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Ive driven so many different things in my life, this is far from the worst-more like one of the best- and this is not your Fathers minivan.


It looks good, rides like a 1975 Cadillac, movies to keep the kids happy (2 movies playing at the same time on three screens with cordless headphones that play either movie), satellite radio for whatever music you want, separate climate for damn near every person, leather, roof, so many cup holders and stowage you can pack everything for everyone....


Its not whatever you think it is, its what you would design if you had to for the pleasure of a ride with your family. Happy kids make happy wife, happy wife-happy life, and Im driving the Caddy, jammin out with great fuel mileage and plenty of power.


Lego movie- Everything is awesome!!!!




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I just went through this.  We had a Buick Rainier (Trailblazer clone) and were looking at another midsize SUV.  Compacts were out as we travel with a dog kennel that takes up quite a bit of space in the cargo area.

Anyway, Honda V6 vehicles (Accord, Odyssey, Pilot) have a history of transmission problems and now they have issues with the cylinder deactivation systems, so they were scratched off the list.  My last four vehicles were GM... not in a rush to get another. Plus, the Acadia/Enclave/Traverse have transmission issues.  I was in a brand new Enclave, didn't even have its first oil change, and the touch screen was flickering badly.  

We were pretty well set on getting a Highlander.  On a lark, I looked at the Toyota Sienna.

The Sienna is less expensive, gets better fuel economy, has more space (more cargo space than a Sequoia!), can haul 4x8 plywood, has available AWD, and is simply a better people mover than the Highlander.  The only thing the Highlander does better is "bad roads" due to the increased ground clearance.

Don't be deceived by the 3rd row on the Highlander - it's for Santa's elves, not humans.

Anyway, we got a 2014 Sienna LE and so far we love it.  Drove it 2,500 miles to Virginia and back and averaged 26.1 mpg.  We're only a family of five so we keep the 3rd row stowed most of the time, so the cargo space we have is absolutely gigantic.  If we need the 3rd row, which will fit adults, we just pop them up.  Another nice thing is the 2nd row slides fore and aft, so you can get some serious leg room back there (no more kids kicking the seats!).  My wife loves that she has a spot for her purse up front and that she can cross her legs in the passenger seat.  The gigantic sliding doors make getting kids in and out of car seats very easy.

Compared to our old SUV, we get 50% better fuel economy in town and about 40% better on the highway.

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A fuel bill as high as the payment? What's not to love?

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The lower floor of a minivan is nice too.  It's easier for kids to get in and out of, and the load height for the cargo area is lower compared to the typical SUV.  If you or your wife are short, it makes putting Cases of Stuff from Costco in the vehicle easier.  It also means that you can usually fit taller items in a minivan than you can in an SUV.   The Sienna has more max cargo space than a Suburban, according to the measurements on Edmunds.com.  

I was just in a friend's 2013 Odyssey EX-L... it was very nice, certainly worth a look.  

Really, if you want a van, the only viable choices are the Sienna, the Odyssey, and the Caravan/T&C twins.  The Caravan's Stow-N-Go seats are very nice if you carry cargo very frequently.  However, the seats are not as comfortable as those in the Sienna.  The Sienna 3rd row folds flat into the floor, but the 2nd row has to be unlatched and removed from the van.  Trade-offs.

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I have an 06 caravan.  I'll never buy another caravan.  Thing is falling apart at 130k.