Minivans: Reviews

Updated February 2009
 

Best full-size minivan

2009 Honda Odyssey *Est.$26,355 to $41,005 Compare Prices
 
Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Experts at Consumer Reports rank the Honda Odyssey against other minivans, based on extensive test drives. Consumer Reports also ...

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: You can search here for government crash-test results for most vehicles on the market. Like most other minivans, the Honda ...

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: The Honda Odyssey earns a Top Safety Pick designation at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which crash-tests minivans ...

Edmunds.com: Edmunds.com doesn't test the Honda Odyssey head-to-head with other minivans in this review, but editors call it their "favorite ...

Kelley Blue Book: The Honda Odyssey "leaves little room for criticism," editors at Kelley Blue Book say, although it is expensive. This review is ...

Cars.com: Cars.com's Dave Thomas calls the Honda Odyssey "the nicest minivan I've ever driven." His comments about its interior room, ...

ConsumerGuide.com: The Honda Odyssey is a Consumer Guide Best Buy minivan for 2009. This review gives the Odyssey numeric scores in 11 categories ...

Car and Driver: Car and Driver awards the Honda Odyssey a score of nine (out of 10) for consumer appeal, but only a three for driving-enthusiast ...

Edmunds.com: This 2007 Edmunds.com review pits the redesigned Dodge Grand Caravan against the perennial Edmunds favorite, the Honda Odyssey. ...

MotherProof.com: MotherProof.com's Lori Hindman and her two sons, ages 5 and 7, test a loaded 2008 Honda Odyssey Touring (the 2009 model is almost ...

 

Minivan with available all-wheel-drive

2009 Toyota Sienna *Est. $24,540 to $37,865 Compare Prices
 
Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Consumer Reports' ratings chart makes it easy to see how the Toyota Sienna stacks up against other minivans. Experts here test ...

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: You can search SaferCar.gov for government crash-test results for most vehicles on the market today. The Toyota Sienna is one of ...

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash-tests the Toyota Sienna and other minivans. Although it performs well in front ...

Edmunds.com: Edmunds.com doesn't test the Toyota Sienna head-to-head against other minivans, but editors do compare it to its leading ...

ConsumerGuide.com: Consumer Guide names the Toyota Sienna to its Recommended list of minivans, but the Sienna does not earn a Best Buy rating. ...

MotherProof.com: MotherProof.com reviewer Lori Hindman tests the upscale 2008 Toyota Sienna LE along with her two sons, ages 5 and 7. She ...

Motor Trend: Motor Trend compares the Toyota Sienna with its competitors, based on their features. The Sienna offers more storage than other ...

Canadian Driver: CanadianDriver.com's James Bergeron drives the Toyota Sienna for four days and compliments its comfortable ride and long list of ...

Car and Driver: This brief review concludes that the Toyota Sienna is "a highly capable minivan" with a refined ride and interior. Car and Driver ...

The Truth About Cars: This review is long on sarcasm, but short on helpful details. The reviewer bluntly criticizes the Toyota Sienna for being ...

 

Best budget minivan

2009 Kia Sedona *Est. $21,065 to $26,595 Compare Prices
 
Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Unlike some other reviews, Consumer Reports' analysis of the Kia Sedona takes long-term owner satisfaction and reliability into ...

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: The NHTSA crash-tests 2009 minivans and posts the results here. Like most other minivans, the Kia Sedona earns five-star impact ...

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: The Kia Sedona earns a Top Safety Pick designation at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The 2008 model earns good ...

National Motorists Association/The Car Family: Members of the Car Family -- a mom, a dad, a young working woman and a working teenage male -- test five minivans and pick the ...

ConsumerGuide.com: Most minivans on the market get either a Best Buy or Recommended designation from ConsumerGuide.com; the Kia Sedona earns a ...

Forbes: The Kia Sedona "tops our list of value-losing vehicles," Forbes.com reports. The Sedona loses 80 percent of its value in five ...

Edmunds.com: Edmunds.com editors discuss the 2008 Kia Sedona, but it is still valid because the Sedona did not change for 2009. Editors give ...

Kelley Blue Book: The Kia Sedona is one of five 2009 minivans recommended by Kelley Blue Book. Its buyer's guide links to this review of the ...

 

Small, gas-miser minivan

2009 Mazda Mazda5 *Est. $17,995 to $22,675 Compare Prices
 
Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Consumer Reports classifies the Mazda5 as a wagon, rather than a true minivan. Editors rank it against other wagons -- including ...

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Unlike most other minivans, the Mazda5 does not earn perfect five-star impact ratings. The NHTSA awards it only four stars for ...

FuelEconomy.gov: The Mazda5 is the most fuel-efficient minivan, according to the EPA. It achieves 22 mpg in city driving tests (21 mpg with an ...

Car and Driver: This review compares the Mazda5 with other minivans based mainly on its features, not its performance, although Car and Driver ...

Edmunds.com: Edmunds.com names the Mazda5 one of its top two minivans, along with the Honda Odyssey. The Mazda5 costs less to own than any ...

The Truth About Cars: TTAC's Frank Williams pits the Mazda5 microvan against its only similarly sized competitor, the Kia Rondo wagon. He ultimately ...

MotherProof.com: The Mazda5 is sporty enough for hubby, affordably priced, well appointed and roomy, "mom-tester" Gilsbach concludes after a short ...

Automobile.com: Some very helpful real-life observations during Automobile.com's (not to be confused with Automobile Magazine) road test of the ...

ConsumerGuide.com: Consumer Guide recommends all but two 2009 minivans -- including the Mazda5, which it classifies as a midsize car. This full ...

About.com: About.com's guide to cars, Aaron Gold, finds little to criticize about the Mazda5; he calls its combination of fuel economy and ...

Cars.com: Cars.com's overview of the Mazda5 focuses on features rather than performance. The pros-and-cons list misses one of the Mazda5's ...

 

Minivans Runners Up:

2009 Chrysler Town & Country *Est. $26,430 to $36,530

8 picks including: Car and Driver, Cars.com…

2009 Hyundai Entourage *Est. $23,995 to $29,895

5 picks including: Canadian Driver, Cars.com…

2009 Nissan Quest *Est. $25,950 to $35,650

4 picks including: Canadian Driver, Cars.com…

2009 Dodge Grand Caravan *Est. $22,475 to $28,325

4 picks including: Car and Driver, Cars.com…

2009 Volkswagen Routan *Est. $24,700 to $38,400

2 picks including: Car and Driver, Cars.com…

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