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"New" van

July 2nd, 2013 at 06:11 pm

My wife had a 2000 Toyota Sienna that we bought used in 2002 after she wrecked the previous one. So we've had it just short of 11 years. It had 155,000 miles on it so we had certainly gotten our money's worth but it was starting to get costly to maintain so it was time to replace it.

We've been browsing online for about a month and not really finding a whole lot out there. Lots of 2011 and 2012 models but virtually nothing from 2008-2010. I was hoping to find something 3-4 years old as that is usually the sweet spot for price, condition, and mileage, but it just wasn't to be.

We decided to go exploring in person on Saturday and headed to one local Toyota dealer. They had 2 Siennas on the lot. One was silver so that was out (we won't buy white, black, silver, or gold). They also had one blue van - a 2011 LE. We took a look at it, took it out for a spin, went over some numbers, negotiated them down as best we could, and decided to take the plunge and buy it. We paid about 22K which was little more than I had hoped to spend had we been able to find a 2010 or 2009, but it was a reasonable price for a 2011 and it is in great shape. It has a lot of features that our older van didn't, like Bluetooth, reverse camera, DVD player, back windows that lower, 2 power doors, fold flat back seats (so I don't have to haul them out anymore), etc. Definitely an upgrade. Since we keep our cars for the long haul, it will be nice to have for the next 10 years.

We'll be hitting the road with it in about 2 weeks for a college visitation tour and then driving it to Florida next month so we'll get it all broken in.

Posted in Personal Finance | 18 Comments »

18 Responses to “"New" van”

  1. CB in the City Says:
    July 2nd, 2013 at 06:45 pm 1372790734
    1372790734

    Okay, I'll bite. Why won't you buy white, black, silver or gold?

  2. disneysteve Says:
    July 2nd, 2013 at 06:48 pm 1372790902
    1372790902

    We just don't like them. We prefer our cars to be colored - usually red or blue since those are the main choices. They make sports cars in all kinds of colors but don't offer sedans and vans in those colors for some reason. I guess they figure people buying more "conservative" vehicles aren't interested in color. Even the blue tends to be a very dark blue that almost looks black unless it's sunny. This one isn't quite that bad. It is really a very dark teal.

  3. creditcardfree Says:
    July 2nd, 2013 at 07:13 pm 1372792391
    1372792391

    Sounds like a nice purchase and with great upgrades! Enjoy your upcoming trips.

  4. Swimgirl Says:
    July 2nd, 2013 at 07:39 pm 1372793975
    1372793975

    Funny! We ONLY buy white, black or silver cars. We just like them better! Smile
    We keep our cars forever, too, and we're always surprised at all the "new" features.

  5. SecretarySaving Says:
    July 2nd, 2013 at 08:39 pm 1372797599
    1372797599

    That's too funny. I tend to stick to white, black or silver.

  6. disneysteve Says:
    July 2nd, 2013 at 10:26 pm 1372803987
    1372803987

    As with so many consumer things, we know we're in the minority with the color thing. If more people wanted colored cars, I'd think the automakers would make them so they could sell more. It just annoys us when we're at the car lot and the sporty cars come in bright reds and blues and greens and yellows and the sedans and vans are all black, white, and silver. I guess the only good thing is it greatly limits our selection making it easier to choose one. We found a blue one and grabbed it.

  7. scfr Says:
    July 2nd, 2013 at 10:35 pm 1372804517
    1372804517

    White cars are beneficial here in Texas where they stay cooler and help our fuel economy because we don't have the run the AC as hard. I also like white for the visibility/safety factor, especially at dawn & dusk.

    Congrats on the new wheels - I'll bet it will be your last van, since you'll soon be empty nesters.

  8. LuckyRobin Says:
    July 2nd, 2013 at 11:31 pm 1372807873
    1372807873

    We love our 2011 Sienna. It is so comfortable on road trips. We were able to get a red one. I don't like white either. We will be happy with it for a decade or more, I'm sure.

  9. wowitsawonderfullife Says:
    July 3rd, 2013 at 01:25 am 1372814759
    1372814759

    I bought a new 2010 van dirt cheap at the end of 2010 and now I'm getting phone calls from the dealership to come in and trade up as they are desperate for mini vans of that era. No one was buying at the time hence the cheap original purchase price and the huge need for used ones.

  10. ROXY1976 Says:
    July 3rd, 2013 at 02:02 am 1372816964
    1372816964

    My last two have been white. I'm in the process of buying a car that is good on gas.

  11. Kiki Says:
    July 3rd, 2013 at 04:15 am 1372824923
    1372824923

    My first two cars were white. My third car was pale silver. The new Prius is dark gray. Love it but wish I bought the red. I decided not to because I am interviewing for my dream job and they don't allow you to take red, blue, yellow or any colors that stand out in a crowd abroad.

  12. CB in the City Says:
    July 3rd, 2013 at 12:55 pm 1372856132
    1372856132

    I love my white car! I've seen the same model in other colors and, to me, they don't look nearly as cute!

  13. disneysteve Says:
    July 3rd, 2013 at 12:59 pm 1372856399
    1372856399

    scfr, I wouldn't be so sure it will be our last van. We like having the space especially when we travel. We actually bought our first van in 1996 not because we had a child but because we were still selling at collectibles shows at the time and cramming everything into my car was nearly impossible. Of course, we also loved it with our daughter as there was room for everything and everyone. I have no idea how people manage with just cars. We went to Connecticut last weekend for a family event. We easily got 5 people and luggage in the van. There's no way we could have done that in my car.

  14. PatientSaver Says:
    July 4th, 2013 at 11:14 am 1372936478
    1372936478

    Other cars I've owned have been silver, white, plum and an awful lemon yellow Renault. New one is dark gray, which isn't bad.

  15. LivingAlmostLarge Says:
    July 22nd, 2013 at 01:02 am 1374454971
    1374454971

    Okay you have almost sold me on a minivan. I am still having a hard time biting. My DH however wants to upgrade his 2006 hyundai sonata to a 2011. Perhaps next year when they come off lease.

  16. disneysteve Says:
    July 22nd, 2013 at 02:03 am 1374458593
    1374458593

    Just returned home today from an 1,100 mile road trip to visit colleges. Van was great. Very comfortable. Good mileage (about 24mpg). Next month we'll take it to Florida which is our big trip each year. That's about 2,500 miles round trip.

  17. Joe Says:
    July 22nd, 2013 at 02:23 pm 1374503011
    1374503011

    I have a 2000 Toyota Sienna (164K miles) that I bought new. Just curious what maintenance issues you were having with it. Did you trade it in? How much did you get for it?

    Also, I'd love to hear more about your College tour. I have two daughters in High School in Maryland.

    Thanks,
    Joe

  18. disneysteve Says:
    July 22nd, 2013 at 11:34 pm 1374536079
    1374536079

    Joe, the 2000 was a combo of routine stuff (like being due for a timing belt and needing tires soon) and little annoying things (seat belt sensor died so dash light flashed constantly, motor on one side mirror didn't work, etc.). We just didn't feel it was worth spending a couple thousand dollars on a van that was barely worth that much. We drive a lot and take long trips (see my previous post). Driving 1,000 miles in a week or 2,500 miles in 10 days is not a strange occurrence in our house and I just didn't feel I wanted to keep doing that in that van.

    We did trade it in. I didn't want the bother of selling it privately especially knowing that it needed work. We only got $1,200 for it.

    As for the college tour, I'll make a separate blog post about that in case others are interested too.

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