Help! We need a mini-van - are these worth the money?

[Mom2Adam]

We really need a vehicle that is bigger than what we have (and more reliable) - I have a 93 camry that is really falling apart - paint is peeling off, there are various engine etc leakage spots...just not a safe vehicle for us...and we are expecting #3 in Jan.

We also live rurally and most of our shopping/homeschooling etc is at least 30 miles away! So a comfortable ride for the family is in order.

We have about 8,000 that we could spend. We do NOT want to finance.

On Craigslist I am seeing 2002/2003 Toyota Siennas or Honda Odysseys for about 8,000 - but they have around 100K miles on them. Most ads say they were garage kept and have been dealer maintained (with records) - this seems like a great deal to me...I love the idea of a quality vehicle - but is the mileage too high for the price? How should I consider future maintenance costs? We have very little available for major repairs.

The past two years we've had major Camry repairs to the tune of $1,000 or so each time (2 -3 times) and now we need brakes, and some CVS Boot? stuff done? Ai. Ai. Ai.

Any feedback would be excellent.

Traci

[ollineeba]

Honestly, that mileage is really high. I wouldn't spend that much on a vehicle with that many miles.
At 100,00 miles you're typically entering the time period where some repair costs should be expected & budgeted for. I know Hondas & Toyotas are top of the line, we just didn't have the money to buy new-ish outright and didn't want something with high mileage.

ETA: Also check to see how long those vehicles have been for sale. The owners might be willing to take less.
And, of course, kelly blue book (you can see if those prices are in the right ballpark for the condition they are in).

[holidaymama]

I don't agree with the previous poster. I would buy a vehicle with 100K in a heart beat and we have twice...and we still have both vehicles!

My husband bought a 1994 Chevy lumina four door in the spring of 2002...it was only 4K, but this was also 7 years ago almost! It has been a good car and it had 140K when we bought it...it's close to 200K now. We are saving for a car considering this isn't going to make it forever!

Our "new" car is a 2001 Pontiac Boneville that we purchased in the spring of 2005. It had 100K and they wanted 8500 for it...we bought it for 7500. When we bought it, we had to put new tires and a new windshield on...so it ended up about 8200. It's been a great car.

We have had to do standard things on it and replace some but even a brand new car is going to have "some" issues...and you are usually making a car payment.

We are lucky in that my FIL is a mechanic and my husband has been able to learn a lot...we also have a mechanically savvy neighbor that has helped a lot too.

Anyway, my point is that you will find a GREAT vehicle for 8K with 100K miles. Especially a Toyota or Honda...I bet you can get 3-400K miles on those. My hubby's first car was a oldsmobile something or nother and had 368,000miles on it before he got the car he has now.

Those two minivans also have decent mpgs for minivans. or for vehicles in general. I would just have someone check it out before you purchase...even if you have to pay a couple of hundred bucks for a full look, it's probably worth it with that big of a purchase.

[Valian]

Arrgh. My first post was eaten, so here is the shorter version.

One year ago we were in your shoes. We bought a 2001 Toyota Sienna with over 120K miles from a dealer for $6K. We are very, very happy with this car. Drives well, decent mileage, feel very safe, super comfortable, hauls everything we need to transport. An adult often rides in the back seat with Ds and its far more comfortable than our previous car.

Most Honda/Toyota vans will get you to 200k, and beyond 150k before needing major repairs. In the past 11 months, we have done lots of city driving and took a few long road trips, the first more than 2k miles and mountain driving. We replaced the battery and that has been the only cost other than maintenance (oil change, air filters). I expect that between 150k and 175k we'll need to do more work (belts, brakes, hoses, etc). We bought this car expecting to drive it for 80k miles OR 4-5 years, at the very least. Our plan is to buy another 100k+ mile Honda/Toyota or Subaru after that.

100k miles is a big psychological barrier for many car owners and car buyers which is the main reason that the prices start to drop. I am quite content to pay less and drive cars for their second 100k miles. I may have more repairs, but then again, many of the major problems with a car will be caught in the first 60k miles and fixed then.

