Best Minivan for MPG
 

Best minivan for MPG

Dodge Caravan

It was the first minivan introduced in 1984 it was rated for 26 mpg hwy with a 2.2 L and 5 speed manual. Later the 2.5 L engine with a 87.5 mm bore and a long 104mm stroke was available until 1995. The newer 2.4L is an over under design. The 2.5 and 2.4 can be bolted up to a Neon 5 speed transmission with a 3.55 final and a .72 fifth gear. This would give 2000 RPM at 65 mph with 205/75R15 tires.

http://www.allpar.com/model/m/specs-2005.html

Toyota Previa

Longitudinal and rear wheel drive, the engine sits on its side under the driver's seat. The 2.4L 4 cylinder is an over square engine with 95 mm bore and 86 mm stroke. The 5 speed has a .8 fifth and a 3.91 final which gives 2500 RPM at 65 mph. Rating is only 16/20 - 18 combined mpg. If one with a broken rear end is found, it can be change to a chevy 3.07:1 then it would run at 1980 rpm at 65 mph.

Honda Odyssey

The 2.2 L engine was available from 1995 to 1997. The 2.3L vtech was only available in the last half of 1998, so it's rare. After 1998 only the v6 was available. It was common for the 3rd gear clutch to burn out in the v6 models. An Accord 5 speed can be bolted up to the 4 cylinders with a .685 fifth gear and 4.065 final this would give 2300 RPM at 65 mph. Prices for used Hondas are higher than domestic brands..

Chevy Astro

Bigger and heavier than the other minivans,and rear wheel drive its rated for 15 city, 20 highway. The 90 degree 4L V6 is a chevy small block v8 with 2 cylinders lopped off. A popular mod it to install a camaro 5 speed transmission. With a 2.95 rear end, the engine would turn 1800 RPM at 65 mph.

Chevy Ventura

Rated for 24 hwy/17 city, 20 mpg overall, the minivan only comes with a cast iron 3.4 L OHV V6 with an over square design, 92 mm bore and 84 mm stroke. The 4 speed automatic transmission has a .705 overdrive. 12 final drive ratios are available. A 2.84 final gear and it's 37/33 sprockets can be interchanged for 25% higher gearing. This would give a overall ratio of 1.59! The engine would run at 1280 RPM at 65 MPH with 205/75R15 tires! The cam shaft can be changed to an Olds to lower the HP peak from 5200 to 4700 RPM, peak torque would then be around 1900 rpm and best bsfc around 1800 RPM.

Quest:

Quest is simular to ford windstar with an oversquare v6 and automatic.

First generation Oldsmobile Silhouette 1990 through 1996:

It has a plastic body with and galvanized frame with futureized " dustbuster" styling. CD was .30. They dont show any rust, even after 23 years in the salt belt. The engine is a pushrod 60 degree 3.1 L v6 with cast iron block and heads, throttle body injection. 120 HP at 4200 RPM and 175 ft lbs at 2200 rpm, 8.8: 1 compression ratio. Transmission is a 3 speed automatic. Optional was the Buick 3.8 L 90 degree v6 with a 4 speed automatic with locking converter. A 4 speed non electronic 4T60 can be swaped in with the 3.1. The Ponticac Trans Sport has the 3.8 as standard after 1992. Both the Trans Sport and Lumina APV had a restyled 3 inch shorter nose after 1993, Silhouette kept it through 1996. The 1996 models all had a 3.4L 60 degree v6. Rating is 18 city, 22 hwy and 17 city, 23 hwy.

The first gen quest/villager twins were 3 liter, later 3.3 liter nissan v-6s, quite different IMO from that turd of a minivan, the windstar which in earlier models, anyway had the 3.8 pushrod v-6 which was an absolutely horrible engine.

I had a '97 villager. Possibly the best damn vehicle I ever owned....til my daughter wadded it up on her way home from school a week after she got her license.

I would love to have a first gen Odyssey with a 5 speed.

I think the mileage champ could be the newer Odysseys with cylinder deactivization. I believe these can be coaxed to close to 30 mpg running on three cylinders.

Another one to remember is the mazda 5. It is a mini-minivan and can be had with a 5 speed stick. I suspect such a vehicle could get over 30 mpg with a little hypermiling.

I don't know which is best but I can guarantee the Astro/Safari isn't. A buddy has one and it's no better on gas than my F150.

Yeah, I've always heard about the Astro's reliability, but never anyone happy about the fuel mileage. The contractors I knew who used it just wanted something smaller than the usual van. It is (was) a very good choice for trailer towing (space efficiency).

A folding boat-tail for a van would be rather like an Aerolid for a pickup . . it would make all the difference for a family traveling the highways.

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My Dad liked his minivans. The first was a 1984 Plymouth Voyager with a carbed Mitsubishi 2.6L 4-cylinder. It was the first vehicle I ever drove, but I don't remember what kind of mileage it got. The second was a 1992 Dodge Caravan with the 3.3L V6 and surprisingly it got 22 to 24 mpg. Then he had a 1995 Mercury Villager with a 3.0 V6, which I think got slightly worse mileage, but was certainly more reliable overall. Our family was putting a thousand miles a week on it at one point.

