Help! I need a "family" vehicle! [Archive]

COchief

02-26-2005, 03:52 PM

How about price range, type of vehicle, what you need to use it for? Maybe that would help if you are looking for a worthwhile opinion.

With the criteria you have provided, I would suggest a Ferrari Marenello, you could pull all kinds of ass.

unlurking

02-26-2005, 03:54 PM

The only thing I know about the Montana is that they are good for jumping into from a moving train.

Mosbonian

02-26-2005, 03:59 PM

Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey.....both might cost a little more, but are dependable and you spend less on upkeep.

mmaddog
*******

SBK

02-26-2005, 04:10 PM

http://www.baystatemotorsports.com/images/recent%20sales%20g500.jpg

Pitt Gorilla

02-26-2005, 04:34 PM

Good suggestions all. The Benz is probably a bit out of my price range, though... :(

Skip Towne

02-26-2005, 04:39 PM

Chevy Astrovan. They run forever.

DTLB58

02-26-2005, 04:39 PM

Don't buy new!

A new car loses 60% of it's value the first 4 years. It's like throwing a $100 bill out your window every morning on the way to work :shake:

Mr. Kotter

02-26-2005, 04:51 PM

We have four kids, so a mini-van is a must. We bought a 2002 Odyssey, and liked it so well....we ALSO now have a 2004. They are the ideal family vehicle. A bit pricey, but well worth the "extras" that come standard....the reliability of Honda....and the "resale" is the best in it's class--only Toyota Sienna even comes close.

If you are on more of a budget the Chrylser Town and Country is good; and the Dodge Caravan (I'd go "Sport" edition) is also.

Mr. Kotter

02-26-2005, 04:51 PM

Don't buy new!

A new car loses 60% of it's value the first 4 years. It's like throwing a $100 bill out your window every morning on the way to work :shake:

Not Honda Odyssey. :)

I see "used" Odyssey being sold for MORE than I paid new. I'm serious.

4th and Long

02-26-2005, 05:02 PM

Good suggestions all. The Benz is probably a bit out of my price range, though... :(
Then might I suggest you try the following mode of family transportation. It's a lot cheaper on upkeep and the replenishing the fuel isn't quite so costly.
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Kolbuszowa/Grebow/GREBOW%20Sanders%20Horse%20Wagon.jpg
It's not just for the Amish. :D

Pitt Gorilla

02-26-2005, 05:04 PM

Then might I suggest you try the following mode of family transportation. It's a lot cheaper on upkeep and the replenishing the fuel isn't quite so costly.
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Kolbuszowa/Grebow/GREBOW%20Sanders%20Horse%20Wagon.jpg
It's not just for the Amish. :DIs the DVD entertainment system standard?

4th and Long

02-26-2005, 05:08 PM

Is the DVD entertainment system standard?
Although I've never heard of it called an "entertainment system" before, I do believe the Detachable Vermin Dustcover does come standard.

cheeeefs

02-26-2005, 05:32 PM

screw the family, buy a Vette

StcChief

02-26-2005, 06:19 PM

Get something a 2-3 years old.
Save the depreciation on someone elses buy.
An Off lease are good deals. Have it checked over by good mechanic.

Can't go wrong with Honda Oddesey / Toyota Scienna
/Nissan Quest

Be leary of GM/Ford lots of problems.

Crysler have the 100K mile stuff breaking stigma.

Skip Towne

02-26-2005, 06:29 PM

All you people suggesting Jap vehicles please list where you work below. Then I can be sure to go buy your product from the Japs.

4th and Long

02-26-2005, 06:31 PM

All you people suggesting Jap vehicles please list where you work below. Then I can be sure to go buy your product from the Japs.
:bravo:

Stinger

02-26-2005, 06:48 PM

If your going the mini-van route do yourself a favor and go with a Chrysler Town and Country they are more money but well worth it. They are built better and will run for ever.

Phobia

02-26-2005, 06:52 PM

I wouldn't buy anything with a Pontiac label on it. Complete crap, IMO. They haven't made a decent car since the 60's.

I think most of our mini-van friends speak highly of the Town & Country.

Skip Towne

02-26-2005, 07:57 PM

If your going the mini-van route do yourself a favor and go with a Chrysler Town and Country they are more money but well worth it. They are built better and will run for ever.
Can you show me one with more than 328,000 miles on it? That's what my Astrovan has on it. And it burns NO oil at all. I have never added a quart of oil between changes. It has never been low enough to come off "full" on the dipstick.

