Thoughts on older minivans

[K Frame]

I'm seriously thinking about getting an older, essentially beater, minivan as a Seren taxi.

She's got what appears to be rapidly advancing neuropathy, and it's causing a lot of problems for her navigating steps, including the steps I have for the Forester.

She fell off the steps and face planted this morning. She's OK, but it caused my heart to stop because I couldn't prevent it.

So, I'm thinking an older minivan. They're lower to the ground and they have wider door openings.

So what's a generally good option in a higher mileage older minivan.

And note, I don't want to hear about pick up trucks, motorcycles, sedans, airplanes, rocket assisted boost, etc.

This is for Seren. Not for me.

[Perd Hapley]

Have you considered the Subaru Forester?

[zxcvbob]

Old VW bus, very late 60s to early 70s, with the sliding side door.  (do those still exist?)  I'm assuming you can drive a stick-shift.

[Hawkmoon]

Old VW bus, very late 60s to early 70s, with the sliding side door.  (do those still exist?)  I'm assuming you can drive a stick-shift.

I think the newer Chrysler minivans have the floor closer to the ground, which appears to be a primary concern here.

[zahc]

If you live in America you don't have much choice in minivans. You choose the Chrysler, Honda or Toyota. You can't really go wrong with any of them, except some generations have timing belts and some don't.

[French G.]

Can you find a van with a wheelchair lift? Doggy lift!

[Ben]

Yet another posting not answering your question, but before buying a whole minivan, have you researched all the ramp options out there? I would think the back of your Forester could store a pretty substantial ramp if it's foldable. A larger, longer ramp would give her more space if she stumbles and have a shallower slope. If you're already setting steps out, a big ramp likely wouldn't take you much more time.

[K Frame]

Ramp isn't really feasible for a number of reasons. The steps I have can be set up one handed. I don't know of any ramps that can be set up one handed.

I also don't let Seren ride all the way in the back of my Forester, and that makes a ramp VERY problematic to impossible to use.

She rides in the back seat. That way she's FAR better protected if someone rear ends us. That happened when she was a puppy and she was riding in her crate all the way in the back. Fortunately it was very low speed and I'm not sure that she even woke up.

I'm going to be getting in touch with a friend of mine who is a Leo owner and also a vet to talk about helper harnesses to see what she used when her one Leo lost a rear leg. She has a Jeep of some flavor.

The BIG appeal of the minivan is the large side sliding door. That would allow me to give her far more effective assistance getting in and out of the vehicle.

[lee n. field]

Old VW bus, very late 60s to early 70s, with the sliding side door.  (do those still exist?)  I'm assuming you can drive a stick-shift.

super cool but not a low riding vehicle.

[zxcvbob]

super cool but not a low riding vehicle.

I thought it was probably low enough, and if you take the center seat out (very easy to do) with the sliding door all the way back there would be lots of room; Saren and Mike wouldn't be in each other's way as he helps lift her backend into the van.  And the floor mats are all rubber which is good.

But I might be misremembering how high the floor is.  A newer minivan built on a sedan chassis might ride lower.

Also they didn't have air conditioning.  :hot:

[Bogie]

I would look at a Chrysler/Dodge caravan/grand caravan... And find out where your local taxi drivers get their work done.
 
Second would be a Toyota Sienna.
 
Mount the ramp inside the door so you can just pull it down. On the inside, extend it all the way to the first back seat.

[Boomhauer]

Should be able to find one for a very decent price. And being that it’s just you and your pup you can strip out unneeded seats for good cargo space for carrying larger items as necessary so it’s great for a second vehicle for that purpose as well. It’s good to have a backup vehicle that fulfills several roles.

[lee n. field]

I thought it was probably low enough, and if you take the center seat out (very easy to do) with the sliding door all the way back there would be lots of room; Saren and Mike wouldn't be in each other's way as he helps lift her backend into the van.  And the floor mats are all rubber which is good.

But I might be misremembering how high the floor is.  A newer minivan built on a sedan chassis might ride lower.

Also they didn't have air conditioning.  :hot:

I can probably still dig up my copy of John Muir's VW repair guide.

My recollection is the van had a transfer case that lowered the gear ratio and also raised the floor over where it was in the Bug.

[Bogie]

The interior in the rear was raised.

[Northwoods]

As mentioned on FB my 2008 Sienna is still running strong at 280k miles.  It's got more horsepower than 2007 and older, which is noticeable and desirable.  They also handle really well in snow with the right tires.  AWD not necessary.

Been reading a bit and if want better than beater class the 2016 model year was considered a sweet spot for the Sienna.

[griz]

We had a Chrysler that I liked, around 06 IIRC.  Those rear seats folded into the floor.  Not sure if that raises the floor height much, but it wasn't a big step at all to get in.  Our oldish dog wasn't too limited mobility wise, but he had no trouble at all, just a step to him, no jump.

[bedlamite]

A roadworthy VW microbus is going to cost way more than you think. They are a collector car now. Not what you're after:
https://www.autotempest.com/results?make=volkswagen&model=transporter&zip=20001&localization=country

Older Toyota Sienna is probably your best bet.

