The Inside Line editorial team recently compared five minivans, each equipped with a six-cylinder engine, an automatic transmission and two power-sliding doors: * Chrysler Town & Country Limited, with an MSRP of $38,135, an Edmunds.com True Market Value®* of $35,053 and a 215-horsepower engine (and Stow 'n Go storage compartments) * Honda Odyssey EX, with an MSRP of $39,390, an Edmunds.com True Market Value® of $36,082 and a 244-horsepower engine (and 17 cupholders) * Kia Sedona EX, with an MSRP of $31,595, an Edmunds.com True Market Value® of $29,722 and a 244-horsepower engine (and power second- and third-row windows) * Nissan Quest 3.5 SE, with an MSRP of $40,865, an Edmunds.com True Market Value® of $38,726 and a 235-horsepower engine (and a DVD screen for each row) * Toyota Sienna XLE AWD Limited, with an MSRP of $43,863, an Edmunds.com True Market Value® of $39,099 and a 215-horsepower engine (and a power-folding heated driver mirror with integrated signals) * The Edmunds.com True Market Value® price is Edmunds.com's determination of the current average national base dealer retail price, unadjusted for region, options or color. Please visit http://www.edmunds.com/products/tmv for more information. "There's a depth to the Odyssey lacking in the other minivans, a sense that no detail was given short shrift just to meet a deadline," reports Edmunds' Inside Line Engineering Editor Jason Kavanagh. "From the seat-folding mechanisms to the navigation interface, every lever and latch operates intuitively and with little effort. It's like Honda deployed a whole battalion of engineers on each device." The Kia Sedona earned second place and was praised for its affordability and generous warranty. The Toyota Sienna achieved third place and was applauded for its versatility and comfort. The Nissan Quest took fourth place and impressed with its driving dynamics and styling. The Chrysler Town & Country placed fifth and was commended for its in-floor storage and cargo capacity. Vehicle Rankings from Comparison Test: 2006 Minivans 1. Honda Odyssey EX 2. Kia Sedona EX 3. Toyota Sienna XLE AWD Limited 4. Nissan Quest 3.5 SE 5. Chrysler Town & Country Limited To read the review and to get more information on the Edmunds' Inside Line editors' evaluation and rankings, visit Comparison Test: 2006 Minivans (http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=117437). About Edmunds.com, Inc. (http://www.edmunds.com/help/about/) Edmunds.com, Inc. publishes three Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers and enthusiasts. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its most popular feature, the Edmunds.com True Market Value ® , is relied upon by millions of people seeking current transaction prices for new and used vehicles. Edmunds.com was named "Best Car Research Site" by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "Most Useful Web Site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study(SM), was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites by The Wall Street Journal and was rated "#1" in Keynote's study of third-party automotive Web sites. Inside Line launched in January 2005 and is the most-read automotive enthusiast Web site. CarSpace launched in February 2006 and is an automotive lifestyle social networking Web site for anyone with an interest in automobiles. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit. Source: Edmunds.com |