B
Blenderx
Guest
So we’re officially outgrowing the sedan and need to buy a minivan. Any tips? What would you recommend? Something reliable. We need to buy used and will buy from a dealer since we’ll need financing.
- Status
A
akela135
Guest
I’m also in the market for a new vehicle and have been doing some research. I don’t know what time frame you need the van by but the more time you have to look around and plan ahead the better.
I’ve been getting on autotrader.com a lot and just searching the makes and models I’m interested in every week or so. Kellybluebook can give you the average price for a car based on its make, model, year, mileage, and special features. It will also give you reviews from other drivers and run down common problems people have had. This way you’ll know if a dealer is asking a fair price or not and will have some haggle power, once you do find what you are looking for.
Also you can get a better deal off the sticker price depending on the day you go and the time of day. I’ve heard the days before holidays are good days to go, especially if you go in the late afternoon, they will be more anxious to close a deal so they can go home for the holiday and thus easier to haggle with. Another skill is just to know what you are willing to pay and if a dealer won’t come down to your price don’t buy. Play the waiting game again or find another vehicle at a different location.
With autotrader you can set how far you are willing to drive to a dealer. I usually check within a 100 miles. Sometimes you can find as much as a thousand dollars difference between equally valued used cars just by looking farther. I also check craigslist because some dealers will post info there as well as occasional deals not advertised on their main sites.
Good luck! I hope you and your family find what you are looking for!
I’ve been getting on autotrader.com a lot and just searching the makes and models I’m interested in every week or so. Kellybluebook can give you the average price for a car based on its make, model, year, mileage, and special features. It will also give you reviews from other drivers and run down common problems people have had. This way you’ll know if a dealer is asking a fair price or not and will have some haggle power, once you do find what you are looking for.
Also you can get a better deal off the sticker price depending on the day you go and the time of day. I’ve heard the days before holidays are good days to go, especially if you go in the late afternoon, they will be more anxious to close a deal so they can go home for the holiday and thus easier to haggle with. Another skill is just to know what you are willing to pay and if a dealer won’t come down to your price don’t buy. Play the waiting game again or find another vehicle at a different location.
With autotrader you can set how far you are willing to drive to a dealer. I usually check within a 100 miles. Sometimes you can find as much as a thousand dollars difference between equally valued used cars just by looking farther. I also check craigslist because some dealers will post info there as well as occasional deals not advertised on their main sites.
Good luck! I hope you and your family find what you are looking for!
P
PaulGH
Guest
We have had a good experience with our 2000 Toyota Sienna. We bought it in 2005, when it had about 80,000 miles, and now it has somewhere around 220,000 miles. It has rarely needed anything beyond standard maintenance (oil changes, new tires, new brake pads, etc.). We hope to get to 300,000 miles or more.
G
Gordon_Sims
Guest
How many seats do you need? We’re in the market for a used minivan and have had a hard time finding 8-seaters used. Toyota Siennas are good vehicles with a good resale value. The biggest problem with that is the fact that you’re going to pay more, even for a used one. Kia Sedonas are nice and less expensive, but they don’t have an 8-passenger option. I’m not sure of your price range, but if you catch a good deal, a new one might even be affordable. I can’t speak too much on other brands because these are the only two we’ve test driven so far (several of each).
M
MrsFlapjack
Guest
The only advice I can really give is stay away from the Dodge Caravans. We had a 1998 and it was a hunk of junk. Nothing but one problem after another. Perhaps the newer models are better, but I wouldn’t risk it. They cost a little more, but I would recommend the Sienne or the Honda Odyssey.
We are in a similar situation. We have outgrown our minivan and are looking for a full size van. Good luck! I know how stressful it is to look for a vehicle when your budget is tight.
We are in a similar situation. We have outgrown our minivan and are looking for a full size van. Good luck! I know how stressful it is to look for a vehicle when your budget is tight.
L
LegoGE1947
Guest
You might want to avoid used Chevy, Pontiac, or Oldsmobile minivans. It is said they lack reliability. The Toyota Sienna seems, at least in the opinion of consumer reports magazine, to be the best minivan whether new or used.
B
Blenderx
Guest
Yeah, but it looks like they’re out of our price range, which is next to nothing.
Lord, help us!
J
JeraldW
Guest
Check Craigslist??
B
Blenderx
Guest
We need to be able to carry 2 adults and 4 car seats.
P
PaulGH
Guest
Is it possible to find one in your price range by going with an older model with more miles?Yeah, but it looks like they’re out of our price range, which is next to nothing.
M
MyCatholicHeart
Guest
This x2!
We have a 2005 Grand Caravan & it’s given us a lot of problems too. I had my previous car for over 6 years & never had anything done to it other than routine maintenance & it had over 100,000 miles on it. (It was a Chevy Malibu FWIW) The Caravan we’ve only owned for about 4 years & it has just less than100,000 miles on it & it would take me half a page to list everything we’ve had to replace, fix, or are just just living with. Some of the big ones that stand out in my memory are 2 new master cylinders, 2 new window regulators, a new piston for the rear door (and it’s giving us problems again, we just can’t afford to replace it again), and currently the automatic door doesn’t always work correctly on the passenger side (again, too expensive to fix so we live with it.) I will never buy a Dodge minivan again…
B
Blenderx
Guest
That’s what I think we’ll have to do, which ever vehicle we buy.
B
Blenderx
Guest
My mom just had to call hers a loss. Definitely staying away from these.
L
LegoGE1947
Guest
Bear in mind that Plymouth Voyagers and Chrysler Town & Countrys are basically the same vehicle as a Dodge Caravan so stay away from them also.
B
Blenderx
Guest
My list of what not to get is getting much large than my list of what to look for, lol.
L
LegoGE1947
Guest
How about a used Greyhound bus?
B
Blenderx
Guest
Now we’re talkin’!How about a used Greyhound bus?
L
LegoGE1947
Guest
The Duggars (19 Kids And Counting) have one.
T
TheRealJuliane
Guest
Honda or Toyota.
P
PaulGH
Guest
That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, if you are fortunate enough to find a reliable, low-maintenance vehicle. My admittedly very limited experience has been that a vehicle which is reliable from 0 to 100,000 miles is likely to be reliable from 100,000 to 200,000 miles too (and possibly well beyond that). And of course you save a lot of money by buying vehicles in the second category.That’s what I think we’ll have to do, which ever vehicle we buy.
- Status