Hockey family needs roomier ride
Toyota Sienna minivan could be their answer
Are there any Canadian drivers who deserve more respect than hockey parents? (Or skiing, speedskating, curling, luge, bob sleigh or ringette parents?) Battling before dawn wake-up calls, rushhour traffic, four-season driving conditions and unruly passengers — not to mention the transportation of toxic cargo known as the “hockey bag” — hockey parents have one of the toughest chauffeuring assignments on the planet.
One such set of parents is this month’s Dear John letter writers, Don and Audrey Wilkinson from Winnipeg, Man. The Wilkinsons have three children — boy, girl, boy — ages nine to 16. All three play hockey 12 months of the year. That means plenty of quality family time (up to 30,000 kilometres annually) spent behind the wheel of their 2008 Toyota RAV4 compact crossover, and in all kinds of road conditions, with snowy roads potentially any time between Labour Day and Victoria Day.
The Wilkinsons said their RAV4 has been “reasonably” reliable and “relatively” fuel efficient. With three growing kids (and the inevitable teammates who need a ride to early-morning practices) and all that hockey gear, though, their all-wheeldrive, five-passenger Toyota is feeling a wee bit too compact.
Now, while a larger, AWD crossover with three rows of seats would be the Wilkinsons’ natural upgrade over their smaller Toyota, these dedicated hockey parents have some other demands for their next new vehicle that have them looking beyond the typical SUV/crossover.
To begin with, the frequent trips to local games and practices and out-of-town tournaments means the Wilkinsons are looking for the type of fuel economy big utility vehicles simply can’t deliver. Plus, both Don and Audrey have seen other hockey parents battle with getting both their kids and their gear in less-space-efficient crossovers with typically tall lift-over heights, too. As well, the Wilkinsons have been very clear that they’ve been happy with their RAV4’s reliability, as well as the service they’ve received from their local Toyota dealer.
So the perfect replacement for the Wilkinsons’ trusty Toyota would be one that could accommodate up to seven passengers and their gear, be just as reliable, deal with four seasons of unpredictable Manitoba driving, and come with an “under-$40,000” price tag.
I can already see you Dear John readers typing an email to tell me the Wilkinsons need a minivan. Yeah. I know. But which one?
The choice of minivans has narrowed since the segment’s peak about 10 years ago. While Kia is re-introducing its Sedona minivan nameplate as an all-new model coming later this fall, we’re now down to the Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan twins, Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. All three offer room for either seven or eight passengers, six-cylinder gas engines, and those handy sliding side doors.
Alphabetically — and historically first — let’s start with FiatChrysler’s front-wheel-drive Dodge Grand Caravan. This fifth-generation model has been around since 2007 and is still remarkably popular with Canadians. One reason is its value pricing.
Although you can get a base 2014 Garand Caravan for around $20,000, I’ll skip right to the well equipped $36,190 (all base prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees) SXT Plus version. Not only does the sevenseat Grand Caravan SXT Plus offer the largest V-6 in its class (a 283-horsepower 3.6-litre mill), standard kit also includes what Dodge says is “industry-exclusive” second-row Super Stow ‘n Go seating and sunscreen glass power second-row windows.
Next up is the more refined and sophisticated 2014 Honda Odyssey, last substantially redesigned for 2011.
Like the Dodge, the Honda powers its front wheels via a sixspeed automatic transmission. A 248-h.p. 3.5L V-6 is the lone power source. Although base prices start higher than the Dodge at $33,558, the mid-line $37,880 2014 Odyssey EX sports standard kit that includes blind-spot display and power sliding side doors.
As per the Wilkinsons’ budget, a rock-bottom price is not high on their wish list, so I’ll have to show the Dodge the garage door first.
The Grand Caravan lacks the driving refinement and quality interior furnishings both Japanese rivals have here in spades. As well, with only 935 litres behind its third-row seating, the Dodge also has the least hockeybag space.
It would be easy for me to recommend the fine driving and fuel efficient (its 10.9 litres per 100 kilometres city and 7.1 highway es- timates are the best here) Honda Odyssey. The Honda also manages to squeeze in one extra seat in its back row for a total of eight. But the Honda minivan can’t match the Toyota Sienna’s wild card: optional all-wheel drive.
Although a thoroughly redesigned interior and refreshed exterior have been announced for 2015 models, like the Odyssey, the Toyota minivan was last redesigned for 2011.
With prices for front-wheeldrive Siennas starting at $30,863, the mid-level $37,880 LE AWD V-6 model offers available traction at all four wheels. Better yet, the already roomy seven-passenger Sienna also has the most rear cargo space, with 1,102 L available aft of its rear seats.
Put it all together, Wilkinsons, and the 2014 Toyota Sienna LE AWD V-6 is the perfect upgrade over your cramped RAV4. Expect to be popular for those earlymorning hockey practice drives.