Cars.com Minivan Comparison
Are you in the market for a new minivan? Then do we have the web comparison for you. Mike Hanley and Joe Wiesenfelder took on three of the top players in the segment — the Dodge Grand Caravan, Kia Sedona and Toyota Sienna — and broke down all the best features of each. These days we sometimes hear people don’t want to be seen in minivans, but, for the value and utility, they’re hard to beat for big families with lots of junk cargo.
The guys back up their ratings with video clips and a side-by-side-by-side rundown of features. Yes, the image is of Mike Hanley failing in an attempt to destroy the Grand Caravan’s breakaway cupholder. If you want to watch that in full video glory, and of course find out who won, just go right here.
Previous
Subscribe to our feed
Email us your tips!
In addition to my wife and I owning a Honda mini-van we have also owned a Dodge, Ford and Toyota. Hands-down the Honda is the best of the bunch with Toyota being a close second. I wouldn't keep a Dodge, Ford, or GM minivan if it was given to me for free. The only way Ford and GM sell minivans is by discounting them heavily. As the saying goes, 'You get what you pay for.'
In addition to my wife and I owning a Honda mini-van we have also owned a Dodge, Ford and Toyota. Hands-down the Honda is the best of the bunch with Toyota being a close second. I wouldn't keep a Dodge, Ford, or GM minivan if it was given to me for free. The only way Ford and GM sell minivans is by discounting them heavily. As the saying goes, 'You get what you pay for.'
We purchased the inital model of the Kia Sedona in it's first year and have never been happier. The warranty and service are fantastic and we've put on about 80,000 miles with no issues other than routine maintenance. Wouldn't hesitate to go get the new model and it actually swayed me into replacing my car with a Kia Optima over a much more expensive Toyota or Honda with a far shorter warranty.
Two years ago we purchased a fully loaded Kia mini-van and were initially smitten with joy considering the price we paid for the standard features and warranty. Unfortunately we have gotten to know the Kia service department workers all on a first name basis. Two transmissions and numerous electrical problems later finally drove us to consider buying a Toyota. And to think that our van has less than 37k. I really do think Kia and Hyundai have good products, but they are still a step or two behind the Toyota's and Honda's of the world. I guess it's true, you get what you pay for.
We've had quite a few minivans over the years. Our first was a Dodge Caravan whose transmission failed at 35,000 miles, and it stranded us twice. We eventually replaced it with a Nissan Quest which was generally reliable but a little on the small side. After that we had a Toyota Sienna XLE which was just an OK vehicle, nothing great. It warped brake rotors every 10,000 miles and rattled incessantly. We didn't think it was worth the premium price and eventually replaced it with a Honda Pilot. We are very pleased with the Pilot. Overall, the Honda seems to be the best quality at a very reasonable cost.
Please buy a minivan made in America.
You mean like a Honda or Nissan Quest, which is made in Canton, Ohio? Chrysler, Dodge, and Ford minivans are all made in Canada, unless you consider Canada within your definition of "America!"