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SUV vs Minivans

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Comments

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Sprinter isn't really a Dodge, they just sold them through Dodge dealers.

    The diesel ought to be plenty reliable. They've been used for ages in fleets.
  • madisonsmommadisonsmom Member Posts: 1
    We are going to be buying a suv or a minivan within the next couple of months. My husband and I have one little girl but plan on having many more. I HATE car payments so I want to buy a car and keep it for many many years. I think that there is no difference body style wise too drive an suv or minivan, they both have no body styles in my opinion and if I wanted to look flashy I would buy a convertible. I just want honest families opinions on what car would be best for us. We both drive foreign made cars but are not opposed too buying american. We just need advice from people who own already and love their cars! Thanks!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Minivans are a shoe-in, especially since you don't prefer the styling of big SUVs.

    They are roomier, cheaper to buy, more user-friendly, and cost less to operate.

    You give up 4WD and a low range, and can't tow 9000 lbs, but for most people those things are overkill anyway.

    Definitely try a minivan.

    What features to get? Power sliding doors. Love 'em. Much easier to carry a sleeping child if you get home late. Consider a power hatch also.

    We have an 8 passenger Sienna LE and love it. 266hp, power sliding doors, 149 cubic feet of space to fit all your stuff. Paid around $25k and it still costs about that much today. The XLE adds a power liftgate and more goodies but would be closer to $29k or so.
  • tmk100tmk100 Member Posts: 2
    In my family we have both a Ford Explorer (v8) and a Toyota Sienna LE. The Toyota has more cargo space, more room to comfortably seat adults, and gets about 4 mpg better than my v8 Ford. The Explorer has good towing capacity and has been a reliable, safe and fun vehicle. In fact, its safety profile is excellent (check out the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), better than the Sienna's if I recall correctly.
    A couple of things to consider that I didn't think of when we purchased our 2010 Sienna: the liftgate is pretty heavy, so getting a power liftgate may be more of a necessity than a luxury. I didn't even think about that because my Explorer has a split liftgate and the top half is light and easy to open and close.
    Also, in order to get automatic headlamps on the Sienna, you need to buy them as an option or get a Limited edition. My Explorer and previous vehicles have had automatic headlamps, and remembering to turn the Sienna's lights on has been an adjustment. I'm frankly surprised that a vehicle with a standard 6 disc cd changer, and so many other features doesn't have this important safety feature. (and if anyone has tips for me for dealing with this please let me know. One friend suggested that I leave the switch in the on position so that the headlamps are on during the day and night, but I'm a little wary of doing that.)
    good luck,
  • ojhaojha Member Posts: 6
    I didn't read the whole post but I was thinking which one ( suv or mv ) untill last week...then did test drive and got my answer.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Leaving them on works, the daytime running lights would be on either way.

    The only catch is the interior lights dim slightly - so the trick to overcome that is to crank the dimmer switch all the way until it clicks, then the dash will stay at its brightest.

    Works for me.
  • igiban1igiban1 Member Posts: 24
    I can think of a few reasons people choose 7-seat SUV over MV, even if they know full well that they don't need AWD/towing that much, and MV offers more room for cargo and people.

    1. Look and image. While some SUV look just a boxy and un-sporty as MV, they certainly have better chances to look more exciting than MV. Image, well, let's just say some soccer moms/dads just don't want to look that soccer'd!

    2. Luxury and brand cache. The MB/BMW/Lexus of the world don't make MV. So if you care about that then you have to get SUV.

    3. Enough superficial stuff. For people do go (unpaved) outdoor a lot, SUV does make a bit more sense due to its higher clearance and suspension (more or less but generally better than MV).
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "Park scientists have found that the bears tore up minivans more frequently than other types of vehicles. It found that minivans represented 29 percent of the 908 vehicles torn into by bears between 2001 and 2007, even though they made up just 7 percent of the cars that visited Yosemite."

    For Yosemite bears, dinner arrives in a minivan (Idaho Statesman)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That's because our kids spill enough food to actually feed a bear.

    It's not the type of vehicle, it's the stuff inside, the smells of all that spilled food. No doubt.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    That, and they look like coolers. :shades:

    I can say that to you since we both own vans. :)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I've called it the bread box more than once... :D
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Mine's a frig on wheels!

    It's probably a rehash but I couldn't resist:

    Separated At Birth?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Cool thread, thanks for the link!
  • tsgtsg Member Posts: 1
    I am trading in my Chrysler Pacifica and need to figure out what to get next. My husband is leaving it up to me to figure out what to get and I am totally clueless. First, I have to decide if I should go with a minivan or an SUV. Honestly, I'd rather not get a mv - totally for superficial reasons :) (I'm only 27 with 2 kids - I don't want to go there yet if I don't have to!) However, I'd bite the bullet if it really was the most practical and economical way to go.

