Trade in truck for a van???

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dalbright
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Trade in truck for a van???

Post by dalbright »

I must be getting older but I'm considering trading in my 2016 ecodiesel crew cab 4x4 with 20k miles for a 2022 kia Carnival (more likely) or a Telluride (less likely). This is partly a case of buy low (or msrp these days) and sell high (current truck). Rough estimate for trade in puts my truck at or above what I paid for it new in 2016 (30k). This is about 10k over what I could have gotten for it last year. I would never have sold it at the lower price, but with the used truck market inflated, it would appear that this was a good investment so to speak as I got 5 years of use out of it for free. We now have a 1yo and I have wrapped up many of the anticipated larger home projects for the next few years. Diesel isn't what it used to be in regards to all of the emissions equipment, regenerations, etc. The new diesels are especially bad for short trips, most of which my personal driving is (thus my wife drove most of the miles) as I work from home and now have a 1yo (and will be the stay at home dad.) I just completed a recall for the emissions scandal the Ram had on the truck, thus my expectation as the regeneration (for those that are not familiar, basically filter gets really hot to burn off/clean) frequency will increase as well. I am not expecting any mpg benefit switching to a new vehicle as the truck mpg was good (25ish) (but diesel more $ here).

It seems like I could accomplish most of what I would need with a van (MPV as they call this one) for a near comparable price (2-3k), as the kia Carnival seems to be able to fit 4x8 sheets inside and I rarely tow. Locally the vans appear to be MSRP which seems reasonable for the market. I would be well suited for a suburban/expedition, but the market has bumped those prices up a ton (comparable with the increased trade in value for my vehicle) thus it would seem switching vehicle categories may make sense? I also have a nice diamondback bed cover on the ram (1500ish new), would it be best to remove this before bringing in to get a trade in price (and attempt to sell separately) or just leave it on? I am completely fine keeping the vehicle too as well, but it seems the timing is ideal to trade with the current market. Are kia's good with honoring warranty work? Our other vehicle is a prius, thus this would be the "large" vehicle in our family (no additional kids expected but we have 2 big dogs). Are van trade in values terrible (in normal years)? This wasn't really a planned/required change thus input is appreciated.
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galawdawg
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by galawdawg »

If your family has a need for a different type of vehicle than your truck and you can sell your truck and purchase a replacement vehicle with little out-of-pocket expenses, this sounds like an ideal opportunity to do so.

Have you actually looked at the Kia minivan? We looked at one (admittedly it was a number of years ago) and we were not at all impressed. It looked and drove like a very low-quality inexpensive vehicle. Cheap materials and felt almost "disposable". There were also several things on the one we looked at (brand new on the dealer lot with less than twenty miles) that were already broken or in need of repair! Perhaps the Kia is more well-made now, but you may also wish to consider something widely recognized as a reliable and high-quality vehicle, such as a Toyota Sienna.
onourway
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by onourway »

Are you certain you can actually get out the door with a Carnival for the price you imagine in a trim you are happy with? I would go through that process first, then worry about what you can get for your truck. Be sure to also price your truck with Carvana, Vroom, and CarMax where you are likely to get even higher offers.

Kia has some really interesting designs right now, but I agree that I would look at other options as well. IMO the Pacifica is by far the best all-around van on the market right now. Both Toyota and Honda have really fallen behind the curve in tech/flexibility/ride quality/design. Given that the Carnival is FWD only, you can get the Pacifica in FWD as a plug-in hybrid that gets you at least $7500 back on the purchase price, and allows you to do a lot of day to day driving as an EV which is far more refined than the ICE in any other van.
rascott
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by rascott »

The new Carnival looks really, really nice. Better than the new Sienna, IMO

That said.... you sure you can actually find any? There are 0 in stock within 100 miles of me right now.

And it's not like you aren't buying high. I had pricing in hand for a new Sienna back in March. Those same vans, assuming you can find them.... are $7-8k higher today.
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

I have a friend who was a business manager at a Hyundai dealer (same as Kia). He tells me that they fight every single warranty claim tooth and nail. If anything serious happens, expect to have to hire a lawyer to get the repair paid by Kia.

