How do you mark 25 years for one of your most enduring models? By developing a commemorative edition and limiting its availability, that is how. In this case, the Toyota Sienna has reached its 25th anniversary and that’s quite a milestone in a segment some wrote off years ago. Introduced … Read more
The Toyota Sienna is hybrid-only as it starts its fourth generation. The minivan segment is shrinking, but the remaining players are committed as they regularly introduce new or improved models. For instance, the Chrysler Pacifica offers a plug-in hybrid, the Kia Carnival replaces the Sedona with a crossover look, and … Read more
An established nameplate gives way to global model. Model names come and go, but there are some strong exceptions. Indeed, the Chevrolet Suburban, Toyota Corolla, and Honda Accord are names that span decades and are not going anywhere. On the other hand, Kia has purged names in the past, including … Read more
The Toyota Sienna is a multipurpose vehicle, better known as a “minivan,” although it certainly isn’t diminutive. The Sienna is a three-row people hauler with room for eight, an alternative to the Toyota Highlander crossover. Both offer all-wheel drive. The Sienna’s available all-wheel-drive system is unique to minivans, giving … Read more
The last time the industry sold 1 million minivans was in 2006, just ahead of the recession and during the early days of crossover utility vehicles. Today, just under 500,000 units are sold in the U.S. annually, as manufacturers such as Ford, GM, and Nissan no longer participate. But the … Read more
The industry’s first-ever hybrid minivan has arrived. Chrysler arrived late to the hybrid game releasing 2009 MY Dodge Durango Hybrid and Chrysler Aspen Hybrid models in the summer of 2008. Sharing the two-mode hybrid system developed jointly with GM, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, the Chrysler duo were discontinued a few months … Read more
Chrysler’s award-winning minivan continues to attract new customers. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. When crossover utility vehicles began to take hold early on in this century, minivan sales were expected to decline, then eventually disappear as models were canceled one by one. Manufacturers such as Ford and GM … Read more
The capable Toyota Sienna receives an important update ahead of its next major change. As far as minivans go, the Toyota Sienna is the cream of the crop. Well, don’t tell that to Honda and Chrysler as both brands field excellent people movers of their own. Add in the Kia … Read more
The Chrysler Town & Country is gone, replaced by the all-new Pacifica minivan. The Chrysler minivan is back. Not that it ever left, but the previous models were overshadowed by the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey. Not anymore. The all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica is as good as any model out … Read more
The minivan segment may be ailing, but the Kia Sedona has breathed fresh life into it. If you’re looking for an excellent combination of people carrying capacity and utility, this model may have everything you want. The minivan segment may eventually go the way of the station wagon, but its … Read more
IIHS assigns poor ratings to Nissan, Chrysler and Dodge models. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently put four minivan models through its new small overlap front crash test and three of those models received poor marks, the institute’s lowest score. The Nissan Quest, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler … Read more
The modern minivan movement began in 1983 when the Chrysler Corporation brought the Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan to the market. Those early models were based on the automaker’s K-Car platform, a compact car line that spawned numerous other Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth models. The earliest minivans lived up to … Read more
The modern minivan segment was launched nearly 30 years ago when the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager were introduced to the market. Previously marketed small vans such as the Volkswagen Bus attempted to carve out a niche for families, but it wasn’t until the Chrysler Corporation introduced its K-Car platform-based … Read more