Best Mini-Van 2010-2013

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I think my wife is ready for a new ride.....she would like to retire the Altima. Cool. Another beater for me drive around and keep on the road.

I'm thinking she might want/need a mini-van. I've ever been in the market for one, until possibly now, so I have done ZERO reading or keeping up on them.

I'm looking for suggestions on which makes, models, and power trains are preferred. I'm mostly looking for suggestions on which mini-vans are the most worry/hassle free, are the most reliable, and those with low cost-of-maintenance. Fuel economy is also fairly important as well.

All the creature comforts you can ignore. I'm looking for the best built mini-van.

The only thing I hear around here about mini-vans, is it's usually a big heavy body using a small engine/tranny and the transmissions have a hard life and are prone to early failures.

Thanks felllas.
 
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Sienna will be the most reliable. Honda has VCM issues and their transmissions don't hold up in general. And the Chrysler's have problems all over the place, but they are cheap to buy and repair.

Minivan's are pretty awesome, I won't lie. They are very useful for trips to HD. lol
 
Probably the Sienna or Odyssey.

A used Chrysler might be less money, though.

And, many people don't think of it but there's the current Nissan Quest that's basically a rebadge of a van they sell in Japan. The VQ is a nice engine.
 
I agree - Avoid Honda and Chrysler. Honda has the VCM and possibly transmission issues. Chryslers always have poor quality and love transmissions and lots of little things.

Did they make the Hyundai/Kia vans in that time period? Both may be a decent option especially if you can get the remainder of the warranty.
 
While I am no Chrysler fan boy don't lump the old V6 & transmission combo with the new Pentastar 3.6l/6sp auto.

It is worlds different. The Pentastar has been pretty good from what I've read.
 
Originally Posted By: Thermo1223
While I am no Chrysler fan boy don't lump the old V6 & transmission combo with the new Pentastar 3.6l/6sp auto.

It is worlds different. The Pentastar has been pretty good from what I've read.


Same. I would NEVER consider a Chrysler minivan with a 4 speed auto, but seems the 6 speed is actually holding up.

I would get a Sienna or a Chrysler minivan.
 
Originally Posted By: Thermo1223

It is worlds different. The Pentastar has been pretty good from what I've read.


Really? Cause there are plenty of head issues with them, especially early versions.
http://www.avengerforumz.com/showthread.php?t=51614
http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2012/08/pentastar-head-issue-in-depth
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120813/RETAIL07/308139957/1147#axzz2nqHQr4JF

You don't hear of these issues on other new engines.

I just don't get the "love" for Chrysler. The P-star is not that great and pretty much on par with other's 3.5-3.7 engines.

Forgot about the Quest - another solid choice if you like the styling. The VQ is one sweet engine!
 
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The price on the new Chryslers is something to keep in mind as well. A sienna has to be a couple years old with some miles on it to go for a new Caravan price.
I haven't been in the latest sienna but the late 2000's ones seemed to be built as cheaply as they could. Not unreliable but big swathes of hard plastic with the odd rattle and creak. If you are going to fill it with kids, a tupperware interior isn't a bad thing though.
 
I don't know if it'll meet your needs for space, but we recently got a Mazda5, which is essentially a mini-minivan.

It'll seat 6 (though the small third row legroom means only children can sit there comfortably), it's rated at 29 mpg on the highway, and it can be had for thousands less than the full-size minivans.
 
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You'll know if you want a Mazda 5 after sitting in one. It's a great idea and a good execution. It wouldn't fit my family, and the fuel economy is disappointing considering a fullsize minivan gets 4mpg less, and plenty of CRV/Rav4/CX-5 vehicles do better. But probably more fun to drive, easier to park, definitely worth a look.

The Sienna has IMO the best drivetrain (great 6 speed auto and great v6). The Odyssey had a better interior, but less power, a 5speed with a reputation, a timing belt to deal with down the road. The Chrylsers were nice inside and a lot less expensive, though the edumunds long term test really scared me away. Our mileage is about 24 hwy (loaded up) and maybe 21~22 around town, I'm pretty happy with that aspect of the car.
 
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How much space are you looking for? How many passengers? Do you hate any of your passengers?

We went round and round and ended up with a full sized SUV. The Sienna ran a close second as far as usable space. Space trumped fuel econ for us.
 
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
The price on the new Chryslers is something to keep in mind as well. A sienna has to be a couple years old with some miles on it to go for a new Caravan price.
I haven't been in the latest sienna but the late 2000's ones seemed to be built as cheaply as they could. Not unreliable but big swathes of hard plastic with the odd rattle and creak. If you are going to fill it with kids, a tupperware interior isn't a bad thing though.


These are valid points. The current Sienna has a better interior than the two previous versions, but still probably in third place. I'd say it's good looking but lots of hard plastic.
 
A 2011-2012 base dodge caravan can be had with the penta, little bullfrog, and a decent price (less to break on these)


Co worker got a good deal on a 2012, threw on a nice set of rims and a roof rack, and off he went. No issues at all so far.


Low miles,low of options(less to break), and a price under 20 grand are good reasons to me...
 
Originally Posted By: itguy08
... Both may be a decent option especially if you can get the remainder of the warranty.

The Hyundai 100k powertrain warranty is only for the first owner. Subsequent owners only get the 60k.
 
I am not a Dodge lover but when it comes to mini vans I think the Chrysler Town Country is still the nicest ride & overall best bang for the buck. I would revisit the Yota with AWD when the time comes. Unfortunatley people still think they are gold?
The Mazda is probably the sportiest looking & the new ones seem to be very reliable also.

