In addition to our 1997 Corolla, we also own a 2001 Honda Odyssey. We got the Odyssey when our second child was born because the Corolla was incapable of transporting all 4 family members, plus the dog (and/or various extended family members when they came to visit).
In general terms we've been very happy with the Odyssey...it is simple to get the kids in and out of, it can seat 7 regular-to-large size adults very comfortably, and has a nice sized storage compartment even when carrying a full load of passengers. Plus the seats fold down and/or can be removed to reveal an enormous storage space that is sufficiently large to transport 4'x8' sheets of drywall or plywood. You can also fit lumber up to 12' long in there, and still have the back hatch closed.
But, since gas has become so expensive, it has become painful to fill up the 15 gallon tank. We never monitored its gas mileage until recently, after I noted that careful driving could milk almost 45 mpg out of our Corolla. The first time we checked the gas mileage of the Odyssey was a couple of weeks ago when we drove up to Chicago. Mr.Absinthe was driving (aka Mr.Lead-Foot) and we got 14.1 mpg on that trip. Erp!
The 2001 Odyssey is EPA rated at 16 mpg in the city, and 23 mpg on the highway (when it was new, that is). Mr.Asbinthe wasn't even getting the city rated mileage out of it. I should note that when I drive the van in town I get around 19 mpg, which is better than the EPA estimate for the van when it was new, and better than what Mr.Absinthe gets on the highway.
Today I had to drive down to Indy as a chauffer to a group of kids, so I checked the gas mileage when I drive the Odyssey on the highway. The result? I got 21.9 mpg driving 60 mph or less on the I65. That is over 50% better than what Mr.Absinthe gets on the highway, but it still sucks, and it disturbs me that it isn't much better mileage than what I get in the city.
I think we need to drive the Corolla a lot more...
