Minivans for sale in Canada, ranked.

"not for canada - australian in disguise" (for-canada)
06/29/2015 at 17:13 • Filed to: None

1. Sedona, by far the best looking and least mumsy van currently on the market.

2. Rondo (Available with our old friend Manuel.)

3. Mazda5, available with a stick, but getting a bit long in the tooth.

4. Sienna SE, because JDM bruh.

5. Quest, the most French Japanese car ever made.

6. T&C/Grand Caravan, the cheapest way to get almost 300 HP.

7. Odyssey, just meh.

8. Ford C-Max, not bad, but it needs a full gas option to really be competitive.

9. Chevrolet Traverse, a minivan so bland they had to call it an SUV to make people not fall asleep.

10. Dodge Journey, forever confusing me that this sells like hotcakes in Canada.

11. Getting mauled by a bear

12. Mitsubishi Outlander, once again proving that to make their cars look less boring, manufacturers will sell their mediocre AWD minivan with a factory liftkit and then proceed to call it an SUV.

13. Toyota Prius V, the car itself isn’t bad, but good luck carrying around all that stigma.

14. Chevrolet Orlando, a car so terrible it pretty much flatlined Chevrolet in Europe. Also was inexplicably sold as a compact CUV in Canada.

DISCUSSION (16)

Devon lost his burner, understands electric cars don't require front grilles > not for canada - australian in disguise
06/29/2015 at 17:19

Some loose definitions of Minivan here...

Cé hé sin > not for canada - australian in disguise
06/29/2015 at 17:21

“Chevrolet Orlando, a car so terrible it pretty much flatlined Chevrolet in Europe.”

Never heard of it but I guess that Chevrolet were already dead when and if the Orlando went on sale.

Chevrolets sold for a while when they were rebadged Daewoos but the later models went nowhere and vanished. The unfamiliar name didn’t help much.

boxrocket > not for canada - australian in disguise
06/29/2015 at 17:30

Canadia still gets the Rondo, eh? Damn, I have a soft spot for those. We only got the first generation.

I agree the C-Max should be offered in a gas-only version, but it’s not a bad car.

You have the Travesty on the list, why not the Explorer/Flex/MKT? Or the highlander and pilot?

The Outlander isn’t that bad. It's not attractive, and smaller than the Travesty and Journey, but I'd rather have an Outlander than a Travesty/Acadia/Enclave.

M54B30 > not for canada - australian in disguise
06/29/2015 at 17:35

My wife and i test drove a Sedona and were very impressed with it. My parents have had a 2009 Grand Caravan since new and it’s not bad. Not great, but perfectly fine for a used purchase

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > not for canada - australian in disguise
06/29/2015 at 17:36

Quest and Orlando are dead.

not for canada - australian in disguise > Cé hé sin
06/29/2015 at 17:36

It was sold in Europe long enough for Carbuyer to review it.

duurtlang > not for canada - australian in disguise
06/29/2015 at 17:38

8. Ford C-Max, not bad, but it needs a full gas option to really be competitive.

Weird. In Europe they get lots of engine/drivetrain options, but none of those is a hybrid. Most are diesels here, I presume.

14. Chevrolet Orlando, a car so terrible it pretty much flatlined Chevrolet in Europe. Also was inexplicably sold as a compact CUV in Canada.

Chevy, as a brand, was nothing but twitching in Europe when the Orlando was unveiled. The flatline had already set in. It were cars like the Cruze that killed Chevrolet in Europe. Too expensive to be bottom feeders, too crappy to be serious mainstream contenders. They killed their market niche when they tried to move Daewoo/Chevrolet from it’s bottom of the barrel niche (where it thrived, somewhat) into the mainstream. The mainstream where GM already had Opel/Vauxhall. All Chevrolet did in the end was cannibalizing GM sales and bleeding money. Killing the brand was the right thing to do.

Also: the Outlander is a ‘tough’ minivan = SUV.

Cé hé sin > not for canada - australian in disguise
06/29/2015 at 17:55

“It was offered for sale in Europe long enough for Carbuyer to review it.”

Fixed!

