Thread 28664095

Minivans are the best vehicles for daily use. The only problem with US minivans is they are too big and have massive V6 engines, therefore the perfect minivan is something like Honda Stepwagon.

>>28664095 (OP)
I love my Chrysler Town & County

>>28664095 (OP)
>v6
>massive
uhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I had a 1992 mercury villager and it was awesome. It even had the automatic seatbelts which are honestly more of a headache than they are worth.

>>28664113
>You need 400HP on da highway mang
>Proceeds to sey 80MPh on cruise control

>>28664095 (OP)
>Only minivan available here is the Kia Carnival
Just end this suffering.

>>28664095 (OP)
I had a choice between a 2500cc and 3500cc minivan and I chose the latter. You saying that’s a bad thing?

>>28664095 (OP)
I want a minivan but they're alike 50k brand new. A pickup truck would be cheaper. what do /o/

>>28664095 (OP)
Minivans are just straight vans. Ironically, big vans at that, and all the downsides included.

>>28664391
what’s your use case? to run, a pickup will be more expensive because they get worse fuel mileage
new stripper F150s will be in the mid 40s
new mid level odyssey will also be in the mid 40s

imo, if you want
> covered, cavernous storage area
> seating for 7
> reasonable fuel efficiency
> ease of entry/exit
then minivan. if you want
> 4WD
> towing capability
> open air storage
> more comfortable daily ride
then pickup

my personal dream dad car is a maverick minivan hybrid with AWD

>>28664095 (OP)
The Honda J35s are fucking sick though, only thing bad on them are the trannys. The stepwagon is cool too, I'm a big fan of both the B20B and the KA24 from both gen 1 & 2 and love that they come in AWD with double sunroof and rotating captain's chairs.
>but
They struggle to keep at highway speeds in the US especially in hilly areas. And with all 4 of my kids, my wife, and our two dogs that fucker is loaded to the brim. If you have a 6+ person family like me I highly recommend either a 7.3L Ford Excursion/Toyota Sequoia/4Runner with 3rd row. At least you can reliable tow with the latter examples.
If you're not into either the E1/2/350's and lesser so the Transit vans are great people haulers and capable towers.
>I don't need to tow!
If you have a family, yes you do. I've towed my sons first car about 1200 miles after he enlisted and my other son's motorcycle and furniture were towed 1000~ miles to his college. I myself have towed 15~ cars I've purchase and sold and for friends.

>>28664393
i mean they're quite small compared to the express, sprinter, and nv3500

>>28664508
Minivans still have the following issues they get from being a "van" derivative:
>engine usually located on or behind front axle, increasing working costs and labor
>transmissions are typically worse than their large van counterparts as it's a cost cutting measure and they don't "need" to tow
>typically heavier for its size than large vans, makes working on it more difficult, rust damage more severe, and tires more easy to wear
>increases in weight post 2007 to meet safety standards means most US minivans became either v6's or turbo i4's. Many of the companies making minivans suck at making reliable V6's
>GM's v6's vans from the 90s never made it past 150k and they were discontinued by 09
>Ford Windstar v6 ate through headgaskets like a 2000 subaru legacy
>Kia... it's a Kia and will die before 100k
>Nissan Quest was just horrible to work on and ugly as sin
Basically unless you got a Honda Odyssey or a Toyota Sienna you got fucked.

>>28664108
I hated my town & country. everything on that piece of shit broke

>>28664113
Anything over 2L is massive.

>>28664506
the j35 is an anemic pig dum weeb

>>28664720
I haven't had any issues with the 3.8. If you owned a 5th gen instead of a 4th gen then you played yourself.

>>28664495
I've currently got a Frontier which was 36k for quad cab + 4wd. Wife's car is too unreliable, and she wants a 3rd row. Minivan feels like a great option except they're all incredibly expensive.

>>28664129
a shame manufacturers no longer subscribe to the lazy understressed engine approach

>>28664095 (OP)
I keep thinking of buying a beater minivan but holy shit people think they're sitting on a goldmine.

Are any of the non-Toyota or Honda minivans reliable? Every so often the shitty brands do have a reliable product.

The problem with keicars or other boxy utilitarian JDM cars in America is they're not designed for highway speed. They're ultra square design is great for cramped Tokyo streets but terrible for doing 85 on the freeway. The difference would be around 5mpg compared to a same size crossover. My reference point is comparing a bronco sport to escape and sienna to grand highlander. Same size same engine but different shapes. So even if they tried to sell it here, no one would buy it when it got less mpgs than a CRV

>>28664243
>You saying that’s a bad thing?
Difficult to know as the OP didn't flesh out his needs, but it's safe to assume that he favors economy over power.

>>28664095 (OP)
In general I agree as far as usability goes, wagons are close second. But their downfall is maintenance. Engine bay is too small and they are too complex, big car means there are also far too many things that can break down. So wagons win overall in my book.

Please God, force Mazda to put their (Toyota's) hybrid drive train with AWD from the CX-50 into a mini-van body like the Odyssey. Holy moly. Odyssey is great though, they KNOW their market and there are so many small items that just make sense to the wife with a kid. Also put a VCM Tuner in that bitch, I paid for the engine I'm using the whole engine.

>>28664495
>my personal dream dad car is a maverick minivan hybrid with AWD
Unfathomably based.

>>28665928
What's the difference between a wagon and a small SUV?

