When it comes to family
drama, deciding whether to let a minivan sneak into the garage must rise to the
top of the decision list.
There's no beating a minivan when it comes to
sheer practicality. But many just can't stomach the minivans' frumpy image. They
don't want to be accused by neighbors of being stuck in the 1980s.
That's a shame, because
minivans still have some big advantages when it comes to space and fuel economy
that most crossover SUVs can't match.
With that in mind, Cars.com
and PBS' Motorweek set out to find the ultimate minivan, pitting five of the
big names against each other in a competition to find the best model under
$50,000.
"Although minivans get
a bad rap as outdated "mommy-mobiles," they remain both popular and
effective," says Patrick Olsen, editor-in-chief of Cars.com. "Last
year, about 500,000 of them sold in the U.S. They provide lots of
family-friendly features, tons of cargo space, and they drive more like cars
than ever before."
The contenders were the 2015
Chrysler Town & Country, the 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan (a corporate sibling
of the Chrysler), 2015 Honda Odyssey, 2015 Kia Sedona and the 2015 Toyota
Sienna. About the only notable omission was the Nissan Quest. Nissan declined
to participate.
The winner was a vastly refreshed
model, the Kia Sedona. The judges
scored it high for its SUV-like looks, but also its plush interior, tech
features and quietness.
The price cap was intended
to let automakers show what they could do for for the money. Many car shoppers
never foot into a showroom without having set a maximum amount in their heads
of how much they are willing to spend.
Each of the vehicles were
tested for a week. They were driven on a 135-mile loop around Milwaukee to check
fuel economy, driven back-to-back on the same course and then scored.
The expert judges were
Jennifer Geiger, assistant managing editor for Cars.com; Kelsey Mays, senior
editor for Cars.com, Jennifer Newman, assistant managing editor for Cars.com
and Brian Robinson, producer for PBS' "MotorWeek."
The test also included a
family. Andrea and Andrew Thueme of Manhattan, Kan., and their two children,
Adaline, 2; and Arthur, five months. They put the cars through their paces in
driving segments around Milwaukee, where the competition was held.
Andrew, 36, serves in the
U.S. military and Andrea, 35, recently left the service.
Scoring was according to a
formula. It was weighed 65% from the experts, 15% from the family shoppers, 10%
from IIHS crash-test scores and 10% from the finish in the gas mileage drive.
While some vehicles clearly
stood out, one area where the results were the closests was for fuel economy.
Though minivans have a generally good reputation for gas thrift, the vehicles
are so big that they aren't looking so good compared to other classes of
vehicles.
All finished about a
half-mile per gallon apart, The best was the Dodge Grand Caravan, with 23.9
miles per gallon during testing. Worst was the Sedona, with 23.3 mpg. Here is
how the vehicles fared:
•2015 Kia Sedona SXL.
High marks for the looks, interior, lounge-style seats, surround camera and how
quietly it rode. Negatives were least amount of storage, configuration for
cargo and the way it rode when fully loaded.
•2015 Toyota Sienna Limited
Premium. The sales leader in the segment has nice all-wheel drive, drove well
overall and lots of space. But there was some road noise, a higher price
without the most safety features and it was harder to get into the third row of
seats.
•2015 Honda Odyssey Touring
Elite. Hey, it's got a built-in vacuum cleaner. Besides that notable feature,
Odyssey has ample space, including in the third row of seats. The seats were
also among the most comfortable. But the interior looked cheaper than the
others, some of the tech features were hard to figure out, the ride wasn't that
great and it cost more than the others.
•2015 Chrysler Town &
Country Limited Platinum. The flip seats, called Stow 'n Go seats, in the
second row were a hit. So was the accelaration. But the electronics are dated
and some testers didn't like the handling, transmission or steering feel.
•2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
SXT Plus. The one provided the most for the money, coming in around $33,000.
But it has the same advantages and disadvantages as its corporate stablemate,
the Chrysler.
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