Vans(minivans)!

  • Thread starter Thread starter VIPFREAK
  • 31 comments
  • 1,371 views
VIPFREAK

VIPFREAK

(Banned)
Messages
8,961
I don't know about you all but I think Vans are underrated they can be great cruziers and are versital(sp?). Anyways, this is more of a general talk so talk about anything. Don't forget pics too.

For me I've always liked Toyota vans or the VW vans because they are unique. I see a lot of pic from Japan featuring nice looking vans like the previa below. Got any pics of stuff like that post it.

Nick 👍

97previa_p.jpg


What it could be...

ToplineFrtAngle2.jpg


Old school

00I6C122903532A.jpeg
 
I love mini vans, and I have no Idea why. The two I like the most are the Ford AeroStar and the Old-school VW van. I plan to buy both when I get rich ;) That Toyota one looks nice though

Aerostar after I'm done with it :)
352256_89.jpg
 
Wait - a general thread being started by someone other than JohnBM01? Nah - I won't allow it.

Incidentally, of the four vans mentioned already, all four of them suck. :p
 
I don't know if it is the average minivan driver I hate or the actual minivan, but something about them I hate.

But if I hate something, that's an indication that it's great. Just remember that.
 
Heh... I discovered an old AutoWeek relic (April 10, 1989) with the Lumina/Trans Sport/Silhouette APV's. They were 'the rage'. Also, featured, there was the beginning of a joint Ford/Nissan venture that would eventually become the 1st gen's Mercury Villager and Nissan Quest.

Normally I'd shoot myself before admitting I like any Ford (save the '73 Mustang Mach I and '84 Mustang SVO) but since I'm regularly transported to school in these things, the Freestar ownz.
04-freestar-hero.jpg

Interior Space, interior space, and, oh yeah, did I mention interior space? Nothing beats roominess when you and 3 other schoolmates + gear + driver are crammed into a minivan :D
 
Here's a van that I used to be carted to and from school with unfortunately it was not ours. I loved the seats, flexibilty of arangement and space.
Vanagon
 
Aah, the Minibus/Vanagon/EuroVan. Who can foget that relic of an era of American Hippies?

Unfortunately modern Eurovans are expensive, hence fleets around here don't buy 'em. They'd rather save $10k on a Sienna, Oddessey, Caravan, Freestar or Venture.
 
If you want to see a cool, minivan checks out the JDM Honda Odyssey. The best-looking van ever is the JDM Honda Odyssey. There are difference between our USDM and JDM Odyssey. The styling definitely goes to the Japanese’s Odyssey.

If I would to get a minivan, it would most likely be a Honda. They make some great minivans! Not only the Odyssey but also the Stream and the Honda Elysion, which we don’t get in the United States.

Beside the Odyssey, if I would have to settle for one van, it would be either the Nissan Quest or the Toyota Sienna.

Check out pictures of these Honda’s!

JDM Odyssey

photo01.jpg

photo02.jpg

photo03.jpg

photo04.jpg

photo06.jpg

photo07.jpg


More at http://www.honda.co.jp/auto-lineup/odyssey/photo-lib/index.html

JDM Stream

photo01.jpg

photo03.jpg

photo05.jpg

photo06.jpg

photo07.jpg

photo11.jpg


More at http://www.honda.co.jp/auto-lineup/stream/photo-lib/index.html

JDM Elysion

photo02.jpg

photo03.jpg

photo04.jpg

photo05.jpg

photo06.jpg

photo07.jpg

photo08.jpg
photo09.jpg
 
Honestly what's so great about the freestar? They've gone around advertising like there mini van is "revolutionary" and has all these new features when it is so not. Speaking of features I'm impressed with the "Stow N' Go" feature of Dodge's Caravan.
 
Firebird
If you've never driven one count yourself among the fortunate.
Click to expand...

Hey - there were a lot of minivans worse than the original Lumina APV (though the Lumina APV is the only one I refer to as the "Seven-Billion Dollar Mistake"). What about the current Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari? The Isuzu Oasis? And of course, the Nissan Serena diesel, worst van ever.

VipFREAK
Honestly what's so great about the freestar? They've gone around advertising like there mini van is "revolutionary" and has all these new features when it is so not.
Click to expand...

The new Ford Freestar and slightly upscale twin Mercury Monterey are absolute trash and the worst newly-released minivans of all time. These things take up right where the Aerostar - not the Windstar - left off. Completely awful in every respect.
 