Yes, the Nissan V-6 in that villager is one of the best damn motors ever made. The 3.3 dodge is a damn good motor as well, unfortunately is was bolted to a POS AOD tranny. Dodge has seemed to finally iron out the problems with this tranny. I had an 02 GC with this drivetrain that shifted like new the entire time I owned it. I believe the cure was a monster sized tranny cooler. I became very familiar with it after my daughter stoved in the front end and I got to replace it all. The cooler was approximately the size of the AC condenser.

Ford Transit Connect

4 cyl, 2.0 L, Automatic 4-spd, Regular Gasoline

21 City / 23 Combined / 27 Highway

From Edmunds: "The seven-passenger 2014 Ford Transit Connect Wagon will exceed 30 mpg, Ford said on Tuesday as it unveiled the people mover. ...... Ford said in a statement that the Transit Connect Wagon is "expected to deliver at least 5 mpg better fuel economy on the highway and 2 mpg better in the city than a seven-seat Toyota Sienna minivan, and more cargo space and passenger seating than a Mazda 5, yet hauls a heavier payload than a Toyota Tacoma Double Cab pickup or Dodge Grand Caravan."

I like the transit. like it more with a 6 speed stick though.

Let's just hope that Ford is able to ignore car mag writers who criticize it because it doesn't have an 8 second 0-60 time.

Yes, ours was on the second tranny when we got it, and later that tranny had to be rebuilt as well.

Transit Connect is also available with a factory CNG pre-prep package that retains the full warranty when installed per Ford instructions. Claimed benefits of 30-40% reduction of greenhouse emissions, lower operating expenses. This option is growing in popularity amongst fleets.

WEIGHTS:

Previa 3755 lbs, Sienna 3800 lbs
Odyssey 95-99 3450 lbs, '99+, 4250 lbs
Caravan 3457 lbs
Venture 3655 lbs
Astro 4427 lbs
Silhouette, 1990-1995 3460 lbs

Liters/min@65mph

Caravan 2.5*2000 = 5000
Venture 3.4* 1300 = 4420
Astro 4*1800 = 7200
Odyssey 2.2*2300 = 5060
silhouete 3.1*1350=4185

payload: lbs

Astro 1430 lbs
Venture 1450 lbs
caravan 1200 lbs
previa 1400 lbs
Odyssey '95-'98, 1250 lbs, '99+, 1700 lbs
Lumina APV, Trans sport, sillhouette 90-96 1250 lbs

cd, cda, m^2:

Astro .38
Previa .35, 1.12 , Sienna, .32
caravan, '95 .39, .'98,.35
Venture, .34
Odyssey,1='95.35, '99.30
Old silhouette 1990-1995 .30


The Astro wieghts 1000 lbs more than the Odyssey. There is an Odyssey on Craigs list that I called on.

Transit it too tall, and it's a Ford, and it's too new. I only buy old cars.

Chrysler engineers decided not to have a gasket on the valve body, this would eventually leak and cause hunting, shifting problems and then clutch failure. A friend had a caravan and replaced the transmission 4 times, every 50k it would go out.

I know it's not necessarily a minivan, but I've got pretty good fuel mileage out of my Pontiac Azteks. Much better than most SUV's. On my trip out west this last summer, I was averaging around 25 mpg. Mostly highway & interstate. This with 4 people and the rear loaded down with camping equipment.
VT247

^First anecdotal evidence that the Aztek "fastback" is slipperier than squareback vans?

You can look at the Aztec as a slippery minivan. i look at it as a bloated hatchback and quite possibly the ugliest damn thing to ever roll down the road.

To me a minivan means 3 rows of seats and relatively easy access to all of these. And relatively easy movement between the various rows. Also, all the seats can be removed/stowed to make a big cargo area.

The Aztek does not meet any of these requirements.

And did I mention it is fugly? If I had any use for an overgrown hatchback, I'd rather have the buick version.

The Miles ZX40 minivan is probably the best, uses no gas at all.

In seriousness though the newer generation Daihatsu Move varieties (including the Mira, and others) top out around 50mpg at reasonable speeds. (CVT oddly enough)

Sure they are small but they are a mini van, really not a car per se.

Some nice minivans for ecomodding are the good old Chevrolet Lumina APV/Oldsmobile Silhouette/Pontiac Trans Sport, 1st-gen Mazda MPV and the Ford Aerostar.

It's not impossible to adapt the 4-banger Iron Duke bolted to a 5-speed manual into the Lumina APV, I've already seen one configured this way.

1st-gen Mazda MPV and Ford Aerostar, due to the RWD layout, also allow a wide range of engines to be retrofitted into, including some small Diesels such as the Kubota V2203 which is getting some popularity among Chevy S10 and Ford Ranger owners, with different gearings also possible to select and maximize the overall efficiency.

I am not particularly fond of Aztecs. The Odyssey was sold within an hour, $700 :C Thinking of generation 3 or 4 dodge with 2.4L I4 engine and swapping in a neon 5 speed. I don't like the Iron Duke engine, too over square, EcoTec I4 isn't bad.