    Here are the things that are important to me: (I know nothing about cars so this is not a very technical list :) )
    1. At least 7 seats.
    2. Cargo space.
    3. Easy to access 3rd row.
    4. Ease of use with carseats (2 kids in carseats.)
    5. MPG
    6. I don't want to feel like I am driving a truck...would rather more of a car feel.

    So...what do you guys suggest? I need a few options to go check out (and maybe the pros and cons of each?) Thanks!!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Sounds like a large crossover would serve you well.

    Check out the usual suspects: GM Lambdas (Traverse, Enclave, Acadia), Mazda CX9, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Veracruz, and Ford Flex.

    The Highlander and Tribeca are a bit on the smaller side, so I'd try those bigger ones above. The Veracruz may also feel a bit small for 7, not sure.

    You will get the 7 seats or cargo (rare to get both at the same time - see minivan for that), and everything minus perhaps the MPG. Maybe try the FWD versions of those if you don't see lots of snow.

    I looked at all of those and pretty much concluded you lose MPG and cargo space with any of those compared to a minivan, so I got a Sienna.

    The CX9 probably came closest. The center tunnel rubbed my knee the wrong way, though, and it was more money for less space.
  • igiban1igiban1 Member Posts: 24
    Must be the sliding doors. Bears 'dig' it. In and out quick. SUV can't match that!
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    I agree those are nice crossover picks. However, there is one drawback to crossovers. If she is going to be hauling extra people in the 3rd row, there isn't much room behind the 3rd row to store stuff as in a minivan, and many CUV 3rd seats are rather close to the tailgate in the event of a rearend collision.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    That did occur to me - them critters have impressive claws. Sort of like peeling open a sardine can.
  • sreddysreddy Member Posts: 5
    We had the same dilemma when our kids were that age. If your practical minded, mv wins hands down. If your more vain, then the SUV wins. Of your 6 important things, 2-5 mv wins easily. So our resolution to the dilemma was my wife had her car, and I had mine. The mv was the kids car! Our Odyssey just past 130K and has been the best car we've ever owned.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Agreed, and that's what I meant by "7 seats or cargo".

    With lots of stuff don't plan on seating more than 5, tops.

    My boating friend has a Sienna and showed up with his family of 4 and a Kayak - all INSIDE his Sienna. :surprise:

    It could actually seat 5 and still carry the kayak - driver, 2 behind him, 2 in the 3rd row. The Kayak lies on top of the folding passenger seat.

    Beat that. :shades:
  • igiban1igiban1 Member Posts: 24
    Get an Ody. It handles more like a car, and looks a bit edgier than Sienna. And don't forget to put a sticker on its rear bumper that says 'Still a Cool Mom'.
  • li_sailorli_sailor Member Posts: 1,081
    "While some SUV look just a boxy and un-sporty as MV, they certainly have better chances to look more exciting than MV."

    LOL, some things never change! AdventureMan! (Woman). At least it happens way less these days than earlier. And MVs are so much better today than in yesteryear.

    Enjoyed the reads.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Good to see a post from you too LI. Hope you had a good sailing season!
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    I had to do a double take on that by-line! Welcome back. :)

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • inspectoringinspectoring Member Posts: 102
    Hi there guys....I am moving to buffalo NY (lot and lot of snow) and me and my wife and our one + (one on the way) = two need a safe transportation.
    I was considering mainly SUV vs Minivan.
    I was considering Honda odyssey pilot, MDX, ML 350 (with hesitation) R320 (love the care hate the price) .

    Would the van peform well in the tons of snow?

    For safety - I realize that SUVs roll over but is it worth taking that risk ?
    I am certain that I will be replacing the vehicle in 5 yrs.

    Thank you guys for your help !!
  • hause7hause7 Member Posts: 153
    I know it's not one of your choices, but I would suggest an AWD Sienna. Speaking from personal experience, owned an 04 Limited AWD, that thing drove great in snowy/rainy conditions. I remember going to visit family in Washington state and the 700 mile drive there we encounter some really snowy weather and it just drove through it like it was nothing. The only time we had a little trouble was when there was nearly a foot of fresh snow, but that was expected since it's not a true 4WD, but it made it. For snowy weather we would have kept it, but we live where we have to drive to see snow, so we switched it for a FWD XLE, shows you how much we love the SIenna. You should test drive one and see how you and your wife like it. :)

