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If I’d had a minivan when my kids were small, I’d have appreciated it very much. I was forced to buy cars with hatchbacks to make do.
So a heartfelt thanks to the genius that invented minivans – we can pack kids, sporting equipment, groceries, building projects materials, camping equipment, extra tires, moving house, and too much more for words in them.
When minivans were invented, the object of the exercise was space. There was seating for up to six to eight, and space for luggage, groceries, or whatever behind those six to eight.
Minivans took up as little space in a parking lot as a regular car and drove just like a car, except it was taller, and had a 20-gallon gas tank.
My personal favorites would be the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna. Since I only go to the doctor’s office and the grocery store, I don’t need a very large conveyance. I just need enough space to put the groceries and tote my granddaughter around to her friends’ houses.
Today, we have dozens of brands of minivans, beginning with the Honda Odyssey. This car offers drivers:
• 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds
• 280 horsepower
• it will seat eight comfortably
• it has a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds
• it’s powered by gasoline
• it gets 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway
• cargo storage space of 38.6 cubic feet behind the third-row seats. When the third-row seats are removed, there are 92.3 cubic feet of storage space behind the second-row seats. If both second and third-row seats are removed, the auto offers drivers up to 158 cubic feet of cargo storage
• a price range from $34,000 to $49,000
But what are those “dozens” about? Aren’t all minivans alike? Well, yes and no. Here are a few comparisons to the Odyssey.
Note: Please note that this comparison is of 2022 automobiles. Included with the autos but not in this comparison is the technology common to newer vehicles, along with the safety and entertainment components built into newer automobiles.
1. Toyota Sienna
Each car maker varies its body details, such as the grille, tail, and panel configurations. This is one way you can tell a Chevy from a Chrysler. Toyota is no different. While the body looks like an ordinary minivan with the Toyota appearance, what it offers is a little different from Honda’s:
• 0 to 60 in 7.7 seconds
• 245 horsepower
• it will seat eight comfortably
• its towing capacity is 3,500 pounds
• the auto is a hybrid
• it gets 36 mpg on both city and highway
• cargo storage space of 101 cubic feet when both second and third seats are folded down (not removed altogether,) with 33.5 cubic feet behind the third-row seats, and 75.2 cubic feet when the third-row seats are folded down
• a price range from $34,000 to $42,000
2. Chrysler Pacifica
Shaped much like the Honda Odyssey, the Pacifica has different window and body configurations, along with:
• the touring four-door minivan does 0 to 60 in 8.3 seconds. Other configurations take 7.4
• 287 horsepower
• it seats seven comfortably
• its towing capacity is 3,600 pounds
• this auto is a hybrid
• it gets 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway
• the cargo storage capacity is 140.5 cubic feet with the second and third rows of seats folded down, 32.3 cubic feet behind the third row, and 87.5 cubic feet of storage with the third row folded down
• a price range from $37,000 to $54,000
3. Kia Carnival
This minivan is more square than the rounded Odyssey, with completely different window configurations, body, tail, and grille configurations. The statistics are pretty much comparative:
• it does 0 to 60 in seven seconds
• with 290 horsepower
• it seats eight comfortably
• it has a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds
• it’s gas-powered
• it gets 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway
• the cargo storage capacity is 145.1 cubic feet with the second and third-row seats folded down, 40.2 cubic feet behind the third-row seats, and 86.9 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded down
• a price range from $32,000 to $46,000
4. Dodge Grand Caravan
Shaped much like the Odyssey, the Chrysler (formerly Dodge) Grand Caravan is an economy-minded vehicle with:
• a capacity to do 0 to 60 in 7.2 seconds
• with 287 horsepower
• it seats seven comfortably
• its towing capacity is 3,600 pounds
• it’s gas-powered, but some run on ethanol, which means they’re flex-fueled
• it gets 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway
• the cargo storage capacity is 33 cubic feet behind the third-row seats, 83.3 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded down, and 143.78 cubic feet with both second and third-row seats folded down
• the Dodge Grand Caravan prices for 2022 haven’t yet been released, but be prepared to pay around $27,000 as a base price
5. Nissan Pathfinder
Nissan thought that its 2022 minivan should look more like the future instead of like its competition. You’ll find the body a tad wider, a bit more rugged, and altogether more confidence-inspiring, along with:
• it’ll go from 0 to 60 in 6.7 seconds
• with 284 horsepower
• it seats eight comfortably
• with a towing capacity of up to 6,000 pounds
• it’s gas-powered
• it gets 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway
• the cargo space consists of 16.6 cubic feet of space behind the third-row seats, 45 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded down, and 80.5 cubic feet with the second and third row seats folded down
• its price range begins with $33,000 and goes up with trim and other packages to $46,000
6. Cadillac Escalade
Somewhat taller, longer, and more square than the Odyssey, the Cadillac Escalade joins the competition with its version of the minivan:
• it does 0 to 60 in 6.1 seconds