Bwana

02-26-2005, 07:58 PM

Can you show me one with more than 328,000 miles on it? That's what my Astrovan has on it. And it burns NO oil at all. I have never added a quart of oil between changes. It has never been low enough to come off "full" on the dipstick.

Dude, seriously, you have some kind of record there.

Skip Towne

02-26-2005, 08:02 PM

Dude, seriously, you have some kind of record there.
No, I don't. The reason I bought an Astrovan is because I was working for Primestar and they had two of them and both of them had 250,000 miles +. They all do it, even the throttle body pre 1995 models. Coca Cola has a whole fleet of them.

Phobia

02-26-2005, 08:04 PM

Can you show me one with more than 328,000 miles on it? That's what my Astrovan has on it. And it burns NO oil at all. I have never added a quart of oil between changes. It has never been low enough to come off "full" on the dipstick.

That's nuts.
http://www.chania.gr/eventsimages/UNBREAKABLE.jpg

Deberg_1990

02-26-2005, 08:16 PM

I wouldn't buy anything with a Pontiac label on it. Complete crap, IMO. They haven't made a decent car since the 60's.

I think most of our mini-van friends speak highly of the Town & Country.

Or any GM product for that matter. Piece O Crap.

2bikemike

02-26-2005, 08:25 PM

I think every mini van out there has weak ass transmissions. I have never seen a chrysler that didn't have ton of problems. The Astro has a good motor but the tranny sucks.

Skip Towne

02-26-2005, 08:29 PM

That's nuts.
http://www.chania.gr/eventsimages/UNBREAKABLE.jpg
Yes, it is but it's true. The van had 119,00 on it when I bought it. I change the oil every 3000 miles. I figure I've done that 70 times.

Skip Towne

02-26-2005, 08:34 PM

Or any GM product for that matter. Piece O Crap.
You're full of shit. See my earlier post about my 328,000 mile Astrovan. I seriously doubt you've driven very many GM vehicles. I've driven nothing else for 45 years. 90% of all the trucks Chevy ever made are still on the road.

Skip Towne

02-26-2005, 08:38 PM

I think every mini van out there has weak ass transmissions. I have never seen a chrysler that didn't have ton of problems. The Astro has a good motor but the tranny sucks.
That's true. My Astrovan is on it's 3rd transmission. All overdrive transmissions are weak according to the guy that rebuilt mine twice.

Mosbonian

02-26-2005, 08:41 PM

If your going the mini-van route do yourself a favor and go with a Chrysler Town and Country they are more money but well worth it. They are built better and will run for ever.

Anything with the Chrysler name on it is built with planned accelerated obsolescence....

Every Dodge or Chrysler product I have owned cost me more in 2 years for upkeep and repairs than the Toyota I owned for 10 years.

mmaddog
*******

go bo

02-26-2005, 08:42 PM

You're full of shit. See my earlier post about my 328,000 mile Astrovan. I seriously doubt you've driven very many GM vehicles. I've driven nothing else for 45 years. 90% of all the trucks Chevy ever made are still on the road.i've been real happy with my 95 oldsmobile 88...

bought it new and still driving it...

Mosbonian

02-26-2005, 08:45 PM

All you people suggesting Jap vehicles please list where you work below. Then I can be sure to go buy your product from the Japs.

Considering most everything that my competitors make is already made in Japan, that should be pretty easy.

mmaddog
*******

Deberg_1990

02-26-2005, 08:46 PM

You're full of shit. See my earlier post about my 328,000 mile Astrovan. I seriously doubt you've driven very many GM vehicles. I've driven nothing else for 45 years. 90% of all the trucks Chevy ever made are still on the road.

Hmmmmm.....I wonder why they lose their value so much compared to the Jap cars and Euro cars?? Look at all the consumer guides. Honda, Nissan and Toyota are consistantly rated way ahead of GM and Ford.

Bwana

02-26-2005, 08:49 PM

Hmmmmm.....I wonder why they lose their value so much compared to the Jap cars and Euro cars?? Look at all the consumer guides. Honda, Nissan and Toyota are consistantly rated way ahead of GM and Ford.

True for the most part, but Honda has been having "Issues" with their trannys for a few years now.

Mosbonian

02-26-2005, 09:01 PM

True for the most part, but Honda has been having "Issues" with their trannys for a few years now.

That's why I buy Toyota.....I've had 3 Toyota's in the last 14 years, one Camry i had for 9 years, one i had for 2 years before trading it in for a Tacoma that I have had for 3 years.....

