DaveNinja

So I'm looking to replace my 2006 Honda Odyssey with another minivan. I like sliding doors and lots of cargo space, what can I say?

The contenders are:
-2021 or 2022 Honda Odyssey
-2021 Kia Carnival
-2021 Toyota Sienna
The Pacifica is not being considered since I've read too many people have problems with this model.

Looks and features-wise I like the Kia the best. It has all the cool new tech features (like birds eye view camera in the SX model) and it looks more like an SUV than a minivan. The problem is that they are really difficult to find and lots of dealers are charging more than MSRP (MSRP is already at the top of my price range). Also I worry about the quality; will it have lots of problems? There is already an issue with the 120v inverters (they dont work). The 2nd row seats can be removed.

The Toyota is cool since it has the hybrid engine so it gets 36 mpg. I think it looks okay. The problems with it are that the second row seats cannot be removed. I've used my current minivan to haul many sheets of 4x8 plywood/dry-wall as well as couches, pavers, etc. so this is a near deal breaker. Also these vans are difficult to find around here and are at the top of my price range.

The Honda is the worst looking of the trio in my opinion and the tech is the least advanced. They are the easiest to find and the cheapest of the 3, however. The 2021 and 2022 are exactly the same so there might be a chance to save money on a 2021. They will fit in a sheet of 4x8 plywood, the 2nd row seats look easier to remove than the ones in my current Honda.

I would like the Kia but I'm thinking we'll probably end up with a Honda. The Kia and Toyota are 'exciting and new' but the Honda is the cheapest, fits our needs and is probably the most reliable of the bunch since it is not a new design. Also it would be difficult to find a Kia without having to overpay. I do feel like I get FOMO if I don't get the cool tech that the Kia and Toyota have, though.

Anyone here buy a minivan recently?

rocket1312

Proud owner of a 2020 Odyssey EX-L here. I love it, but I've also been driving Hondas for the last 20 years, so it's really the only thing I know. Most of those years I was driving a Civic, so the Odyssey is like a whole new world. I love the ability to slide the middle seats left and right and they are easy to remove. They are a little annoying to put back in, but I've only done it once or twice, so I probably just need to better familiarize myself with them. My biggest complaint with it (caveat being I've only driven it about 7,000 miles) is the auto-engine shut-off. I get that it saves gas, but it has to be bad for your engine, right? If the re-start was a little smoother I don't think I'd mind it so much. You can turn it off, but it resets every time you turn off the engine. Super annoying. No idea if the 2021 changes that. There's also been a bunch of recalls already. I haven't had any problems myself, but it's kind of annoying to get a brand new car and immediately start getting letters in the mail about how such and such needs to be fixed, blah, blah, blah. Luckily the dealer is right down the street so it's not much of an inconvenience to get it fixed. I will agree the tech seems sub-par compared to some other vehicles out there (or at least what I imagine other vehicles have), but I'm coming from basically no tech, so it's mostly all gravy for me.

E Unit

Second for Odyssey. We have a 2013 with 87K miles and finally did some work on it. Jut about all of the work was covered in the extended warranty. Great gas mileage, pretty damn comfy as well. We've had Toyota's before (sedans), and my wife prefers Honda way more. Sure the tech isn't all that, but it does great with Bluetooth, rear camera, and good stereo. And you can pack a shit ton into it if you need to.

AGuyNamedMike

I hear ya, we had an old Windstar and that thing could haul with the seats out lemme tell ya.

But unless one wants all the amenities (as it sounds you do) or need to transport half a dozen kids and their soccer gear, consider a real van.

I've been looking at 2005-current awd Chevy Express work vans to do a modular vamper conversion.

I mean, driving around in a windowless white van? What's not cool about that?

fujishig

I feel like I would get... looks if I picked my kids up in that thing. Or even drove near a school.

cultshock

Yeah, I wouldn't buy a rape van.

Obi-Wanma

I only buy Chrysler products because I work there. My wife replaced her 2008 Caravan this year. She didn't want the Pacifica either. She's driving a Durango now.

She's happy with it. She still has enough room to haul the kids around and she thinks she's cool now, lol.

AGuyNamedMike

Ah! But put a ladder rack on top, a hardhat on the dash, and a couple of Boron Cowpunch Services, LLC magnetic signs on the doors and it's not a rape van anymore!

