I am a reformed mini van hater---LOVE IT!!
Safety conscious, daily driver, cost-conscious, practical, looking for convenience, family traveler
| Pros |
|
| Cons |
|
JUL
27
2007
Pontiac Montana - 2002 —
My weak attempt at a disclaimer:I always SWORE I would never own a mini van! I always HATED the term "Soccer Mom" and those silly bumber stickers like "Baby on Board" or "Mom's Taxi". Well guess what? I got married and had three children. Eventually we grew out of our car and had to get something bigger. My husband said: "looks like you're going to be a mini van owner after all", and I insisted: "no....i'll just get a big SUV". Then a few car dealerships later, I realized the price difference between a 7 passenger mini van and a 7 passenger SUV. Our finances made that decision for us!
And the winner is....
A 2002 Pontiac Montana (did I mention that it also had to be pre-owned?). We went to several car dealerships looking for a mini van that was in our price range, yet only a couple of years old, and preferably had a DVD player (yeah, sure...it was a nice dream, though). After seeing several Dodge Caravans with rust along the back hatch door, those were out, and to make a long story short we spotted the winner. Although it was 4 years old, an elderly man previously owned it and took pristeen care of it AND it only had 30,000 miles on it. It had a power sliding door, and a whole bunch of other extra options the nice gentleman paid extra for. We'll take it!
The nitty gritty:
16 months after purchasing it, my husband got into an accident. The other car was TOTALED, but my husband escaped with no injuries (other guy took an ambulance ride), our hood was dented and scratched, the bumper, the grill and one headlight were damaged and it was completely driveable! We were very happy with that outcome!
It drives well, has a big powerful engine, it doesn't suck gas that bad for such a big vehicle, it has a roomy interior with a big aisle and nice comfy bucket seats in the first two rows and a bench seat in the back (which are all removable without too much fuss).
The only downfall I have found with this vehicle is that if you need to pack alot of stuff in it to go on a trip, there could be more space. I recommend you get the extended version if more space is absolutely necessary. The only storage space is between the back of the bench seat and the back hatch door. I find myself shoving things under seats and in the aisle when everyone is in thier seats (which you have to climb over to get out at a rest stop). Other than that I am a reformed mini van hater! Thanks Pontiac! (P.S. I broke down and bought a magnet that says "Mom's Taxi" - I just can't bear to put it on. But my mini van has become just that - Mom's Taxi!)
Last edited on Jul 28, 2007
Pontiac Montana - 2002 is recommended by TracieFadian
 |
Search Amazon.com for Pontiac Montana - 2002 prices |
Comments about TracieFadian’s Review
More reviews by TracieFadian
Jwin - JH-P30 Lightweight Heavy Bass Digital Stereo Headphones Review - ...LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set Review - "What a wonderful...Norwood Micro 17" LCD Flat Panel PC Monitor Silver Review - "A fancy...Earth Spirit - Magnolia sandals (Bark) Review - "Why wasn't I informed of...