• using up to 420 horsepower
• it seats seven comfortably
• it offers a towing capacity of up to 7,700 pounds
• it’s gas-powered
• it gets 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway
• its cargo capacity is 25.5 cubic feet behind the third-row seats, 72.9 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded down, and 121 cubic feet with the second and third-row seats folded down
• the luxury Escalade’s price range begins at $76,000 and goes up to over $100,000
7. GMC Terrain
You’ll find the Terrain a bit different from the Odyssey in the grille, window, and panel configurations. Otherwise, the statistics are comparable:
• it does 0 to 60 in 9.3 seconds
• with 170 horsepower
• it seats five comfortably
• its towing capacity is 1,500 pounds
• it’s gasoline-powered
• it gets 25 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway
• the cargo capacity is a little less than the competition with 29.6 cubic feet behind the third-row seats and 63.3 cubic feet when the second and third-row seats are folded down. The front passenger seat folds down, though, to give you a total of 81 cubic feet of cargo storage space
• prices begin at $27,900 for the basic package and go up to $36,600
8. Acura MDX
This minivan has a longer nose than the Odyssey and is a bit wider, but with the trademark Acura grille, tail, and panel configurations:
• it does 0 to 60 in 6.3 seconds
• using 290 to 355 horsepower
• it seats seven comfortably
• its towing capacity is 3,500 to 5,000 pounds
• the MDX is gas-powered
• and gets 19 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway
• the cargo capacity is 18.1 cubic feet behind the third-row seats, folded down there’s 48.4 cubic feet, and with both rows folded down there’s 95 cubic feet of storage space
• the base price of the MDX is $47,200 and goes up to $60,000
9. Ford Transit Connect
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Drivers remembering the Ford Aerostar of yesteryear will appreciate this modern minivan. A bit more square than the Odyssey, the Transit Connect features the Ford grille, tail, and panel configurations, along with:
• doing 0 to 60 in 8.6 to 10 seconds
• using 162 horsepower
• it seats six comfortably
• its towing capacity is 2,000 pounds
• it’s gas-powered
• and gets 24 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway
• the cargo capacity is 24.9 behind the third-row seats, 60.1 when the third-row seats are folded down, and 106 cubic feet when second and third-row seats are folded down
• pricing begins at $27,750 and goes up to $34,000
10. Genesis GV80
Ever heard of Genesis? It’s made by Hyundai, with the usual Hyundai characteristics in grille, tail, and panel configurations. You’ll find its shape, height, and length not very different from the Odyssey. I’ve driven a Hyundai car, and I wouldn’t mind at all driving one of these:
• it does 0 to 60 in six seconds
• using 375 horsepower
• seating seven comfortably
• with a towing capacity of 6,000 pounds (just perfect for a tiny house!)
• it’s gas-powered, although, by 2025, all Genesis vehicles will be electric
• it gets 21 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway
• since the third row of seating is optional, the cargo space is 33 cubic feet behind the second-row seats, and 84 with the second-row seats folded down
• prices begin at $49,700 for the basic model and go up to over $75,000
11. Infiniti QX55
Infiniti, a subsidiary of Nissan, makes a minivan not resembling so much the Odyssey as a car jacked up on steroids. It’s pretty, with distinctive grille, tail, and panel configurations and:
• it does 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds
• using 268 horsepower
• it seats five comfortably
• it has a towing capacity of 1.060 pounds
• it’s gas-powered
• and gets 22 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway
• as the minivan only has one row of back seats, its cargo capacity is 26.9 cubic feet with the back seats up, and 54.1 cubic feet of cargo space with it folded down
• base price for the QX55 is $46,500 and goes up to $57,050 for the fully loaded model
12. Subaru Ascent
I’ve always loved the Subaru ad in which the grandma and granddaughter have a blast while driving the Subaru (after grandma got the cute guy’s phone number.)
So I’ve always wanted to check out a Subaru minivan. It’s shaped much like the Odyssey, with the Subaru grille, tail, and panel configurations, with:
• it does 0 to 60 in 8.3 seconds
• powered by 260 horsepower
• it seats eight comfortably
• its towing capacity is up to 5,000 pounds
• it’s gas-powered
• which gets 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway
• the cargo storage space is 17.8 cubic feet behind the third-row seats, 47.5 if it’s folded down, and 86.5 if both second and third-row seats are folded down
• the price range begins at $32,295 for the base model and goes up to $45,445
Note: The clamor for eco-friendly vehicles has been heard, with several models of electric minivans produced. Some, which are slated to appear from 2023 to 2025, are said to contain the safety, tech, and luxury components many drivers demand in a minivan.
13. Chrysler Pacifica EV
With looks and configurations comparable to the Odyssey, the Chrysler Pacifica electric minivan offers eco-minded drivers a vehicle slated to appear in 2024. There isn’t any information on specs for the 2024 model, but it could be based on the 2022 hybrid:
• it will do 0 to 60 in 7.8 seconds
• with a range of 497 miles
• it seats eight comfortably
• it can tow up to 3,600 pounds
• its cargo storage space consists of 32.3 cubic feet behind the third-row seats, 87.5 behind the second-row seats with the third row folded down, and 140.5 with all the rear seats folded down
• price range is still to be determined, but based on the 2022 hybrid prices, expect to start around $46,000 and go up