If you DON'T need (or want ) trick folding seats, though, there is NOTHING else out there in the minivan market that even comes CLOSE to the value that the Kia Sedona offers. A co-worker of mine just recently bought a brand-new Sedona LX ( I helped him find it ) . V6 engine, five-speed automatic, dual captain's chairs in front, front-and-rear air conditioning, power windows / door locks / mirrors, 10 /100,000 drivetrain warranty, 5/60 bumper-to-bumper.....ALL of this for less than 19K ( with incentives) out the door...tax, license, everything. This was on a dealer-stock model some months ago, but the current ones should be pretty close to this.
Kia, unlike past years, also makes a pretty respectable product now quality-wise, too. It's no Lexus, but they are no longer junk either.

 

BTW, BMW is rumored to be bringing a van by the end of the decade.

 

That's good news

 

What are they gonna call it? The 5 and a Half series? All the numbers are taken and 9 is just too high.

 

Like X5, it's gonna be called with a new letter that designates the type of the vehicle, followed by a number that indicates position. So perhaps it'll be called V5?

Minivans and BMW with its sporty image just don't fit each other IMO, however.

 

Just what we need.....a Chris Bangle minivan...the Ultimate Soccer Machine

 

Photoshop anyone??? Just for fun , and dont't forget the iDrive!!!

 

5 years ago we would have said the same thing about Porsche building an SUV.
Who knows anymore. If BMW does, which I doubt, then they will hurt themselves even more than Bangle has.

 

Lexus May never make a minivan, but i wouldnt mind seeing a Lexus Full-Size Pickup based off the Tundra...might be kinda neat.

 

I love the space in minivans

And you guys are lucky, there aren't that many too choose from over here... no Sienna or anything like that...

 

A Lexus minivan would be interesting - and would be a nice addition to our garage - but I wouldn't look for one soon. The Sienna is a terrific product, but by the time you load it up to Lexus' standards, you have an MSRP just over $40K. Short of re-badging, there's not much to do to turn this into a Lexus product - but then, where's the dealer profit? Unless Toyota would drop the AWD Sienna XLE Limited, and sell it only as a Lexus with every conceivable option, I can't see much dealer incentive for a Lexus minivan - not when the customer could go across the street to the Toyota dealership and buy the same vehicle for thousands less. Lexus buyers are going to demand some exclusivity.

 

Luxury-nameplate pickups just don't sell. Lincoln tried this with the Blackwood a few years ago and ended up dumping it after only 1000 sales. People just didn't want it ...for several reasons, among them its lack of practicality. The Cadillac Escalade pickup ( a deluxe twin of the Chevrolet Avalanche) has sold a little better because it has the practicality of the Avalanche's drop-down conversion panel behnd the seats....but it still has not exactly set sales records.

Some cheaper-nameplate upmarket pickups like the Ford Lariat King Ranch have done well primarily because they are associated with huge-selling models like the F-150.

 

Toyota is offering the Alphard in Asia.

It is very luxurious and some people prefer these over the Lexus. Especially for big families and long travels these are hot!

 

more pics ...







Hybrid

 

One last pic of the 'normal' Alphard G"