It took three kids, but I admit defeat.
I want a mini-van.
What sold me?
Power-slide doors.
And my narrow-ass garage.
I get three rows of seating and slightly better gas mileage.
I'm not "hanging on" to being cool. I'm a stay-at-home mom with three small children. The ship has sailed. An Expedition isn't going to reclaim me any street cred.
My must-haves:
Seats 8
Fuel efficiency
Flat-folding third row
Power-sliding doors
Thankfully, there aren't too many mini-vans on the market. Unlike the SUV saga, there's not so much to look at! Only the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna offer 8 seats, so that whittles it down even farther. Both have flat-folding third rows.
The Odyssey gets slightly better gas mileage.
The Sienna is supposed to be "more fun to drive" and has better color options (and, yes, I am won over by color on most all things - cameras, phones, etc.)
The "eighth" seat is "not practical for an adult" in the Sienna, it is in the Odyssey.
It's easier to get into the Sienna's third row compared to the Odyssey.
The Sienna's price is slightly lower (by about $2,000) and Toyota offers some incentives ($500 military discount and low financing - but our bank is still offering a bit better, so that doesn't really matter), where as Honda is offering nothing. But a $500 military discount doesn't seem to make a lot of difference on a $32,000+ purchase, no?
Our local dealerships do not have a single van on their lot I want (see: WHITE, 7-passenger vans). I suppose I can still take both models for a test drive, though, and they can acquire the specific one I want.
Right now, I am stuck between the two.
I like the idea of a fully-functional 8th seat and best gas mileage on the Honda, but I also like the color options and easier-access 3rd row on the Sienna. Seems like a draw. Seems like the gas mileage is the most important of these issues and the functional 8th seat and access to 3rd row seem equally important.
I like the body-style of the Odyssey better, but I like the color options of the Sienna MUCH better.
Fret, fret, fret.
6.23.2011
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Let me know how it works out. Maybe you should take pictures when you test drive them, you know, for curious minds. :) I loved the sliding doors on our van. It's so much easier to get kids in and out in tight spaces and when moron's park too close to you.
ReplyDeleteAccording to my daughter (mother of 3) easy access to all seats is way more important to gas milage. Not having to hear the kids agru about who has to "climb" in and out of the back was a huge issues. (note: she realized this when they went on a test drive on a day when she and her husband were going to buy the van she had select via the interenet). I can't remember which one she got, but it has a DVD player, 3rd row seats, extra cargo space in the reare for the strollers, it only seats 7, but she sad that the compromise was well worth it.No more agruing.
ReplyDeleteYou may want to take the kids and the new baby carseat with you before you buy. Trust me they will let you know if it will work for you.
Love Aunt Rose.