Topic: Comparison Test: Minivans

[Autos_Editor]

A five-way minivan shootout seeks to crown the king of the kid-haulers.

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[hemusbull]

What the hell is Mazda5 doing here?

[redman]

The Caravan in it's base model can not be beat. You can't touch anything that comes close to hauling people or stuff for anything near 20K.
That's why the Caravan is N/A best selling mini van. No other van hear is worth over 10K more.
I don't believe the fluff.
Your number one and two winners have both been riled with transmission issues and poor dealer/manufacturer support for the known issue.
Not saying the the Caravan is a better vehicle but for 20K (base model) it can't be beat and the numbers prove it.

[Snowman]

The Caravan in it's base model can not be beat. You can't touch anything that comes close to hauling people or stuff for anything near 20K.
That's why the Caravan is N/A best selling mini van. No other van hear is worth over 10K more.
I don't believe the fluff.
Your number one and two winners have both been riled with transmission issues and poor dealer/manufacturer support for the known issue.
Not saying the the Caravan is a better vehicle but for 20K (base model) it can't be beat and the numbers prove it.

Clearly you have spent much time in these vans. The Odyssey is worth every penny vs. the Caravan.

[tpl]

What the hell is Mazda5 doing here?

It is a minivan. It has 3 rows.  It has sliding side  doors.    That is a minivan.    It happens to be smaller than the behemoths that are called minivans nowadays  but I wonder  how its size compared to the original Chrysler  minivan... intuitively I bet it is close to the same size.


Original Chrysler Dodge Caravan
l 176-190  w 69.5-72  h 64.4-65   NA version from Wiki

Mazda 5
l169-181   w  66-69    h 63-65    Various markets so biggest is probably NA

[Rupert]

   A comparrison for some but not for the objective users of this segment. Why a tricked out crew plus was used is a mystery and the Mazda 5 does not belong in this segment at all...only having one direct competitor in the Rondo.
   The aspect that sells the GC is price at the mid/lower region. OK. I suspect that this is true on the whole but of much more importance is the Stow & Go feature which still remains un-matched by competitors and I think that most purchasers who buy the GC first would realy miss this feature; if switching to any of the other offerings. In this respect the GC is in a class of it's own and probably, above any other consideration, the utility feature is prime here. This feature however does mean that the middle row of seats will have less padding which will mean less comfort value. It can not be avoided. It's up to the purchaser to decide if a reasonable compromise has been reached and if the totally dissappearing seats are never going to be required...then go for the comfort elsewhere. Hopefully any new GC will maintain the ballance in S&G which I suspect is the main purchase feature for the majority. I don't find difficulty in stowing the middle row...you just have to slide the front seat right forward and tilt the seat back. It all works just fine then. All of that being said; a bit of an upgrade in front seat comfort might well be in order.
   I find the dash in the GC to be well laid out and gear shift well positioned for shift on the fly in hilly terain without having to remove your hand from the stearing wheel. Not as good as paddles perhaps but not bad. Never use it except on hills to shift a bit quicker than the automatic might and keep up revs when towing.
   Which brings up another aspect. The GC is best in class in tow rating also with a tow package that the others don't seem to equal. 3,600LB (not to be used without consideration of other applicable load restrictions) with a very smart tow package that includes softer rear springing and Nivomat load levelling shocks. All of which adds up to what I find is a remarkably supple ride..loaded or not and when loaded ride height is maintained at nominal. All done automatically and seamlessly by the Nivomats. Actually this feature and the S&G system sets the GC in a class of it's own and is probably the most versatile vehicle to be had. Hopefully to be maintained in future itterations.
   You would think, considering all of these attributes that the GC would be the equivalent in apearance of the vehicle world of a camel in the animal world...jokingly a horse designed by a comittee. Not so, and to my eye anyway it is the style leader here; notwithstanding the fact that the current style dates back to 2007...give or take a small rev. It is an elegant design now and one that anyone would have been proud to have penned. Perfect for everyone...no, but the answer for most.
   Others here would opt for the low cost version but I would go for the lowest version that comes with S&G or perhaps the lowest that the tow package can be had with and that only takes you to the mid twenties. Handling is just fine.
   I wonder what is in the sport rated suspension of the R/T and also wonder what the ride quality difference is between the tow and non tow package.
   