VipFREAK
Honestly what's so great about the freestar? They've gone around advertising like there mini van is "revolutionary" and has all these new features when it is so not. Speaking of features I'm impressed with the "Stow N' Go" feature of Dodge's Caravan.
Click to expand...
When you're 6' 2" and have the front seat slid half way up, the more space the better... and that's where the cursed Blue Oval crushes Chrysler Corporation. I, of all people should know, having spent the last 9 years of my (school transportation) life in these.

BTW those 'JDM' (what's that?) minivans should be here, they pretty much own the Quest, ChryCorps, FordVans, GMVans, Oddessey, Sienna, Sedona and MPV. (that's it, right? Did I miss one?)
 
JDM means Japanese Domestic Market. Meaning it’s only available in its home market, Japan.

I wish these cars were available in North America, and then the Minivans would not be as underrated as it is at this moment.

I do have two minivans before both Nissan Quest. A 1995 Quest (wrecked) and 2001 Quest (current). We use it to carry stuff, and give people rides from point A to point B.

I am not saying the Quest is greats, because both are boring and bland, and they are not fast. Moreover, I am not expecting them too. However, they could use more power, which was done in 2004. Now it has 240hp, which is great. They even made it look better than it ever did. Although that is mainly my opinion.
.
 
From what I've heard, the FreeStar already has huge rebates and discounts because it doesn't sell worth a damn, after all, it's merely a re-named, half-ass reworked Winstar.
And I have driven the Lumina van, or the equivilent, luckily it was only for a short time, but even just driving it in the parking lot it just screamed crappy.

Has anyone driven the '04 MPV? I have. They rule, they handle great. I'm not a minivan lover, but I have fun driving MPVs. I 'lightly' autocrossed one at my dealership several weeks back, and was amazed that even in tire-limit cornering the van stays relatively flat, probably less body roll than my 323. It also is pretty quick, has a great engine tone, and is a very comfortable drive. The '04 model adds to the MPV 17" 5 spoke wheels(only on the ES, they are great looking wheels, the 16" 5 split-spoke wheels are great too), very nice headlights and front air dam, tail lights, and other various touches. Even the St. Louis Post Dispatch today had an article on the MPV with the headline of "Nimble little minivan prizes sporty and cool over bulky and powerful", also stating "MPV feels light on its feet and eager to respond to driver's imput".
And it does look damn cool:
pho_veh_gallery_MP2_exterior01_lg.jpg

pho_veh_gallery_MP2_exterior05_lg.jpg

pho_veh_gallery_MP2_interior00_lg.jpg


Also cool is the Mazda Premacy, based on the 3rd gen('98-03) Protege platform:
uk_wallpaper4_800.jpg


Ofcourse, our '92 MPV V6 is just great. Over 100,000 miles and 100% problem free.
 
Victor Vance
BTW those 'JDM' (what's that?) minivans should be here, they pretty much own the Quest, ChryCorps, FordVans, GMVans, Oddessey, Sienna, Sedona and MPV. (that's it, right? Did I miss one?)
Click to expand...

JDM = Japanese Domestic Market. Though that's not a good application of the acronym here because the vans in question are sold all over the place. And none of the mentioned world-market vans would be any better than our vans for our tastes.

Second-row rear leg room statistics for minivans:
41.3" = Nissan Quest
40.0" = Honda Odyssey
39.6" = Toyota Sienna
39.0" = Chevrolet Venture extended-length
39.0" = Oldsmobile Silhouette
39.0" = Pontiac Montana extended-length
38.0" = Ford Freestar
38.0" = Mercury Monterey
37.5" = Chrysler Town & Country extended-length
37.5" = Dodge Grand Caravan
37.2" = Kia Sedona
37.0" = Mazda MPV
36.9" = Chevrolet Venture standard-length
36.9" = Pontiac Montana standard-length
36.5" = Chevrolet Astro
36.5" = Chrysler Town & Country standard-length
36.5" = Dodge Caravan
36.5" = GMC Safari
 
M5Power
JDM = Japanese Domestic Market. Though that's not a good application of the acronym here because the vans in question are sold all over the place. And none of the mentioned world-market vans would be any better than our vans for our tastes.
Click to expand...

Out of the three Honda minivans, I have listed; only one of it is sold worldwide. The Stream and the Elysion are not. I am not sure if they are sold in Europe but I know the Stream are sold in Malaysia as well.
 