The two main reasons a car needs repairs is because of use (which is revealed by mileage) and age (year of manufacture). Getting a newer car with high miles is very smilar to buying an older car with fewer miles. I am guessing your Camery is having problems for both reasons now. BTW, our other car is a 1997 and I expect it will last a few more years too.

ETA: Do NOT buy a Toyota Previa, that is the minivan model before a Sienna. It does NOT have a good safety track record.

[CarrieMF]

I'd go cheaper & get another Camry. Depending on the seats you have you can get 3 carseats in the back. The newer(2001+ newer) models are slightly bigger than the 2000's & older.

[ChattyCat]

I'd buy a honda or toyota with 100K miles, if it's been well taken care of. I'd look at consumer reports to make sure and get a model year that was highly reliable. I know that the 04 Odessey's are really good. A well taken care of honda or toyota should get to 200K easily.

[FondestBianca]

i know the honda is awesome. I want one... but, I want to wait until dh and I can afford the new body style that came out in 06'. It's gonna be awhile... a long while. Dh used to work in service at honda and said they never saw any problems with the odyssey aside from the power side door regulators going out. he said he honestly cant remember one coming in for anything besides routine maintenence and typical things like, brakes, batteries, and such (he worked there for 3 years).

I'm not against any brands just because of their brand alone... that being said, I would not personally buy any vans other than the honda, and an 02 or newer nissan or mazda. People can tell me all the great things they want about vans like the dodge or crystler but, I wouldn't even bother looking personally.

Just make sure you're moving up from whatever you have now. If you think you'll need another car 2 years down the road to replace the van (for whatever reason, too old, too many miles, whatever) then wait until you can afford something that you'll be happy with for 4 years plus at least. If your car is on it's way out then just go for it.

oh and, as far as 100,00 miles goes. i guess it depends on yoru comfort level. is that quite a bit less than the miles you have on yoru car? My current car, an 02 mazda pro5 will roll over the 100,000 mile mark within the week. If I were to sell it today the person who bought it would be getting one of the most reliable cars you can imagine. It's been an awesome car, no problems, issues, repairs needed. I service it on time every time and don't cheap out on gas or replacement parts. When I do sell it, whenever that may be, the person buying it is a lucky duck. At 100,000 miles you just have to worry about how well the car was tended to over it's life. If it was serviced when it should have been then, no biggie. If not, well, you never know reguardless of what kind of car it is. I own an 84 Audi that I flat out refuse to sell because it's just such a good car. Sure, the AC is broken, power windows don't work, and the paint looks pretty terrible BUT, it has 3/4 of a million miles and there isn't a darn thing wrong with it. My mom drives it every day to and from work and it runs great. I'd feel plenty secure driving it aross the state. It all comes down to how a car was cared for and if the owners paid attention to sounds, smells, and such. If it has records then you're even safer.

if people would quit buying the cheapest gas in town we wouldn't have to worry as much about higher milliage cars. grrrrr.

[rubelin]

I had a '98 Odyssey (old style that was more like a giant sedan) that was close to 100K when it was wrecked and was still driving great, despite being utterly ignored mechanically for almost 4 years. I now have an '05 which is the new body type that I got overcharged for but it's a certified used with a 10 yr warranty, which is why I paid more) I also had an '86 accord that just would not die. Hondas are really great and, though they need more parts replaced as they get older, I would never question getting one, especially from someone who's taken good care of it.

[Live~Laugh~Love]

I have a 99 windstar and LOVE it sooo much. It is sooo nice. We keep the back seats out a lot for soo much added room. It is the best. I love it.

I have a ford Taurus, they are roomy in the hind end too, easily fit 3 car seats.

cant wait to find out what ya get

[WC_hapamama]

Originally Posted by ChattyCat

I'd buy a honda or toyota with 100K miles, if it's been well taken care of. I'd look at consumer reports to make sure and get a model year that was highly reliable. I know that the 04 Odessey's are really good. A well taken care of honda or toyota should get to 200K easily.

Most Hondas and Toyotas don't need major work until 150-200k miles, provided you maintain them properly.

