Starting from the Grand Caravan in the early 90s to the 200,000+ miles 10 y/o Sienna we have now, we graduated from that phase of life where the bunch of us headed off to the Outer Banks for a week, or to Oglebay on a whim on a December evening. We still do the drop off at the beginning of the semester, and sometimes they all do show up on the same weekend, hence aren’t ready to head for a two door coupe. In fact we would like something a bit larger than the Taurus I’m currently driving if kid 3 wants to move a bookshelf and a couple of suitcases to school.
Our trusty work horse has started showing symptoms of wanting to retire, and we’re in the market for a filly. Any suggestions for something smaller than a minivan but not too small? We live around snow and ice and steep narrow roads, so DW prefers AWD. Off-road and towing are not a priority at all. We started by going back to the dealer who sold us the minivan to get an idea of trade in value, and he directed us at the Venza and RAV4. Didn’t like the 20" wheels on the former, but otherwise it seemed OK. DW thought the RAV4 wasn’t any bigger than a sedan, and I’m not sure her assessment is true. Any thoughts/ideas on vehicles for us?
When I made the same change…I actually bought a Volvo sedan. But…we looked at SUVs as well. The top contenders were the Subaru Outback, Subaru Forester, and the Mazda CX5.
I just didn’t want anything that even closely resembled a van type vehicle…so I have a Volvo sedan.
BUT DH is replacing his car, and we will very likely be getting that Mazda CX-5.
So glad you started this thread Dad! We are in the same place with our 250,000-mile Odyssey. We have had mini vans for 25 years. I just took the seats out and helped our son move into an apartment and I love my car for things like that. We still haul 6 people around occasionally although probably not often enough to justify a van. I’m having a hard time sizing down but it is probably time to do so. I also like sitting up higher- I feel uncomfortable in a sedan. I’m anxious to read the input you receive here!
We find that we now drive long distances to visit kids and vacation. We drive if it is under 14 hours. We went with the Toyota Highlander becasue it is so comfortable on the road. The RAV4 was just too small for long distance comfort. So think about how you are going to use the car.
I drove a mini van for @ 20 years. One of the first, also a Sienna, was given to my boys in high school. It also finally died just a few weeks ago. I now drive a Honda Pilot and really love it.
I believe the Highlander is built on a Camry chassis, the way the Sequoia was built on the Tundra, but I admit that I have not looked into this in several years and Toyota may have changed things. The new Highlander is a very long vehicle, so you may want to test drive it home to your garage to confirm that it fits.
I agree with the suggestions of considering the Highlander or Subaru. Recent changes to the body of the Subaru have created a very nice looking vehicle.
As many of us have been in this situation, and I solved it by really downsizing, thought I’d mention my choice. Honda Fit. The seats go flat, and also fold up, so it is a wonderful vehicle for moving objects. Before my wheelchair bound friend passed away, her wheelchair fit nicely in the folded up back seat space. I have hauled desks and dressers with the seat folded flat. It is split, so works with 3 people depending on the object moved.
After putting premium tires on it, handing in the snow and ice is just as good as my old Voyager, surprisingly, though clearance is certainly lower.
I was really scared I’d be excessively inconvenienced by the small car. Not at all, and low cost of fuel make it a dream. I figure I’ll rent a van, if in need of a lot more space. Seats are firm, if comfortable, and the interior is well set up.
Back visibility is so poor in many vehicles these days. The Fit is great, if lower than the van, and I like Foresters as well for the windows and upright feel.
In our search for a CL bargain for my D, we ended up with a Passat wagon. Very nice vehicle, with lots of hauling space if not cheap to run as hoped for.
My brother loves his CR-V. They’ve had several. His son was in a serious accident in one, and came out without a scratch (son that is, car was totaled).
We had a 1993 grand voyager, followed by a 2001 town and country.
In 2012, we replaced the t&c with a Hyundai Tucson. Also considered the CRV.
The Tucson has been great, no problems and good mileage.
Handles and parks like a car but still hauls DS s stuff with seats folded down when needed.
We found the Tucson had much more comfortable front seats and nicer inside trim than the CRV. YMMV.
We also like the powertrain warranty on the Tucson, though we hope not to use it.
We have both the Mazda CX5 and the Mazda CX9. They both are awesome on the winter roads in the Colorado mountains, handle well on mountain roads, and are fun to drive. You get a lot of “bang for you buck.” Our favorite is the CX5. Great gas mileage and handling and large enough to hall stuff. My h drives it all over the state for business. Our son will be taking it to college next year so we are going to buy a new one. The CX9 gas mileage is average at best, but it comfortably hauls 7 people, or lots of camping gear and 2 golden retrievers. :o3
Since we finished with minivans, probably close to 20 years ago now, I’ve driven an SUV. We’ve had several and I just got my newest last week! We’ve had Acura, Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, Jeep, Land Rover, Range Rover, Porsche, Subaru and probably a couple I’ve forgotten. I like driving an SUV for the space but also because I like sitting higher on the road for better visibility. Plus four wheel drive is something everyone should have where we live.
We have relatives that have a range of SUVs–Nisson Rogue, Lexus, BMW, Mercedes. I think it’s good to try driving a few and decide if you WANT a SUV or prefer a sedan, as that will influence your way going forward. Our neighbors have always loved Hondas but HATE their Honda Fit, which is the first time they say they’ve ever felt this way about a car. They say it’s plasticky and has more blind spots than any of their prior cars.
H is in the market for a car and isn’t sure what he wants either. He has an aging Volvo. I have a 2000 Toyota van and we also have an Accord. We figure the Volvo is on borrowed time, as it’s a 1998 and has been more costly to maintain than our other cars combined. H has to clean out the carport before he gets a new vehicle, so not sure how long that will take him.
Another vote for Subaru, or Volvo XC. I love my Volvo (first car out of mini van phase for me and I’ve had it almost 8 years now, with no problems whatsoever.) I really liked my Subaru wagon back in the 90s, and I just bough a Subaru Impreza for my son, who goes to school in NY. I also really like the Mazda CX 9, if you want room to haul, and potentially a 3rd row of seats (I think). I drove one as a rental, and I was pretty impressed.
I loved my BMW X-5 when kids were younger. I went through other cars, Volvo, Mercedes, but always loved the BMW the most. I just recently got an X-3 for the size. It drives like a car and is very good in the snow. I use it to move D2 back and forth to school. It has plenty of room. My sister got an X-1. She loves it , but it has a lot less cargo space.
I had many Volvos, from sedan to wagon to sports car, they just do not have the same pickup as BMW.
