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How do you talk your wife out of a minivan?

DrVolkl

DrVolkl

Legendary Member
Joined
12 August 2005
Messages
3,329
Location
Seattle, WA
Situation: Our 2002 S6 Avant is ready to be traded in.
Problem: I can't talk my wife out of a minivan. She really wants one. Looking at a Honda Odyssey fully loaded. The damn thing comes out to over $40k!

I'm pushing really hard to try and get her to consider the BMW 535xi wagon. It costs a bit more, but I'm ok with the price difference, I really like the car....

Does anyone have any suggestions? What angle can I use? She does like the speed and agility of the S6 and I keep telling her that she'll lose that...but with our 7 mo old daughter (our 1st) she wants something easier to "live" with daily. Has anyone else been able to stop the madness that is America's lust for the minivan????

I fear I may have to buy some Work rims for the Odyssey just to make it look better. :frown:
 
Lol... just talk up the safety features of the BMW. Show her the rediculous amount of safety testing that goes into BMW stuff and tell her it's what you want for her and the baby. Swish... nothing but net :cool:
 
Don't be so down on the Odyssey. I have a friend who has a fully loaded one, and it's a great machine. All said, it's much more practical than 90% of the SUVs out there.

Besides, you've already got the NSX, so let her indulge her inner soccer mom.
 
Let me just say one thing.

SLIDING DOORS.

My wife wanted a van and I too put up a fuss. I caved less then 48 hours after she pointed out that the kids would be able to open the car doors soon and that they'd smack my NSX with them.
 
I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

Alright...soccer mom here we come.
:frown:
 
We've got a Town & Country Limited that my wife wanted and it's just awesome (though I'm pleased that i don't have to drive it everyday). That said, we take it on all our trips and it's wonderful to have the extra space. Also, it's got all the toys - nav, dvd changer for our daughter, 3 zone climate control, leather/suede/heated/memory seats, electric doors and liftgate, etc.... Minivans aren't so bad. They lack a fun to drive factor, but they make up for it when you take a road trip.
 
flaminio said:
Don't be so down on the Odyssey. I have a friend who has a fully loaded one, and it's a great machine. All said, it's much more practical than 90% of the SUVs out there.

Besides, you've already got the NSX, so let her indulge her inner soccer mom.
Click to expand...

+1
I agree, don't diss the odyssey, I think it is a great vehicle. It is practical, automatic sliding doors, automatic rear hatch, and all for under 40K you can't beat it. with little kids these cars are really convient. plus it is economical to run. My Kids are little older and my wife just got rid of our minivan that we had for 6 years. I just bought her a GL450 and we love it. buy the minivan now and then later move to a X5 or GL450 or whatever. I think your going to like the minivan.
 
Additional option. Take the wife to check out 2008 Toyota Highlander in black (It is gorgeous). It got two rows of seats in the back, seats 8 total, looks way better than any minivan.

-3.5L motor (270hp)
-Stability control
-Looks good especially in black
-Seats 8 adults
-It drives like a non SUV
-It doesn't feel bulky
-Give it a chance by test driving it, you got nothing to lose

GF had the 2008 Highlander for several weeks as company car. I drove it more than she did, hehe.

I call myself a SUV and Mini-Van hater (some sporty SUVs are exceptions). I always feel like I am in danger when driving SUVs. Highlander was an pleasant surprise, being able to carry 7 other adults is awesome.

photo_11.jpg


photo_6.jpg
 
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Tell her you need to be able to tow the NSX on a flatbed to NSXPO.:biggrin:
All wheel drive cars are better for traction in wet and slippery conditions.

I have a Pilot

gal_lg2.jpg
 
We have two kids and instead of the Odyssey my wife originally wanted, I think we are going to end up with an Acura MDX with the sport suspension and rear entertainment system. 3 rows of seats, 300 bhp, 0-60 around 8, and it pulls about an .85 on the skid pad. I think I can drive this as well.:wink:

MSRP is about $47k though.
 
BioBanker said:
Let me just say one thing.

SLIDING DOORS.

My wife wanted a van and I too put up a fuss. I caved less then 48 hours after she pointed out that the kids would be able to open the car doors soon and that they'd smack my NSX with them.
Click to expand...

Dang talk about an angle!! Go straight for what means most right? :tongue:

My aunt has a odyssey fully loaded and it's great for driving her 3 year old daughter around. I've ridden it a couple of times and to tell you the truth I felt safe. Very comfortable inside and with automatic sliding doors on both sides, very convenient for when you're carrying the little one or have bags of groceries in your hands and can't open the door. While the BMW may look great, you can't beat the practicality of the Odyssey imo.
 
I have a Toyota Siena AWD fully loaded and couldn't imagine life without it. I too liked the Honda vans (had a 99') but the tranny went out and the folks we know with 05's and better are in the shop A LOT. As for the Siena - the damn thing could have a Lexas badge and no one would be the wiser. It basically has the same engine and drive train as the Highlander (a VERY good thing).

