2011 Minivan Shootout

[Intrepidation]

Insideline rounded up this years' new or significantly revised minivans to find out who reins king of the family haulers.

1st Place: 2011 Toyota Sienna SE

Does it have genuine swagger? Maybe not, but the Sienna SE offers the best all-around package of comfort, performance and value in a minivan under $40,000.

2nd Place (tie): 2011 Nissan Quest SL

The surprise of the group, the Quest has a sweetheart of a drivetrain, a great ride/handling balance and the quietest cabin. Big hauling jobs aren't its forte, though.

2nd Place (tie): 2011 Honda Odyssey EX

Dynamically, it's the most accomplished minivan ever, and it has the most passenger room, but in EX trim, you're locked out of desirable features.

4th Place: 2011 Chrysler Town and Country Touring-L

Vast improvements make the feature-packed T&C a contender again, though it lacks the refined ride and smooth-shifting transmission of the higher finishers.

5th Place: 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan Crew

A new interior and retuned suspension restore Dodge's credibility in the minivan world. It's less refined than its peers, though, and its front seat is cramped.

http://www.insideline.com/toyota/sienna/2011/2011-minivan-comparison-test.html

and just for comparison, last year's Grand Caravan:

and just for comparison, last year's Grand Caravan:

Seemed like a fair comparison. Only 6.6 points separate the 1st-place Sienna from the 5th-place Grand Caravan in the overall scores. However I don't really agree with the Sienna being first. The cheapest interior of the group would have knocked down to at least 2nd in my book. The Odyssey seems to be held back by its lack a features and powertrain. I think the Chrysler vans did well despite coming last. Them and the Quest had my favorite interiors, and Stow `n Go will always be a big plus for me.

I also like where the shifter is. I don't know why peopled hated it before, but unlike all the other vans, the shifter location in the Chrysler vans doesn't get in the way of the center stack controls.

[pow]

Come on Honda, offer the six-speed in all trim levels.

[daves87rs]

So it basically a toss up...

I like the Ody and Caravan....

[Intrepidation]

Yeah it doesn't seem like you could go wrong with any of them. However the Toyota's nasty interior and melted face takes it off my list.

[daves87rs]

Yeah it doesn't seem like you could go wrong with any of them. However the Toyota's nasty interior and melted face takes it off my list.

True...

[Northstar]

Honda did kind of screw up not putting many features on the EX. The EX should have everything the EX-L has (except leather) and perhaps a couple things from the Touring model.

[Lamar]

I often lament the loss of the column shifter in these vehicles. But maybe the automakers figure that people will shift their vans manumatically enough to warrant the setup they have...?

Only one of these that I've sat in is the Quest. Nice interior design, but the seat fabric (I sat in the SV model, second lowest) leaves something to be desired.

[pow]

Honestly, I like the Sienna's interior. Its materials may be "hard", but they're grained in an interesting and futuristic way, like they are on the Prius. It's not supposed to simulate leather, and it's not shiny and offensive. Also, the reclining and second row seats have an absolutely ridiculous amount of space.

[regfootball]

Come on Honda, offer the six-speed in all trim levels.

yup

[regfootball]

I often lament the loss of the column shifter in these vehicles. But maybe the automakers figure that people will shift their vans manumatically enough to warrant the setup they have...?

Only one of these that I've sat in is the Quest. Nice interior design, but the seat fabric (I sat in the SV model, second lowest) leaves something to be desired.

I sat in the new Quest for the first time the other day and was not expecting nice but it was. It doesn't feel like a huge shipping crate. The interior is an Infiniti, not a cheap Nissan. Of course the one I sat in was loaded and had leather. Outside is still ugly but I left thinking it really is something that will snag some buyers.

The Dodge interior is vastly improved. The Odyssey has a sporting attitude.

Minivans will regain their sales mojo if they can shed weight and improve mpg as well as keep price down. The Chrysler vans sell well to a lot of folks because of their price advantage. The Honda in particular is too pricey.

The other thing that would help is if the vans took on a little more crossover personality. That being offering the all wheel drive. The Toyota does and that's it. For 40k in a family vehicle it needs to have all wheel drive for wider acceptance.

[Drew Dowdell]

Imagine an elephant on pogo sticks. Then imagine those pogo sticks are on rollerskates.... that's the Sienna suspension.

[ocnblu]

They're all dancing too fast, trying to put on a good show, except for the Mopars and the Datsun. The Datsun looks too JDM for me on the outside, but I like the interior. I'd still take a Mopar in the end if someone put a gun to my head and said I had to drive a minivan. The Dodge R/T cannot come fast enough.

[z28luvr01]

The Chryslers are the only ones that don't make me want to throw up my breakfast.

[regfootball]

Imagine an elephant on pogo sticks. Then imagine those pogo sticks are on rollerskates.... that's the Sienna suspension.

The SE option Sienna is supposed to have the best suspension out of all vans these days.

[Potluck]

The Honda looks even more disjointed in person. The Nissan isn't bad... different for a minivan but also retro shaped in a Ford Aerostar sort of way. The Toyota is bloated outside and the interior is terrible...even if you can't tell from the pics.

I'd go with the Nissan or the Chrysler.

[regfootball]

the interior transformation of the Chrysler vans is amazing.

[ocnblu]

One of those Caravan cargo vans would make a fantastic, easy-to-handle camping vehicle. You can get them with full privacy glass instead of the blank panels for driving visibility.

[Drew Dowdell]

Imagine an elephant on pogo sticks. Then imagine those pogo sticks are on rollerskates.... that's the Sienna suspension.

The SE option Sienna is supposed to have the best suspension out of all vans these days.

The one I had clearly wasn't an SE then

[Justin Bimmer]

The way the shifter is set up on these things reminds me of the integration of automatic transmission shifters on Crown Coaches (School Buses) Go look at the photo -- 1989 Crown Supercoach with Automatic Transmission Interior

[vonVeezelsnider]

I really like that Town and Country interior, it's my favorite of the bunch. Higher trim Dodges are nice too, but I also knida like the Quest interior.

Still, I think the Chrysler twins are the ones that look to have the most user-friendly setup in the interior. Look at the shifter blocking the climate controls on ALL the other ones.

Edited March 19, 2011 by vonVeezelsnider

[regfootball]

checked out the new dodge chysler vans again at the show yesterday. they really did a good job updating that dash and interior.

the changes are such that it feels much different than the old ones. really dodge should be given props on taking a lemon interior and making lemonade out of it.