Help pick out a 6 passenger car

[ram_man]

Hey everyone my step sister and her boyfriend need to pick out a car . They wan to spend about 10,000 dollars.
Needs 6 seats and be pretty low maintenance. They don't want a ford Kia or Hyundai. Any suggestions ?
My default answer was grand caravan but what else would you guys pick. Having never been interested in this segment I do not know a whole lot about each individual vehicle.

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: ram_man
They wan to spend about 10,000 dollars.


Finance, or buying outright?

 

[stockrex]

mazda 5 all the way,

 

[wemay]

Mazda 5 hands down

 

[OVERKILL]

Tahoe?

 

[dareo]

If the gas mileage is not a big concern i would want a Tahoe or Suburban as a first choice. Second choice would be a nice mini van, Toyota Sienna most likely.

 

[shiny]

Too bad they have their hearts set against Ford because a good used Crown Vic or Grand Marquis is a reliable, low-maintenance car for six people.

 

[CKN]

Yea-they can get a REALLY USED Tahoe/Suburban for 10grand.

Mazda-5. Very low maintenance and so-so resale makes for a good buy.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

Absolutely! Grand Caravan.

 

[Andrew1972]

Dodge Journey
Chrysler Pacifica
Mazda 5 (tiny for 6)-reliable pick
Saturn outlook

Minivan best for money,space but appeal is limited for most folks.

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: CKN
Yea-they can get a REALLY USED Tahoe/Suburban for 10grand.


At a dealer? Yeah, probably.

At auction? As someone who has purchased a Suburban via this method, I'd strongly disagree; 10k will get you a very nice, low mileage GMT900 Tahoe/Suburban.

 

[cptbarkey]

2003-2009 Toyota Sienna, hands down.

 

[Michael_P]

A co worker of mine needed a low cost six passenger vehicle. He bought a LeSabre for $5000. It had 55,000 miles give or take when he got it and it has over 200,000 miles now. Practically trouble free too. The engines and transmissions which are well made and reliable are dirt cheap to fix when compared to just about any vehicle on the road. They get good gas mileage too.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Mazda 5

 

[dareo]

Ramblejam: I'm not sure why you would suggest buying at auction, since you need to be a licensed dealer to do that. Then you have to deal with the condition unknowns and reconditioning. How do you finance the deal buying from the auction if you don't work through a dealer?

Best case is to go private seller, find the higher trim levels, (i think people take better care if it wasnt the base model) and a good credit union loan.

I assume they want to borrow 10k for the car, not happen to have 10k sitting around to spend. If they do have the cash and a good friend with a dealer license then maybe try your luck at an auto auction.

2006+ sienna gets you the sweet 2GRFE engine.

But in all honesty, it comes down to two things:

1. What they like style wise
2. Actual condition of the vehicles they like in your market

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: dareo
Ramblejam: I'm not sure why you would suggest buying at auction, since you need to be a licensed dealer to do that. Then you have to deal with the condition unknowns and reconditioning. How do you finance the deal buying from the auction if you don't work through a dealer?


I'm not a dealer and have bought several vehicles at auction. Many out there are open to the public, and you can purchase through a broker at others.

As for "conditions unknown". That's inaccurate. Even if it's clear on the other side of the country, you can obtain a full inspection for minimal cost.

Several methods of financing depending upon your credit situation.

 

[05LGTLtd]

Honda Odyssey?

 

[JC1]

Originally Posted By: Oldmoparguy1
Absolutely! Grand Caravan.

+1 on this.

 

[OneEyeJack]

4Runner

 

[Hokiefyd]

I like either the Toyota Sienna or the Mazda 5 in this situation. Both are generally reliable with no major faults.

$10k means an early 5th generation or late 4th generation Mopar van. After owning two 4th gen Mopar vans, it's not something I'd get into again, not for my wife to rely on, anyway (I might drive one myself, though). The 5th generation ones suffered poor interior quality and problems with sliding doors. They can be real values, but there is also a reason you can get one with low miles for cheap. As with any used vehicle, it's a roll of the dice, but I think these come with Vegas odds.

Likewise, a $10k Honda Odyssey means an older generation model with a lot of miles and with that many miles, they're looking at a potential of timing belt replacement and valve adjustment. No problems for a DIYer, but if they're the kind who pay garages for stuff like that, those are expenses they need to factor in.