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November 1, 2013 at 10:28 pm
IraDon’t buy it.
Take whatever cash you have to spend on a car and look for a used Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna.
I don’t know what price range you’re looking at, but DH and I bought a ’97 Odyssey nearly two years ago for $5,000.
We love it.
We just had some work done on it, but it’s our “good” car and I don’t relish the idea of buying another any time soon.
One piece of advice before buying a particular make/model of used car.
Go to the Kelley Blue Book site ( [MOD EDIT: URL removed]November 1, 2013 at 10:54 pm
AdrianI’m looking at a 2004, actually 3 of them, don’t have the mileage as of yet.
I’ve done the consumer reports checks and found the 5 recalls listed.
The place I am buying it from provides proof of all recalls and work done on them.
Regarding Heather, I would LOVE a Toyota Sienna, but the ones in my price range are more like 2001-2002.
The Ford Windstar tank I’m getting rid of was a 2001, so I do not what to have to go that far back.
The reports are of course mixed on the Venture, but compared to a Windstar, its much higher on the quality & value chart.
Thanks for the input.
CatherineNovember 1, 2013 at 11:29 pm
JosiahCatherine, I totally understand about not wanting to go that old for a new car you’re buying.
I was very leery of buying the ’97 Odyssey, when our other “good” car was a ’97, too.
(The Civic — our third car was an ’87 Corolla.) BUT, I am learning that the age of the car matters MUCH less than the overall quality of the car.
If you could find a Sienna with slightly lower than average miles on it, frankly, I’d go for.
A 2002 Sienna is five years old, and I can tell you from A LOT of experience that a 5-year-old Toyota or Honda is NOTHING like a 5-year-old Ford.
(The Ford Windstar has one of the worst records, overall, of any minivan.
Cars and their repair histories/values are one of my hobbies — weird, I know! — and last week, DH and I were in traffic.
A Windstar driver cut us off.
I said, “I would be angry at him, but he’s driving a Windstar, so …
instead I feel sad for him.”) Anyway — if it were me, I’d look for the Sienna or Odyssey, even if I had to buy one that’s older than what I wanted.
When you replace THAT one, you can get a newer one, etc.
(We plan to replace our ’97 Odyssey with a 2002 or thereabouts when we can.) Heather -
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