A minivan bigot implores for advice

If what you want is a bargain, I agree. Most used domestic vehicles are inexpensive. Personally, I believe the Odyssey and the Sienna depreciate slowly because you get what you pay for.

I have had minivans since 1991. My first minivan was a 1990 Ford Aerostar followed by a 2000 Ford Windstar which I sold to my son and replaced with a 2006 Chevrolet Uplander. IMHO, no minivan is exactly beautiful. Here are the advantages for me:

1) I like the seating position.  My back and lower thigh really bother me if 
I take a long trip in regular car.

2)  When my son and his family visit us, or we visit him, it's great to have 
the room for his family and my wife and I to ride comfortably in one vehicle.

3) I manage a small chamber orchestra that peforms free concerts for  underserved areas and I am frequently taking musicians along with their instruments with my.  I have had three people, three tympani, a string bass, 2 French horns and 3 music stands in the minivan at one time.

 4)  I like the sliding side doors on the minivan for easy entry or loading equipment.

I have these specialized needs and I don’t think any other type of vehicle quite fills the bill for me. On the downside, the minivan is less manuverable than many cars. Our minivan is also our second vehicle which I drive to work. It isn’t as easy with its wheelbase to park in a perpedicular parking place–I have to make a wide swing–as a car would be or even our Toyota 4Runner which my wife drives. My gasoline mileage on the Uplander runs 16-18 in town and 23-27 on the highway. A small car would do much better, but there are some cars that don’t do as well.

Assess your needs and decide if a minivan really meets your needs. I’ve had no major repair problems with either the Uplander or the 2000 Windstar. The Aerostar did have the engine replaced, but it was thankfully under the warranty when the replacement was done.

My Sienna is by far the best car I have ever owned. However, unless you plan to drive one to 300,000 miles, they do cost quite a bit more. I have no problem at all recommending a Dodge Caravan. Up to at least 100,000 or 120,000 miles they do well. My daughter drives I think it’s a 1997, and it doesn’t look bad, though you might think so. I will admit my 1989 I used to have wasn’t that nice to look at.

Sometimes one must compromise. On your list, the newer Caravans fit everything else, but they certainly do look like a mini-van. There are some nicer looking ones if you want to spend a lot more money, but the Dodge is very good for what it is. Cheap parts; plenty of mechanics. And, millions of people get around in those things in safety and comfort.

Get a mod shop to paint dragons on it. Hee, hee.