    Also, the Run-flats can be switched with regular tires, that's what we did to avoid the hasel of Run-flats.
  • inspectoringinspectoring Member Posts: 102
    We looked at the Sienna but wifey just hated the interior. She loves the odyssey but I am afraid if it would handle buffalo snow ! :(
  • grumpyoldguygrumpyoldguy Member Posts: 5
    Sorry, You've already lost. If you don't get the Honda, You'll never hear the end of it. Yet, a co-worker of mine has a 2003 Odyssey, the transmission went bad. Was quoted $7,000 to fix. She found a guy that fixed it for "only" $6,000. Run THAT one by wifey. You might get lucky. Don't worry about the snow. Just put on the best snow tires you can find. It'll do just fine. (I owned a mini-van in Syracuse)
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    I haven't read of transmission problems in the Odyssey in several years, since the redesign really.
  • drdddasdrdddas Member Posts: 4
    My wife was hesitating to give up her SUV and Lexus for a minivan. We got a 2010 Honda Odyssey Touring. She is completelt bowled over. My daughter used to motion sickness everytime she set her feet in the SUV. Not anymore. Now, she is looking forward long distnace drive to meet het grand parents. Both Ody and Sinenna are very spacious, kids friendly and rides as smoothly as a luxury car. Go for a Minivan and you won't regret. MV are little noisy.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Family of 4, so you may not need something as big as an Ody.

    There are lots of good roomy crossovers, some even offer a usable 3rd row - Pilot, CX9, Veracruz, GM's Lambdas, and Ford Flex.

    You can probably even go smaller - CR-V, Forester, RAV4, Equinox, etc.

    We have a Forester and a Sienna. The Forester is just right for the 4 of us, but we use the van when the nanny comes along, or friends.

    Forester aces every single IIHS test, even the new roof crush standards, offers 8.9" clearance for that snow, and AWD is on every model.

    In snow it kills our FWD Sienna, no contest. Get AWD - Buffalo gets tons of snow.

    Good luck!
  • jac1304jac1304 Member Posts: 33
    My wife is completely against going with a mini-van idea. Seems like the mosts logical choice with two kids and elderly mother in law. Price, gas mileage and so much easier to park compared to my crew cab pickup. She is just dead set against the idea. Any suggestions to win her over.
  • grumpyoldguygrumpyoldguy Member Posts: 5
    As a mini-van owner, I must say that your wife may be right. The current trend seems to be that mini-van are beginning to fall out of favor, even with soccer moms. Sadly, It's all about "image" which is too bad because I really enjoy my old Nissan Quest and I don't even have a family. I think you should consider these options: 1st is the Nissan Highlander. 2nd is the Chevy Traverse. Although I never thought I would recommend am American brand, the Chevy deserves serious consideration. Both these models tout themselves as "mini-vans for people who hate mini-vans", Wife would be happy. All will be right with the world.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Show her a model with power sliding doors and a power liftgate.

    If you really want to impress her, show her the power folding 3rd row on the Sienna. That might knock her socks off.

    "Just say, bear with me, we'll look at one single van, if you don't like it I promise we won't look at any more."

    Then make sure you show her one with all the gadgets, like Navi and a backup cam as well.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You could visit the dealer and set up an appointment and get the salesperson to park a Sienna and Sequoia side by side (or whatever make/model you want). Matching colors of course.

    Then tell your wife you found a SUV to try and go visit the dealer. Have the salesperson confuse your wife with a lot of patter at the meet and greet, and then "accidentally" get her to sit in the minivan parked next to the Sequoia. Maybe she won't notice the bait and switch until after she falls in love with it.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I love it. Enough of us are involved that now it's officially a conspiracy! :D
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    All the car designers already put camo all over their new cars to hide the looks from all the spy photographers.

    We need to cobble together a minivan camo kit.

    This is really a Honda Odyssey:

    image
  • inspectoringinspectoring Member Posts: 102
    well guys the sienna is out of question - the interior just did not do it for us.

    We are really down to two choices - MDX vs Odyssey. My question is
    1. Given the new MDX 09 - will it be as safe as Odyssey?
    2. How will MDX perform in long rides - will it be as comfortable as Odyssey minivan?
    3 Most important - will the odyssey peform as good as MDX in the buffalo snow?

    Thanks guys...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    1. Most likely, yes. Both were on IIHS' 2009 Top Safety Picks list. Both dropped off in 2010, and for the same reason - neither scored a Good on the roof crush resistance test:

    http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr111809.html

    2. I haven't driven the new MDX, but it should be a bit firmer, but still comfy. Acura uses more sound insulation, too. Drive it because sound quality is largely subjective.

    3. SH-AWD is going to beat FWD easily. Having said that, a good set of snow tires would serve the Ody wel.

    Best of luck shopping.
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    Steve -- You Lie !!!! Everyone knows the new sienna when they see one.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Ha - got you. That's really a camo Nissan Quest. :P

    People are paying attention to the new IIHS reports and some people are concerned that the car they intended to buy has fallen off the "top safety pick" list for 2010.

