Depot, or just ratchet strapping a few sheets to the roof of my Forester, the dyke-wagon wins every time. I can make a quick tutorial of how to do it right. Just about no one does.

Steve in Manhattan > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:02

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For example: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Sie…

Can't post photo from work, for some reason ...

Steve in Manhattan > Steve in Manhattan 10/09/2014 at 12:03

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Aaaaand I forgot your price cap, but I'm pretty sure there are vans for less than 10K out there.

7:07 > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:05

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Um,

Will fit 4X8 sheet of plywood, seats 8 (when not carrying plywood), tows 5000 lbs, 28mpg highway, looks like ^^^

Gamecat235 > Leadbull 10/09/2014 at 12:05

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Well, guess I'll stop that comment midway... =(

OPPOsaurus WRX > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:05

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I'm not sure home many of the requirments this actually hits but have you concidered a Flex?

Dusty Ventures > Steve in Manhattan 10/09/2014 at 12:06

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They pass the plywood test?

Chris Clarke > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:07

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I second the Sienna. Paid my wife's aunt trade in for their '03 with 120,000. I hate it, but its reliable as crap. Not sure about the plywood, but I've stacked 3 boxes of 12' vinyl siding down the center, with the kids still in the car.

Steve in Manhattan > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:09

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Rode in one a while back, but since I live in the city, plywood wasn't on my mind. The newer ones are every bit as big as a Caravan, but I'm not sure about, say, one that's 7 or 8 years old. And you can always rent a trailer for the plywood.

Dusty Ventures > OPPOsaurus WRX 10/09/2014 at 12:11

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Doubt one could be found for under 10k, and they're too nice. I wouldn't want to put them through what our vans go through

Textured Soy Protein > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:14

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They're sorta butt ugly, but the '04-'09 Nissan Quest can be had for a good bit under $10k with decently low mileage, like in the 60-75k mile range if you look around some. You could get a Sienna or Odyssey in that price range but you'd be looking at much higher mileage.

Alex B > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:16

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The Honda Odyssey can fit a full 4x8 in it.

someassemblyrequired > 7:07 10/09/2014 at 12:16

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If you can find a non-rusty one Caprice/Roadmaster/Custom Cruiser is the way to go. Might be trouble with LATCH carseats though due to age.

Brian Silvestro > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:17

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Are you coming to the rallycross on Saturday?!

Dusty Ventures > Steve in Manhattan 10/09/2014 at 12:19

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Wouldn't be practical from an economical standpoint. Plywood is a regularly occurring event.

Dusty Ventures > 7:07 10/09/2014 at 12:20

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I'd love one, but the ceiling's a bit low for some of the flower arrangements we need to carry around.

My citroen won't start > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:21

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I'll show myself out.

Steve in Manhattan > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:21

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Buy a cheap trailer - that's what a buddy of mine who fixes up houses does - drags it around with his Trailblazer (280K and counting). And, it give you an excuse to put a hitch on it.

Dusty Ventures > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius 10/09/2014 at 12:23

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The seats are out of the van most of the time so we can transport funeral flower arrangements, we just throw them in when doing a family thing or a scouting event. And part of the reason we need to be able to stick the plywood inside is because it seems to always rain/snow on our Home Depot days (we live in New England, the home of weather).

Dusty Ventures > Textured Soy Protein 10/09/2014 at 12:24

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How's the Quest for reliability?

Steve in Manhattan > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:27

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8 grand and it has xenons! Have no idea where you live, of course. If you live, say, in FL, you can forget about the extra expense and complication of AWD.

Steve in Manhattan > Steve in Manhattan 10/09/2014 at 12:28

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A link would be nice: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Sie…

Dusty Ventures > Brian Silvestro 10/09/2014 at 12:28

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Afraid not, work's keeping me home. But if you want to stop in the Springfield area on the way back I'm game to do lunch/dinner or something. Might be able to talk Orlove into joining us.

Dusty Ventures > My citroen won't start 10/09/2014 at 12:33

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As it would happen, this is my current view.

Textured Soy Protein > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:34

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Honestly I have no idea how reliable the Quest is.

But my experience with Chrysler's minivans is similar to yours. My mom had a '96 Town & Country that by the time she got rid of it in '05 was on its third transmission and second ECU.

Luckily when the original transmission went out, my folks got a Jasper rebuild which had a warranty on it, and the rebuild went while still under warranty, so they got another rebuild for free.

Steve in Manhattan > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:39

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Based on the added requirements? A Sprinter. Mercedes diesel engine - dead reliable.

My citroen won't start > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:39

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It's a sign from the gods. In all seriousness go for the least boring one/most comfortable one.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:40

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On the older gen Honda, the cleats that hold the third row seat upright poke out of the walls of the upholstery. You can get about two sheets below them, but that's it. If this is common for you, if you end up with this van, you may want to make two or three pedestals that would be taller than the cleats. Then you could put as many sheets as you want.

Dusty Ventures > Steve in Manhattan 10/09/2014 at 12:41

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A decent enclosed trailer of sufficient size would still be over a grand. Then there's having to register and insure it, having to store it (can't leave it in the funeral home lot), the time and hassle of having to go get it every time we need to haul ply, and the reduction in maneuverability/parking/access that comes with a trailer. It makes more sense to get something where we can just open the hatch and slide it in the back.

Brian Silvestro > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 12:47

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Hmmmm I might actually take you up on that. But it's not on the way home, as I'm in Albany right now for school. Meeting you and Orlove would be interesting.

Dusty Ventures > Brian Silvestro 10/09/2014 at 12:51

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Whoops. I thought Cummington was further east

Velour Buick > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 13:01

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My wife has the Ford Freestar SEL 4.2L. We love the thing. 2nd row captains chairs, 3rd row tumble fold flat, Leather, DVD, etc. Class 3 hitch to tow the camper, which it does okay (need to add a transmission cooler or Boom goes the tranny). Gets about 22 on the hwy and 17 in town.

Dusty Ventures > Velour Buick 10/09/2014 at 13:11

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Glad you chimed in. I was wondering about the reliability of the Ford/GM offerings

Brian Silvestro > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 14:12

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Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 17:23

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Dat J Series V6

The only issues these have are trans issues. Although, I wouldnt know, ours is at 94k miles and still on its original transmission.

The Compromiser > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 19:04

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Not the uplander, montana Buick Saturn van. Its shite.

Brickman > Dusty Ventures 10/09/2014 at 22:49

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Thats a lot of stuff replaced on that caravan. Mine is a 96 and no parts ever needed replacing other than the cruise control doesn't work and need a new A/C evap.

Now that I said that, something will probably break :O

Dusty Ventures > Brickman 10/09/2014 at 22:57

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Those replacements are divided among three Caravans. The current one (03) has fared worst, with two engines, a computer, and two A/C compressors. The 99 lost a compressor and had the transmission grenade so spectacularly it blew a softball size hole in the case and caused the engine to shut off from the force of the detonation (on the interstate. Flat road, dead straight, cruise control on). The 96 technically had the fewest problems (one), but it had a sporadic issue somewhere in the wiring harness where the engine would fail to start/randomly shut off. No matter how many times we took it in they couldn't find the location of the problem. They said the only option was to replace the entire harness, and by then the van was 14 years old, so we swapped it for an Outback.