[onewhippedpuppy]

The newer ones are pretty bulletproof. The Touring gets a 5-speed auto vs the 4-speed in the normal models and gets better MPG, along with having more goodies. We looked Odyssey, Sienna, and Quest, and ended up with a 2012 Nissan Quest LE (top model). None of them are inspiring to drive, but the Quest had the nicest quality interior by far, and I saved at least $10k over the Odyssey Touring which are crazy expensive in the used market. Another bonus, you don't see the Quest in every suburban driveway. The downsize is gas mileage, at 80 MPH you maybe get 18 MPG where the Odyssey would be more like 25. But I can buy a lot of gas for $10k......

One other option for a "sorta-minivan" solution is the Mazda5. We had a 2013 Grand Touring that we sold to buy the Quest because we needed more space for trips. They have captain's chairs in the 2nd row and a 3rd row bench and are essentially a compact minivan. Fantastic MPG, we frequently saw 28 MPG. Fun to drive, typical great Mazda steering, very playful and tight handling. You can even get a stick in the lower trim levels. They are also cheap, brand new our loaded GT was only $23k.