Ready For A Swagger Wagon? Read This Before You Buy…
I admit it…there was a time I scoffed at minivans. As a twenty something parent, I hunched over my little sedan and popped that infant carrier out no problem. I soon upgraded to a midsize SUV and my kiddos hopped in and out with ease. But as the kids got bigger, started opening their own doors (and occasionally slamming them into other cars), and a new little one joined the bunch with his car seat squeezed in the middle of the other two’s booster seats, I realized it- I was ready for a minivan. I felt a little “Soccer Mom”-ish, but nonetheless I dived in to the world of the Swagger Wagon and haven’t looked back once.
If you too are ready for a minivan, check out the top picks for 2018! Not all minivans are created equal, so you should definitely do your research before you head to the car lot. The following list shows rankings of the top six minivans of 2018 (only Honda already has its information for the 2019 model) from the U.S. News and World Report, with some pros and cons of each minivan, as well as features and specs, and all important safety ratings.
#1 2019 Honda Odyssey (starting $30,090)
The Honda Odyssey tops the list with a 9/10 score. The Odyssey has long been a favorite, and just keeps improving year after year. It is family friendly, has a ton of available features, and high quality interior throughout.
Features & Specs: Seats 7-8, Gets 19 MPG in city and 28 MPG on highway, 280 horsepower, V6 engine, 38.6 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in use, up to 158 possible cubic feet cargo space. Comes standard with push button start, multi-angle backup camera, Bluetooth, two USB ports, hands free text messaging. You can even upgrade to get wireless smartphone charging, Android Auto, Apple Car Play, and an integrated vacuum cleaner.
Safety: NHTSA safety ratings are 5/5 stars for frontal and side crash and 4/5 stars for rollover. Overall safety score is 5/5 stars. Safety features include: driver air bag, passenger air bag, front head air bag, rear head air bag, front side air bag, 4 wheel ABS, 4 wheel disc brakes, brake assist, electronic stability control, daytime running lights, child safety locks, and traction control.
Pros & Cons: Pros are great acceleration and a smooth ride, good fuel economy, user friendly infotainment system, high end interiors. One con is that the second row seats have to be removed to attain maximum cargo storage space.
#2 Chrysler Pacifica (starting at $26,995) and #2 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid (starting $39,995)
The Chrysler Pacifica and the hybrid version are tied for second on the list, each scoring 8.9/10 due to their quick-change interiors, excellent infotainment systems, mid-range base price and overall well-roundedness.
Features and Specs: Seats 7, Gets 18-19 MPG in city and 28 MPG on highway (not applicable for hybrid), 287 horsepower (260 hybrid), V6 engine, 32.3 cubic feet cargo space with all seats in use, up to 140 possible cubic feet cargo space. Comes with Stow’n’Go seats, power-folding third-row seats, a hands-free power liftgate, power second row windows, six speaker stereo, Chrysler’s Uconnect Access, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. There are plenty of other optional features available, including a panoramic sunroof, tri-zone automatic climate control, KeySense parental controls, satellite radio, rear seat DVD player, two 10 inch rear seat touch screens, Alpine and Harman Kardon audio systems, and an upgraded Uconnect system with an 8.4 inch touch screen and navigation.
Safety: NHTSA safety ratings are 5/5 stars for frontal and side crash and 4/5 stars for rollover. Overall safety score is 5/5 stars. Safety features include: driver air bag, passenger air bag, front head air bag, rear head air bag, front side air bag, 4-wheel ABS, 4-wheel disc brakes, brake assist, electronic stability control, daytime running lights, child safety locks, traction control, blind spot monitor, and cross-traffic alert (*hybrid also offers integrated turn signal mirrors, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist.)
Pros and Cons: Pros are SO MANY options, one of the best infotainment systems out there, an amazing stowable seating system, available plug in hybrid model, and tons of cubbies and storage.
Cons are a power-hatch button that is awkwardly located, compromised second and third row seating comfort, cramped third row, and a Latch system for car seats that is more difficult to use than most competitors.
#4 2018 Kia Sedona (starting $27,000)
The Kia Sedona is tied on the list with the Toyota Sienna, earning a score of 8.3/10. The Sedona is a mixed bag, with great safety scores and a comfortable cabin, but also a definite lack of family friendly features and cargo space that most people would expect in a new minivan. The Sedona has a low starting price, so that makes it attractive to some. However, if you have small children you may want to look elsewhere, as the competition has much more to offer.
Features and Specs: Seats 7-8, Gets 17-18 MPG in city, and 22-25 on the highway, 276 horsepower, V6 engine, 33.9 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in use, up to 142 possible cubic feet of cargo space. Comes standard with a 5-inch touch screen, Bluetooth, a USB port, a four speaker audio system, satellite radio, and a rearview camera. Optional upgrades include power sliding rear doors, a dual pane sunroof, tri-zone automatic climate control, eight speaker infinity audio system, HD Radio, 8-inch touch screen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, navigation, two USB ports, proximity key, push button start, 360 degree camera, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and front and rear parking sensors.
Safety: NHTSA safety ratings are 5/5 stars for frontal and side crash and4/5 stars for rollover. Overall safety score is 5/5 stars. Safety features include: driver air bag, front head air bag, rear head air bag, front side air bag, 4-wheel ABS, 4-wheel disc brakes, brake assist, electronic stability control, daytime running lights, child safety locks, integrated turn signal mirrors, and traction control.