Why not consider something like a Ford Fusion? Smaller and better on gas. Ford tends to be very good at fixing things under warranty (I've had a couple and even when I didn't know something was warranty covered, I come to pay the bill and it's zero). Get yourself a tow hitch and a small utility trailer. You don't have to drag a big vehicle around all the time. For the times you need to haul stuff, there's no beating a trailer. I've had a snowmobile trailer for years. Never even had a snowmobile on it ever. I brought scrap metal to the yard 3 weeks ago for a little cash and brush to the recycle center last Saturday.
Last edited by Jack FFR1846 on Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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rascott
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by rascott »

galawdawg wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 5:19 am If your family has a need for a different type of vehicle than your truck and you can sell your truck and purchase a replacement vehicle with little out-of-pocket expenses, this sounds like an ideal opportunity to do so.

Have you actually looked at the Kia minivan? We looked at one (admittedly it was a number of years ago) and we were not at all impressed. It looked and drove like a very low-quality inexpensive vehicle. Cheap materials and felt almost "disposable". There were also several things on the one we looked at (brand new on the dealer lot with less than twenty miles) that were already broken or in need of repair! Perhaps the Kia is more well-made now, but you may also wish to consider something widely recognized as a reliable and high-quality vehicle, such as a Toyota Sienna.
The old Sedona wasn't great..... the Carnival is an entirely new vehicle and early reviews are very promising
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dalbright
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by dalbright »

We are hoping to go check one out soon in person for a test drive, just challenging with a 1yo and we are very covid conscious so it may require separate trips. I've gotten the impression that the new kia offerings are lightyears ahead of the brand it used to be. Its more of the non-van more large SUV look that appeals to us with the Kia, however the remaining vans do all seem to be great as well. Basic no frills trim is all we are after as tbh i hate features...the only app i have on my phone is our babies wyze cam! There were no EV pacifica's nearby (100+mi) to go after the tax credit unfortunately as well, and i'm not sure of the risk to waiting too long in this market. I'm trying to be like 98% sure I want to buy before getting that far. Due to the taxes for IL it's not ideal to sell the truck separate from the purchase. I will most likely add a set of nokian all weather tires like wrg4 etc in the future to improve winter performance as we LOVE them on our prius.
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lthenderson
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by lthenderson »

dalbright wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 5:05 am the kia Carnival seems to be able to fit 4x8 sheets inside and I rarely tow.
I am mostly through with fixing up my third house with nothing but a minivan all these years. My favorite days are when I am throwing sheets of drywall or plywood into the back while those around me are quickly putting them on boards in the back of their trucks and tarping them hurriedly in the rain.

Like others recommend, I would either buy the minivan outright first or at least get quotes before selling the truck. My local dealership has only 14 vehicles on the lot instead of the normal 500+ so selection is very poor as far as options go and I'm sure they aren't making deals on anything.
hudson
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by hudson »

dalbright wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 5:05 am as the kia Carnival seems to be able to fit 4x8 sheets inside and I rarely tow.
I hope that your sell and re-buy works out. It's a sellers market!
I'm curious about 4x8 plywood. Are there any pictures out there?
I know that this article confirms it...but there's no picture: https://www.motortrend.com/news/2022-ki ... ok-review/
Topic Author
dalbright
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by dalbright »

hudson wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:27 am
dalbright wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 5:05 am as the kia Carnival seems to be able to fit 4x8 sheets inside and I rarely tow.
I hope that your sell and re-buy works out. It's a sellers market!
I'm curious about 4x8 plywood. Are there any pictures out there?
I know that this article confirms it...but there's no picture: https://www.motortrend.com/news/2022-ki ... ok-review/
I'm mainly going off that picture and a few sporadic internet comments I saw. I will definitely bring a tape measure! This was one of the big draws for me as u never know when u might need a piece of drywall/plywood. Most lumber/trim should fit well enough since i can fit 10ft pieces inside a prius haha.
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dalbright
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by dalbright »

Sorry link didn't send but second pic down with plywood.

https://www.torquenews.com/108/5-things ... eat-choice
alfredwallace
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by alfredwallace »

