Help!

[Lanny_MacDonald]

The Ford Escape is crap, like all Ford products. It's small and is terribly underpowered (130 HP out of the hybrid 4 cyl.), being able to pull maximum 1000 pounds (including passenger weight). Do yourself a favor and wait a few months for the Toyota Highlander. It offers third row seating, 4 wheel drive and a fuel efficient six cyclinder that has plenty of horses (270 HP), has a towing capacity of 3500 pounds and is reputed to get around 30 mpg. You'll pay a little bit more for it, but it will be worth it in the long run. It fills all the needs you have identified, including the tricky third row seating requirement.

[hah]

I was in your situation a few years back.

After hauling strollers, groceries, grandparents, luggage. I realized we needed to upgrade from two cars, to an SUV or Van.

Debated between suv's and vans. After much research we felt a third row of seats is a must, if you have small kids, and the odd visit from grandparents.

We went to the car show and looked at mini vans. We chose the Toyota Sienna(94) LE 7 passenger with the one auto sliding door. It had all the features we needed in our price range.

We use the van as the "family" car and I only drive my car to work during the week.

After a year I'm pretty happy with the choice. We fill upwith regular fuel every ten days or so,

Parking issues are not bad, and no one has asked me help move or car pool.

[CrzyCanuck]

We are expecting our first within the month, and I gave my wife the option of changing the 98 4-door accord she is driving.

Thankfully she is opposed to a mini-van (I trained her well), but she thought maybe a small suv or a cross over type car would be better.

After test driving a few different ones, Equinox, CRV, Freestyle, and going through many at the car show, she is going to keep her accord. Not that much more room in them was the realization.

Oh yeah, and the accord has been a fantastic car. Re-sale and virtually no repairs done to the thing.

[Ironhorse]

Originally posted by Lanny_MacDonald@Apr 11 2005, 09:26 AM
The Ford Escape is crap, like all Ford products. It's small and is terribly underpowered (130 HP out of the hybrid 4 cyl.), being able to pull maximum 1000 pounds (including passenger weight). Do yourself a favor and wait a few months for the Toyota Highlander. It offers third row seating, 4 wheel drive and a fuel efficient six cyclinder that has plenty of horses (270 HP), has a towing capacity of 3500 pounds and is reputed to get around 30 mpg. You'll pay a little bit more for it, but it will be worth it in the long run. It fills all the needs you have identified, including the tricky third row seating requirement.

What do you expect from a hybrid? 0-60 in 7.0 seconds? What kind of power does the Prius have?

The regular Escape is 153 / 200 hp, depending on options.

I'm guessing a 270 hp, non hybrid(?) engine like the Highlander's will get you 30mpg on the hwy, 25 in the city. It is a big, heavy truck.

BTW, I wouldn't call an 11 year old Mustang with 139K (no broken parts, other than an alternator @110k) and a 5 year old Expedition (118K, no components broken outside of warranty) crap...

[Dynamic]

If your going with a mini-van there is one rule, don't go domestic. We bought a used 91 Previa with well over 200k a few years ago and it now has almost 400k. Pretty well just regular maitenence (tires, air filters, oil, ect). We once had to replace a fuse but damn, this van goes everywhere, (I have 5 other brothers and sisters into sports) and it has never let us down. Not to mention sedan like fuel milage, which comes to its only flaw, the engine is pretty underpowered, only a 134 hp. Its actually crammed under your seats which is kinda neat.

[Jagger]

Well this all sounds real familiar to me. I was in the same boat as you except my wife hated minivans equally as much as me when we were looking for a new vehicle.

We test drove a bunch of SUV's and didn't like any of them. In the end we really sold out and bought a 98 Grand Caravan. I was SO disillusioned with this purchase. I hated it but since we had a kid and a photography business it seemed practical. Anyway to cut a long story short I would NEVER go back to a car again. We now have a 2003 Grand Caravan and really enjoy how convenient it is. We also have three kids now so this is perfect for us. Trips are just so much more comfortable now.

Suck it up. It's not that bad really. Trust me!



edit: As for not going domestic; with the two vehicles we've had we have only had minor problems and have been really happy with how reliable they are.

[jonesy]

I have had zero problems with a Grand Caravan which now has 278,000 km. I now have a Toyota van. Wouldn't even think about a sedan or SUV. I had to be convinced to buy the mini van 10 years ago, but it really is practical. I can haul:
-kids
-bikes
-building material
-camping stuff
-tow my trailer
-instruments

[Cheese]

Ugh...I hear ya brother...HATE minivans!

I suggest a lot of sucking up....perhaps go to her at a weak moment (hers not yours) and suggest that the Van would be cool, but it would look bad on evenings you two would be going out sans children. For those evenings suggest a Corvette or Dodge Viper.

[looooob]

we're still fighting the good fight even with 2 kids. in fact my wife probably hates the idea of a minivan more than I do

currently we are getting by with a small SUV and a station wagon, but our kids are only 3.5 and 1.5 years

my buddy went the Honda Pilot route as his way of combatting Minivan fever and has been happy with the PIlot, and the 3rd row seats etc