"PyramidHat" (pyramidhat)
05/20/2018 at 23:29 • Filed to: None
1
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"PyramidHat" (pyramidhat)
05/20/2018 at 23:29 • Filed to: None | 1
| 17 |
Right, then...
A couple of weeks ago, I had to rent a wheelchair accessible van to move my mother in to a nursing home in the Bay Area. My open hatred for Chrysler products is well documented, so of course I wound up a Dodge Caravan. First thing was that - to be fair - it had a damn fine A/C system which was good. Second, when I looked in the back it was yuuuge!
The transmission sucked (upshifted too soon, so the engine lugged) and generally hunted around. But...it got me thinking about a minivan.
Now, last weekend, GF, daughter, 2 dogs and I did a trip up to Chico to see her mother for Mother’s Day. Since becoming domesticated 4.5 years ago, I’ve had to get used to having to bring a shocking amount of shit on road trips, in addition to needing room for the dogs. The XC70 is generally a large car, but not quite large enough for this mission. It’s worse when we go camping.
When I got the XC70, I told myself I’d keep it until 200K miles. It’s at 192K..and summer is coming and the A/C doesn’t work that great. All of these mixed together has me looking at minivans. Honda is off the list they hosed some friends of mine that had a Ridgeline that burnt up...Honda really had a good opportunity to score some loyalty points on that...even the folks at the dealer and on the customer service hotline said that there was something very very wrong with that...but in the end, they told my friends to piss off, so no business for them). The Kia looks good but I’m not about to spend that much on Kia. We already discussed Chrysler products and Nissan is right out. Toyota Sienna Limited, it is: I like the leather, GF likes the heated seats and the daughter likes the second moonroof. For the ~$30K budget I have, there are good examples...problem is: They’re all black, white, gray or silver. The red ones are hard to find (at least in my price range).
The point is: I’m easing into minivan life...and I’m remarkably OK with this.
Now I need to find some good stickers to put on the back window (when I get it...)
Forrest
> PyramidHat
05/20/2018 at 23:54 |
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Plasti-dip it? I think a Sienna with the Focus RS blue applied as a plasti-dip would be awesome.
atfsgeoff
> PyramidHat
05/20/2018 at 23:54 |
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Minivans are the unsung heroes of the modern automotive landscape. Objectively better at nearly everything than SUVs, the only reason they’re not more popular is because of the image that people infer from them.
Don’t let others’ perception of you cloud your judgment. Buy a Minivan, and laugh at all the haters while you reap the benefits of the REAL modern utility vehicle.
Dusty Ventures
> PyramidHat
05/20/2018 at 23:57 |
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Minivans aren’t exciting, but there’s nothing out there that swallows people and objects nearly as well. We have one for the business, with seats up it can carry seven and has drop-down screens for the second and third row, an A/V plugin, a DVD player, and wireless headphones. Fold the seats down and it’ll eat 4x8 sheets of plywood all day.
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PyramidHat
> atfsgeoff
05/20/2018 at 23:58 |
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I will say that I have already verified that a Sienna can hold a 4x8 sheet of plywood. Not that I need that functionality necessarily, but it’s good to know. If nothing else, methinks it would make a good impromptu camper, if need be...
merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
> PyramidHat
05/20/2018 at 23:59 |
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I wouldn’t count out the Pacifica. We’ve had ours for almost 2 years now and love it. Best driving minivan out there. And you can pick them up cheap as a cpo with the extended warranty. We’re likely going that route for my MIL, who also doubles as our nanny. Our forth is due in a few months and her car won’t fit all the kids, so new car time for her too.
If you haven’t driven one, you should. That’s all I’m saying. But you can’t go wrong with one of the big 3, chrysler, Honda or Toyota. They’re all comparable feature wise. But if you go used, you get a better value with the chrysler. And I’ve seen a couple of the previous gen vans with over 200k and going strong. My only concern with the Pacifica is the transmission. But I’ll be keeping the fluid clean frequently. But all that being said. It’s a nice place to spend a road trip. We’ve had ours loaded down for more than a few trips and it’s been great. 8 people and bags without breaking a sweat.
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PyramidHat
> merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
05/21/2018 at 00:06 |
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I hear you, and to be fair, the Pacifica is a good looking vehicle. But in the end, I simply do not trust Chrysler products. I’d consider a Transit Connect, but I hear they go through transmissions something awful...
DipodomysDeserti
> atfsgeoff
05/21/2018 at 00:18 |
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The minivan isn’t the unsung hero of the automotive world, it’s the Big Mac. Convenient, but will eventually kill you when your heart stops beating.
LOREM IPSUM
> PyramidHat
05/21/2018 at 00:20 |
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I’d skip the mini and get a full size shaggin wagon. I’d say dajiban, but...
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atfsgeoff
> DipodomysDeserti
05/21/2018 at 00:28 |
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You can live a long and healthy life on Big Macs, you just have to
OWN it.
Same with the Minivan life. OWN IT and LOVE IT!
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DipodomysDeserti
> atfsgeoff
05/21/2018 at 00:38 |
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We may have different opinions about what a healthy individual looks like.
He says his taste buds have always fluctuated in sensitivity, so he often eats a Big Mac without being able to taste it. [6] [7]
random001
> PyramidHat
05/21/2018 at 06:22 |
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I’m just going to go ahead and leave this right here...
http://journeysoffroad.com/siennaliftkits.html
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PyramidHat
> random001
05/21/2018 at 08:42 |
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Hmmm...though this looks like a body lift, instead of a suspension lift. Regardless, I figure either would put the center of gravity about 3 feet over the cab...
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random001
> PyramidHat
05/21/2018 at 09:01 |
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I hear what you are saying, but all I can see is LIFTED MINIVAN!!!!
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merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
> PyramidHat
05/21/2018 at 13:17 |
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Yup, I can understand the caution with the FCA stuff. We’re probably going to spring for the extended lifetime warranty for ours as it is a first year of the model. The Toyota will likely serve you fine, and I would imagine it will be more reliable.
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PyramidHat
> DipodomysDeserti
05/21/2018 at 15:52 |
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Well, to be fair, most things do kill us when our heart stops beating...
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PyramidHat
> LOREM IPSUM
05/21/2018 at 15:53 |
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I looked at the Transits and the Sprinters...I don’t want to look like I’m driving a corporate shuttle...
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LOREM IPSUM
> PyramidHat
05/21/2018 at 16:05 |
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Could be worse.