We’re looking to replace the van here, so the vehicle we get as a replacement has a few parameters:
- Must seat four adults and one kid in relative comfort for four hours (the “driving with the grandparents to Grand Junction” rule.
- Must have some sort of AWD and anti-lock braking system. (The current van has ABS, but I’d like something even more secure).
- Must fit a 4×8 sheet of plywood or other material, even if that means taking seats out. (This was a previous rule, but there’s some question as to whether it still pertains).
- Must have a dealership within shuttle distance of either my office or Margie’s (for maintenance).
- UPDATE: Must be no longer or wider than our current van (193.50″ long, 73.40″ wide)
We’re probably looking at another van, though an SUV of some sort isn’t out of the question. I’d probably be inclined toward a van vs. an SUV, just on General Principles, but that’s a very soft preference. Gas mileage is a factor, of course, but I don’t expect much joy from that part of the equation.
We’ll probably once again be going through sort of fleet sales (e.g., CostCo) kind of thing.
We could do far worse than buying another Toyota Sienna, but I want to do some research first. 🙂
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I’ve had good luck narrowing the possibilities with the CarTalk Questionaire. It’s sort of detailed but I think it asks all the relevant questions.
http://www.myproductadvisor.com/mpa/auto/inputSummary.do
Toyota Sienna was on the front five selected; others were SUVs, which then is in part a decision whether we want to be able to carry 5 adults of 7.
Good review of features, though. Interesting. Printed out some stuff.
Don’t know if a Honda Ridgeline would meet your requirements but I saw one recently and that is one nice truck. And should seat four very comfortably.
Not really looking for a truck. And we really need to sit five comfortably (Margie, me, Kitten, and visiting grandparents).
Wish Subaru made a mini-van. Their Tribeca is a pretty nice SUV, and I’ll be probably testing it out, but the internal stats (headroom, legroom, front and back) indicate it’s not as spacious as our (or the current) Sienna — which now has an AWD version.
One of my cars is a Toyota 4Runner. I had a Jeep Cherokee (the older, boxier one) before that. My parents and my brother have Ford Explorers. We’re kind of an SUV-loving group. That said, I don’t think they’re the right vehicle for everyone. The gas mileage will not be great, and if you get one big enough to carry 4×8 sheets of plywood, I think it will be worse than mine. The ride will be a bit rough (for a traditional SUV built on a truck chassis like the 4Runner or the Explorer — if you get a so-called crossover vehicle built on a car chassis like the Toyota Highlander, the ride will be smoother). The interior won’t be quite as flexible or as spacious as a van. The advantage of an SUV, as far as I’m concerned, is its ability to go off-road on occasion. Most folks don’t use that capability. I don’t use it as often as I would like in order to justify having it.
SUVs are great for flexibility in where you can go, and in what you can carry while going there, but that flexibility comes with a cost. If the car is just going to be a grocery-getter and a strictly highway-traveller, I think a van would be a better choice. If you do go for an SUV, I think one of the ‘crossover’ type SUVs would be better than the ones built on a truck chassis for those uses. If a van has AWD, it’s just about the same as a ‘crossover’ SUV, except in the body style.
It’s funny that many folks connected with you seems to be buying or thinking about buying new cars now. Me too. I’m thinking of selling my 22-year-old RX-7 to get something more fuel-efficient and to avoid some of the problems that are starting to really annoy me when I drive the RX-7. As much as I love that car and as much as in spite of its sentimental value, it may be time to exchange it for something else.
It is an amusing coincidence. Probably a plot from the auto manufacturers …
By and large, I agree with your comments on an SUV (vs. a van). We don’t off-road, and I don’t anticipate doing so except under the most extraordinary circumstances (ditto with thoughts on towing capacity). My sole reason for even including SUVs in there is that I really like my Subaru and have an interest in at least sitting a Tribeca and seeing how it feels.