I don't own a new one cause both the T/C AWD with the 3.8 are proving to make it over 200,000 miles. Best riding all around minivan from 1996 to 2004 imo. I have driven Pontiac, Olds, mazda, toyota. When looking to replace the 98 with over 230,000 miles. They all had something nice about them. I even had a mazda & GM drove ea for about a year, not bad & the wife liked pontiac seating & view while driving. For the money, mpg & coming across a loaded with power options, ended back with a Chrysler T/C.
 
The 01-07 Chryslers are cheaper,plentiful,parts are available, and the internet is rife with support (chryslerminivan.net).
 
My suggestion: drive all of them first. When we were in the market for a minivan we drove the Sienna, Odyssey, Sedona and Chrysler T&C. We didn't drive the Quest simply because neither my wife or I could get over the funky styling. Here is how we broke it down:

#4 Sedona: Excellent value, but it is ANCIENT. It honestly suprises me that they are selling enough of these to keep them around. You can buy a Mopar for a tad more, so this way excluded.

#3 Sienna: I really wanted to like this van. We rented one with 7k for a road trip to Jersey and I hated it more and more with every mile we drove. The interior might be improved over previous generations, but it is still super cheap feeling. Rattles and squeaks galore. The ergonomics and layout of the dash seemed like an afterthought. The standard sound system was tinny - like a Japanese car from the 80s. The seats got uncomfortable as the miles dragged on. It did have a ton of power, but delivery wasn't linear enough for my tastes. Got 24 mpg on the highway with just two of us and our suitcases. Like I said, I wanted to like the Sienna, but everything about it seemed like an afterthought except the drivetrain.

#2 T&C: This was the biggest surprise on the list. I actually really liked the T&C when I thought I wouldn't. Mind you, this was one of the refreshed models (I think 2011 and up?) and it was great. Better interior than the Sienna: much better ergonomics, no squeaks/rattles, high quality materials where it counts, good sound isolation and more versatile seating. The interior is the high point of the van. The negatives were the aging styling, very touchy throttle (peeled out more than once, it is very aggressive at tip-in), mediocre fuel economy and questionable reliability. The vans made prior to the refresh were riddled with fit/finish and electrical issues. Perhaps those issues were ironed out the the refresh, but I couldn't get past it.

#1 Odyssey: As you can see from my signature, we went with the Odyssey. We bought it in August 2013 as a 2014 model and we were still able to get it for invoice with some haggling and dealership shopping. This made the price VERY competitive with the T&C. Before everyone starts freaking out about VCM and transmissions, let me make the case for this van.

Engine/Economy:
The Honda 3.5l V6 strikes the best balance in the segment. More than enough power than the sluggish Sedona and better/smoother delivery than the Sienna and T&C. The VCM is, for the most part, seamless and really does give better MPGs. We haven't gotten below 21 mpg with all city driving and have got 26 mpg highway (should get better past break-in). Yes, there have been issues with VCM. However, my research has shown that these are more common when owners use cheap oil/long OCIs, do ALL highway driving, or have the very first VCM models. There are plenty of VCM Odysseys/Pilots/Ridgelines with 150-200k with no issues. I am OCD about my maintenance, so this was a non-issue for me.

Transmission:
Lets address the boogey man in the room, the transmission. The 5 speeds in the 2011 models forward were completely reworked to avoid the previous issues. For 2014 the 6 speed manual was made standard across much of the line. This transmission has proven tough and was built with the weight of the vehicle in mind. Honda's automatics have never done well with neglect, but again I'm OCD about that so it was a non-issue like the VCM. I feel comfortable that it will be fine for the long term.

Styling:
The 2011+ Odyssey's are, IMO, the best looking minivan on the market today. The Sedona and Sienna look like blobs, the Quest looks like a Japanese moon orbiter and the T&C looks like a box. The Ody is sleek, chiseled and modern without looking over the top.

Interior:
Best in class interior, although the T&C came close. Fit and finish is excellent, soft touch plastic and chrome in all the right places, smart seating options and storage, and the ergonomics are good (the 2011-2013 models were more button heavy, though). The seats are firm but very comfortable. Low interior noise helped by ANC tech and I've been in several of these and they have NO rattles or creaks that I have heard.

Suspension and Handling:
This is a firmer vehicle than most in the class. I like it, but some may not. I think that it helps improve the feel of maneuverability. However, it won't jolt you unless you hit a massive pothole. Handling is solid for its size and the steering is direct and linear. Ridiculously small turning radius.

Anyways, I could go on, but both my wife and I are extremely happy with it 6.5k on the odo. I don't think you could go wrong with a 2011-2013 Ody, although I would see what kind of deal you could get on a '14. You may have different priorities than us, but it is worth looking at as it is a large purchase and you need to be happy with more than JUST reliability to keep it long term.
 
Sienna SE. It doesn't look half-bad. But, I'd buy a Durango instead.
smile.gif
 
When the restyled Odyssey first showed up on the scene, it looked like a hearse to me! Now I like the shape of them.
 
SF0059, everthing you said is spot on. I'll just add a few notes that I had from our search that you didn't mention.

To the OP:

The Sedona production was stopped at the end of the 2012 model year, so there are no 2013s. They have plans to start production of a new model Sedona for the 2014 model year, but info is sparce.

The Sienna is the only van that came with an AWD option in the year range you're looking at, I believe. Chrysler used to offer it in the older generations, but I don't think they did in the current gen.

The T&C is a nice van and with the 6-speed autos now having better programming are a real improvement over the 2012 rental that I had for a week. That one up shifted every chance it had and would not downshift with light to moderate pedal pressure. It would downshift with heavy pedal pressure, but would then go from loping along in 6th at 1200 rpms and bang down to 3rd and rocket up to 3600 rpms. There was no inbetween.
 
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