Steen27

We are expecting another baby in November, and the TL is packed with the wife and the 2 kids now and we are seriously considering getting a beater minivan for 3 years or so to prevent the TL from getting beat up at preschool and soccer practice etc. Our 2 and 4 yr olds are trying our patience, and now with another on the way - the beater minivan is starting to sound better every day.

So, what's a reliable option in terms of mini vans if I have a budget of around 5k? Not concerned about looks, more concerned about reliability.

What vans should I stay away from and what ones should I shop for?

Thanks in advance for your time and information.

madcaps

iTrader: (1)

I would consider an Astro van. Those things can go well over 200k miles, plus they're really cheap and your budget of $5k could get you a really nice one. Just my .

Blazin Si

1990 Plymouth Voyager with the 2.5 liter turbo motor.

But seriously, you could pick up a 1st gen Honda Odyssey for a couple thousand. Those old 2.2 Accord motors run forever.

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

dont buy an uplander. i have one and its a complete pile of shit. It's not even like I don't maintain it, it's company car so maintenance is taken care of, it literally just burns through suspension parts.

Steen27

k - Astro van and 1st gen Odyssey - check.

Any others?

Thanks again!

Legend2TL

Nope avoid POS Chrysler's, the Astro's are rattle boxes but do last a long time and being RWD are better for toeing. IIRC 1G Oddy's are OK but do have transmission issues on early years.

007Acura

I would lease a base mazda 5 for 3 years... a little more than 5k but its a new car

probmxstyle

2000's Mazda MPV or Honda Odyssey

ghttf

aerostar

pimpin-tl

IMHO, Honda Ody, and Toyota Sienna are the best ones to look at. Even a older Nissan Quest were great vans.

aznboi2424

iTrader: (10)

no sienna/previa suggestions?

maybe you can find a supercharged privia. sodaluvr has one on here and its got a bunch a miles on it I think (typical early 90's toyota reliability). and they're RWD

TLperfection

Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey. You won't regret it.

F23A4

At the 5G range, I'd recommend the 2G Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager. We purchased our 2000 Quest SE brand new back in January 2000 and the only major problem we had with it was the need for a tranny rebuild @ 100k. (Thanks to some moron who wouldn't yield, it was totaled several months ago.)

Aman

Late 90s Sienna would be my top choice, and maybe a 1st gen Odyssey, those things are dirt cheap.

If you're concerned with at least keeping a shred of manliness while driving whatever vehicle you get, I'd go for the Astro. V8, RWD. And they have a nice chunk of ground clearance as well.

lightjak_tsx

1st gen odyssey

HBaJ

This.

KeithL

Toyota Sienna, the only known issue they had was sludhe so find one with good maintenance history of oil changes.

vas25tl

Sienna or Ody, but it's going to be tough to find with decent miles/decent condition for $5K. Just make sure the maintenance history is there. Stay away from Caravans, Windstars, etc.

Street Spirit

Tiny for three car seats across -- the only benefits of it that is consistent with a minivan are sliding doors and some cargo space (vs. a trunk). I know someone with a Mazda 5 and two forward-facing Britax car seats and it takes up the entire row of seating.

Street Spirit

^ EDIT: Nevermind. I see they come with a third row. I guess he could have one child back there all the time but I can't imagine he'd be left with any cargo room then.

Aman

I wonder if anybody makes a two-infant or three-infant car seat, that would eliminate the problem.

jim165

I second this one.....1990's Toyota Previa LE S/C All-Trac : lots of space, decent power from indestructible supercharged 22R, all wheel drive, huge sunroof for the kids to hang out of, and all kinds of character. Just don't let your kids or wife ride in the front seat....supposedly one of the least safe vehicles on the road for front passengers in the event of a frontal crash...

d-townhakuzo

I say get the Chevy Astro. My dad has one as a '93 with 186k. It is a work van, extended, no seats except the front 2. When we got it, the brake stuck and we fixed that, the passeng window wouldn't roll and we fixed that, and the gauges we broke except the mph one, which we fixed. And it was only a 100 bucks. The motor and transmission is all original, and it runs like a champ. We got ours for 900 bucks too!