Minivan!

Why fight it? I've got two kids so i'm actually excited about a new minivan. How cool do you think you look in your Porsche Cayanne with two car seats anyway? As a co-worker astutely noted, SUVs are our generations station wagons, so your kids still don't think you're cool. A minivan is comfortable and convenient for a family of 4 (especially with lots of kids stuff), with a lot of cool features.

So we got a Honda Odyssey this weekend, it's sweet! EX w/Leather package in 'Ocean Mist'. The Honda website does a very poor job in terms of showing the colors correctly, you really have to see the cars in person. It only took us a week to look, negotiate, and buy (we hadn't bought a car since '97). It was quite hassel and negotiation free. Just standard comparison and price shopping. Before we started, i would have bought a Toyota Sienna because:

• i thought it looked nicer than the Odyssey
• seemed wider and slightly shorter which hopefully meant it drove 'better'
• it's in the 2nd year of production and usually (the proverbial) 'they' fix some annoying stuff from the first year

However, after test driving it, we changed our minds. For reference, we were comparing the Odyssey EX w/Leather package vs the Sienna XLE FC package, which is pretty much the same price, so it came down to which one you liked better. Both packages do not contain a DVD or a Navigation system (more on this later). Here are some reasons we went with the Odyssey:

• 25 more ponies: 255 vs 230
• slightly better gas mileage with the VCM (Variable Cylinder Management): 28/20 vs 26/19
• seating configurations were easier to manipulate
• felt sportier during test drives, the sienna was smoother but with more roll.
• "plus one seat" means you can seat 8 in a pinch. For the Sienna, you have to buy the lower model LE-8 passenger. this way, both sets of grandparents can show up and we can still get around town in one car.

I would have liked to buy a hybrid minivan, but i just couldn't keep waiting. With 2 kids, our 1997 Camry was getting a little cramped. For the environmentally conscience side of me, at least i got the VCM, it's at worst a symobolic gesture. Practically, it probably will get about the same mileage as the '97 Camry, which is only a 4 cylinder (I'm hoping to keep a close eye on this in the short term at least). The Camry is EPA rated at 23/30, but i get only 23-25 mpg.

We didn't get the dvd and navigation because:

• i can get after market ones for cheaper and better.
• i can get each of the kids their own portable dvd player (no fighting) with money to spare
• the new gps systems are probably better than the one you get with the car since they had to have spec'ed out and tested that a few years before the car made it on the market (my guess).
• it was a showstopper for the wife : )

The main thing your'e giving up is the fact that it's nicely integrated if you got it with the car. I'm willing to give up that feature if it means i can 'nerd-out' to buy the dvd players and nav later. The frugle side of me likes the fact that i'll probably spend less on it. Plus my kids aren't that old yet, so it'd be a few years until i'd need the dvd player and the nav since we won't be taking long road trips for awhile.

We're still playing with the new car and there are still things we're learning about it in terms of usability. My daughter loves it and will want to "go play in the car" for almost an hour at a time. My current favorite things are the sunroof, the auto sliding doors, and the little eco light that come on when the VCM kicks in. The lazy susan is nice too : ).

Oh, in case it isn't obvious this isn't any kind of ad for Honda, i'm getting zilch from them. I've got friends who have a Sienna and swear by it, so i'm sure it's a great car too.