Pros and Cons: Pros are the high end interior, safety scores, price point, and a zippy engine. Cons are fewer features than most rivals, not as family friendly, poor gas mileage, and less usable cargo space than other minivans.
#4 2018 Toyota Sienna (starting $30,850)
The Toyota Sienna is tied for fourth on the list with the Kia Sedona with a score of 8.3/10. The Sienna is not one of the higher ranking minivans due to its lower reliability and crash test scores, and the fact that it hasn’t really had a makeover in years. This means that it lacks the cool features that its rivals the Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica boast, such as built in vacuums, stowable third row seating, more modern infotainment systems and second row gaming and entertainment systems. However, the Sienna has ample room, tons of storage, comfortably seats adults throughout, is the only minivan to offer all wheel drive, and has a very peppy almost 300 horsepower engine that easily gets up to speed. Siennas also have a history of high resale values.
Features and Specs: Seats 7-8, Gets 18-19 MPG in city, and 24-27 on the highway, 296 horsepower, V6 engine, 39.1 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in use, up to 150 possible cubic feet of cargo space. Standard features include three zone automatic climate control, rearview camera, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, an infotainment system with the Entune 3.0 interface, a 7 inch touch screen display, navigation, five USB ports, smartphone integration, Bluetooth, and Siri Eyes Free. Some of the optional upgrades are rain sensing windshield wipers, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alerts, dual power sliding doors, HD radio, satellite radio, a Wi-Fi hot spot, a 10 speaker JBL sound system, Driver Easy Speak, push button start, a proximity key, and a single or dual pane moonroof.
Safety: NHTSA safety ratings are 4/5 stars for frontal crash and rollover, and 5/5 stars for side impact. Overall safety score is 5/5 stars. Safety features include: driver air bag, passenger air bag, front head air bag, rear head air bag, front side air bag, 4 wheel ABS, 4 wheel disc brakes, brake assist, electronic stability control, daytime running lights, child safety locks, traction control, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist.
Pros and Cons: Pros are a roomy and comfortable cabin with high quality materials, spacious cargo area, a foldaway split third row bench which opens up massive cargo storage, confident and powerful on the road, only minivan to offer all wheel drive, and a user friendly infotainment system.
Cons are it is more expensive than most of its rivals, the optional removable eighth seat is really only comfortable for a child or very thin person (not carseat friendly), and it has lower than expected reliability rates.
#6 Dodge Grand Caravan (starting $26, 250)
The Dodge Grand Caravan is the lowest scoring van on U.S. News & World Report’s list, earning a meager 7.1 out of 10 points. While the Grand Caravan is the cheapest minivan on the list, that low price is mostly because it is OLD. The van has gone largely unchanged since 2008, with a minor upgrade in 2011. Because it is essentially six years old, it has missed out on all the latest crash prevention and safety technology. The Grand Caravan has at least added a back up camera and a 6.5 inch touch screen. This van simply can’t keep up with all the features and technology offered by its rivals, which places it on the bottom of many lists.
Features and Specs: Seats 7, Gets 17 MPG in city, and 25 on the highway, 283 horsepower, V6 engine, 31.1 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in use, up to 140.3 possible cubic feet of cargo space. Comes standard with tri-zone manual climate control, a 6.5 inch touch screen infotainment system, six speaker audio system, and a rearview camera. Optional upgrades include tri-zone automatic climate control, navigation, nine speaker audio system, satellite radio, rear seat entertainment system, remote start, rear parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert.
Safety: NHTSA safety ratings are frontal crash and rollover earned 4/5 stars, and side crash 5/5 stars. Overall safety score is 4/5 stars. Safety features include: driver air bag, passenger air bag, front head air bag, rear head air bag, front side air bag, 4 wheel ABS, 4 wheel disc brakes, brake assist, electronic stability control, daytime running lights, child safety locks, and traction control.
Pros and Cons: Pros are under-floor cargo bins, Stow’n’Go seats which are useful and easy to use, and a low base price perfect for families who need a minivan but aren’t ready to pay a premium.
Cons are subpar safety ratings, way less features than most minivans, an interior that feels a little cheap, and a ride that can be rough.
Still not sure if you’re ready to take the plunge and become a van mom? Here’s what a few Austin moms had to say about rocking their minivans:
“I have a 2008 Honda Odyssey and I love mine! I love that it has a DVD player to pacify my busy kids and that the kids can just put their headphones on and watch the DVD player, while I jam to my music playing through the speakers. Dual functions are always a plus!” -Ruby, mom of two
“I have a 2010 Volkswagen Routan and I love it! 2 DVD players and separate screens for kids, plenty of space, good gas mileage, no worries about kids hitting other cars when they open side doors. What’s not to love?” -Michelle, mom of two
“I have a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, and it is AMAZING!!” -Veronica, mom of one
“I have a 2017 Sienna, and I LOVE IT. 14 cup/drink holders!! I especially love that the kids are waaaay in the back, so I can actually talk to my husband in the front seat while they babble on about video games or physics or whatever in the third row. Minivan for life, man.” -Heather (that’s ME!), mom of four