[K Frame]

Sorry, but I can't even believe that someone would think that a 50-year-old hippymobile would be A, a minivan, or B, worthy of consideration.

I haven't seen a roadworthy VW minivan in over a decade.

Just for grins and giggles I went looking for a roadworthy classic VW minivan...

Prices range from low $20ks to nearly $100,000.

As mentioned, no AC. Questionable traction in greasy conditions. Relative high center of gravity. Sloppy steering, especially in even relatively mild wind conditions. Gearbox that was repurposed from a T-34 tank (harsh, complete *expletive deleted*it shifts).

The list goes on and on.

Only somone having a catastrophic acid flashback would consider buying a classic VW van.

Or a modern VW of any stripe.

[Bogie]

Yeah - Volkswagens are absolute hell if you think you're going to work on something  yourself... Change the battery? You have to plug in the tablet and reset things. VWs, Audis, etc., are run by german engineers and Russian accountants...

[Live Life]

Seren ... got what appears to be rapidly advancing neuropathy, and it's causing a lot of problems for her navigating steps ... thinking an older minivan. They're lower to the ground and they have wider door openings.

We bought 2019 Chrysler Pacifica (Which replaced Chrysler Town and Country in 2017) for retirement.  One of many reasons was the middle "Stow and Go" seats that dropped flat into the floor without having to remove them. (My sister has Toyota Sienna and she has to remove the middle seats into the garage)

With flat floor that was low to the ground, it was easy for our aging dogs to step into the van and out.

Rear seats also go flat into the floor and I can carry full sheets of 4'x8' plywood/sheetrock or 10' dimensional lumber through the center console opening.  BTW, it gets 30+ mpg on the highway doing 75 mph due to 9 speed transmission and slicker body.

Some Chrysler Town and Country (Nicer features but same engine/transmission as Caravan) and Dodge Caravan also came with "Stow and Go" middle seat option depending on model year and trim level.

Before retirement from government work, Town and Country/Caravan were often rental vehicles I chose for week long licensing and certification survey work and reason why I decided on the Pacifica for retirement.  Our agency covered the entire state of CA and after several hours of driving, comfortable ride and seats that reclined (Even the middle/back seats) allowed us to be able to walk around facility grounds being surveyed for entrance tour (surveys were unannounced and we needed to move around fast before some "evidence" disappeared).

You can find used Caravan/Town and Country going back to 2010 for around $5000-$7000 depending on condition and they will get around 24-26 mpg on the highway.  I would recommend newer models with less miles but if you don't drive much, even older models with more miles could be considered.

[Kingcreek]

My grandaughter hauls her musical instruments in an older Kia soul with the rear seats removed. It has a big liftgate and a low entry.
There is an older Honda that is also low but I don’t remember maybe passport?

[K Frame]

One of the reasons why I'm thinking minivan is because I do not, under any circumstances, want Seren to ride all the way in the back of whatever vehicle I have.

She rides in the rear seat of my Forester in case someone rear ends it. A guy did that once years ago. Seren was a puppy and was in the back of my blue Forester in her crate. Fortunately it was low speed....

Wait, I already mentioned all of that here in a previous post.

So no, I don't care what vehicle I have, she's not going to ride all the way in the rear.

[K Frame]

Stow & Go middle seats would be great, but I'm more than happy to remove the middle seats and toss them into the dump.

I've been thinking about getting another vehicle, a beater backup, for some time, actually. Only having one vehicle is something of a pain in the butt. I have to arrange for rides or I have to rent a car if mine goes down, and then I have to be cagey about why there's a ton of dog fur in it.

I've seen a couple of serious possibilities at dealers here in Northern Virginia, things I could buy outright in cash.

I'm more inclined to go Honda or Toyota, really, over anything else because, well, Honda/Toyota reliability.

[zxcvbob]

Sorry, but I can't even believe that someone would think that a 50-year-old hippymobile would be A, a minivan, or B, worthy of consideration.

I haven't seen a roadworthy VW minivan in over a decade.

Just for grins and giggles I went looking for a roadworthy classic VW minivan...

Prices range from low $20ks to nearly $100,000.

As mentioned, no AC. Questionable traction in greasy conditions. Relative high center of gravity. Sloppy steering, especially in even relatively mild wind conditions. Gearbox that was repurposed from a T-34 tank (harsh, complete *expletive deleted*it shifts).

The list goes on and on.

Only somone having a catastrophic acid flashback would consider buying a classic VW van.

Or a modern VW of any stripe.

The main problem with the steering and overall stability was people put the wrong tires on them.  (myself included when I had one)  OEM was a 7.00x14 *truck* tire which was probably bias ply; I don't remember if it was 6 plies or 8.  It needed that extra sidewall stiffness.  With passenger car tires, especially radials, even if they have the same payload capacity the car will wander all over the road with any kind of crosswind and it will oversteer like a *Samuel_Jacksonism*

[Live Life]

I'm more than happy to remove the middle seats

... more inclined to go Honda or Toyota

If you plan on keeping the middle seat removed, then Toyota or Honda would be a good choice.  I would suggest adding Mazda also and if I come across a Kia in good condition and price, I would not hesitate also.