BTW, when I traded the Camry in that I had for 9 years it had 235K miles and never had any trouble with the engine or transmission.

mmaddog
*******

SBK

02-26-2005, 09:17 PM

All you people suggesting Jap vehicles please list where you work below. Then I can be sure to go buy your product from the Japs.

Actually the "JAP" vehicles are now made in the US, while the "US" vehicles are made in Mexico.

SBK

02-26-2005, 09:18 PM

I'd go with the Odyssey, no doubt.

Pitt Gorilla

02-26-2005, 09:21 PM

I'd go with the Odyssey, no doubt.Thanks. I've been looking at them online. They look pretty nice.

KC Jones

02-26-2005, 10:07 PM

Actually the "JAP" vehicles are now made in the US, while the "US" vehicles are made in Mexico.

Not to mention all the partnerships and mergers that have gone on. Can you really consider Chrysler an American company? After all, Daimler Chrysler is a German company just look at the board for proof - http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/dccom/0,,0-5-65183-1-65184-1-0-0-0-0-0-135-7155-0-0-0-0-0-0-0,00.html

Skip is stuck in the 70's or 80's. If we're too bloated and fat in a particular segment, let the competition in so that we can get back to being the lean mean American machine we are meant to be.

svuba

02-27-2005, 12:38 AM

There's no such thing as foreign or domestic cars anymore Skip!......
All Automakers including the big three... I mean two... source parts globally to maintain the lowest possible prices, and many "Japanese" cars are built here while some domestics are not...

For example one car built in Mexico is Chrysler's PT Cruiser.

In fact, the Toyota Avalon has more domestic content than a PT Cruiser—70 percent vs. the PT Cruiser's 61 percent. The Avalon is built at a factory in Kentucky.

Another example...
The 2004 Saturn VUE—the first General Motors Corp. vehicle to be offered with a Honda-built engine—is more "American" than the 2003 VUE that doesn't have the Honda engine. What? How can this be? ..............because the Honda-supplied engine is built in Ohio, and the GM built engines were manufactured overseas..........so I guess that would make you more American by buying the car with the Honda Engine.

svuba

02-27-2005, 12:49 AM

Thanks. I've been looking at them online. They look pretty nice.

I you are getting a 2 year old Honda with low miles you will pay top dollar so it makes sense to just buy a brand new Honda instead,... especially with the new car financing.

If you want to save a lot of money buy a 2 year old Chevy or Chrysler van the resale is not NEARLY as high so you can get more of a bargain.

I just looked up 2 used cars on cars.com:
You could get a 2003 Caravan SE with 25,000 miles for $15,900 or
There was also a 2003 Honda Odyssey EX with 28,000 miles for $27,988

If you buy a Honda it is better to buy new.. Using carsdirect.com you can order a brand spanking new 2005 Honda Odyssey EX for $28,200 or you could get the LX for $25,600. - - No reason to buy a 2 year old Honda.

But what it really comes down to is what feels right to you when you drive it.

Braincase

02-27-2005, 07:51 AM

Ford Excursion. Nothing says, "Get the F*** Outta My Way!" like a F*** Excursion.

H2's say, "Look at me, I make too much money".

Denali's say, "I bought a home entertainment system and built a car around it."

But Excursions... Bwahahahahaha!

gblowfish

02-27-2005, 09:43 AM

I highly recommend the Truckster. Great for family vacations.

Mosbonian

02-27-2005, 09:46 AM

I you are getting a 2 year old Honda with low miles you will pay top dollar so it makes sense to just buy a brand new Honda instead,... especially with the new car financing.

If you want to save a lot of money buy a 2 year old Chevy or Chrysler van the resale is not NEARLY as high so you can get more of a bargain.

I just looked up 2 used cars on cars.com:
You could get a 2003 Caravan SE with 25,000 miles for $15,900 or
There was also a 2003 Honda Odyssey EX with 28,000 miles for $27,988

If you buy a Honda it is better to buy new.. Using carsdirect.com you can order a brand spanking new 2005 Honda Odyssey EX for $28,200 or you could get the LX for $25,600. - - No reason to buy a 2 year old Honda.

But what it really comes down to is what feels right to you when you drive it.

The only comment I would make on the above is that you might spend an additional $10k fixing the Dodge Caravan SE over the first 3 years you own it....and forget Customer Service. You know the Capitol One/David Spade commercials you see on TV.....they were made using the Customer Service Handbook for Chrysler as a guide.

mmaddog
*******