You're on the right track: anything with a manual should be top of the list. Or added to the list if you're willing/able to do a swap.

I'm not sure what a stock Mazda 5 is capable of, but the stick sure gives you a lot more options when it comes to technique.

That's another possibility. BTW for export markets in Europe the Pontiac Trans Sport was available from the factory with a 5-speed and the Oldsmobile Quad-4 engine.

Yea, the Azteks aren't for everyone. I like 'em. They're similar to the minivan, seats come out, fits the '4X8', their different.
Frank, I think you're right, the less surface area makes a difference.
My friend once owned a Turbo Charged 4 cylinder 5 speed Dodge minivan. It was a late 80's model. Not the most appealing, but I'd think if used right it could get decent mpg.
VT247

My brother in law has a Mazda 5 with the 5 speed automatic. He has gotten right around 30 to 35 mpg at highway speeds. In town around 27. Basically it's a Mazda 3 hatchback platform with a taller shape and minivan sliding doors. Quite capable, considering it's roots. :thumbup:

The Aztec has the same engine as the Ventura and has the same MPG rating.

My two cents worth:

As far as bang for the buck goes, a friend of ours had a 1993 caravan AWD with the 3.0L v6, which reportedly got worse fuel mileage than the 4 banger, but she consistently saw around 25 mpg on the highway without even being "eco-footed", She still has the van and i belive its on around 350,000 miles now with one blown headgasket, and 1 tranny rebuild, they definitely dont cost much to buy used anymore, so in my view thats the best van you can get if on a budget, which i always am!

Mazda 5 seems like a good option with a manual.
OR
http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2e76788d.jpg
Drive it only in reverse to take advantage of an already made boat tail!

The 4cyl caravan and 6 cyl venture are both rated higher mpg than the transport.

Transports and Ventures suck (poor rating) in the crash test:

Toyota Previa even worse.

Crash ratings: 40 mph off center hit (driver to driver)

Previa 2 broken legs, broken neck and fractured skull.
Venture: 2 broken legs and concussion.
Caravan: 1 broken leg
Windstar: walk away
Sienna: open door and walk away
Odyssey 1999+: walk away

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDQrPnAhSmI

Tony
Come down to forgottonia and take my Windstar. It already has some aero mods. If you want a 5 speed the taurus made a Yamaha powered model would would nearly bolt in. It can get 25-28 as is though.

Dave, I may take you up on your offer, but leave the van behind, It will take 2 or 3 days to ride there.

I've always wanted one of the 80s Toyota cab over space cruisers

http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...0012_large.jpg

2300lbs with an efi 2.2L and a 5 speed. Unimpressive official mpg numbers though, like 23 highway

I was looking at a Mazda 5 or a Dodge RS (01-07). The Mazda had slightly better mpg rating, the Dodge had every other possible category including price. My wife wanted something newer so we got a Dodge RT (08+). She doesn't care about mpg and gets around 20 combined. She loves it and I still can't believe how much it holds.

I'll leave the key in it along with an address for you to send your donation check!
It is perfect for holding a liner in the back.

I always liked the Pontiac Trans Sport. If I could get one for cheap back here I would already have some ideas to take lots of weight off and replace the A/C with an evaporative cooler. Its automatic transmissions kill lots of power, but the manual Getrag 5-speed used in the Chevy Cavalier, Cobalt, Saturn Ion and Astra is not so hard to bolt into.

Looks aero with that nose. Its got a galvanized space frame and plastic body panels, like the Fiero and Saturn. Dash is too long. Too bad it's a V6. Sitting in the middle of the vehicle, you'd think it would rate good in the crash test, but the dummy's metal foot was severed.

That's one of its features I like the most.


That's true. Well, at least it has some weight that can be taken away :D


Some overseas-market versions had the Oldsmobile Quad-4 engine, bolted to a manual transmission. I've already seen one US-spec repowered with an Iron Duke...

Anyone who likes the 5 but wants something used and cheap would do well to check out a 1st gen Saturn Vue. My wife has one with the 2.2 "Ecotec" and a 5sp. She consistantly knocks down 26mpg in mixed in-town driving and I've seen as high as 34 on the highway. 30+ on the road is childsplay from it. With some more extreme eco-driving I think close to 40 is possible.
Just stay FAR away from the auto version (as if that's a major problem here :D ).

How many seats in the Vue? It's not exactly a minivan.

I wouldn't trust a Caravan / Grand Caravan unless it was a 5 speed. Chrysler put out some craptastic transmissions for a while!

Getting a 5 speed to bolt into the windstart isn't as easy as stated above. The Tauruses with 5 speed transmission used a Yamaha engine, but the transmission on those would only bolt up to the Vulcan 3.0 IIRC.

Yeah, my boss talks about the days when we had a whole wall with transmissions lined up against it. Long time ago- of course, I never would have bought mine without the lifetime service contract. Nowadays the biggest transmission complaint we get is rough shifting from folks who didn't realize that hitting the "Econ" button would actually change something.

Those mopar AOD fwd trannies were horrible, but, they sorted it out sometime in the late 90s-early 00s. I had an 02 GC that shifted like new on its original tranny when I sold it at about 130K.