Quote:
Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers
It’s happening! I convinced my wife we need a van. Pumped. Trading in the station wagon.
Looking for a few years old, nothing fancy, low price and cheap maintenance are my top items. Anyone have any great suggestions? I’m eyeing the Toyotas.
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I've been happy with my '16 Sedona...it's probably the sweet spot for value if you want to avoid going older/higher mileage. Not a big issue for an inherently ugly vehicle-type, but I prefer its straightforward styling to the others.
I've never driven a Sienna, but I can make another observation from test driving a comparable Honda:
- Odyssey drives stiffer and 'heavier' - feels more planted and needs a bit more muscle on the steering wheel and you feel the bumps a bit more
- Sedona drives lighter...feels more maneuverable in parking lots/slower speeds, absorbs bumps beautifully, but you feel a bit more body roll on exit ramps (which I actually find helpful to mellow my driving compared to pre-kid days).
Toyota Sienna was the same generation from 2011-2020 model years (with a few facelifts).
Odyssey 2011-2017 (2014 facelift)
Sedona 2015-21
Middle row isn't removable in either Toyota or Kia (at least without removing bolts) - I thought I would find that annoying, but so far the forward fold has been quite convenient and I can't really see myself needing that extra foot or so. Odyssey mid-row is heavy and clumsy to move in/out (I have to do it a few times a year for my parents on theirs). I think in the last few years Odyssey added a 'magic-slide' system that lets you reconfigure the mid row a few different ways side to side (depending on 8th seat or not)...Sienna may have something similar; my 7 seater Sedona doesn't.
In a few years I'm hoping to upgrade to a Carnival for some fun rear-facing nostalgia:
Memory seats are a must for us, but they're only available on the top trim in Canada which comes with a fancier but less versatile mid-row that I'm undecided on. (US model has mem seats on top 2 trims).
As an aside, has anyone had luck installing aftermarket memory seats in a vehicle...most of my googling indicates it's difficult/expensive, but there are some vids out there suggesting otherwise. I'm 10 inches taller than wife so it's a pain to adjust power seats every time, and we're in the market for a small CUV
soon, but mem seats are rare in that class. Kia Niro is the clubhouse leader at the moment, but it would be nice to have more options.