>>28664095 (OP)
35 years ago someone like you was saying a wagon sedan with a v6 was the perfect machine.
Today someone like you is saying a more refined machine is too much.

You people don't know what's good or bad, or anything, you just have an agenda that HAS TO WIN regardless of the effect.
Actually, I think deep down you know, what you want is other people to feel as miserable as you do, and you're doing whatever you can to make it happen.

Jump off a cliff.

>>28664129
>>28664803
>400hp
>v6 minivan
>2L is massive
The point of having power isn't to always use it all the time, it's so that you have another choice/opportunity for protection in a situation that might justify it.

>>28665958
The small SUV is more like a bulby lifted sedan. Marginally more cargo space than the sedan. A wagon is long, has 3 rows, loads of leg room, and way more cargo space. Basically proto-minivan.

>>28665958
SUV is less space-efficient and has bloat where it should not have it. Way less horizontal space usually comparing to wagon, typically also less space for passengers. Has extra ground clearance, sure.

>>28665961
>The point of having power isn't to always use it all the time, it's so that you have another choice/opportunity for protection in a situation that might justify it
If you want protection then you better make sure the car has good brakes and ABS can keep up with them. Crashing at higher speeds is less safe.

On my first job(like a decade ago) I drove an Opel Combo(100% sure it was sold as some sort of chevrolet in the us) with whopping 1.4 litre 95 HP engine, loaded with tools and replacement parts at 140 km/h(86mph) just fine. It didn't accelerate fast, but it wasn't super stressed at those speeds either. That's speeding on all highways in the US for those who don't know. I'm not saying you don't need anything more(if I'd want to buy one I'd think of slightly bigger engine with maybe 140 HP just to stress it less), but your minivan won't win any race, it's meant to be the ultimate small utility box. If you want to buy a sports car don't buy one.

>>28666748
>If you want to buy a sports car don't buy one.
As in don't buy a minivan. If you want sports car then buy that.

>>28666748
>>28666753
Most people cant own more than one car bro a v6 and a trail hitch will let you pull a Uhaul and will be nicer to drive everyday. Don't know why a man would want less power at the tap but the euro mind is a strange cucked place. American minivans are so great.

A Subaru Outback is the perfect all-around vehicle for daily use.

>>28666763
A minivan for mom and a truck for dad is all most families need.

>>28666768
>A minivan for mom and a truck for dad is all most families need.
These days normies really want to spring for a 1/2 ton for the wife and a 3/4 ton for the husband. There are no children, only animals that act as surrogate children.

>>28666753
>As in don't buy a minivan. If you want sports car then buy that.
There is a perverse sense of satisfaction of pushing regular cars beyond their conventional use cases.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWAXejKOoUg

>>28665900
>but it's safe to assume that he favors economy over power
Automakers tried a smaller engine and it didn't work out. 3.5L is the sweet spot if the van isn't hybridized.

>>28665729
>Are any of the non-Toyota or Honda minivans reliable?
The newer Sedonas are okay, you'll see them get sent to the scrapper at 250k miles but they also tend to get the more negligent of car owners compared to Toyota and Honda owners, who tend to be a bit more fastidious with maintenance. Grand Caravans and Town & Countries are known to kill their transmissions so they're self-destructing out of the public roads. Pacificas and Voyagers are still built like government fleet vehicles so they aren't expected to last longer than 100k-150k mile mark, but that's also because government fleets have a set maximum they're allowed to spend before they get sent to the auction.

If you want a minivan for the long haul, the Sienna and Odyssey are really your only options for a relatively modern minivan, since good owners easily run them well beyond 300k miles.

>>28664095 (OP)
There are these things. They're smaller than the typical USDM minivan but they're RWD with IRS and a 2l turbo engine. I've got one as a work vehicle and while it's good at a couple things it's terrible at everything else. It's no wonder they're discontinued. Parts are also expensive and they're a cunt to work on.

>>28664095 (OP)
>Too big
They're actually very easy to drive, especially with all of the cameras on modern ones.
>Massive V6 engines
Mine has a 2.2L diesel.

>>28664391
Most people don't realise this, but minivans are luxury vehicles. Sure, you can spec them down to be cheap if you want, but the top trim levels really have a lot going for them. You'll be stretched to find anything (at any price point) with features that they don't have, and the convenience and space are huge luxuries just by themselves.

>>28665989
>wagon
>3 rows
Wat? Unless you mean one of those old Roadmasters that had reverse seats in the trunk for when you really hated someone but had to take them along.

>>28664095 (OP)
>massive V6 engines
Even the French realized you should probably give your big people hauler a suitably big engine, picrel could be had with the heart of a 350Z.

Why do you need 3 rows? How many kids do you have?

I'm one of 3 kids, we did fine in a sedan.

>>28666763
I would because transverse V6s suck to work on. 90’s GM cars being an exception since they had much larger engine bays than a minivan.

>>28667396
When someone says "3 row" I just assume they're talking about the length, the cargo space. A 3 row suv or wagon implies a certain length even if you never intend on using the 3rd row, and just leaving it folded down. That's what 90% of minivans are used for anyway. At least nowadays you can just easily fold the 3rd row up and down instead of literally removing it and having to store it in the garage. Although chilling on the minivan seats in your friends garage was a pretty kino childhood experience.

>>28667176
I like the dustbuster designs on vans. Too bad they're seen as dorky these days.