In the past, I would NEVER consider a minivan …

[A.Diva]

so WHY do I all of a sudden NEED a Honda Odyssey after seeing that commercial with the Marshall's in it?

Apparently, I'm just another hopeless victim of the popular culture's marketing machine.

[steamthief]

Minivans have much more utility than any "sport utility vehicle." Then again, any commercial that uses "The Hellion" as the musical soundtrack has nailed my demographic!

I'd get a Sienna over the Odyssey, though, I don't like the exposed door rails on the Honda.

[A.Diva]

Maaaannnn, I'm trying to not buy anything.

Since paying off my car I have vowed to drive it until it's falling apart and I can see pavement through the floorboards. I enjoy not having a payment.

Then that damn commercial came on. Arrgggghhh!

[JacoLesFlea]

Didn't VW do something a few years ago were one of their vehicles came with a built in amp and a guitar and you could park, plug and play? I am almost certain of it. Mabey the honda comes with those marshall stacks...that would be sweet.

[Jim Nazium]

Originally Posted by steamthief

Minivans have much more utility than any "sport utility vehicle."

It's true. Compared to an SUV, a minivan has more cargo room, gets better gas mileage, handles better, accelerates faster, is safer, quieter, and more comfortable. You just have to live with the "soccer mom" image.

Originally Posted by steamthief

Then again, any commercial that uses "The Hellion" as the musical soundtrack has nailed my demographic!

For reals? The Judas Priest song? I haven't seen it, but that is

[hrodbert696]

Honda's been working at changing hte minivan image for a while...Remember hte "Van Gods" from a year or two ago?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A3fSXSxIo0

We got one of these for the practical reasons, though. It doesn't really say rock-n-roll to me, it says enough room for my kids and their friends. On the other hand, with the aggressive look of the front, we christened ours "the Hai." We'd just returned from living in Germany for a year when we bought it, a Hai is a shark.

[steamthief]

Originally Posted by Jim Nazium

It's true. Compared to an SUV, a minivan has more cargo room, gets better gas mileage, handles better, accelerates faster, is safer, quieter, and more comfortable. You just have to live with the "soccer mom" image.

For reals? The Judas Priest song? I haven't seen it, but that is

Yeah, Priest! Here's a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxIiMA1-W70

We had a Sienna in the early part of the decade. My wife hated it, precisely becvause of the soccer mom image. I loved it! Plush leather, sunroof, JBL sound, smooth and quiet ride.

We ended up trading it in on a Nissan Armada, which was the biggest pig on gas I've ever owned. It ended up being lemon-lawed for repeated brake failures.

[TOOL460002]

Originally Posted by Jim Nazium

It's true. Compared to an SUV, a minivan has more cargo room, gets better gas mileage, handles better, accelerates faster, is safer, quieter, and more comfortable.

i disagree with the "accelerates faster" statement, as i vaguely recall just one turbo minivan in the last decade or two.

however, as far as handling goes, every suv i have driven seemed like it would just bounce up and down and the body would lag with respect to the undercarriage. then again i drive a car with very stiff suspension, so maybe thats it.

minivans used to be cool, didnt they? i remember everyone had that dodge/crystler one in the early 90s. im sure the suv cool factor is just a marketing thing that started once the suburban and explorer started to take off, and all the copycats emerged.

[A.Diva]

Okay, none of you are doing a damn thing to talk me out of this craziness.

What would you do, lease or buy?

Leasing has always made me feel weird. I can't relate to paying so much money and not owning anything in the end. But, since my next job will likely have a lower salary, I can't ignore the lower payments that would come with leasing.

What say you?

**heads to kbb.com for trade-in values**

[TOOL460002]

Originally Posted by A.Diva

Okay, none of you are doing a damn thing to talk me out of this craziness.

ok- ill give it a shot...

you have a car that works and your intuition initially said "now you own it, so drive it 'till the wheels fall off." your instincts are correct, and getting into debt knowing you will receive a lower salary in the future is irresponsible and is the mentality that has gotten the states into so much economic trouble.

by purchasing this car you will go bankrupt, thus hurting your bank and all associated financial institutions. you will bring about another bail out, but china will deny our plea for a loan. this ignites a massive war. to fuel our war machines we will need more oil, so we will begin strategic tactical nuclear strikes on all major petroleum producing countries.

venezuela would be an easy target. they are close, and dont have many friends with big guns. we could probably get away with occupying them without nuclear war, but if we did, the fallout would compound the pollution over the gulf of mexico, and probably impact the CO2 scrubbing effects of the amazon. this would cause some degree of global climate change, and the whole gulf of mexico thing would ruin a lot of christmas vacations.

so... youre going to buy a minivan knowing that china, iran, and north korea will be declared national threats, throwing the world into turmoil for years? so selfish...

how was that?

[A.Diva]

Ahhh, thanks Tool460002! That hit the spot.

[hover]

apparently, you need to snack on a Snickers in that minivan, because you're a Diva.

[tplyons]

I actually LOVE the Grand Caravans now... they've come so far and have so many gadgets. The Odysseys and Sienna's are pretty awesome now too.

But, alas, I wouldn't be caught dead driving a minivan. Maybe a man van, but not a minivan.

[OtterOnBass]

I was given a minivan. A well-worn 2000 Dodge with almost 250k. Despite the rusty edges under the back hatch and sliding doors, and the passenger window that gets stuck down, it's a great car. I can haul a ton, it's got a great 6-cylinder engine, the mileage is ok (20), plus it has built in car seats. Not the comfy thrones my kids are used to, but perfectly legal. Best free vehicle I've ever received.

Now, when the passenger window got stuck down, I was embarrassed and had to trash bag it when I parked. That was not fun.

[fdeck]

Years ago, when I drove a full size van, I took a trip to Europe and saw tiny little vans. I said to myself: "I sure wish I could buy a smaller van in the US."

Amusingly, a friend of mine is a soccer mom. She refused to be seen in a soccer mom van, so she bought a Pacifica. Just like all of the other soccer moms.

However, if your minivan has rust holes, then it's no longer a soccer mom van. It's a musician van.

[UnsungZeros]

Just yank off the name plate, slap on enough band/music bumper stickers and give it rad paint job. Now it's a rocking machine!

[unbridled]

You're car's paid for. Keep it, drive it, love it.

Get a nasty old full size van to haul the gear. You'll haul more of it and have more room for when you need to camp out in it after a gig and you've had too much to drink.

Seriously, I am in the "Don't Get a Mini Van" club. My wife keeps making me get them for her and they suck, don't last, are a heck of a lot harder to work on if something breaks, and they really don't do any one thing great. They just do lots of things fair.

Well, I take that back. They haul kids to soccer pretty well...

[dangnewt]

My '02 Toyota Sienna just past 162,000 miles while bringing my son's furniture out to school. I can get over the soccer mom image when I'm getting 25 MPH highway when empty and I don't have to rent a truck to haul furniture. It carries my bass and rig, the drums and PA and mic stands to gigs. Very little trouble with the van in general and the engine purrs.

I'm hoping it lasts another 3.5 years until my youngest graduates from college.

Whoever ends up with it after me, even if it has 200,000 + miles will be getting a comfortable reliable and useful vehicle.

[MakiSupaStar]

I drive a Volkswagon Routan. It's their version of a mini van. It's sweet. It also has a tent that attaches to it.

[73jbass]

I drive a 2006 Town and Country van that has the stow away seats.They fold completely flat with the floorboard. Lots of room for music gear!