The past year has been very good to the family-hauler segment, as the list of bestselling minivans of 2016 will attest. If you thought that surging SUV sales meant minivans were on the outs, you’d be mistaken. In 2016, overall minivan sales climbed higher, clawing up 6.3 percent over the 2015 numbers.
There is no shortage of buyers in the minivan camp, but competition is dwindling. Only eight models were sold in 2016, including the Mazda 5 that has been struck from the American lineup. Still, competition is tight. How do the numbers stack up?
It was good while it lasted, but was never a top competitor in the United States. The Mazda 5 isn’t your luxurious spaceship of a vehicle but an excellent runabout for the family. Its powertrain is reportedly fun to drive, but the numbers are sadly lacking. Only 157 horsepower from its 2.5-liter engine could have contributed to limited sales.
The Mazda 5 is still sold north of the border to Canucks. In the U.S., though, sales ended in early 2016. Only 375 Mazda 5s were sold in 2016. That’s not a huge loss – just 8,609 were retailed in 2015 for a full sales year.
The Nissan lineup has an obligatory minivan but it’s not one of their bestsellers. It’s not that the Nissan Quest is a bad vehicle – on the contrary! It’s pretty sharp and has great things going for it. Even the base model has Intelligent Key, a 260-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6, and a rather attractive albeit unusual exterior.
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That’s not enough to compete in the small segment, though. The Nissan Quest just doesn’t stack up with its interior quality or options. And for its price, it should. In 2016, the Nissan Quest sold 11,115 vehicles, up less than 100 units from the previous year. One might expect a change of direction from Nissan.
The Kia Sedona has it going on. It’s a pretty sharp not-so-little package that comes together quite nicely. Plenty of power from its 276-pony V-6 – check. Stripped down base package for the price-conscious buyer – check. Available safety suite, OLED display, tri-zone climate control, heated leather seats – check, check, check, and check.
The Sedona’s worst trait is its brand. The Kia name still fights with a bargain brand stigma, although it isn’t any longer. The Sedona is a great minivan, one that sold 20 percent more in 2016 than ’15, up to 44,264.
There’s a swansong playing for the Town & Country, riding into the sunset after 27 years in production. Through its history, the Town & Country was mostly known as the premium version of the Dodge Grand Caravan, which is true. And it did well because upper-middle class citizens need to haul people too.
At the end of its 2016 model year, the Town & Country gives way to a new Chrysler minivan – the rebirth of the Pacifica. Yet, 59,071 T&C’s were sold in 2016.
The new kid in town, the Chrysler Pacifica, entered the scene with much pomp and circumstance. The fanfare is well-warranted too. The Pacifica is a next-level minivan! Very quickly the Pacifica was named “2017 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year.” It has hands-free sliding doors, a tri-pane panoramic sunroof, and an on-board vacuum available. Pretty slick, even down to its plush leather seats in the Limited trim.
Expect big things in 2017 from the Pacifica, in its first full year of sales. Despite hitting the market in mid-2016, the Pacifica managed to sell 62,366 units in the US. It could rival the top three…
In third place is the Honda Odyssey. Well-known for its HondaVAC on-board vacuum, massive rear-seat entertainment screens, and amazing infotainment system, the Odyssey is a much-loved minivan among those who own them. It could use a bit of a power boost, up from its current 248 hp, to excite the senses a little more. But it compensates very well with its innovative 3rd Row Magic Seat and Wide Mode 2nd Row seats.
It could easily be the No. 1 minivan with a few tweaks and a bit of marketing. The Odyssey resided in second place in 2015 but dropped 5.4 percent in sales. In 2016, 120,846 new Honda Odysseys joined American families.
The first minivan to hit the market sticks around, capturing second position from the Odyssey. In fact, the Grand Caravan went on a tear this year. Largely the same for several years now, the Grand Caravan is just an American favorite. The originator of Stow’N’Go seats has a 3.6-liter Pentastar engine in all its trim levels, pushing 283 hp and pulling up the corners of every driver’s mouth.
With the Chrysler Town & Country’s exit, you could reason that the Grand Caravan isn’t far behind. In the meantime, the Grand Caravan will continue to tear up the sales chart. Up 25.7 percent from 2015, the Grand Caravan sold 127,678 vehicles.
By the slimmest of margins, the Toyota Sienna retains the title of America’s bestselling minivan! Plain and simple, it’s the best minivan on the market today. A few key available features: 60/40 Split & Stow 3rd Row seats, class-exclusive all-wheel-drive system, Driver Easy Speak system, Entune Premium Audio, dual moonroof… the list goes on.
The Toyota Sienna is proof that the cheapest won’t always sell the best. It’s more expensive than the others, but still captures the top spot on the sales list for 2016. Down 7.1 percent from 2015, the Toyota Sienna retailed 127,791 vehicles, just squeaking by the Grand Caravan by 113 units!
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