Buying a vehicle (Minivan specifically)

Exactly, modern suvs are about useless. Minivans are killer utility vehicles. Some guys aren't secure enough with themselves to drive one. Bless their hearts. Ah well, someone has to buy lift kits for trucks to commute with I suppose.

 

As mentioned elsewhere, back row folds beneath the floor to leave it flat in about thirty seconds. Mine has the captains chairs in the second row. They sorta fold upright and slide forward in about thirty seconds to give me a little over 6 feet to the back of them, plus a little over 8 feet through the middle. The captains chairs pop out pretty fast as well. Just slide them forward and lift a lever. They weigh about 75 pounds. Managable for me, don't think my GF could do it though.

I'm pondering removing the third row outright, as there is a huge well down there when they are vertical. I'll play with it for a few weeks to see if I really want to build a floor/lid that can lift to be able to use it like that though. There are occasional times when I might want the third row to be easily accessible. My idea with the floor with L-track is that it would just slide out the back and go in the garage if I wanted to use the third row.

The aftermarket is growing on them as well. Not going to ever take it rock crawling, but there are decent AT tires in stock sizes and 2-3.5 inch lift options available now. I'm waiting for next spring when I start camping again to see if I actually get hung up anywhere before going that route. I'm mostly just going down fireroads so I think stock height may be fine after I ditch the runflats. They don't have a pumpkin hanging down below them so nothing really to snag. There is actually a Sienna AWD group on FB with everyone going nuts on them.

 

Au contraire!

My fucking Honda Pilot has 8-passenger seating, class III receiver, 4WD, roof rack I can haul the canoe on, dragged a fiddy and three bicycles on the hitch back from Oh Hi Hoe with it, pulled 21MPG, has the DVD entertainment system so the spawn are entertained on trips, and gets all the soccer moms moist when they see me rollin’.

Your minivan? Pfft. Do some core exercises so you can lift your ass up high enough to get into something decent.

 

Please, the soccer moms only get moist when you have dual power sliding doors. Everyone knows this.

 

You obviously never had a suburban. Mormons are all about big familys, standard kid pool is 5 kids. They all use burbs, aka mormon assault vehicles. I bought a old used one for a lake and camping truck and have been daily driving it for a couple months while I work on my pickup. Its awesome with kids. No need for vans.

 

Really? Hmm, minivans everywhere around me.
But you seem to be the authoritative source.

Two kids, no SUVs or minivans for me.

 

You must be a stoicism follower.

 

They get moist when they’re stuck in the ditch and I go barrel-assing by them with my Bubba-SUV, too.

 

Does it have a low floor? Can a 3 year old get in on their own? Can you open the door from 1/2 a block a way so they can get in while your hand are full of bags? Can you open the rear doors fully when parked at the shopping lot?

My guess is no.

~sent from mobile

 

Only soccer moms drive SUVs now. They think it portrays a cooler image. So minivans are really the new ManVans...so welcome to driving the same vehicles with the soccer moms..



~sent from mobile

 

Soy-boi!

 

They get more moist when you stop and help them outta the ditch, sure are appreciative!

 

Tears don't count.

 

I bet you don't even have an intercom for yelling at the kids without turning your head!

 

Tears of joy

 

I just turn my hearing aids down and drive in blissful ignorance of the bloodbath going on behind me.

 

my wife says she'd rather drive a hatchback, an old truck or a YUGO before she drives a minivan.
i'd be ok with a Pacifica or the like, or go old school and get a VW multivan VR6

 

Well, God damn! Anyone need a good deal on a Corvette? It adds two inches to both your height and your penis, and allows you to bench double your body weight.

 

Just vagina up and say you drive a minivan because it makes sense to your brain. They make sense if you haul a bunch of snot bubblers and all their shit. Gonna haul a pack of booger eaters 5 states over for a week with grand ma? Minivan!

Sure as f@ck doesn't make sense with your heart and balls.

Gonna haul ass 5 states over, running from your current life, wife and the turd producer strife? Alfa Romeo giulia quadrifoglio!

 

@Robby-Bobby - to your original question about movement on the Minivan you linked... No idea if all dealers are the same but twice I have returned leased vehicles to my local dealer (both SUV's priced similar to the minivan) and both times the dealer, Mazda in my case, paid me for the return and then added $4,500 onto that amount for their advertised sell price on the lot a few days later.

Gave me $24,000 - listed for $28,498 currently on my loaded 2017 CX-5.

After dealer fee's, detailing, and servicing, say $1,000ish tops, I'd guess that leaves $2000-$2,500 wiggle room while still being profitable? I'd imagine your specific vehicle might be similar but often dealers overpay for trade-ins to ensure a high margin sale on the new vehicle and even though they make out well on the new car sale they still get married to that number they overpaid for on the trade in.

Also - sidebar - 5 of us flew to the COTA MotoGP race 3 years ago and rented a Town & Country Minivan - it was effin' awesome - we all (40yr old+ dudes) raved about it and when I suggested it to my wife at the next time she wanted something shiny and new I got a death stare, hard pass.
My first track hauler was a Chevy Venture - held all my gear, parts, genny, bike, and sleeping stuff like air mattress - perfect broke ass guy track vehicle - just had to remove the bikes windscreen to get it in the van.