Sedona driven.
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Pleasantly surprised to say the least.
I happened to find a 2015 with 113k at the local dealer down the street from my work, so I stopped in to check it out.
It was clearly well used and not cared for judging by its condition, so I was prepared to take that into account before forming an opinion.Apart from its bumps, bruises, and stains, it was NICE! Top trim SX-L, so heated and cooled seats, dual moonroofs, 2nd row recliners, etc.
It drove and rode wonderfully. The 3.3 seems to have a good linear power delivery, the 6-speed shifted smooth and crisp. The handling felt confident and composed. The ride was smooth. The interior was quiet and materials all felt quality.I gotta say, I’m impressed. The Sedona seems a damn nice minivan and is definitely staying in the running.
Next up is to test an Outback 3.6R, which I found a 2019 a short trip away. On the search for a ford flex to test. And will be checking out the ascent as well as the later years seem to be stout.
Still open to other comfortable 5 passenger options as I’m still in the “looking” stage right now and gathering options.
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Just sayin...Rally Van
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@CarsOfFortLangley ……………. Not this time.
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@CoolMinivan-Nobody Flex is a cool option I didn't see anyone mention yesterday. Aside from the usual Ford engine foibles, if you get them sorted it's basically the only American 'wago-van' available.
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@amoore100 it was mentioned later. I’m told they’re reliable, but it seems they have very mixed reviews.
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@CoolMinivan-Nobody I think they are excepting a few known problem areas. The early NA models have the Cyclone's water pump issues, then the Ecoboost has all the usual suspects of a powerful twin-turbo unit, basically ensuring good turbo health and maintenance. Later models got recommended by CR for whatever that's worth; given their apparent bias against American makes I'd say that's a decent achievement.
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@CoolMinivan-Nobody said in Sedona driven.:
@CarsOfFortLangley ……………. Not AT this time.
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@CoolMinivan-Nobody would you rather drive an Outback through the Outback or take a Sedona on a round trip to Sedona?
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@EssExTee said in Sedona driven.:
would you rather drive an Outback through the Outback or take a Sedona on a round trip to Sedona?
The latter seems more likely to make it, but Subaru engines have gotten marginally more reliable over the years.
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@amoore100 said in Sedona driven.:
@EssExTee said in Sedona driven.:
would you rather drive an Outback through the Outback or take a Sedona on a round trip to Sedona?
The latter seems more likely to make it, but Subaru engines have gotten marginally more reliable over the years.
I mean, the ez36 is supposed to be bulletproof……
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Have you driven a Ford lately?
the Transit Connect, of course
@Sam-Blockhan will be really happy if that Sedona is red
The smallest full-size Transit might also suit your needs. It was sold to the public until 2021 or 2022, then it went fleet-only. SWB 7-passenger.
Another possibility is the Metris. Unfortunately, the seats don't fold, but maybe you can get the folding seats from overseas or Mexico, from the related V-Class/Viano. Remember that the Metris is RWD.
Is the Mazda5 roomy enough? You might like that or the Orlando
If a 5-seater really is OK, there is another Focus-based wagon to consider: the C-Max. It was also available as a plugin hybrid, but the bigger battery may eat too much space for your needs. However, the non-plugin is still good for 40 mpg or so
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@dogisbadob transit connect is still on the radar but they’re crazy expensive.
Mazda5 is no go, Orlando isn’t sold here.
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@CoolMinivan-Nobody said in Sedona driven.:
@dogisbadob transit connect is still on the radar but they’re crazy expensive.
Mazda5 is no go, Orlando isn’t sold here.
The Orlando isn't sold here, but they're easy to bring down from Canada. The Autopian had an article about them and how they are legal in the US
How are these Transit Connects?
Yeah I know it's kind of expensive, but it's a cool color
Here is one in the same color for less, but it does have more miles.
Here is a 2017 for 14k
This one has the swing-out doors which are cooler than a liftgateI don't remember your price range
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@CoolMinivan-Nobody the 3.5 eco boost seems a nice engine in the F150 at least. The Flex seems to get worse gas mileage than something smaller than a full size pickup should get but otherwise it’s a nice car.
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@dogisbadob $25k ish, like to be under 60k, really only want the titanium lwb
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@CarsOfFortLangley I took one for some light off-roading in Kauai once. The suspension held up surprisingly well when I bottomed it out coming off a burm.
