SUV or MINIVAN?

dogooder

dogooder

Well-known member
Thinking of taking a cross country trip for a month or two and buying another vehicle. Between 5k and 12k. Don't know much about their stats, mileage/quality/dependability etc. I won't buy anything made by GM, MOPAR or FORD. After a cursory look I see the minivans get as good or better mileage as the SUVs and have more room. I won't touch a RAV4 due to their transmission history, not sure of the Sienna. I don't want any suggestions, opinions etc, but then again I never lie. Worst comes to worst, if I don't like the vehicle or don't want it I will just sell it upon returning home. I have the corolla but that is a bit cramped although its gas mileage is far superior to anything I have looked at so far. One of these next sunny days I am going to hit the car lots.
 
dogooder said:
I don't want any suggestions, opinions etc,...
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Liar.
You could always rent but assuming you don't mind keeping it after the trip the question becomes how does it fit the rest of your life(style)? Up here in snow country I swear by Subaru Outback. I'm on my third. Plenty of room, all wheel drive and the gas mileage is getting better. Reliability is good as well. Got a bigger budget? Porsche Cayenne - there is no comparison.
 
Sorry missed the 5k - 12k bit. Is that yer budget? Rent. I wouldn't trust anything I could buy for that to get me cross country without the same amount in repairs on the way. This is 2024 where POS beaters run $5k and anything worth owning starts at $20k.
 
Sky Blue Lou said:
Liar.
You could always rent but assuming you don't mind keeping it after the trip the question becomes how does it fit the rest of your life(style)? Up here in snow country I swear by Subaru Outback. I'm on my third. Plenty of room, all wheel drive and the gas mileage is getting better. Reliability is good as well. Got a bigger budget? Porsche Cayenne - there is no comparison.
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Outback is too small, I did consider one. Renting is just throwing my money away. I can always sell and recoup and if I had a good deal maybe break even or make a couple of bucks. That's the way I look at it. I have the cash to just go something one between 5k and 12k
 
Serendipity Records said:
Might you consider a small used RV? It would cost a bit more initially but you would save on hotels. Unless you're tenting?
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The wife is 77 and we are not tenting lol. Something big enough that if the third seat is down you could get some sleep. We will be doing hotels or whatever, i will probably pack a tent just in case. We don't have much longer to go, we don't have big bucks but have the bucks to pull it off for a month or so. I started looking at full size vans again like G20, even though its GM, gas is more but the room is sleepable. We are not going to get to Europe which would be nice, so...WHY NOT
 
I have to ask the wife if she thinks she can still drive a big van. I have owned two in the past that she drove them and they were manuals. It took me awhile to convince her to drive across country rather than fly and rent a car. I don't want the deadlines of air travel and car rentals and have to be somewhere at such and such a time.
 
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What I really need to know is what to stay away from and why, like the Toyota RAV4s transmission reputation.
 
Look at lease - return package vans from Amazon and such. Good maintenance for high miles but that's the key right? Take care of anything, it'll last forever. Ford Transit is probably the cheapest. Made in Spain IIRC. Mercedes is the best but probably a bit pricey. Stay away from Dodge/RAM.
 
There are some nice Mini vans. Or a full size SUV that the seats fold down, like an Edge or Explorer size (I am a Ford guy, so this is mentioned just for comparison). Get you an air mattress and a plug in pump and you could technically sleep in that. Get a hotel every other night. "We'll keep the lights on"
 
Sky Blue Lou said:
Look at lease - return package vans from Amazon and such. Good maintenance for high miles but that's the key right? Take care of anything, it'll last forever. Ford Transit is probably the cheapest. Made in Spain IIRC. Mercedes is the best but probably a bit pricey. Stay away from Dodge/RAM.
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I won't go near a MOPAR since the 1997 Stratus, one of the worst cars I have ever driven. Who makes the Edge?
 
Sky Blue Lou said:
Look at lease - return package vans from Amazon and such. Good maintenance for high miles but that's the key right? Take care of anything, it'll last forever. Ford Transit is probably the cheapest. Made in Spain IIRC. Mercedes is the best but probably a bit pricey. Stay away from Dodge/RAM.
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I don't lease, just throwing away money. Anything goes wrong your stuck for it anyway. Renting a van for a month probably would cost me more than buying something. If the engine or tranny goes I have to replace it and give it back, no thanks.
 
dogooder said:
I don't lease, just throwing away money. Anything goes wrong your stuck for it anyway. Renting a van for a month probably would cost me more than buying something.
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I worded that poorly. I meant vans that had been turned in by package companies at the end of their lease. Likely to be very high mileage but also very well maintained.
 
Sky Blue Lou said:
I worded that poorly. I meant vans that had been turned in by package companies at the end of their lease. Likely to be very high mileage but also very well maintained.
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Or, beat to death because the drivers didn't own them and didn't give a chit.
 
DM60 said:
There are some nice Mini vans. Or a full size SUV that the seats fold down, like an Edge or Explorer size (I am a Ford guy, so this is mentioned just for comparison). Get you an air mattress and a plug in pump and you could technically sleep in that. Get a hotel every other night. "We'll keep the lights on"
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I would consider a larger Ford van but I already have almost two of everything for a Chevy G20 or 30 circa 90s van. 7 tires and rims, 9 doors, two distributors, two water pumps, two A/C compressors, a 350 motor and tranny, etc. I have at least one of everything on one van and had stripped another. The van I have is not road worthy at this time and not worth putting money into. Way too much body work, but everything in and on it works. Then I have all the spare parts from the van I stripped, doors, tires, engine parts, interior parts, dashboard, motor covers, front end etc.
 
Sky Blue Lou said:
That is always a risk. Gotta check em out. The fewer creaks and rattles the better.
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Check the windshield, see how windblown it is, check the rubber on the pedals for how much wear etc. Check dash and everything in it for missing screws. I have seen instrument clusters switched out to show a lower mileage. I have three of them for the G20 vans lol.
 
RFR said:
I vote Minivan
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I have given it some thought but then again it is a newer GM. I don't know if I could trust them, would have to look into it. Love that movie by the way. Found it way better than Pulp Fiction. I am not into blood and gore, more for the comedic side and get shorty was pretty damn funny.
 
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