r/minivan

Need honest opinions from parents here. Family of 4 and trying to decide if we should get a minivan or SUV.

I always imagined getting an SUV, but lately I keep hearing people say minivans are just way easier once kids enter the picture.

(Used SUV or used Minivan)

Companies have to actually try to stand out in the SUV market, whereas Honda and Toyota can sit on 6-10 year old minivan generations and just slap a new year model on them because that's the best us consumers can get.

I do understand SUVs are more popular, so if the ratio was like 3:1 or 4:1 SUV to Minivan models that makes lots of sense, but 13:1 seems like crazy work.

EDIT: Yes, I obviously know SUVs are more popular, but minivans are fairly popular cars, and the lack of more than 4 models is shocking.

Minivan list: Sienna, Odyssey, Carnival, Pacifica/Voyager. HM to the ID Buzz (not made currently but they say there are plans)

3-row SUV model list: MDX, Q7, X7, Enclave, Escalade, XT6, Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, Durango, Expedition, Explorer, GV80, Acadia, Yukon, Pilot, Palisade, Santa Fe, QX60, QX80, Grand Cherokee, Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer, EV9, Sorento, Telluride, Defender, Discovery, Range Rover, GX550, LX600, TX350, Aviator, Navigator, CX90, EQB, EQS, GLB, GLS, GLE, Outlander, Armada, Pathfinder, R1S, Ascent, Model X, Model Y, 4runner (some), Highlander/Grand Highlander, Sequoia, VF9, Atlas, Tiguan, XC90

I’m in search of a minivan for a family of 5 which occasionally extends to 7 when family from home country visits Japan. Searching thru carsensor , Goonet leads me to 2011-14 models of Voxy, Serena and Stepwagn with an avg mileage of 120000 to 150000 km , Stepwagn and Serena might come with 1 or 2 year shaken. I searched regarding Serena and understood it had serious CVT issues. Anyone has experience driving these cars can share your experience and advice.

I’m curious what people realistically think the timeline is for mainstream plug-in hybrid or fully electric minivans in the US market.

Right now it feels like minivan buyers get left behind when it comes to newer drivetrains and tech, even though minivans are arguably one of the most practical vehicle types for families.

The current options seem limited:
- Toyota Sienna is hybrid-only
- Kia Carnival just got a hybrid
- Honda Odyssey is still gas-only
- Chrysler Pacifica PHEV pulled (and poor reputation for reliability anyways)
- VW ID. Buzz is/was interesting but very expensive and honestly not for everyone stylistically

Do people think by around 2028–2029 we’ll start seeing:
- Toyota Sienna Prime / PHEV
- Kia Carnival PHEV or EV

Or do manufacturers just think the minivan market is too small to prioritize? They can basically charge what they want and give technology that’s a decade old.

Tell me the best minivan for your money and why!

Note: I don’t care about rear entertainment screens.

Hi all, we test drove both the sienna and carnival today. The carnival felt better in the drive, noise, we love the 8th seat that folds down into a table. But loved the Sienna‘s center console and front storage and that it can be AWD. I‘m truly torn. any advice either way?

Long story short, my husband and I purchased a 2024 Honda Odyssey EX-L CPO with 19,000 miles back in December 2025. We wanted a minivan for future family planning (we have two toddlers and hoping for a third baby) and something reliable.

We went into buying it knowing it didn’t have rear ceiling vents and I thought it’d be fine. However we live in Florida and having a rear facing toddler …the lack of air flow is starting to become frustrating. When we purchased it I also missed the fact that the EX-L models have no object sensors?! My 2013 ford explorer had them so I’m used to backing up with sensors.

I’ve been looking at 2026 Kia carnivals because of the current Kia deals and warranties. I’m mad that we’ve never tested one prior to buying an Odyssey.

Am I crazy to want to trade this early and will I regret it if we trade in for a Kia?! thankfully we already paid off more than half of the car, but we hate the idea of paying taxes and fees twice so close together

We have been looking into minivans for months now trying to decide which one to buy and no matter how much research we do we don’t get any closer to finding a definitive answer. For my wife, it’s between the sienna, carnival and odyssey though she is leaning sienna or carnival. My list includes those 3 and the Pacifica (essentially all the top minivans). We were deciding between getting an suv or a mini an and narrowed it down to a minivan and thought we were getting a sienna but now WE HAVE NO IDEA AND WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE YOH COULD GIVE, thanks!

EDIT:

We live in western Kentucky and sometimes get decent amounts of snow. So I believe AWD may be necessary. Minivans are heavy so AWD should be fine. They may knock out the odyssey as an option though and any other minivans with AWD.

I’ve test drove a Sienna and multiple Odesseys and Pacificas. I drove one Kia Carnival and fell in love with it!

But my question is…

1. Are Kias still bad?

2. Does anyone know about their long term reliability? Carnivals are relatively new. So does any have good or bad experiences long term with one?

Any advice is helpful!

