Tell me about your full-size van

[happypamama]

DH is strongly encouraging me to consider a full-size van, such as the Chevy Express 3500, when we replace my minivan in the next year or so. The minivan works okay for now; the back row is a little cramped with two big kids and one harnessed booster, but it's not horrible. However, I'm looking at having a fairly tall girl and four pre-adolescent/adolescent boys, and if they take after DH, they'll be tall and broad-shouldered, making a minivan difficult, so I think he's right to suggest looking at the full-size vans. So, if you have one, tell me about it -- what do you like, what do you not like, what should I know, etc.? Also, my van gets about 18 mpg on the highway, and most of my driving is highway at 50-65 mph, about 100 miles a week. Gas mileage matters to us somewhat -- we'd rather not get half of what we're getting now, but not quite as good is okay. We're looking, because of price range, at vans from around 2004-2006 with 50-80K miles on them. (I'm currently driving a 2001 with almost 200K miles on it, so anything looks like an improvement on that.)

[Kathryn]

I saw this one an hour ago. You can't have it. It apparently belongs to some guy called "the Johnson."

 

[AFwife Claire]

We have a 2008 Ford 12 passenger van that we bought used in 2009.  It's been okay--we haven't had any major problems with it, just some minor annoyances.  I can't say I would buy another one, though.  For one thing, it is INCREDIBLY uncomfortable.  We didn't really ever test drive one before we bought it.  We knew we needed a 12 passenger van, there were only 2 options (Ford and Chevy), and we weren't happy with the Chevy reliability record or the gov't bailout.  So we just bought a Ford.  But the engine block sticks way into the passenger side, such that I can't put my legs out straight without cocking them off to the side.  Sitting in the passenger seat on long trips gives me terrible hip/back problems.  The Chevy does not have this issue.  We rented a Chevy 15 passenger van when we were in Hawaii this February, and it was a lot more comfortable--although it had some electrical problems with the blinker, so maybe the reliability reports aren't that off.  

 

It is nice to have more room, although with this next baby, we will completely fill up every seat, so it won't any longer be any extra room!  With a 12 passenger van, we can still fit pretty much all the luggage we need to take behind the back seat and under the other seats, but it is a tight fit.  When we go camping or home for Christmas, we have a "Stow-Away" big black box thing that fits into our hitch and allows us to carry more stuff.  

 

It is a pain to drive, in that the steering is really sloppy.  I feel like I have to move around the steering wheel just to keep it going straight on a highway!  I used to be able to drive 8 hours or more by myself (with kids but no other driver) in our Sienna, but the big van is much more fatiguing to drive, esp. for long periods.  Right now we need some sort of new ball joint thing or something, because when we turn, it makes a horrible groaning noise, like it's complaining about having to work, LOL.

 

The thing about the van is that it really hasn't changed in what, 30 years?  No more options, no more thought to passenger comfort, nothing.  It's just a big, clunky, American-made vehicle that you drive if you have to, but they aren't going out of their way to make it at all nice for you.   That line of thinking irritates me!   After our last long trip (we just got back Friday night from visiting family in Ohio, which isn't really all that far, but really was hard on my hips, especially since I'm pregnant), we are seriously considering buying a Nissan NV.  It's a lot more expensive, but at least the company put some thought into the vehicle and tried to make it safe and nice!

[hmvaughan4]

I don't have personal experience, but the Nissan NV is popular here. A lot of large families drive them and seem to like them.

[KungFuPanda]

What kind of minivan are you driving now? A full-sized van seems like a bit of overkill for four kids. Can you move up to a plusher minivan? A friend with 5 kids loves her suburban, and they're tall people. A full-sized van seems like such a gas-guzzler for the size of your family.

 

I recently went from a 1998 sedan to a minivan and I'm using THREE TIMES more gas! I knew it would be more, but I'd hoped that newer fuel efficiency technology would close the gap more than that. Add in a car payment and increased insurance and even a minivan has taken a chunk out of my budget.

[Tenaj]

We drive a GMC Savannah 2004.  Ours was originally a 15-passenger van but doesn't have the very back seat anymore, so seats 12 and has an awesome amount of luggage room which is great and I wouldn't trade for anything.   A  lot of the 12 passenger-vans have very little space behind that last seat which would be an issue for us.

 

 We've had a few problems over the years.  One of the most expensive was that the hinges on the side door have gone out on both sides and even buying one hinge is very expensive (I'm thinking $300 but I may be remembering incorrectly). We've ended up repairing only one side and leaving the other side locked up so you may want to be aware and check those hinges before purchasing.   We've heard through the grapevine that this was/is a problem with these GMC's.  We've had a few other issues over the years (right now the a/c is being repaired) but nothing more than normal maintenance type stuff.  We knew ours was well-maintained as we bought it from a fleet at a local college and knew that they were careful to keep up with the maintenance schedules.

 

I honestly don't know the gas mileage on ours.  We drove an 8-passenger Astro Van before this and we didn't really notice a LOT of difference on the gas consumption but gas was much cheaper back then.  Now it's sometimes painful to fill it up.  We drive much more than 100 miles a week though.

 

Earlier in the spring we passed 200,000 miles on it so we're starting to keep an eye out for another similar van.