I suspect that your high sell price will likely be washed out with a high buy price on your next vehicle. New cars are often getting MSRP or higher lately. I would like to sing the praises of the lowly minivan. I've owned the same Sienna minivan for 13 years and have used it as a field vehicle for all sorts of stuff. It swallows up plywood sheets, twin mattresses, big screen televisions, lawn mowers, lumber, aluminum flashing, gutters etc. I've even put four full size bikes standing up in the back and still had room for four people inside plus a couple of coolers. I'm pretty sure I could put a kayak in there too although I've never tried. Another great benefit was that my insurance premiums never changed when I sold a small car and bought a new minivan. They stayed really low because, hey, who drives like a maniac in a minivan? Who wants to steal a minivan? Tan minivans without tinted windows also appear to be invisible while speeding. I think it comes with a cloaking device or something. If you go on vacation, all of your stuff easily gets swallowed up. You can find everything without having to move stuff around or do the normal "tetris packing". Do you have a giant dog crate and need to pack four suitcases and other stuff? No problem. All protected from the elements. The gas mileage is also better than SUVs or trucks. I'm surprised they don't charge more for them but I hope everyone continues to think of minivans as boring and emasculating because there are few vehicles with more utility for the money than a minivan. I'll probably be buying a new hybrid Sienna since they have AWD and get 36 mpg but my current Toyota has given me zero problems. The Kia Carnival looks pretty good too. I would definitely consider one unless you have to have AWD.
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neutics
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by neutics »

Quick plug for the Kia as we've had our Carnival (SX model) for almost 5,000 miles now and love it. No vehicle is perfect of course, but very happy with the features for the price and drivetrain is great too and should have plenty of power for almost any need as long as you are not towing heavy loads.

Motor Trend recently ranked it 1st among the minivans, and having driving all of the others I'd agree. Sienna's middle seats are not even removable. The Carnival's are not too hard to take out though not nearly as easy as the Pacifica's which fold into the floor (though are noticeably less comfortable)

We just took it on a 2,000 mile road trip and averaged 29.2 mpg with 4 people and 4 bikes on the back, so not too bad. Around town is much lower but as expected so not complaining. About the only thing they may have overlooked was more little storage compartments for things like sunglasses etc.

If you are serious about getting one I'd suggest joining the facebook group which has lots of good tips and may help you find one at/under MSRP. We maybe got lucky as we bought at the end of March but were able to get it for $3k under MSRP...hearing that is probably not attainable now. Good luck!
tibbitts
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by tibbitts »

Jack FFR1846 wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 6:59 am I have a friend who was a business manager at a Hyundai dealer (same as Kia). He tells me that they fight every single warranty claim tooth and nail. If anything serious happens, expect to have to hire a lawyer to get the repair paid by Kia.

Why not consider something like a Ford Fusion? Smaller and better on gas. Ford tends to be very good at fixing things under warranty (I've had a couple and even when I didn't know something was warranty covered, I come to pay the bill and it's zero). Get yourself a tow hitch and a small utility trailer. You don't have to drag a big vehicle around all the time. For the times you need to haul stuff, there's no beating a trailer. I've had a snowmobile trailer for years. Never even had a snowmobile on it ever. I brought scrap metal to the yard 3 weeks ago for a little cash and brush to the recycle center last Saturday.
I had very limited warranty issues with Hyundai and there weren't any arguments, but they were obvious, so I can't comment on less obvious issues.

However a Fusion is really off-topic. Many, probably most of us, don't have anywhere to store a trailer, even if we were willing to take the time to deal with the collapsible variety. And then there's the issue of whether registration is required. My sedan is larger than a Fusion but would still be stuffed with three people and gear on a trip. I know that Bogleheads claim to travel with their Corollas all the time so I feel like I have to be the dissenting voice, coming from full-size-station-wagon-land, with 5000lb-plus towing capacities and three rows and a long-enough roof to be useful for carrying. Still I found myself sometimes wishing the roof would have opened up at the rear to hold a large appliance upright, for example.

As an argument to my own point the local handyman drives an early '00s LeSabre. The other day he was doing what I do when dealing with scrap lumber: cutting it into tiny pieces to fit into the car. But still, it's larger than a Fusion, and didn't have that annoying dial for shifting. Am I crazy or are those things going to go the way of the push-button transmissions of the '60s?
hudson
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by hudson »

dalbright wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:39 am Sorry link didn't send but second pic down with plywood.

https://www.torquenews.com/108/5-things ... eat-choice
Many thanks! exciting! What a van!
zag00
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by zag00 »

picking up our '22 carnival on 6/25 @ MSRP after shopping since ~February post release date. This is more of a family vehicle for us as i have my '13 f150 for the project work. Hours spent on youtube and carnival forums/groups for reviews. Of course they had the fuel rail recall and 110v outlet recall that is already being addressed on those effected. Other than those two items, rave reviews and decent mpg #'s compared to the EPA Rating especially with the ECO/SMART drive modes.

