Okay, so as someone with 2 small kids and in the market for a replacement car, the Toyota Sienna is the high mark across available minivans. It being a hybrid was attractive. What do people recommend as an alternative?
What are your actual needs that made you consider the Sienna?
Do you need all the space that a minivan provides, or do you really just need 5 seats and a good cargo area? Because for that, wagons are great and crossovers are fine (admittedly not that many wagons in the US anymore - Mercedes makes the E450 All-Terrain, but that’s, uh, not exactly a Sienna competitor in terms of pricing).
Do you need the raised ground clearance compared to a wagon or sedan? Maybe look at the Subaru Outback, the 2019-2024 model can still be had certified pre-owned and that one is still a wagon and it’s taller than most other wagons. 2025+ it’s a crossover like everything else.
Mazda has been moving upmarket with their newer crossovers. By upmarket I mean they no longer have tiny undersized engines. The new inline 6 ones don’t QUITE match the German offerings in terms of refinement, but they’re much closer than any 4-banger, while still offering pretty great reliability so far - they’ve only been out a few years, we don’t know yet if they’ll last 20 or 30. Do avoid the very early builds of the new models though, 2025 built ones should be fine already. What I love about Mazda is that several years ago, they announced that they were getting RID of touch screens, for safety. That doesn’t mean they don’t have modern screens, it just means you get controls that are easier to use while driving!
But if you really need the rear rows to have as much space as the front passengers, you need a minivan. They’re just so much more practical than crossovers when you’ve got adults sitting in the back rows, especially the 3rd row. I’ve heard great things about the Honda Odyssey. It also has a V6, so maybe the fuel consumption isn’t the best, but it’s powerful and said to last forever. May need a valve adjustment at over 150k miles, which can be done at home. Of course you should also stay on top of oil changes and timing belt changes (every 10 years or 100k miles, whichever comes first, I’d also do the tensioner and other wearable parts around the timing belt every time the TB is replaced, just for peace of mind)
Mini vans make for more dangerous roads. They reduce safety for everyone else. Buying a mini van is participating in endangering children, same as buying a pick-up truck.
If you make claims you should justify them. Not saying you are right or wrong, but that’s a lot to say without pointing to reasons why, or frankly, what you even mean by that. For instance, how do they reduce safety for everyone else?
Minivans there are unfortunately not too many options. Hondas reliable but I remember the minivan lacking some features. There’s the Kia carnival, it’s a very handsome car but it’s a Kia and they don’t have a great track record on reliability. Your final option is the chrysler Pacifica, which I’ve heard good things about. Might be the best option.
I’ve heard bad things about the reliability of the Pacifica, especially the hybrid. Of course it’s anecdotes only, but literally no company in the Stellantis family has a particularly good rep for reliability and I think that’s a pretty bad sign lol
They (as in Mercedes, the company that actually makes the Sprinter) used to offer the Viano in North America as the Metris, but sadly that’s gone now. It was a van below the size of the Sprinter, but more spacious than a minivan.
Okay, so as someone with 2 small kids and in the market for a replacement car, the Toyota Sienna is the high mark across available minivans. It being a hybrid was attractive. What do people recommend as an alternative?
What are your actual needs that made you consider the Sienna?
Do you need all the space that a minivan provides, or do you really just need 5 seats and a good cargo area? Because for that, wagons are great and crossovers are fine (admittedly not that many wagons in the US anymore - Mercedes makes the E450 All-Terrain, but that’s, uh, not exactly a Sienna competitor in terms of pricing).
Do you need the raised ground clearance compared to a wagon or sedan? Maybe look at the Subaru Outback, the 2019-2024 model can still be had certified pre-owned and that one is still a wagon and it’s taller than most other wagons. 2025+ it’s a crossover like everything else.
Mazda has been moving upmarket with their newer crossovers. By upmarket I mean they no longer have tiny undersized engines. The new inline 6 ones don’t QUITE match the German offerings in terms of refinement, but they’re much closer than any 4-banger, while still offering pretty great reliability so far - they’ve only been out a few years, we don’t know yet if they’ll last 20 or 30. Do avoid the very early builds of the new models though, 2025 built ones should be fine already. What I love about Mazda is that several years ago, they announced that they were getting RID of touch screens, for safety. That doesn’t mean they don’t have modern screens, it just means you get controls that are easier to use while driving!
But if you really need the rear rows to have as much space as the front passengers, you need a minivan. They’re just so much more practical than crossovers when you’ve got adults sitting in the back rows, especially the 3rd row. I’ve heard great things about the Honda Odyssey. It also has a V6, so maybe the fuel consumption isn’t the best, but it’s powerful and said to last forever. May need a valve adjustment at over 150k miles, which can be done at home. Of course you should also stay on top of oil changes and timing belt changes (every 10 years or 100k miles, whichever comes first, I’d also do the tensioner and other wearable parts around the timing belt every time the TB is replaced, just for peace of mind)
Honda
Mini vans make for more dangerous roads. They reduce safety for everyone else. Buying a mini van is participating in endangering children, same as buying a pick-up truck.
If you make claims you should justify them. Not saying you are right or wrong, but that’s a lot to say without pointing to reasons why, or frankly, what you even mean by that. For instance, how do they reduce safety for everyone else?
You’re thinking of SUV’s, which typically have the flat, giant grill that is hard to see over and is far more likely to kill people on impact.
Minivans typically have a short, sloped front which not only provides good visibility, but also is less dangerous to pedestrians in accidents.
Minivans there are unfortunately not too many options. Hondas reliable but I remember the minivan lacking some features. There’s the Kia carnival, it’s a very handsome car but it’s a Kia and they don’t have a great track record on reliability. Your final option is the chrysler Pacifica, which I’ve heard good things about. Might be the best option.
I’ve heard bad things about the reliability of the Pacifica, especially the hybrid. Of course it’s anecdotes only, but literally no company in the Stellantis family has a particularly good rep for reliability and I think that’s a pretty bad sign lol
A used Suzuki Wagon R. Bumped into somebody with one last year and they were quite happy with it.
It’s not exactly a minivan but i like my C-RV
My Dodge Sprinter has been extremely reliable, though that’s a full size van, not a minivan
They (as in Mercedes, the company that actually makes the Sprinter) used to offer the Viano in North America as the Metris, but sadly that’s gone now. It was a van below the size of the Sprinter, but more spacious than a minivan.