Question for Minivan Owners

[v-girl]

Hmm...so I didn't realize how pricey minivans were. I was thinking you could get something pretty new/low mileage for <$20k and that just doesn't seem true. Only if you get the ultra-base models will the T&C, Sienna, and Odyssey be that low...

Annabelle was 1 year old with ~34K miles and was $20K I think. She was a fleet vehicle and still had the new car smell.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

Well the test drives were helpful. DH doesn't fit in the T&C or the Odyssey. So that basically means a Sienna is the easy choice. Now we just need to figure out the balance of mileage and budget.

Now that we have one type of car, we're looking at the trim levels. Sadly, I'm not going to get the power liftgate on the trim package I think we're going for but it's not worth so much extra to upgrade to the next trim package and it includes a lot of stuff we don't need. There is a chance that we'll find one with a randomly upgraded feature like the liftgate but I'm not holding my breath.

[SoonerTexan]

Aww that sucks. Just search for Siennas in general, you never know what you might find in your price range

[Deebs]

Minivans are really expensive. I think the best bet is to know what you're looking for and be willing to take a slightly older model.


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[peggyfromwastate]

When we got out suburban it had the auto start feature which was not a part of it's published trim level--- I would guess the auto lift gate might be one of those options that is a big selling point and therefore more available. I don't know though.

I am so shocked by how much minivans cost. We got such a killer deal on our suburban though so I doubt I will ever think of another car as a good deal..... We got a brand new (60 mi) suburban for 29K.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

I'm definitely not disappointed, I'm super excited to even getting a newer car! I'm going to see what 2010s look like. We had been looking at 2011s but it's possible that a 2010 would be a better value.

[SoonerTexan]

If it's the same body style and mileage, why not?

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

I don't know if we can get the same mileage for any cheaper, it'll depend on what's available. From what I can tell, these puppies really hold their value!

Looks like if we go with the 2010, we have to go up on the trim package to get the power doors. So, it could end up being a wash on price to get a higher end 2010/lower end 2011...somebody probably already did this math at Toyota and there's a reason for this.

[Pollyanna]

How much do you want to spend? Our Carmax in town has a 2011 LE with power doors, DVD, cloth seats for $21k. Only 46k miles.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

We were hoping to spend $18k. For reasons detailed in other threads, I don't want to take on another monthly bill greater than >$300/month.

[Pollyanna]

Totally understandable.

[SoonerTexan]

I wasn't impressed with Carmaxs prices compared to other dealers.

[HouseofWool]

Don't forget to check the used lots locally. Don't just surf their websites either, either go in person or call.

I was able to get my 08 Tuscon with 77K on it for 10K at a Honda dealership. They had gotten it in that morning on trade and hadn't even had a chance to detail it yet or take pictures. I was thrilled with the deal.

[v-girl]

I wasn't impressed with Carmaxs prices compared to other dealers.

It's a crapshoot. Some are overprice, some reasonable. I like that their salespeople aren't pushy.