Hey Scotty, I've been looking at getting a minivan (as our kids have gotten bigger and we have to haul more stuff around), but am torn on which route to go with reliability. I heard the Honda Odyssey has transmission issues, you recently mentioned the problems with the Toyota Sienna hybrid rear motor, and Chrysler is.... well, its Chrysler. Should I consider looking into an SUV (not a crossover) as an alternative? I'd rather have reliability over bells and whistles.
Thank ya kindly,
William
How many years and miles do you need it to last you?
The non-bybrid Sienna vans can go a LONG time if well maintained.
Unfortunately they have been discontinued so if he is going brand new then that is not an option.
Sienna is the best.
If you are buying used then the non hybrid Sienna is by far the best. If you are going brand new then it gets tricky. Unfortunately the Sienna is hybrid only now. It is still good but when hybrids get old they get expensive. The Odyssey doesn't have the transmission issues it once had. In the past Honda was making the Odyssey transmissions themselves, but now they are supplied by ZF. Now that the Sienna is hybrid only the Odyssey might be worth considering. If that is too much of a gamble for you there is always the SUV option such as a Highlander, Rav4, CRV, or a Forester. A third option would be a cargo van as they make passenger versions of cargo vans such as the Transit, Transit Connect, Express and Savana. Or if you are going used you can't beat an Econoline.
There is no clear line between a minivan, an SUV, and a station wagon. Unless you want to say a sliding door is a minivan (but otherwise size and shape and function overlap quite a bit).
if you want reliability, I’d look at a nonhybrid Highlander. It doesn’t have a sliding door, but other than that, it’s a minivan. And a darn good one. Or a Honda Pilot, same diff.
Ps: welcome new person!
Get the Toyota Sienna, model year 2016 or earlier model years that don’t have the 8-speed automatic transmission.
Regarding the Honda Odyssey, it has the 3.5L V6 engine with cylinder deactivation (or what Honda calls VCM) and over time can potentially wear out/damage your engine. Plus the engine is direct injection only and therefore susceptible to carbon buildup on the back of the intake valves over time - more maintenance and cost you don’t need. Additionally, it has the ZF designed 9-speed AT (for model years 2018-2019) with the Honda designed 10-speed AT standard in 2020 and for longevity I would stick to fewer transmission gears (all else being equal the less the gears the less complex and usually fewer, if any, issues). Jury is still out on the longevity of those transmissions.