Looking for vans for under $2K

dereksbicycles

dereksbicycles

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160K or less.

I'm interested in Quest, Villager, Venture, Montana, Silhouette, Previa, and Odyssey.

Priorities are:

1. Cargo space with seats out
2. Reliability
3. Working A/C and heater
4. No rear wheel drive for winter.

I drove a 1997 Mountaineer with 220K. Therefore, if I buy a van that has like 150K, it should last me long time.

It looks like Venture/SIlhouette/Montana siblings would be had for fairly cheap. However, I read on Edmonds that their reliability is poor. I like their vans because of cargo space. However, I may go and buy a Villager/QUest even though their cargo space is smaller because they seem to have good reliability.

I would love to have some feedbacks.
 
1st choice is Odyssey w/3.5L V6, 2nd choice is Quest/Villager w/3.0L or 3.3L V6. One problem is Quest/Villager have rust coolant pipe under the intake manifold due to lack coolant changes or too much water in cooling system or subject to salted snow to corroded the metal coolant pipe. Both Odyssey and Quest/Villager use timing belts. Other rest of the vehicles have OHV V6 engines .... Pardon me I go to do smogs. I'll resume later
 
Cheapest vans you can afford is GM ..... Costly repair area is spark plugs or spark plug wires and intake manifold gaskets... Most mechanics are not pleasure to work on... The spark plugs in rear cylinder head near the firewall is painful to replace even the van need to lifting to access the spark plugs and wires. Every time u replace spark plugs you must replace new spark plug wires. The intake manifold gasket replacements is oil in coolant reservoirs and external oil leaks such as valve cover gaskets. Also leaky water pumps...sometime head gaskets. GM vans use 3.1L or 3.4L OHV V6 engines. I think some older GM vans use 3.8L. Not exact...
If you are buying FWD vans, pay attention to the front strut towers and subframes for sign of heavy rust. If so, don't buy it
 
I really appreciate the feedbacks so far. I would hope to buy within the week or so. I wonder if those GM vans would be as costly as say an Odyssey or Previa to work on because it is hard to get to wires and plugs?
 
deafsmogtech said:
Cheapest vans you can afford is GM ..... Costly repair area is spark plugs or spark plug wires and intake manifold gaskets... Most mechanics are not pleasure to work on... The spark plugs in rear cylinder head near the firewall is painful to replace even the van need to lifting to access the spark plugs and wires. Every time u replace spark plugs you must replace new spark plug wires. The intake manifold gasket replacements is oil in coolant reservoirs and external oil leaks such as valve cover gaskets. Also leaky water pumps...sometime head gaskets. GM vans use 3.1L or 3.4L OHV V6 engines. I think some older GM vans use 3.8L. Not exact...
If you are buying FWD vans, pay attention to the front strut towers and subframes for sign of heavy rust. If so, don't buy it
Click to expand...

IL, most 10 years old vans already have rust and not worth it.

Yes, I hate any V6 motors for FWD. I prefer I4 or I5. Easy job.
 
Are you serious this time?
 
I would prefer to have RWD over FWD unless there is inline engine for FWD. Going thru the wheel well to get on the side of the engine is easier than going thru the firewall for tune ups.
 
Right, plenty of these 10 years old vans has frame in body, meaning the frame thickness is close to the thickness of body. Some are little more thick, not like the real body on frame style, that frame is alot thicker, takes a while for to rust to eat them up.

The Highlander said:
IL, most 10 years old vans already have rust and not worth it.

Yes, I hate any V6 motors for FWD. I prefer I4 or I5. Easy job.
Click to expand...
 
dereksbicycles said:
I really appreciate the feedbacks so far. I would hope to buy within the week or so. I wonder if those GM vans would be as costly as say an Odyssey or Previa to work on because it is hard to get to wires and plugs?
Click to expand...

For Previa, you just crawl under if you are skinny like mine or Jiro, reach the spark plugs on passenger side. Not bad. Little frustrate to flip a driver seat over, open a lid to check oil dipstick or air filter like you want to look around. Some Previa have SC sorry no turbocharger.. if the knock hear in the engine, you need to drop the engine/tranny down with the van is lifting about 2 feet to pull the engine/tranny out. Not hard work. The alternator, A/C compressor and power steering pump are separated from the engine, stationed in the front and the engine is mounted under the middle of the body. Previa is RWD...
For Odyssey, the spark plug replacement is not very hard work. Fair work for backyard mechanic....
 
Previa are hard to find in the first place. It would be sweet to find one that is supercharged AND have 4 wd, but there are not many of them out there. I'll be happy with a reliable van. IT does not have to be turbocharged.
 
only kidding but yeah i understand.. interesting feedbacks, i had NO ideas about what to look for in buying a van...its got me thinking about 'car purchasing' in quite a different way of thinking...its interesting...and ...good luck!!

what seems to be some of the points made in here, is that...simplicity and robustness is the sought...and i would agree to avoid a V6 too...too heavy and too much work to keep it reliable...
 
Calvin said:
I would prefer to have RWD over FWD unless there is inline engine for FWD. Going thru the wheel well to get on the side of the engine is easier than going thru the firewall for tune ups.
Click to expand...

You clever.. who taught u? I've seen the mud covers were removed from inner wheel wells. Obviously, mechanics toss them away. Me? I did .. shh shh...I removed mud covers from my Astro van, tossed them into the box. I'm lazy to put them back...hey don't lol at me...
 
dereksbicycles said:
Previa are hard to find in the first place. It would be sweet to find one that is supercharged AND have 4 wd, but there are not many of them out there. I'll be happy with a reliable van. IT does not have to be turbocharged.
Click to expand...

I've not seen AWD Previa. Come down to California, find more Previas with no rust bodies.. I still see more Previa vans around in Orange County, most Vietnamese drivers.
 
Hehe, I learned the easiest trick to get on the left side spark plugs. Yeah you can take it off or tear it to get through. Mine is torn up but not a big deal here since I don't get snow here and few inches of rain during the winter. It doesn't worry me.


deafsmogtech said:
You clever.. who taught u? I've seen the mud covers were removed from inner wheel wells. Obviously, mechanics toss them away. Me? I did .. shh shh...I removed mud covers from my Astro van, tossed them into the box. I'm lazy to put them back...hey don't lol at me...
Click to expand...
 
Keep the Express for big loads and flea market trips. I really would like small van ya know to go to mall or take my dog to park. No need to have such a big Express 3500 cargo van for going to Little Caesars.
 
dereksbicycles said:
Keep the Express for big loads and flea market trips. I really would like small van ya know to go to mall or take my dog to park. No need to have such a big Express 3500 cargo van for going to Little Caesars.
Click to expand...

Then get small car as 5 doors like Subaru Impreza WRX, It got AWD, turbocharger and very RARE with rust problem for body. Subaru's AWD is best for heavy snow.

Easy to find Subaru's part at dealer Evanston which not far away where you live.
 
dereksbicycles said:
Keep the Express for big loads and flea market trips. I really would like small van ya know to go to mall or take my dog to park. No need to have such a big Express 3500 cargo van for going to Little Caesars.
Click to expand...

How about Scion xB? Looks like dwarf mini van?
 
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