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@CoolMinivan-Nobody said in Sedona driven.:
@dogisbadob $25k ish, like to be under 60k, really only want the titanium lwb
The Titanium is cool, but it's only available with the liftgate. Yeah the lower models have less features, but the available swing-out doors are cooler
(sorry, I had to)If you're open to delivery, there is this Titanium in Kentucky. It says the delivery cost is about $730
Also, I found this 5-passenger shorty
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@dogisbadob I like the titanium’s features and leather.
The barn doors don’t do much for me.
I thought about the shorty, but if I’m dropping to five I might as well get a sedan or wagon instead -
@CoolMinivan-Nobody my boss is in the process of buying one of these too, he's going for the base model as when the electrics go in the doors/seats they're expensive and he has a young family (11,9 and twin 5yo) so he knows they'll trash it.
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@dogisbadob said in Sedona driven.:
@CoolMinivan-Nobody said in Sedona driven.:
@dogisbadob $25k ish, like to be under 60k, really only want the titanium lwb
The Titanium is cool, but it's only available with the liftgate. Yeah the lower models have less features, but the available swing-out doors are cooler
(sorry, I had to)If you're open to delivery, there is this Titanium in Kentucky. It says the delivery cost is about $730
Also, I found this 5-passenger shorty
Hey that’s close to me (the one in Kentucky).
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@Mazda616 said in Sedona driven.:
@dogisbadob said in Sedona driven.:
@CoolMinivan-Nobody said in Sedona driven.:
@dogisbadob $25k ish, like to be under 60k, really only want the titanium lwb
The Titanium is cool, but it's only available with the liftgate. Yeah the lower models have less features, but the available swing-out doors are cooler
(sorry, I had to)If you're open to delivery, there is this Titanium in Kentucky. It says the delivery cost is about $730
Also, I found this 5-passenger shorty
Hey that’s close to me (the one in Kentucky).
The 2017 XLT in Eau Claire isn't a bad drive for me, but that price seems too good for a 2017 with just over 100k. They seem to be in the $18-22k range from what I'm seeing, so it makes me leery when I see one cheap like that.
Being an XLT means it "needs" things in order for me to be happy with it, which defeats me wanting to get something I can just drive as it is.
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@CoolMinivan-Nobody said in Sedona driven.:
@Mazda616 said in Sedona driven.:
@dogisbadob said in Sedona driven.:
@CoolMinivan-Nobody said in Sedona driven.:
@dogisbadob $25k ish, like to be under 60k, really only want the titanium lwb
The Titanium is cool, but it's only available with the liftgate. Yeah the lower models have less features, but the available swing-out doors are cooler
(sorry, I had to)If you're open to delivery, there is this Titanium in Kentucky. It says the delivery cost is about $730
Also, I found this 5-passenger shorty
Hey that’s close to me (the one in Kentucky).
The 2017 XLT in Eau Claire isn't a bad drive for me, but that price seems too good for a 2017 with just over 100k. They seem to be in the $18-22k range from what I'm seeing, so it makes me leery when I see one cheap like that.
Being an XLT means it "needs" things in order for me to be happy with it, which defeats me wanting to get something I can just drive as it is.
If it's just leather, then Iggee or Coverking seat covers would do the trick. They don't even look like seat covers and actually look like factory OE leather seats.
Even the heated seats can be installed aftermarket.
Most if not all of the Titanium's features were available on the XLT
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@dogisbadob It's more the point of buying something I can be happy with the way it sits without needing to dump more time/money into it making it something I kind of like.
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I can vouch for that era of Sedona -- I liked it as much as an van on the market at the time (pre-Pacifica, but we won't touch that subject here). Our only niggle was the relatively uncertain reliability of Kiundai 8 years ago, which has largely turned out better than expected across the board -- depending on engine, of course. I believe the V6 sidestepped a lot of the brand-wide issues.
You will like the Outback. The 2019 H6 is a really nice car, especially in the upper trims. I've had a couple of long-term test drives in those and it would still be my quick replacement choice if I totaled my car today.
IMO, the Flex is cool but was overrated and lacked some refinement in the drivetrain (the Ecoboost was decently quick, but better in theory).
Ascent seems nice, but the third row in almost all non-vans feels like a cruel joke. I think I'd like it better without! I don't know how the 2.4t is going to do long-term, and Subie's history isn't exactly stellar there.