Minivan Recommendations - Buffalo Grove,IL

I have a T&C 2005 and love it. I have two captains seat for the second row so that you can walk tot he 3rd row with out moving the seat. It fits 4 car seats nicely. The brakes are an issue like the PP said. But other than that I have no complaints. My SIL has an Oddessy and loves hers, it was too much $$ at the time. I love the extra storage under the seats. I used to keep an extra change of clothes for the kids when they were little. Now I keep emergency supplies under one seat and picnic supplies under the other. I love my van!

DO NOT BUY A KIA!!! I have the Sedona mini van and we also had the sorento. Their price is right (which is why we got the Sedona) but we had nothing but problems with the Sorento. In fact, their batteries are patented by Kia only so you can only go to the dealer, not just buy any battery and put it in. So something to consider. But on the other hand, we know people that LOVE theirs and have never had a problem. Technically, I do love the van since the kids are older and one sits in the back so they are spread out! :o) Good luck!!!

We just bought a 2008 Toyota Sienna at a great price. It is an 8 passenger, where you can actually sit 3 across in the 1st row of seats, or remove the middle piece and make a full size walk through. It is great, and I didn't want a minivan! It drives great, handles well, and is really roomy. I like the way it feels alot better than the town and country and the seona, I didn't actually drive the odessey or the quest. I have 3 in carseats and didn't want to have to crawl all the way in the back for 1 carseat, so this worked out perfect. The odessy has an 8 passenger, but the center part is not full size. Good luck!

When we bought our Toyota Sienna it was the only option with all wheel drive, which we absolutely must have in Massachusetts/Vermont where we spend all our time.

It rocks. The AWD model only seats 7 as the middle row is 2 very comfy and large captains chairs -- the regular version bridges them with an 8th seat.

The AWD model does not have a spare and comes with "run flat" tires that you can go up to 100 miles on if they go flat. Which did happen to me once. They are pretty much impossible to patch and expensive to replace, so I cross my fingers that any mishaps will happen close to the end of the tire's lifecycle, which it did, and it was time for new ones anyhow.

depending on your price range. Best i have been in- and safest too- Honda Oddesy.
Chrysler town and country touring has 2 dvd players. loved the stow and go.
Toyota siena- also very safe but pricey. Used ones with low mileage still good and price is much lower.
I only recommend those 3. loved the features for convenience with kids.

We bought a dodge Grand Caravan with the stow and go seats in 2005. 78,000 miles and 5 years later I love it as much as the day we drove it off the lot. The stow and go seats are the best invention ever created in a mini van. we have them up and down all the time. the dvd player is wonderful. it has a 9inch screen. we turn it on when we will be doing big errands. I can't say enough about how great it has been. I at this point have no plans of trading it in. If I was you I would check into the grand caravan. best car we have had.

only down side. as other posters have said. the brakes had to be replaced. we have done the brakes all around one time and new brake pads once. the tires were just replaced for the first time last week. and we had 78000 miles. so i am pretty happy with it.

Hi M. S.,

I've had 3 different ones. First, I had a Dodge Caravan. It was not really very good. Dodge just seems junky to me. Then we bought a Toyota Sienna, which I absolutely loved. It was all wheel drive, and I swear, I could plow through snow walls 4 feet high with that thing! It was awesome! Plus we had the DVD package, which was nice, since we lived an hour away from town ,and it kept the kids entertained. It felt very solid when I drove it, too. Then my hubby talked me into getting a brand new Subaru Tribeca, which I loved just as much, until I had my third child, and my oldest had to climb to the third row, which was a pain because it had light colored leather that got soooo dirty, and it was hard for him to climb over the seats. Sooooo, we are back to a minivan this time, which has always been my dream car. We bought a Kia Sedona, and so far I love it. I prefer the room minivans offer. The middle seat has captain's chairs, which I think are a must with little ones. It makes getting to the back so much easier! We are about to have our fourth baby, so I'm really glad I have a minivan again. Take your time, and get what's right for you. Not what someone recommends, though, because you know what you will need. Have fun!

K.

We have a 2006 Town and Country. It's seen a lot of miles and a lot of states, we drove from CT to FL, and all over New England. My only complaint is the brakes. They seem to need to be replaced too often.

Our friends have a Honda, and they love it.

I have an 04 Ford Freestar we love it. The only issue we've had is when we took the radio out to put in an after market one , we no longer had the ability to put the DVD sound on only the back speakers.

How many seats do you need?

We just bought a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country Touring -- it has dual dvd screens, leather, rear camera, power side doors, power tailgate, etc. It's very, very nice. That said it seats "7" but in reality with carseats you cannot fit three of ANY kind in the back row -- the back row is 49 inches and even with the most narrow carseat you need 51 inches. So really, it seats 4 kids in car seats, and two adults up front. That is the only downside, but something pretty serious if you're a family with a lot of carseat using kids. I am still thrilled with our choice.

