Used van advice please

[tw]

Originally Posted by glatt

I think my wife and I may have come to the conclusion that we want to buy a used mini-van. We've been kicking the idea around for a few years and are more serious than ever before. We have two kids. What do we buy?

Consumer Reports April issue is devoted totally to automobiles. No advertisements means they can and will be blunt honest. Especially important is the list of best used vehciles by model and year - and the worst used vehicles. Yes, they will list the worst 15% models to avoid by years.

Once you see a model, then the reliability for that model, for that year, by vehicle sub-systems is found in charts of black (bad) and red (good) circles.

BTW, this issue tends to be a most stolen periodical in public and university libraries.

[Perry Winkle]

I drive a 1995 Toyota Avalon -- it's got 200k miles on it I expect it will keep going for quite a few more years. It's never had any major work done; just religous maintenance. I wouldn't hesitate to drive it across the country at the drop of a hat.

Damn fine quality.

My parents used to have a Sienna Mini-van and loved it. They returned it when the lease ran out and bought a Nissan (Quest?) and they absolutely hate the thing. It has tons of niggling problems. It's only 2-3 months old and it's been in the shop 4-5 times for non maintenance related problems.