Always part out any accessories thats on your vehicle if possible. Dealers don't take them into account when pricing it.
alfredwallace
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by alfredwallace »

neutics wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 8:23 am Quick plug for the Kia as we've had our Carnival (SX model) for almost 5,000 miles now and love it. No vehicle is perfect of course, but very happy with the features for the price and drivetrain is great too and should have plenty of power for almost any need as long as you are not towing heavy loads.

Motor Trend recently ranked it 1st among the minivans, and having driving all of the others I'd agree. Sienna's middle seats are not even removable. The Carnival's are not too hard to take out though not nearly as easy as the Pacifica's which fold into the floor (though are noticeably less comfortable)

We just took it on a 2,000 mile road trip and averaged 29.2 mpg with 4 people and 4 bikes on the back, so not too bad. Around town is much lower but as expected so not complaining. About the only thing they may have overlooked was more little storage compartments for things like sunglasses etc.

If you are serious about getting one I'd suggest joining the facebook group which has lots of good tips and may help you find one at/under MSRP. We maybe got lucky as we bought at the end of March but were able to get it for $3k under MSRP...hearing that is probably not attainable now. Good luck!
For what it's worth, it's pretty rare to need to take out the middle seats of a minivan. I've been using them for 35 years and I think I've ever only pulled the middle seats out once and that includes when hauling four bikes in the back, plywood, or a twin mattress. It's easy to underestimate the cargo capacity of these.
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neutics
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by neutics »

alfredwallace wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 9:51 am For what it's worth, it's pretty rare to need to take out the middle seats of a minivan. I've been using them for 35 years and I think I've ever only pulled the middle seats out once and that includes when hauling four bikes in the back, plywood, or a twin mattress. It's easy to underestimate the cargo capacity of these.
Agree, though the OP specifically wants to use the minivan as a sort of work truck too so I'd say it's pretty important to them.

In the few months that I have owned it we've done it once already to transport a full-sized dining table in the back, so I appreciated having the option.
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dalbright
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by dalbright »

I appreciate everyone's input here, and I like to provide closure on topics I start if possible. I went in to the Kia dealer yesterday with the intent to purchase a 2022 carnival after talking with a rep on the phone. KBB trade put truck at 28-32k with the Kia Carnival at MSRP and they sent me an email confirming the trade in value etc...then only offered 23k for trade in and said I could just take it to carmax etc if I wanted the full amount. After losing the tax break that comes with trading a truck in IL (if sold elsewhere) and being so laughably far apart in price from a phone call an hour before, there was no point in having further conversation. FWIW Vroom put it at 29k and carvana was 24k just for others wondering how broad the ranges in the used market are right now.
Lazareth
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by Lazareth »

Good to see this thread. I once thought our minivan days would be over once the kids moved out, but although the nest is newly empty, I am considering replacing our '08 Kia Sedona EX with a newer minivan. Been a minivan fan since I purchased a new Honda Odyssey in 1998 when baby #2 arrived. Unlike my "I will never drive a minivan" friends, I never had kids climb over the middle seat with muddy cleats, or had to strap a carrier to the roof for family vacations, and I never arrived at the campsite with soaking wet gear.

Later in leaner times, I replaced the rapidly aging Odyssey with the used Kia Sedona EX which still provides excellent service. On a recent night out with another senior couple (they had no-kids, both drive luxury sedans), we took my Sedona and they marveled at the comfort of the middle "captains seats", as well as the convenience of the power sliding doors and the overall enjoyable ride.

In 2015 I brought the Sedona to a local shop that installed a Kenwood in-dash color touchscreen radio/audio system with hi-def backup-cam. It uses the factory speakers, as advised by the shop owner, and the sound was still vastly improved. Love the backup cam, Sirius, Pandora, bluetooth etc. Best $600 I ever spent.

With the added trailer hitch and small utility trailer I'm always ready for anything. And I don't have to lug around a cargo bed
Last edited by Lazareth on Wed Jul 14, 2021 11:13 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Flyer24
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by Flyer24 »

Some off-topic posts were removed.
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Cheez-It Guy
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

The post actually was about a van, but apologies to all.
Cycle
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by Cycle »

I just traded our 2011 CRV in for a 2012 Odyssey. 2nd best car decision I've made. First being going down to 1 car for the family :moneybag .

