Best Mini-Van 2010-2013

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
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.


2004 was the last model year where Chrysler/Dodge offered AWD in their minivans. The floor bins associated with the Stow 'n' Go seating run all the way across the floor pan. Additionally, the spare tire is located directly under the middle of the van, beneath the front passenger seating area, which is right where the propeller shaft would be. There were too many packaging issues to allow for the propeller shaft.

 

[stranger706]

We've had our 2014 Sienna for 2 months now. Thread here:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3177272/We're_minivan_people_now#Post3177272

You'll have to go and look at them all. They are all big and roomy these days, except for the Mazda. Between our friends and family we have rode in or driven every minivan and just liked the Sienna the most.

I like the simple, proven powertrain of the Sienna. No DI or VCM, and solid trans. It rides like a big limo; quiet and smooth, like a minivan should. But still nice to drive, not a big boat like SUVs are (we used to have one). My parents Ody rides more like a sporty car. You hear and feel every bump. It shifts kind of rough too but the engine is nice. They like it a lot and have not had any problems. Make sure you drive them though, they are completely different. We didn't consider any domestics. The Mazda was too small but interesting design and worth looking into.

 

[JTK]

Phishin, is it new or used you're after?

What's your price range?

You say ignore creature comforts. Does this mean you want a more basic van?

I've owned 3 MVs consecutively; 2001 Ford Windstar LX, 2008 Honda Odyssey LX and currently a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan SE.

They all served us VERY well. The 2008 Odyssey had the most comfortable, durable and well thought out interior of the three. Great handling and power, but ride, noises and vibs were not great. I thought the Ody 3.5L had a TON of power until we bought the new Dodge.

The Grand Caravan is EXTREMELY powerful. I couldn't ask for more out of the Pentastar and 62TE trans combo. It's the best of the three we've owned for sure as far as power, economy, lack of vibs, noises, etc..

If by chance you were buying a left-over 2013 Grand Caravan, just make sure it's not a model with 16" wheels. Those models don't have the upgrade (larger) brakes that 2014's all have now. The newer, larger brakes are AWESOME. They only fit 17" or larger wheels.

The Dodge interior and exterior trimmers are definitely no Honda or Toyota, but the powertrain is excellent, as is the current suspension and brakes.

FWIW, After the rebates and incentives, my new 2013 Grand Caravan SE was just over ~$20K.

 

[threeputtpar]

Oops, I forgot to add one thing about the Mazda Quest. The only available transmission is the CVT, if that matters at all to you. It did to us as my wife didn't like how it sounded and operated.

 

[NateDN10]

Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
Oops, I forgot to add one thing about the Nissan Quest. The only available transmission is the CVT, if that matters at all to you. It did to us as my wife didn't like how it sounded and operated.

Fixed it for you.

 

[440Magnum]

Based on what I hear around the water cooler:

Fewest complaints with Siennas and Pentastar (2011-up) Chryslers. Most with Odysseys (transmission). And that's a case where the watercooler seems to agree with both the internet and the automotive press.

Not enough water cooler data on Kia/Hyundai products.

I've had Toyotas and Chryslers as rental vehicles, and while I hate all minivans, I have found them both almost tolerable in recent years. The Sienna has always been unremarkable in a good way- it didn't make me smile, but it never made me cuss it out, either. Its a good, solid appliance that stays out of your awareness- just what a minivan is supposed to do. The change in the Chryslers over the past few years has been nothing short of amazing. Comparing an old 3.8L/41TE drivetrain Caravoyager to the current offering with the Pentastar/62TE is just no comparison... I'm not sure that it means the current ones are the best thing since sliced bread though- it may just show how truly awful they used to be, especially the 41TE transmission as I always rather liked the 3.8 engine. Even after they stopped it from blowing up all the time, the 41TE still had a really awful set of gear ratios that really hampered performance and economy. But its not just the drivetrain. They've made the latest van tight, quiet, and (for a big fat ugly loaf of bread) decent handling as well. Throw in all the well-evolved Chrysler minivan interior design goodies like Stow-n-Go seating, 110V power outlets, etc. and its hard to beat. The Toyota probably wins the overall body/chassis construction quality contest, but loses on drivetrain and cost.

Toss a coin- its just a minivan anyway.

 

[dareo]

I would probably buy a Sienna. Solid proven power train and quality.

I think the Odyssey has a new 6 speed auto that might be trusted, and probably has figured out the VCM problems by now. So if you like them the most i wouldn't worry about the engine+trans.

I would also consider the Dodge due to how cheap the base model is.

I'd also be tempted to find a used sprinter passenger van, but i'm into diesels.

 

[artificialist]

The Sienna is the only minivan that isn't trouble prone in my experience.

 

[FutureDoc]

Are we really comparing Chrysler and Toyota based on reliability? There is an argument here?

If you are in the used market... they yes, I would consider the Chrysler products only because they lose a lot of value compared to the Toyota. A 1-4 year used Toyota does not make a lot of sense (A 2011 Sienna near me is 24K with nearly 80K miles and they are 27K new)For me, the resale value will still be steep and why buy a 20-60K Toyota for only a few grand less? I would either go NEW Toyota or gently used Chrysler with the expectation of the Chrysler to go wrong. Might save some money before it dies, but it will be a repair-and-go vehicle. If you wife freaks out over the tire-pressure-monitoring-system (like mine) then I would go with the Toyota.

I had the 'luxury' of driving a 38K 2010 Dodge Caravan rental for a long business trip with some colleagues, and you could see the few miles ripping the vehicle apart. Wheel shudder, warped rotors likely, indecisive transmission, non-working power connections, and fraying cloth seats.