Under_Score > not for canada - australian in disguise
06/29/2015 at 18:03

My dad and I looked at a loaded Prius v a few months ago, just because. Though the backseat was a bit smaller than I expected, and it cost $36K, I really liked it. Plus, they look like spaceships.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > not for canada - australian in disguise
06/29/2015 at 20:55

Kinja'd!!!

I love the Quest So much. If I needed a minivan I’d buy one. Just to be that family that has a Quest. this one should say JDM Bruh, not the Sienna.

Kinja'd!!!

Amoore100 > not for canada - australian in disguise
06/30/2015 at 02:39

I have to say, you must not be a parent or a child who grew up with vans...I’m the latter, and I must say, the perspective of this list changes once you live with one...here is my reordering...

1. Honda Odyssey - For sheer family hauling goodness, the Odyssey is the best. Older generations were generally better, but the newest one is the safest, most functional design out there. It may seem to have a horsepower disadvantage but somehow manages to be relatively quick compared to its competition. Its middle seats are lighter to remove, it handles better, and it has none of that suspension floatiness that the Sienna is known for (and was one of the reasons we went against the Toyota since my brother gets carsick easily...) Overall, it was designed by people with kids.

2. Toyota Sienna - For all its shortcomings, the Sienna is the other reason why Japan is top in minivans. Its a bit more reliable and isolated than the Odyssey therefore giving a more upclass feel with a bit less functionality. Its seats are heavier, its ride is softer, and it appears to maintain lower MPG than the Ody. Its on par with acceleration and may have a better transmission than the Ody, especially in reliability. Overall, it is a good van with less family functionality.

3. Kia Sedona - This is the van for retired people or other people without kids but need space. It is luxurious and plush where the Odyssey is utilitarian and thoughtful. It apparently has diminished cargo abilities with a non-folding second row (for upper trims) as well as worse MPG than the other two. It is safe, however, and is one of the quicker vans in the segment. The interior looks like the Kia K900 so again, think luxovan.

4. Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country - These two older vans are nice but show their age. They provide much of the same features as the Ody but at a lower price. However, their designs are dated (and somewhat plasticky) and the vans lack the civility and durability of the Japanese vans. Stow-n-go is one of their best features, however, since it allows for a large cargo bay as well as secret storage when needed. Safety is ok, but again, not with the rest of the newer vans. Needs a new generation to make it competitive.

5. Nissan Quest - A great van sunk by awful crash records. With a poor in small overlap and acceptable in roof test, this is not the van to carry kids in. That said, it is the best looking van on the market (in my opinion) and offers a very luxurious interior. Cargo space suffers with third row seats that fold forward but not back into the cargo well but it is nice to have a space that doesn’t disappear when you put the seats down. The CVT is not bad for a CVT, and the ubiquitous VQ is relatively good in this setting. Overall, I love the way it looks, but hate the crash test ratings. (and how is it French?)

6. Mazda 5 - Way too damn small. Imagine cramming any more than four people into that van and then getting any amount of luggage in. I feel that it would not end well, and despite driving prowess, it is getting old as you say. Otherwise, the engine is only a four cylinder so I imagine it would not be very fun on hills when loaded, though it does come with manual option I believe. Overall, a glorified hatchback.

As for the rest, I say if it doesn’t have sliding doors, it ain’t a minivan. Some of the above are crossovers (Traverse, Outlander) and others are MPVs (Orlando, Rondo). I couldn’t offer a ranking to being mauled by a bear though, as its an activity I try to avoid. :)

Amoore100 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
06/30/2015 at 02:44

I do love the Quest as well, and I think its JDMness comes from the fact that its a rebadge of the JDM Elgrand E52...

Kinja'd!!!

Amoore100 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
06/30/2015 at 02:44

In Canada.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Amoore100
06/30/2015 at 10:02

and the Elgrand is even sexier. I have to wonder why they changed the front end for this market. Maybe it looked to highend for a Nissan in American.

Amoore100 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
06/30/2015 at 15:30

I dunno...I’m actually ok with the Quest front end though the Elgrand would make it feel more JDM...

Stephen the Canuck > not for canada - australian in disguise
07/01/2015 at 12:05

I actually like the Orlando. It’s probably the only one I would consider.