I looked, and drooled, over the Honda Odyssey, but I just couldn't pay the 7k more for it used. They do hold their value, and thats great for owners.. but I just couldn't justify spending 30k for a 2008. I knew I wanted DvD and leather (leather cleans so much easier, and the purpose of the dvd is we're planning on doing more driving vacations)

The top reviewed Minivans are the Honda Odyssey, The Town and Country, and ironically the Kia Sedona. If you're buying new you might look at the Kia. They offer a lot of bang for a cheap pricetag.

I read reviews on Edmunds.com, and looked at their "True Market Value" to get an idea of what other people were paying for the car I wanted. It was how I negiotiated my price down, and made sure I didn't get ripped off on my trade in. I also found my own financing - 3.9% on my used T&C - so the dealer couldn't screw me on rates. :) I worked in auto finance for 8 years, so I deal very carefully with it!

When I was a nanny they had a Honda minivan. It was great, easy to get three boys (ages -1 to 3) in and out and comfortable.

We absolutely love our Honda Odessey! There is nothing we don't like about it, they've thought of everything you could need in a van and packed it in. They are rated at the top of Consumer Report. They have a great resale value. Great steering...I mean everything you could want is in this van. It also seats 8. The list goes on and on, bottom line, they are worth the money!

I have a 05 Nissan Quest. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!

HONDA HONDA HONDA! - we love our 2007. I've owned three Hondas so I am a bit partial. Also the service we've received from our dealer has been awesome. I'd drive the Toyota and Honda.... those are the best two. I also put snow tires on our Honda this year (all weather actually) and it's been great in the snow - and we live in Colorado!

love my Toyota Sienna

2011 Toyota Sienna - I LOVE this car - my husband and I actually fight over driving it. It was our first new car in 13 years so we had plenty of time to survey the options. The Honda and Toyota were the same price but Toyota had more options for the money and it just drove smoother (choose Honda if you are used to a sporty ride). My hubby loves the navigation system and the computerized everything - and the kids love the DVD player for long drives (and the wireless headphones so Mom & Dad can have a conversation without listening to VeggieTales. Also love the footrests that pop out of the seats - these are great because my kids are in booster-seats and now they have a place to rest their legs. We absolutely love this car but we have been saving for a while to purchase it - if you are on a budget I would recommend the Chrysler minivan- our friends purchased one 2 yrears ago fully loaded for $27k and it has been a good car for them. Good luck!

After much research for the best minivan for three young kids, we ended up going with a 2008 Toyota Sienna XLE Limited AWD minivan, pre-certified from a Toyota dealer, with very low mileage and a 7 year/ 100,000 warranty that's all-inclusive with $0 deductible.

I found the dealership very open to negotiating a fair price and the car was delivered quickly and in pristine condition. We got a like-new car that was at least $13,000 below the current 2011 version. It fit our needs perfectly and we love it.

The 2008 Toyota Sienna XLE Limited AWD is extremely kid-friendly and has the following advantages over the 2011Sienna LE, which we rented for a week to compare (the sale price was similar for both):

* Rear camera and front/ and rear parking assist sensors make driving the 2008 Ltd minivan very easy. For some reason, it's design is also less bulky and more compact than the 2011 version, and it feels much smaller to drive even if the exterior and interior dimensions are simalar to the 2011's.

* In the 2008 model, the two capitains seats in the second row slide from side to side (2010 and 2011 don't), as well as back and forth for more legroom, so you can configure it so that you have two capitains chairs together, such that the infant seats or Britax seats in the 2nd row don't need to be disturbed to access the 3rd row (moved backwards or forwards or climbed over, even if rearfacing). Putting my toddler in the captain's seat in the middle of the car is safer and also kept his curious hands away from the doors - in the 2011 Sienna, both car seats would be right next to the doors.

* A small aisle is left on the side of the second row, so a child or adult can easily enter and access the third row. This small space on the side lets you get the kids get in at once, close the door behind you and get them into their seats comfortably (no fear for mom of a little one getting away while others are being put into their seats). The 2011 does not have this option.

* The 2008 also gives you a small space to change your baby's diaper, and if you move the middle row back a little, you get additional leg room to store diaper bags, etc.

* The third row is also different in the 2008, there are latches on two seats as well as two tethers (for Britax seats) behind the third row, to assure a good installation. The 2011 only has one seat position in the third row in which you can install a car seat with latches/ tether.

* A power lift gate in back which makes it very easy to put in strollers and groceries if you are carrying a baby.

* Leather seats that are a lot eaier to clean than the cloth seats.

* The Sienna is the only minivan with AWD in the market. It also has kid friendly features such as sunshades, lights and independent AC/ heat vents in the 2nd and 3rd rows, to help keep kids cool.

We purchased a used Honda Odyssey from dealer when I was pregnant with the twins and it has been great!! Since it was used, we purchased extended warranty, but fortunately haven't had any issues thus far.........