I love having the safest and one of the most comfortable "SUV"s with sliding side and power rear gate, leather, DVD, and the AWD/ESP that come with it. It is perfect for long trips and does everything pretty darn well.

Truth is - for the money - a minivan is one of the most practical and functional vehicles on the planet.

Give in to the dark side! One of us. One of us. One of us.

:)
 
Tell her she is too young and attractive to drive a minivan:wink:

Seriously, the 535xi is an exceptional car with awd, excellent safety, great power and no charge maintenance. The car is very well equipped before additional options however it is pricy but that also means they don't fly out of BMW showrooms so there are deal to be had.
 
Thankfully my wife hates minivans, but I can see the practicality of one. I watch how much difficulty my 3 year old... (wow, 3 tomorrow already!) has getting in and out of her RAV4 and how high his seat is off the ground. The sliding doors, the room to move, the extra storage space.... and now when we need to pick up my mother in law we have to take 2 cars. Yeah, I can see the possibility of a minivan in the future, except I'll be having to talk the wife into it. First she had to give up her Celica GT which she still hates the thought of, that was 3 years ago and every time we see a blue I know it's only 2 seconds before she mentions missing hers. Thankfully we don't see many of those, but RAV4s are all over the place, if she ended up with a minivan, I'd be hearing about the RAV4 every 5 minutes :).
 
Been there, did that!

We avoided vans like the plague for the longest time. Went from 4Runner to Pathfinder to Pilot (which is a re skinned Odyssey) but in the end with 3 kids it was unavoidable and over the past Xmas break we caved in and bought a fully loaded Odyssey with the nav, backup cam, dvd, electric doors etc.

WE LOVE IT!!!

Really cheap to run, safe, convenient, and man...those sliding doors...no risk of banging into my stored nsx! Plus its actually luxurious...nice leather trim and kids love the headphones and the fact the PlayStation plugs right into the entertainment system. I'm actually thinking of trading my daily driver IS300 for an FX45 now since our family car is no longer an suv...frees up the space for me to get something semi-interesting. Naw, prob end up with the new Evo X ;)
 
As a 3 time Audi owner, I have to plug the larger Audi alternative, and with your Avant, this may work:

Look at the Q7... I'm guessing the gas mileage isn't that much of a factor for you, knowing what little I do about you... (did you sell your house? My sister in law is a realtor up there if you need a new one)

The Q7 is frickin sweet... the interior is absolutely to die for, the third row stows well, and is easy to get to the way the second row was designed, and iyou can get all the nav/ dvd/ kid amenities you can handle... all for probably close to the cost of the S6 avant...

Good luck Doc, if you are forced to take the plunge, just make sure the options are to your liking!
 
robr said:
Thankfully my wife hates minivans, but I can see the practicality of one. I watch how much difficulty my 3 year old... (wow, 3 tomorrow already!) has getting in and out of her RAV4 and how high his seat is off the ground. The sliding doors, the room to move, the extra storage space.... and now when we need to pick up my mother in law we have to take 2 cars. Yeah, I can see the possibility of a minivan in the future, except I'll be having to talk the wife into it. First she had to give up her Celica GT which she still hates the thought of, that was 3 years ago and every time we see a blue I know it's only 2 seconds before she mentions missing hers. Thankfully we don't see many of those, but RAV4s are all over the place, if she ended up with a minivan, I'd be hearing about the RAV4 every 5 minutes :).
Click to expand...


My wife is also a hard core NO MINIVAN!!!!! Buuuutttt....she has been talking lately about maybe getting a GL because of the baby on the way. She loves her Cayenne and loves to whip it around in traffic but she is seeing she will need something bigger. I don't think she is comprehending the changes on the way. A few times a day I will say, where is the baby right now. I think she is starting to get it. Her mom is coming back early from their winter get-a-way to help get ready.

As for the Odessey, my sister has one. I talked her into getting it. They are pricy for a minivan but she has had it for 6 or 7 years now and has not had ONE problem with it. It's a Honda!
 
With car seats/babies you guys don't want to have to bend down all the time to get them in, ie cars.if you want a better handling vehicle then the average minivan then suv's may work for you.But if you plan on hauling 2 kids and grandparents then you will need a third row.Our mdx is tight with 2 kids and sqeezing in 3 generations.
 
I have said I will never own a minivan in this lifetime.

But in the next life it would be an Odyssey...

I have driven one, and it is a great vehicle.

Philip
 
Don't fight it. Get the minivan; this isn't one worth fighting. Save that for bigger stuff. :wink:. She will be happy and you will be happy b/c she won't be making you miserable. And, you get to remind her how she made a great choice in the minivan. Saying that, itself, will pay dividends for you. She knows you are lying, but she will like hearing it. :smile:

The Odyssey is a nice minivan. Put some Work, Volk or Prodrive wheels on it and it will look nice.
 

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