The Mazda MPV has always been a nice car to me... I think it would have a lot of potential to look nice like the Previa pic I posted. I don't know what the hell they were thinkin with the tail lights though.
 
I actually like the MPV tailights more than our Nissan Quest. I just dislike the looks of our Quests.
 
M5Power
JDM = Japanese Domestic Market. Though that's not a good application of the acronym here because the vans in question are sold all over the place. And none of the mentioned world-market vans would be any better than our vans for our tastes.

Second-row rear leg room statistics for minivans:
41.3" = Nissan Quest
40.0" = Honda Odyssey
39.6" = Toyota Sienna
39.0" = Chevrolet Venture extended-length
39.0" = Oldsmobile Silhouette
39.0" = Pontiac Montana extended-length
38.0" = Ford Freestar
38.0" = Mercury Monterey
37.5" = Chrysler Town & Country extended-length
37.5" = Dodge Grand Caravan
37.2" = Kia Sedona
37.0" = Mazda MPV
36.9" = Chevrolet Venture standard-length
36.9" = Pontiac Montana standard-length
36.5" = Chevrolet Astro
36.5" = Chrysler Town & Country standard-length
36.5" = Dodge Caravan
36.5" = GMC Safari
Click to expand...



Totally true. Because everything in US must be HUGE!!!! :crazy:
 
rollazn
Out of the three Honda minivans, I have listed; only one of it is sold worldwide. The Stream and the Elysion are not. I am not sure if they are sold in Europe but I know the Stream are sold in Malaysia as well.
Click to expand...


The Stream is also sold in Singapore.

I like the Mitsubishi Grandis. 👍
 
rollazn
Out of the three Honda minivans, I have listed; only one of it is sold worldwide. The Stream and the Elysion are not.
Click to expand...
The North American market is in fact the only major market where the Steam isn't sold, and there's a chance that's to change soon. It's sold throughout Asia and in Europe and Australia/New Zealand as well as Japan.

TsLeng
Totally true. Because everything in US must be HUGE!!!!
Click to expand...

Because otherwise everyone would simply buy a small SUV. Minivans in the US must seat seven. We could tolerate a five-seat minivan, but prices would have to undercut all good small SUVs (Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, Saturn Vue).
 
A slammed 4x4 Astro van would be my choice - should I have a van that is....

[edit]
0202tr_astrosupreme01_zoom.jpg
[/edit]
 
M5Power
Hey - there were a lot of minivans worse than the original Lumina APV (though the Lumina APV is the only one I refer to as the "Seven-Billion Dollar Mistake"). What about the current Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari? The Isuzu Oasis? And of course, the Nissan Serena diesel, worst van ever.
Click to expand...

I'm sure there are minivans worse than the Lumina APV.

*cough* Aerostar *cough*

:D ;)

The Astro and Safari, as dated and "trucklike" as they are, are very durable and quite spacious with the seats removed. They make great fleet vehicles.

The Oasis was a Honda Odyssey, right? I've never seen one. We Canucks only got the Trooper, Rodeo, Impulse, I-Mark, Stylus and...'pickup' (the Isuzu-designed and built pickup, not the Hombre). No Oasis, no Hombre, no Amigo, no Axiom, etc. In fact, as of this year GM Canada pulled Isuzu off the market. 2003 Canadian sales of Isuzus were in the single digits.

The first-gen. Odyssey isn't a bad van. Smaller than most, but then again most minivans aren't 'mini' anymore...
 
How come we don't get the Demio? I always considered it 'MPV's Little Brother'. I might write Mazda a letter (as it it will do anything) but that thing will definately sell well here if Mazda took a shot.Just look at the Mini Cooper and Scion x Series.

Yep. The Aerostar is definately worse. I rememer when I was a younger kid (about 9) my bus driver drove an Aerostar, and it wouldn't shift out of 1st. So, what she did, she just floored it and tried to make it shift. About halfway down Texas Road, the van doing 55, the engine screaming, it let go in a fashion that would make Takumi's blow weak. There was a fire under the hood and the aide put it out with an extinguisher.

Bahmo, is that van a custom or something? A Shelby Caravan, maybe? :confused:
 
The US doesn't get the Demio/2 because it's, well, about as practical as a 3 and slower. I'd like to see it here, but it won't happen, atleast for a while.
 

Latest Posts

Back