Functional - but not fun [11.11.7]

[T Mac]

Many of you have gotten slapped with five to 10 in a minivan.

Call me when you get out. Maybe we can do lunch and talk about getting you a real car.

Actually, I'm being way too hard on minivans – once viewed as trendy, even noble vehicles. I recently did several days in an '08 Chrysler Town & Country Touring, a perfectly likable $32,000 box that will efficiently and comfortably carry all sorts of people and their stuff.

And this all-new model is extremely important to Chrysler Corp. Though many of us motorheads get all lathered up over 600-horse Dodge Vipers and snarling Hemi-powered SRT-8 Chargers, the truth is that minivans were the corporation's top-selling vehicles last year. (Is that a little like discovering that your matronly middle-age neighbor works at the local topless club – as a dancer?)

Some people I respect greatly even maintain that minivans are the perfect vehicle, the purest expression of the old maxim "form follows function."

Maybe.

Click here to read the rest of this commentary from Dallas Morning News

[ced_07EXL]

Coming out of a Suburban and having an RL as a my every day driver, I am surprised how light the Odyssey feels. It is by no means a sports car, but it is not bad to drive. I'll follow up in a week after driving the Odyssey to Arkansas, around and back (1100 highway miles + 500 city miles).

[RiverFisher]

The reviewer would have had more fun if he were driving an Odyssey as opposed to the boat made by Chrysler. I had one for a few years and it handled VERY poorly. Oh well, to each his own. My Ody is fun to drive....well, for a van anyway.

[Black Pearl]

Originally Posted by ced_07EXL

Coming out of a Suburban and having an RL as a my every day driver, I am surprised how light the Odyssey feels. It is by no means a sports car, but it is not bad to drive. I'll follow up in a week after driving the Odyssey to Arkansas, around and back (1100 highway miles + 500 city miles).

My spiritual adviser for automotive affairs told me that a few years ago that a magazine called "Grassroots Motorsports" ran a motorcross event with a new stock Ody (different tires) and an older Jaguar XKE and a Porsche 356. The Ody won.

I tried an internet search of the event. I can't find much details but it appears that the article was in the March 2003 issue of Grassroots Motor Sports.

Here is a link to order back issues. Unfortuanetly the brand of minivan is not identified. They ran a similar event with a Kia Sedona, so it may not be the correct article. https://ssl.grmotorsports.com/page5.html


The other evidence I found on the net was various mentions in blogs and forums that had precious little information and a lot of idiotic name calling. It seems that mini-vans don't hold a lot of respect in the performance world.

Try this race. Transport 6 people between Pittsburgh PA and Charlotte NC (or any distance for that matter). Team A has an Ody. Team B has a Corvette. Lay your odds who will win. Not to mention that the fuel economy will really suck on the Vette.

[VHODY]

Having gone through two Ford Windstar's, the Ody is a joy to drive. Handles very well and is extremely confortable on long trips. We live in Maryland. In the first year of ownership we drove it to Boston, Outer Banks of NC, Myrtle Beach SC to look at colleges and back to Myrtle (loaded to the gills) to take our daughter to college. 24,000 miles in 19 months and nothing more than oil changes and tire rotations. The only reason mileage slowed down was that I bought an '07 Ridgeline. Ody sits in the garage more now. I've had the RL 14 months and it now has 27,300 miles on the clock.

Can't say enough good things about either of these vehicles.

[Black Pearl]

I have rented Windstars. Not bad in comfort, had some power, but handled like like a complete hog. Terrible handling.

[dparrothead1]

Sort of funny, but my wife was dead set on NOT getting a mini van........but with 3 grandchildren and a couple of son-in-laws coming along at various times, it was our only choice.....

Now, the only way I could get her out of the '02,,,,,,would be into a '08 or '09...

Respect The Van!!!!!!

[babylac89]

Originally Posted by dparrothead1

Sort of funny, but my wife was dead set on NOT getting a mini van........but with 3 grandchildren and a couple of son-in-laws coming along at various times, it was our only choice.....

Now, the only way I could get her out of the '02,,,,,,would be into a '08 or '09...

Respect The Van!!!!!!

I agree with Parrothead, "RESPECT THE VAN!!"

Chief