US 8 seaters, Yukon, Odyssey, Sienna but what vans Vito etc?

[Hugh Jarse]

Hello, any help appreciated. Emigrating to the US and arriving June 13th. Six kids, all quite small currently but Ive been informed by other parents they get big quickly (too long ago to remember personally). Can you get Vans with seats? Diesels? Really need a sliding door so Ford Flex or Escalade implausible. Exporting my Elise and classic merc as runabouts so probably need a van as the family barge. Currently own a Chrysler grand voyager which works well, but sixth child due date is today which means it no longer fits us all. Budget is 10K>20K US$. Need to have it bought before landing preferably. Is craigslist best? Currently looking on Autotrader which seems OK but Merc Vito not listed. T6? Yukon interior shown for interest, but looks a battle to get past the seats to buckle child seats. Condoms and TV have now been purchased before anyone asks.

[Hugh Jarse]

this is a vito LWB i believe

[geeman237]

I can't help on the family van but I take it your Elise and Merc are over 25 years old for legal US import. I would honestly caution about bringing RHD cars to the US because speaking from experience they are often very hard to sell on when the time comes.

There are several mini-vans on the market here, and you can get Sprinter vans but they might be out of your budget if they've been converted to a family van.

Oh, and welcome to America....soon. Whereabouts?

[Hugh Jarse]

Hi Geeman, thanks for youyr reply, whereabouts will be upstate NY, took 18 months t get the visa and the job offer I had was long gone lol. So now im searching. what about american minibusses, happy with GM etc, cheers Ben

[Hugh Jarse]

do you recommend craigslist, autotrader or marketplace to peruse vehicles. Autotrader seems mainly dealers and ive noticed about $4000 mark up if at a dealer - in the UK the delaer needs to offer 3 month warranty - perhaps not the same in the US?
Facebook algorithm has picked these cars for me lol

[Hugh Jarse]

Chevy Chase says yes

[Hugh Jarse]

oh they have different names for everything stateside

[Hugh Jarse]

But im not seeing any diesels, double the fuel economy and twice the engine life (low revs/no spark), pity (although DPF annoying)!

[Hugh Jarse]

Holy ripoff batman, old vans are dear! no Metris in NY on FB Marketplace in a 40 mile radius and just ropey VWs. Budget can go upwards.
Thinking of buying before we land (scam central lol) so just gte a taxi to the car from JFK and hit the beach on long island the next day. (kids are young)





Quite a good thread for any brits thinking of doing a road trip, buy van near JFK and off you go.

[Hub]

6 kids!

Sorry!

Have you tried Car Gurus?

They do Transits in the US don't they, or are they too big? (ie you want just 8 seats)

[Hugh Jarse]

Cheers Hub.
I think philosophically we need to decide between a van or an 8 seater "minivan".
That question is best worked as, can a minivan work.
This lady has some good videos, its all about reaching in for the car seats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_ybAK6gexM
That door not opening at 8:05 is a nono for the sienna.

Scotty Kilmer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8OP8BLXy6k

Now weve got somewhere on US nomenclature (still learning) transit connect XL and Transit are on the radar too.
Attached is the plan for the classics (three are already LHD as I lived in Sweden)

[Hugh Jarse]

Now all of a sudden loads of these appearing on FB marketplace, there were none yesterday.
Mostly petrol however





PH choice

[Hugh Jarse]

risk of getting a van is might not have isofix and top tether on seats from the getgo*

• gonna have to start saying this bks

[jeff m]

I think it may be wise to rent something for the first couple of weeks, or maybe a Month until you get yourself sorted.

Diesel. Your search will take longer than looking for a gas car/truck.

The price of fuel is not a major concern to most people here. A visit to the supermarket will be a much bigger hit to your wallet.

[gtb4]

You could look at Carfax. It’s all dealers but there are some choices on there in NY. The site looks good but I’ve read that the reports aren’t necessarily completely accurate, so caveat emptor. Look at the dealer reviews for guidance.
I wouldn’t bother with diesel. Pretty much everything is petrol and the cost of that will be insignificant compared to just about everything else - especially with 6 kids! Good luck.

[s p a c e m a n]

Chevy express passenger van seemed to be a popular option when I was over there

[The Moose]

I have some experience with this very question!

I just sold a 9 passenger van, although not diesel.

Your budget makes it hard to work with for a "nice" passenger van. There are Ford E-series vans and GMC/Chevrolet Savana Passenger vans.

I'd be surprised if you found something diesel with 8+ seats for under $20k. The only thing I can possibly think of is maybe an older, leggy Mercedes van. Give some thought as to whether you'll need 4x4 in the winter.

Welcome

Edited by The Moose on Thursday 18th April 05:47

[alabbasi]

Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna are your best bet. You won't find diesel unless you buy a sprinter which are super expensive or miled out

Facebook market is the new Craigslist but I suggest auto trader or cars.com if you're wanting to make a franchised dealer purchase.

[Hugh Jarse]

Great replies thanks.
Yes not found any Diesel or "Miled out" which is a great expression, not heard before.
The stuff and cars are being sent separately.

[Hugh Jarse]

Other priorities ATM but still opening FB marketplace to see what pops up. Still teasing me with randoms, despite my last ten searches all saying SIenna/Metris/T6/Odyssey. A quick check of the two sensible suggestion show seven seats, which wont work. The sofaesque Ford van made me laugh so sharing, advert in Spanish. Seven million illegals crossed since Biden opened the border, Ive waited 18 months for my visa, married to an American, lol, my original job offer has long gone and that employer has hit the hard times on recruitment, and things are pretty tight everywhere. As an exmaple, currently Tesla has 5 jobs across the whole of USA, last month, there were hundreds. Gulp!