I do not think Honda has figured out a V6 Automatic that does not eat itself.

 

[01rangerxl]

If the current Odyssey isn't prone to trans issues, I'd imagine that would be a good option. I've done an oil change on one with over 100K and it was in good shape, but they aren't very common around here so that's the only one I've seen up close. Honda's interior quality is pretty good on mid level cars.

I haven't worked on any current Siennas, just old ones. I would guess based on my experiences with other current Toyotas though that it will be reliable, but it may not be totally DIY service friendly and the interior might start to fall apart. Toyota's canister oil filters are a pain in the [censored] compared to others. You need a special socket to get them off, which IIRC is about $30, and the socket is prone to breaking. You can get them off with other types of filter wrenches, but the socket is really the best way. I've seen some newer Toyotas with surprisingly torn up interiors too. With some care it's probably less of an issue.

I haven't seen any new Quests, but I like current Nissans. Easy to work on, they seem to have good build quality, and they just don't seem to be very problematic vehicles. Granted, they have had some issues in the not too distant past, but the current ones seem pretty good. After they fixed the pre-cat destruction issue, Altimas got real reliable. There were CVT issues in the Murano and others, but I think those have been ironed out.

Chryslers are hit or miss. Capable of very high miles, but the amount of problems on the way may vary greatly. I see ones going strong with over 300K, and ones that are ragged out by 150K. I worked on a 2011 Pentastar that had been overheating because the e-fan wasn't kicking on. It had less than 60K miles on it. It did have a pretty nice interior though.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: FutureDoc
Are we really comparing Chrysler and Toyota based on reliability? There is an argument here?
.



Yes. It's 2013, Kia and Toyota are comparable in reliability, let alone Chrysler.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I like a Toyota as much as the next guy; I've owned two of them myself. But I just cannot get excited about the current generation Sienna. I have ridden in them a few times and they're just not impressive to me. I would rate the interior quality as quite poor...below that of our 2007 Chrysler minivan for sure. The ride was pretty squishy and it kind of floated down the road. The engine didn't sound very refined and the 6-speed transmission suffered some of the same issues I had with the one in my 2011 Camry (indecisiveness and random clunking into gear). It may not be a reliability issue, but it sure is an ownership satisfaction issue, at least to me.

If I were buying a new minivan, it'd be a Honda Odyssey. If I were buying a slightly used minivan, it'd probably be a very recent Chrysler/Dodge. Our 2007 Chrysler gave us a lot of trouble (and so did Chrysler Corporate), but I'd be willing to try the brand again if the depreciation was such that I'd save a lot of money vs. new.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Our 2007 Chrysler gave us a lot of trouble (and so did Chrysler Corporate), but I'd be willing to try the brand again if the depreciation was such that I'd save a lot of money vs. new.


And as an illustration of individual experience, my 2007 T&C has exceeded my expectations as far as reliability. The only non-maintenance repair in 2 years and 34,000+ miles has been for an EGR valve, which was around $150 installed.

No disrespect to Hokiefyd, he's helped me many times over the past three years with info on the T&C's. I don't know, as my Dad says... maybe his 'fell off of the rack at the factory'.

It currently has 67,000 miles on it. I bought it in the fall of 2011 with 33,000 miles on it.... one owner, bought and traded at the same dealership, dealership maintained.

It will likely be replaced with a low-mileage '11 or '12 T&C next spring... but for no fault of the van.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
...They've made the latest van tight, quiet, and (for a big fat ugly loaf of bread) decent handling as well. Throw in all the well-evolved Chrysler minivan interior design goodies like Stow-n-Go seating, 110V power outlets, etc. and its hard to beat. The Toyota probably wins the overall body/chassis construction quality contest, but loses on drivetrain and cost.

Toss a coin- its just a minivan anyway.





I concur with you 440.

What ever changes Chrysler did to the suspension on the ~2012+ Grand Caravans, along with the bigger brakes made a world of difference over ~
They still have a solid beam rear axle and a good tow rating if you wish to go that route.

I don't care for the complexity of the 3rd row stow-n-go compared to the same feature on the Odyssey, plus the spare tire is under the CENTER of the van on new Dodge vans.. And is an option that costs you extra on 2014's Ugh..

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: FutureDoc
Are we really comparing Chrysler and Toyota based on reliability? There is an argument here?
.



Yes. It's 2013, Kia and Toyota are comparable in reliability, let alone Chrysler.


You'd think a Doctor would be able to let go of a pre-existing condition.

Prejudice.

Now we'll have to listen to Toyota stories...

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
No disrespect to Hokiefyd, he's helped me many times over the past three years with info on the T&C's. I don't know, as my Dad says... maybe his 'fell off of the rack at the factory'.


It may actually HAVE fallen off the rack at the factory. When we sold it to Carmax, they noted that the driver side sliding door had been repainted before. Horsepuckey, I said; we bought it new! Indeed, he showed me all the tell-tales of a repaint. And after looking at it in the right light (and after knowing that), I could see a slight difference in the orange peel on that one door.

No, I don't have much ill will towards Chrysler, and would even buy one again. Ours was a complete lemon; I know they're not all like that. The same (major) parts would repeatedly fail (like A/C compressors and alternators). Every now and again, you find a car that just has GREMLINS. Who knows what causes them. By the time we sold it, we were DONE with that van.

But...today is a new day, and Chrysler is certainly a different Chrysler than they once were. I wouldn't buy another one new, simply because of the depreciation one takes. But I'd certainly look at a used one...but it'd have to be a fairly new one with the Pentastar and worked-over 62TE transmission.

 

[SLCraig]

Caravan all day long.

My cousin has a 2012 Grand, 3.6/6A.

It is a really nice vehicle.