 

[Upennmama]

We have a Dodge Sprinter (made by mercedes) and I like it a lot. It handles well, turns well, and is comfortable. Plenty of room for 7 kids and two adults (it's a ten seater- there are other options). I have the high top roof, so I can stand up in it and walk around. It's diesel, so I think it's getting over 20 mpg.

[magnificat]

We had a 2009 GMC Savana (12 passenger van) for 3 years - and now we love our GMC Yukon XL!  The van was pretty awful for me to drive.  Mileage around 11-12 mpg, lots of bumps and rattles, tough to park (at least for me!) - but lots and lots of space for our 8 children.  Now with 2 in college next year, we have more than enough room in the 8 passenger Yukon XL.  Enough leg and shoulder room for 2 tall teenage boys plus all the little ones.  After driving the van, the Yukon feels like a luxury vehicle - so quiet and smooth - and somehow much easier to park than the same length van (wheelbase different though).  Our long-term average mileage on the Yukon is 16 mpg. 

 

One more thing - we had a nine passenger Yukon XL in the past.  The front bench had a middle seat (very small and not very comfortable for longer rides!) which folded down as a console.  Nice if you want/need the extra seat.

[torikei]

We've had a Sprinter and a Nissan NV. Both have their positives. I prefer the NV. Awesome ride and much easier/cheaper to maintain than the Sprinter.

[LucyStoner]

Get a diesel. The mileage won't be great but it won't be as bad and regular unleaded fuel.

[happypamama]

What kind of minivan are you driving now? A full-sized van seems like a bit of overkill for four kids. Can you move up to a plusher minivan? A friend with 5 kids loves her suburban, and they're tall people. A full-sized van seems like such a gas-guzzler for the size of your family.

I recently went from a 1998 sedan to a minivan and I'm using THREE TIMES more gas! I knew it would be more, but I'd hoped that newer fuel efficiency technology would close the gap more than that. Add in a car payment and increased insurance and even a minivan has taken a chunk out of my budget.

  

 

I have five kids, DD and four boys, and we will have all five here fulltime for a while yet. So every seat is full now. I have a Windstar, and while I don't have a lot of experience with other minivans, I don't know if plusher will give more space in the back. The three big kids are pretty cramped in the back as it is, and that's with the oldest only being twelve. No way could I get three kids back there comfortably if two are the size of DH. (There's also the issue that the middle back seat spot only has a lap belt, so it can only carry a harnessed seat, which further squishes people in there. But that is probably not an issue with newer minivans.)

 

I used to have an Expedition and loved it, but the gas mileage was only like 13 mpg, lower than what full-size vans are listing at now. Plus, its cargo space with the third row was terrible, way worse than the minivan, so it wouldn't have worked for us for vacation (the minivan works now, although it's pretty packed), and although the third row had three seatbelts, it was as tight or tighter than my minivan's third row. Maybe a Suburban would be bigger? I don't know, but of two friends with six kids, including teen boys, who had full-size vans for a while, one now has a Suburban and one an Expediton, and they both long for their full-size vans. So I'm not sure what will work best, but I'm looking at my options and appreciating the thoughts on this thread. Full-size vans are less expensive than the nicer minivans, though, around here.

 

Get a diesel. The mileage won't be great but it won't be as bad and regular unleaded fuel.

True, that. DH would say the same thing. Good point.

[8circles]

I rented a Toyota minivan on vacation and it was MUCH bigger inside than my Town & Country and still lots of luggage space. I have no experience with full-sized vans.

[maize]

I have Ford econoline 15 passenger, though we usually leave the back bench out. It gets about 15 mpg on the freeway.

[KungFuPanda]

I have five kids, DD and four boys, and we will have all five here fulltime for a while yet. So every seat is full now. I have a Windstar, and while I don't have a lot of experience with other minivans, I don't know if plusher will give more space in the back. The three big kids are pretty cramped in the back as it is, and that's with the oldest only being twelve. No way could I get three kids back there comfortably if two are the size of DH. (There's also the issue that the middle back seat spot only has a lap belt, so it can only carry a harnessed seat, which further squishes people in there. But that is probably not an issue with newer minivans.)

I used to have an Expedition and loved it, but the gas mileage was only like 13 mpg, lower than what full-size vans are listing at now. Plus, its cargo space with the third row was terrible, way worse than the minivan, so it wouldn't have worked for us for vacation (the minivan works now, although it's pretty packed), and although the third row had three seatbelts, it was as tight or tighter than my minivan's third row. Maybe a Suburban would be bigger? I don't know, but of two friends with six kids, including teen boys, who had full-size vans for a while, one now has a Suburban and one an Expediton, and they both long for their full-size vans. So I'm not sure what will work best, but I'm looking at my options and appreciating the thoughts on this thread. Full-size vans are less expensive than the nicer minivans, though, around here.

 

True, that. DH would say the same thing. Good point.

For some reason I thought you had four kids. Five really is the tipping point into Large Family. Unless there are minivans that offer significantly more space you might have to go bigger. A friend's newer odyssey holds 8 passengers. It seems big to me. My caravan only holds 4 passengers, but it's modified for power wheelchair use and will hold two of them. I 'could' install jump seats bringing my passenger count to 6 plus two in wheelchairs, but since I only have two children there's no point. Going from a mid-sized sedan, the van feels huge?

 

What year is your Windstar? I think every model has only gotten bigger in the last few years. If you can't get a great deal on a full-sized van, the newer minivans 'might, give you the wiggle room you need. Still. The gas. Ugh.