[Irishmommy]

I have a 2001 Pontiac Montana that we bought new. Never any problems at all. I have no idea what it is worth now (it has about 105,000 on it), but we are planning on driving it for at least 3-4 more years. It's been a great vehicle.

And when looking at used, 20,000 per year mileage isn't bad, so for a 2002/3 with 100,000, that's about average.

[Usually Curious]

100k is not bad for a honda or toyota at all.

[Mama2Kayla]

We purchased an used Odyssey last year with 113,000 miles. I was very hesitant, but in the end I am glad we did. We bought the car from a small local dealer who replaced the timing belt and put on new breaks, tires, and belts. He also offered a 6m/6000mi warrenty which was the best we found from anyone on a used car. The car only had one previous owner who bought it from the local honda dealer and kept up very well with the maintenance.

So far, the car has been wonderful and we haven't had a single problem with it. I say go for it.

[1growingsprout]

Do you really 'need' a mini van. We didnt upgrade with child #3 and managed fine with a 4 door sedan. We have an odyssey and while i love it, the mileage is less then a car. With costs continuing to rise i find myself taking DH's car with 2-3 kids whenever possible and letting the 'big van' sit.

Dont just assume 3 kids equals a mini-van. The never style Camry can fit 3 carseats w/o a problem and the trunk can hold a double stroller along w. groceries etc...

[straighthaircurly]

100,000K is not even middle aged for a Toyota that has had regular maintenance and service. However, all minivans have a tendency to have transmission problems so plan a savings system into your monthly budget in case it happens to you.

If you have $8000 to spend, find a listing that is just below that, then take it to a good mechanic who knows the particular make really well (if you need hints on how to find a good one PM me) and have a thorough inspection done. Have them do estimates for any repairs that are needed and then bargain down the price accordingly. We run a repair shop and this is one of our specialties. A good inspection is worth its weight in gold. There is nothing worse than buying a car and then finding out in 3 months that it needs some expensive repairs. Mechnics can't predict everything but they can predict a lot. Never take the sellers word because even though most sellers are honest they often are unaware of pending problems on their car. Past records are very useful and pay specific attention to oil change intervals. Don't buy anything that has intervals longer than 4500-5000 miles between engine oil changes.

[Masel]

I am fond of buying used cars but just this weekend some friends who were looking for a van ended up getting a new one. They said that the dealership was so ready to sell soemthing that the new van ended up being just 1k more than the 3 year old used one they had been looking at. They were getting a Grand Caravan but a one of the smaller minivan might get closer to your price range.
Just a thought.

Have you checked out www.cars.com to see if they officered price is close to blue book values? You can also see if that particular model has a history of issues.

[sbgrace]

We have a 2001 Honda Odyssey. We're on the third transmission--the first lasted maybe 110,000 miles. Since then it has been horrific. We're at 130,000 miles now and yet another transmission replacement. If I had known the transmission history I would have done another vehicle. Odyssey transmissions in the age range you mention have transmission problems. I don't know about the Toyotas....look into it first. But I've got friends who have had multiple transmission rebuilds or replacements in vans. Every time you're talking 2,000 for a rebuild and more for a replace.

We're going to get a Kia next but have to save the money.

[leavemealone]

We had an 04 Odyssey on lease that we never had any major problems with. There were some weird little issues, both nothing major mechanically. We had about 65,000 miles on it when we turned it in and we did almost no maintenence on it while we had it and it still ran great. I've driven one with over 100,000 miles on it and it drove just as well as the newer ones I've drive. We're in the market for a van soon and drove a Sienna with about 80,000 miles on it and it was still great. I'd say as long as it checks out with an indepedent mechanic, it should be good for a while, but it probably does depend on how much you plan to drive it.

[Fuamami]

You may be able to get a Dodge, Chevy or Ford a lot cheaper and with less miles. And while it might not be quite as reliable, repairs will be much cheaper.

[WC_hapamama]

Originally Posted by Fuamami

You may be able to get a Dodge, Chevy or Ford a lot cheaper and with less miles. And while it might not be quite as reliable, repairs will be much cheaper.

Repairs on the Chrysler minivans may be cheaper, but they're more frequent.