Reddit hates Pacificas but everyone I talk to in person says they like theirs.

Please tell me your own personal experience with your Pacifica. The good and bad!

Test drove a 23 Carnival SX Prestige and a 24 Odyssey Elite yesterday. Will be moving from a 23 Toyota Highlander xle fwd. There were things I liked about both and things I disliked about both. Up front: I have zero desire for a hybrid, so siennas are not on the table and I don’t like the look of the Pacifica nor its rep.

Questions for those who drive them…

1. on the Odyssey- is the driver arm rest moveable? It sat about 2-3 inches too high for where my arm bends/rests, and during the test drive, that was uncomfortable for me.
2. for the tall folks… im just shy of 6’, husband is 6’2. Any issues with either van for those of you who are tall and have tall kids?
3. camping … we love to camp, have you used yours for hauling camping gear (not talking camping in the vehicle.
4. AC… I’ve seen a lot of complaints about the AC in the Odyssey, it seemed strong when trying it yesterday, but very loud and for my rear facing youngest, I could see that being an issue for the next year maybe until she can forward face. Experiences with this? And AC issues with the Carnival?

Thanks for your thoughts folks!

Okay, now we’ve decided that we really want to have no car payment. Ultimately the cost of gas sucks but the added costs of hybrids make it so we wouldn’t save money for YEARS so we’d rather save money with no car payment right now.

So it’s down to a 2018 and up Honda Odyssey (as long as it’s below $25k) or a 2017-2021 Toyota Sienna (same parameters). I’ve found a 2018 XLE Sienna for $21,229 local-ish to me (2.5 hour drive) with 100k miles. I’m on the west coast so cars last. It’s FWD but that doesn’t worry me much. It snows like once a year where I live and we will have a farm truck with 4WD if we ever need something more. Reason for those numbers is that I’ve gotten used to having dynamic cruise control and the keys that unlock the door for me (or don’t let you lock them inside, I do that weekly).

We’d love to be at 100k miles or a little less. Should I still be looking at the Honda? We’ve had Toyotas for 10 years and have had 0 issues. I feel so loyal to my Toyotas… they’ve truly been wonderful cars.

Alright everyone, tell me which you like better and why!

Odysseys are cheaper so that’s probably what I will purchase but I’m curious to hear all the good and bad about Odysseys and Siennas.

TIA!

nother one for the classic debate of Honda Odyssey versus Toyota Sienna…

Family of 3 soon to be 4. Also have 2 dogs. We’re ready for a minivan. We do a lot of road trips and I’m tired of getting my toddler in and out of my tiny Prius. I don’t like SUVs, I want those sliding doors of a minivan!! We are going to sell our Toyota Tacoma for about $25k to help with the cost of a minivan.

There’s a dealership somewhat local to us (4 hour drive away but we visit family there all of the time). They have a 2023 Touring Honda Odyssey with 49k miles for $26k. They also have a 2024 Limited Sienna with 29k miles for $39k.

We could have no car payment on the Honda but would have larger gas costs…

We like both vans. Honda drives so much nicer but fuel economy does matter to us. But it seems like it would take about 7 years with that cost difference for fuel economy to even matter? We are keeping our Prius to have a fuel efficient vehicle but it has 160k miles so it’s not a guarantee on how long she’ll last…

autonews.com (paywall) reports multiple Honda models' redesigns are being pushed back to save money, with the Odyssey, Accord, HR-V and the Acura MDX and Integra getting extended until the end of the decade

I got a Sienna and I'm absolutely thrilled to have 46 cup holders! Unfortunately there is nowhere to put something larger than a 3" vertical cylinder. Want to put a wet folding umbrella in the lower door compartment? Sorry, there's dividers so you can securely hold 3 cups and nothing else ever. There's 4 cup holders on the center console, two of them under a little hatch with a pushbutton, is that to keep my espresso demitasse piping hot? And with all these cup holders, Toyota didn't even think to give us a single piss jug holder... OK, thanks for listening.

My wife (5'11) and I (6'3 on a good day...) are about to have our 3rd baby in July and are looking to trade in one of our SUVs for a minivan. We've basically lowered it down to the title, a Kia Carnival Hybrid, SX trim with the bench seat in the second row, and a VW ID Buzz 1st Ed, RWD, also with the bench in the second row. Our first kid is almost 4 and our second is almost 2 and we have a 55lb poodle. We live in Ottawa ON and our daily commute is about 100km total with day care drop offs. The Carnival is working out to cost quite a bit more than the Buzz with all the discounts VW is putting on right now. I'm quite concerned with the cost of gas; our second SUV is a PHEV and we plan on installing a lvl2 charger at home anyways. We've test driven iterations of both and my wife is mainly concerned with the lack of a well in the trunk of the Buzz but I think there will be plenty of room for our family and stuff... Sorry for the long-winded post, please feel free to roast either vehicle as I'm sure I've heard it all, especially on the Buzz. Help me please and thank you...