    8 SUVs made the list, but no minivans did.

    Tough New Roof Test Whittles Down Field of IIHS 'Top Safety Pick' Winners (AutoObserver)
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    Steve and I are looking for investors for start up capital in a company that manufactures airbags that install in the roofs of mini-vans. Email Steve for details.
  • dbtdbt Member Posts: 298
    I've posted this before, but to be clear, the reason no minivans have passed the roorf crush test and hence why no minivans are on this IIHS list is a simple one:

    they have not been tested yet.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Thanks for the reminder; the IIHS needs to get a move on. I wouldn't expect many to pass the test but I wouldn't have guessed that the Element would have either.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,250
    awd minivans don't get much if any better mileage than suv's.
    a couple things i like about suv's, they handle things poor road conditions better due to more suspension travel and taller tires.
    also, in a lot of snow, the extra ground clearance can allow you to get where you are going easier.
    we have snow in ct, too. ;)
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I'm going to post that MSN link you found over here - interesting reading about why the IIHS didn't test some cars for roof strength.

    Toyota, safety group squabble over ratings
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    Minivans get better mileage, ride more comfortably, drive more like cars, have more room, and cost less. Sliding doors don't ding the adjacent car in the parking space when your rugrats open the doors. They also don't ding your other car in the driveway or garage.

    But perhaps the biggest issue is that minivans don't roll over as easily. We had friends and 2 weeks after buying a Range Rover they had to evade a car that cut in front of them, swerved, and it rolled over. Luckily nobody was hurt but the RR was totaled.

    My brother knows a nurse in Minnesota who watched a swerving SUV roll over 2 cars ahead of her. As a nurse, she stopped and rushed to the scene. She found an empty child seat in the upside-down car. Mom had been ejected (no seatbelt) and was killed. Luckly the rugrat was not in the car at the time.

    I would say get an SUV if you must have off road capabilities or towing capabilities. Otherwise you're likely paying $10K more for the privilege of not being in a mommy-mobile. Image *IS* important! :shades:
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    Hard to beat the room of a minivan, not many cross-over SUV's can match the room of a minivan. That said it comes down to what you want/need. I've owned one minivan a Mercury Villager, and several SUVs (Pathfinder, Suburban and now an 07 Expedition). The only reason I have a full size SUV is I own a boat and travel trailer. Yes, the Expedition is superb in bad weather, with auto 4wd, plus traction and stability control, more ground clearance etc. But, I found the minivan to be very good in the snow too. Granted, I wouldn't want to drive in deep snow, but 6-8" snow was never an issue.

    I know the minivan has never been cool, but neither are most SUVs. Except for those in the MDX class. But they don't have near the room either. My BIL has an 08 MDX and it's awesome, basically feels like a tall sport sedan,but my SIL has a minivan for family duties.
  • colloquorcolloquor Member Posts: 482
    Minivans are not perceived as "cool," by most, since image seems to be critically important to most people today. However, the minivan remains as the most practical vehicle on the road, as you can't beat a rectangular box for maximum practicality. As for gas mileage: I would say 26 to 27 MPG on a fully loaded minivan on a summer vacation is acceptable (my own experience with our van).

    If you go off road or tow, buy an SUV. However, if all you do is take your kids to school, go to the mall, or load everything up for long road trips and vacations, buy a minivan. Otherwise, you're buying a vehicle for image only.

    Winter operation: I live in central Illinois, and receive quite a bit of snow during the winter. I've never been stuck, or couldn't drive in the worst of snows, with our FWD minivan. Remember, the driving technique is sometimes more important than the technology available on the vehicle. It's always quite funny to observe which type of vehicle is in the ditch, or in the median on the freeway, when we have our first substantial snow storm -- it's always a 4WD SUV.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The only AWD minivan right now is the Sienna, so it's not hard to compare:

    [with tongue firmly in cheek]

    Vehicle, Cargo Volume in cubic feet, EPA MPG:

    Sienna, 148.9, 17/21
    Suburban, 137.4, Censored
    Tahoe, 108.9, Censored
    Expedition, 108.3, Censored
    Seqouia, 128.1, Censored
    Armada, 97.1, Censored

    Didn't want to scare people. ;)

    To be fair the Suburban does have a longer cargo floor, but it still cannot take a 4'x8' sheet of plywood inside like the Sienna can.

    SUV mileage is really only close if you compare trucks with much smaller capacities. Explorer has just 85.8, or a little more than half.

    If you don't need to tow or off road, you can't beat a van for sheer space and efficiency.
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