I recently fit an entire couch in the back for a fb marketplace pickup. I also moved (1 block) without renting a truck by using the van. The kids love the DVD screen. Road trips so much better. Sliding doors so easy for loading small kids in carseats
Never look back unless you are planning to go that way
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dalbright
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by dalbright »

Just to update again, I ended up trading in the truck to carmax and put a deposit on a 2022 Carnival LXS in flare red at another dealer about an hour away for 750 under MSRP. The dealer even delivered (insisted actually) it to my house despite being farther away. It was a very strange experience to buy a vehicle without ever having seen one in person or test driven! I was going to purchase from the original dealer until they started to pull the well actually we are going to charge 5-15% over MSRP for the vehicle shenanigans.

Although I haven't driven it far at all yet, it is much quieter than I anticipated. Mileage seems within epa range or better for my style (eco) (28-30mpg thus far on screen but not enough use to hand calc). Coming from a prius/truck I have to say it is a lot zippier than expected. Love the van style sliding doors and it seems like it will be a great fit for our family. My wife will most likely be trading in our prius at the end of summer (mid august estimated delivery) for an AWD sienna xse 2021, however I'm still trying to convince her to just have 2 kia carnivals :).
hudson
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by hudson »

dalbright wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:39 am Sorry link didn't send but second pic down with plywood.

https://www.torquenews.com/108/5-things ... eat-choice
If you ever get a chance to do the 4X8 plywood test on your new Kia van, consider putting a pic here. :)
Some day when the weather is cool and I'm extremely bored, I'll go to Lowes and get a lightweight 4X8 sheet of something light and try it in my 2018 Sienna van.
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dalbright
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by dalbright »

After getting the carseat/seat cover installed and lining up the baby mirror just right i think my plywood/drywall project days are numbered until the kiddo is forward facing haha. I will pull out the tape measure and get a rough idea soon though!
Dave bricoleur
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slight detour from: Trade in truck for van

Post by Dave bricoleur »

I'm also interested in a minivan but carrying a 4x8 sheet of plywood is mandatory.
(other things too, but all smaller than a sheet of plywood)

Don't really care about entertainment systems or easily removable seats (I'll remove them anyway)

Is there a list or that shows which vehicles can carry plywood laying flat with the hatch closed

-dave
tcw
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Re: slight detour from: Trade in truck for van

Post by tcw »

Dave bricoleur wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 5:58 pm I'm also interested in a minivan but carrying a 4x8 sheet of plywood is mandatory.
(other things too, but all smaller than a sheet of plywood)

Don't really care about entertainment systems or easily removable seats (I'll remove them anyway)

Is there a list or that shows which vehicles can carry plywood laying flat with the hatch closed
I know something about the Chrysler Pacifica, since I recently bought one.

With the regular (non-hybrid) Pacifica, the 2nd and 3rd row seats easily fold flat into the floor, and so they can fit a 4x8 sheet without having to remove any seats. However, the highest trim level (Pinnacle) has a center console that extends back far enough that it prevents a 4x8 sheet from fitting with the hatch closed. I know the Touring and Touring-L trims will fit a 4x8 sheet, though on the forums there was a bit of uncertainty whether the Limited (which is the second-highest trim level) would work, since it has an extended console, but it doesn't stick as far back as the Pinncale.

For the Pacifica Hybrid, the story is similar, except that the 2nd row seats don't fold into the floor, since that's where the battery is. In order to carry a 4x8 sheet, the 2nd row seats need to be removed.
macarose
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Re: Trade in truck for a van???

Post by macarose »

I own one of the largest car buying services on Facebook and I'm also the co-developer of the Long-Term Quality Index.

You are right about your truck going for a pretty penny. But those two equally popular vehicles are also going for the same sky high penny at the moment.

If you want to play the market, and I mean seriously play the market, sell the truck and buy a couple of older well kept beaters that have been well maintained by their prior owner.

A 2005 thru 2007 Chrysler minivan with Stow N' Go and reasonable miles can be had for $5000 and can easily accommodate a healthy pile of 4 x 8 plywood. These minivans were designed in great part to haul whatever a long bed truck can handle for the home and family. Older minivans are ridiculously cheap and a well kept one will have minimal depreciation.

A Ford Five Hundred Limited with all the options is another good choice for your daily driving if you want to split the two up. The 6-speed automatic is absolutely un-killable with the occasional drain and fill, and the chassis is based on the Volvo S80. That, with all the options in a 2007 model, would cost right around $5000 to $6000.

Upgrade the radios at your local best buy for a couple hundred bucks, and enjoy not being the next idiot who is hellbent on their own wealth destruction.


Sell the truck. Enjoy these for at least a year since the
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