[dragonfly]

 My eyes!!!!  That dash on the Sienna has burnt my retinas!! Ugh, ugh, ugh....That alone would disqualify this pig..Jack

[whaddaiknow]

A five-way minivan shootout seeks to crown the king of the kid-haulers.
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No surprises in the ranking at all.
The as-tested Caravan represents no value at all, while the base under 20k is all the rage for young families on a tight budget. But to be fair the article is clear about it.
Odyssey Touring is too expensive and the second place finish is quite remarkable given the price difference. The EX, priced almost exactly as the Sienna LE and similarly equipped, would have been placed 1st. Does the Sienna in LE trim come with heated seats? The EX does. Toyota seems to think that heated seats are not all that important in Canada 

Good practical review. A rematch of comparably equipped top 3 would be interesting.

[redman]

Clearly you have spent much time in these vans. The Odyssey is worth every penny vs. the Caravan.

Clearer (Yoda) you did not read my last line or better yet look at what counts....sales figures. Caravan vs well...everyone else combined !!

[Northernridge]

I took a quick look online at the GC Canadian Edition (or some such). It is reasonably equipped and priced at just under $20. Twenty thousand dollars – I think that's great value for a young family (or anyone) on a budget who has come to the conclusion that they need a new minivan. If you're budget is $20k and you want to buy new then it doesn't matter how good the Japanese vans are.

[johngenx]

I think the mini-van market is split three ways:

1. Dodge Caravan Canada-Value Package.  A huge seller thanks to the price.
2. Honda and Toyota: Rivals that duke it out.
3. Everyone and everything else.

One of my climbing chums has a Sienna XLE AWD, and I would compare it to a private jet for traveling.  It's massive inside, easily taking us and skis and gear.  Seating is awesome, comfy no matter where you're sitting.  The ride is soft and comfortable, making the trip to the mountains easy.  The V-6 pulls hard making climbs up passes no brainers and passing is stress free.  Sadly, we don't often take his van as he has three little ones, so his missus needs it at home to haul the kids around.

If I were needing a mini-van (not so mini anymore, are they?) I'd shop for a used Sienna AWD.  It uses the full time AWD system as per the Highlander (odd how the RAV uses slip/grip and Sienna uses full time) and though lacking in the ground clearance of an SUV, can still get down some pretty poor roads when needed.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

So the Toyota wins on price but the cheapest "full size" minivan wasn't in the test. Well, ok then.

Price independent, my favourite is still the Quest. Price dependent, the Caravan can't be beat.

[Jaeger]

What the hell is Mazda5 doing here?

Beating out the Caravan?

[Northernridge]

The 5 is a worthy inclusion because it's a good example of an attempt to shake up the category.

[Snowman]

Clearly you have spent much time in these vans. The Odyssey is worth every penny vs. the Caravan.

Clearer (Yoda) you did not read my last line or better yet look at what counts....sales figures. Caravan vs well...everyone else combined !!

Sales figures are not an indicator of quality and have zero influence on people seeking it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dirtyjeffer]

i have 5 friends who have mini-vans...2 have GC and 3 have Siennas...the vehicles range in age from 1-6 years old...my one friend with an older Sienna (about 4 years old now) was actually why the other two bought theirs (about 1 and 2 years old now)...my one friend's GC is about 6 years old and it is what it is...my other friend bought his about 2 years ago and while "it is what it is" for him, he said it felt like it was 5 years old after 6 months...the trims on all models is low/mid, so nothing top of the line there...if i were in the market for a mini-van, the Sienna would likely be my choice as well.

[Rupert]

Sales figures are an indicator of quality of concept regardless of price. You can't compare a profesional concept with an attack of the jaggies. As stated ....landslide...

[dirtyjeffer]

The 5 is a worthy inclusion because it's a good example of an attempt to shake up the category.

i think the 5 is worth putting in there...there are likely many people who need a "mini-van", but don't necessarily want the Super Sized version many now are...the 5 is similar in size to the first gen Caravan...it looks like the 5 is a good choice for someone who needs more cargo capacity than sedan, but doesn't want to step up to a bus...my friend bought a new 5 about 4 years ago and loves it...he needed more room than a car, but didn't need something as large a standard mini-van and wanted the better driving characteristics and fuel economy afforded by the 5.

[tpl]

The 5 is a worthy inclusion because it's a good example of an attempt to shake up the category.

Or, if you like, take the category back to its roots in the '80s    MINI vans.

[Rupert]

   Take 'Stow & Go' and a great 'Tow Package' away and what you have left is every other offering here excapt the juvenile. The Caravan is clearly in a category above this. On it's own in fact.
   It is not denigrating to think of the 5 in another smaller category of two and the competition there seems to think that sliding doors are not important. I suspect that this is not the case.
   Mazda had another van which I can not think of the name of at the moment...MPV or something and that compared to the then minivans. Even then the MPV was a little smaller than the short wheel base competition and the 5 is smaller than the MPV.