Can't Just Drive 55!

A Little Background:
Earlier this year our poor old van's brakes gave out and rather than spend a couple of thousand replacing them, we decided it was time to go out and buy a new van. I had already done extensive research on minivans and even some dealer hopping.

Our Choice:
It was a debate at first. High competitive between the Montana or Town and Country. Comfort made the decision. We have five kids and needed something that all could comfortably fit into and enjoy the ride for years to come.

So...
In we went to our local dealer. It was a great experience. We already knew what we basically wanted (features, etc) from our research. So when we walked in, our salesman asked what we wanted and away he went to find it. He pulled up in a Patriotic Blue LXi that was just about fully loaded! I won the seat type (leather) since it was the only one they had on the lot with the other features my husband wanted :) and he loves it too now! (seat heaters are SO nice in the winter!-only available in leather seats)

The test drive:
We were both surprised and very delighted to find the minivan handled like a regular car. It turned beautifully and accelerated better than expected (although that was a consideration in our research-excellent pickup). The kids LOVED it!

The purchase:
Being just about fully loaded (more options than the basic Limited) we ended up paying more than the average person but they gave us an excellent trade-in value for our old van. After having it for almost 10,000 miles/7 months (did I mention we drive ALOT) it is worth every penny!

Feature rundown:

Leather seats with electronic adjusters for both front and two setting heaters: Definitely a must especially for those long drives and winter days.

Stereo: we ended up with the in dash four cd changer, infinity sound system. We love music and couldn't imagine driving without our favorite tunes :) Excellent system all around. With controls on the back of the steering wheel you never need to look down or reach over ever again! No distortion or icky sounds when blasting it either even with a ton of bass. Only thing we dislike is it takes time to switch cds but comparable with other cd changers.

Automatic sliding doors/gate: Must have feature especially with kids! Love this SO much I can't describe. Tons of safety features with it so there's no fear of it closing or opening at the wrong times.

Other little neat features we love: automatically locks all doors once you reach 18mph, electronic window openers including the back!, lockout features on the back doors so only mom or dad can open them even with the electronics, three zone heating/cooling system with automatic settings for low/high where the computer keeps the temp you set in perfectly, quite a bit more luggage room than our old van with holders for grocery bags, tons of little cup holders all throughout the van, and a ton of safety features! able to use the new universal seat locks with baby carseats, must stop to open sliding doors, etc., nifty computer system that tells you down to the mile how much gas is left, time/miles elasped from traveling, compass, temperature, gas mileage, front and side airbags for both passenger and driver side, anti-theft device/alarm and features.

Insurance:
Just wanted to let you know that even with needing full coverage and our still relatively younger ages, it only costs $60/month through State Farm for this gem. There are so many anti-theft features and safety devices that there are a TON of credits.


This van is a real pleasure to drive for everyone. Definitely lives up to it's reputation.