Josh-da-man

A part of me would really like to have a big white van like that, and then have a dragon and wizard airbrushed on it.

zyzzle

I see a trend in the future: people will live out of not minivans, but special tailored RVs. Many simply won't own homes, and the new hip trend will be to own an (all-electric, hopefully) RV. Millennials don't like stuff, and they're very mobile, so the trend, along with the trifecta of satellite internet becoming available, fast, and reliable, should be something to watch for in the wild world of the 2020s.

AGuyNamedMike

The question is: will Starbucks parking lots replace Wally World parking lots as the place to overnight for this new breed of RVers?

badlieut

We had 2012 Odyssey that we loved but it ended up getting totaled in an accident. All of us were safe and the van did it’s job. We ended up leasing a Ford Flex since we decided we weren’t doing minivans again. Then we ended up buying a 2020 Odyssey since we missed all of that space and convenience. I stand by them as being one of the best and always have great resale value. That being said, that Kia looks pretty damn cool. Maybe they’ll make an AWD version down the road.

Jason

There's a lot you could do with a van like that...

Norm de Plume

Nothing uncool about a minivan, imo. It means you have a family and need a capacious vehicle.

rocket1312

When I bought my Odyssey, the financing rep briefly had trouble finding the exact model in the computer because he forgot that internally it's referred to as a sport van. Cool enough for me!

movieguru

I've rented mini-vans when I've need to transport a lot of cargo from one place to another on a long trip. We've rented the Honda's several times for it. They were very comfortable for a long 700 mile drive and got great gas mileage. The stow away seating worked well so we could tuck away three of the seats that we weren't using so we could fill it up with everything we wanted to move. It was much cheaper to rent than a cargo van and much more versatile. Most Honda cars are known for lasting a long time and retaining better resale value than other car companies. I'm sure the minivans are similar in that respect.

Deftones

Had a Kia Sedona and loved it with little kids. Now they are a bit older I needed something that had 4WD for camping. That was the only downside to minivans. Not rugged for that kind of stuff.

The new Kia looks slick. Only downside to them is they take massive hit for resale. If you ever want to trade it in or sell later you will get much less than the Honda or Toyota. Which is absurd because Kia is usually better on all the rankings regarding reliability.

story

Another vote for the Kia Sedona. We have a 2016 8-passenger that I bought at Enterprise Car Sales in 2017 and it's the best vehicle I've ever owned and it was the best car-buying experience I've ever had. Lots of bang for the buck with a Kia, and Enterprise was phenomenal.

I've been driving minivans since high school. I love minivans. I was one of the oldest in my sophomore class and people poked fun at me for driving my parents' minivan, until I was the only sophomore who got to drive their date to homecoming. Suddenly that minivans was pretty cool.

Sdallnct

As a Honda fan, you should check out the Kia.

They have been making some GREAT vehicles and they still come with a long strong warranty.

Down side is, due to pandemic production is down and it might be tough to get a discount. The hugely popular Telluride is often selling over sticker.

GoldenJCJ

Everyone hates on mini vans until they drive one. You feel like a Captain flying your own plane or something. They’re fun to drive and roomy for road trips.

Ive driven a few minivans but I haven’t purchased one yet. It may be in the future but I worry about front wheel drive minivans in winter weather. So far I’ve stick with SUVs because they’re All Wheel Drive/4 Wheel Drive.

fujishig

I dunno, if I didn't have kids I wouldn't consider a minivan, and definitely would prefer to drive a car for a normal commute when I'm not using the extra space. But I am extra paranoid about parking in crowded places. Do people really enjoy just driving them?

rocket1312

story

I think about that scene nearly once a day.

bcd

With our soon to be expanding family (2nd kid) and dogs we have been looking at bigger vehicles, turns out that the Toyota Sienna will give you the AWD that you are looking for. Not sure if that is where we will end up or not, but in Colorado the AWD is a big plus for trips to the mountians.

DaveNinja

Thanks, everyone.

I think I'm going to try and get a 2021 Honda for now (since they're on the cheaper end) and in a few years look into selling it and getting a Kia Carnival. I figure the Honda will have a good resell value and by then most the issues with the Kias will be known and hopefully they'll be easier to get.