The Mighty Minivan

Price: Starts at $23,995
In many ways, this stretched-out incarnation of the original Caravan is the most minivan for the money on the market. That's not to say it's the cheapest, but it offers a truly enormous interior and a dizzying list of seating configurations, including Stow 'n Go fold-down second-row seating and optional Swivel 'n Go second-row seats, which can turn around to face the third row. There's even an optional card table and, if that's not enough to spin you around, you can completely flip back the third row of seats into a tailgate-seating configuration, provided you don't mind sitting on the headrests.

Read:  Top Picks for Tailgating

Price: Starts at $30,160
The Chrysler Town & Country is Chrysler's sister vehicle to the Dodge Grand Caravan, and the lower trim levels of the T&C almost completely overlap with the mid- to higher trim levels of the Caravan. Thankfully, the T&C doesn't spec its engine offerings down to the pitifully underpowered 3.3-liter V6 found in the base-level Caravan, but the T&C's base 3.8-liter 197-horsepower V6 is still a bit sluggish. The 4.0-liter V6 is found only in the Limited trim level, which starts at $35,875. And that's perhaps the main knock on the Town & Country.

Bing: Town & Country Accessories

Price: Starts at $26,930
Volkswagen is no stranger to the minivan world — its Vanagons and Eurovans microbuses have a pretty long history — so it's a mystery why the company decided to launch the Routan. Seriously, aside from a redesigned grille, toned-up suspension and a few fit and finish details on the inside — including, bizarrely, an optional Wi-Fi router — the Routan is the exact same vehicle as both the Chrysler Town & Country and the Dodge Grand Caravan. The Routan does feel a bit tauter in cornering, however, and somehow less plasticky.

Compare: Volkswagen Routan vs. Chrysler Town & Country vs. Dodge Grand Caravan

Price: Starts at $24,560
Toyota has been in the minivan game for a while now. Not everyone remembers, but in 1983, it introduced the Van — aka the MasterAce or the Space Cruiser. Toyota's vans are legendary for impressive crash-test safety ratings and all-around build quality, and the newly redesigned 2011 model is no exception. The Sienna is available in front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive configurations. Like many minivans, it has a wimpy base engine — a 2.7-liter 4-cylinder rated at only 187 horsepower — but the step-up 3.5-liter 266-horsepower V6 is smooth and ample. And the Sienna has lots of comfy options.

Read:  New Toyota Sienna in L.A.

Price: Starts at $27,800
Like the Sienna, the Odyssey has just been redesigned and re-engineered for 2011, and you can tell the two automakers have been watching each other's movements. Both have single-pull fold-down rear seats, and both feature a wide-aspect LCD screen in their rear-seat entertainment systems that can be turned into a split screen for two separate inputs. The Odyssey can boast of better connectivity, however, with HDMI inputs that are becoming more common in game consoles and video cameras. The Odyssey has a higher base price, but that's because Honda equipped the entire line with a pricier, yet superefficient 3.5-liter 248-horsepower V6.

Video: Honda's "Elite" Minivan

Price: Starts at $27,750
Nissan sat out the 2010 minivan model year, but returns with an all-new Quest, which went on sale earlier this spring. Previous versions of Nissan's minivan had awkward ergonomics, but the new Quest features smarter seating, with quick release fold-flat second- and third-row seats. The new Quest also has one-touch power sliding doors, a dual moonroof and Nissan Intelligent Key with push button ignition. Power comes from a 260-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 teamed with Nissan's Xtronic CVT transmission. Prices range from just under $28,000 for the S trim to just over $41,000 for the top-level LE.

Read:  New Nissan Quest Coming

Price: $50,240
We know — it's a crossover, that category of vehicle that's not quite a car, not quite a wagon and not quite an SUV. That may be true of an SUV-like vehicle such as the Ford Flex or a wagonlike vehicle such as the Honda Accord Crosstour, but aside from Mercedes' refusal to include sliding side doors, the R-Class is a minivan for the well-heeled. And it's a sweet one. Not only does it come with an amply powerful 3.5-liter 268-horsepower V6 engine, but it has plenty of room for six people. Without a doubt, it is the most posh minivan ever.

Read:  2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class — First Drive

Price: Starts at $24,595
The only Korean entry in the mix, the Kia Sedona matches most of the features of its main Japanese competitors, with fold-flat third-row seats and optional power sliding doors and liftgate. Plus, the Kia has received top crash-safety ratings, and its one available engine, a 3.5-liter 271-horsepower V6, comes for the price of Toyota's 4-cylinder. The second-row seating is a bit less functional than in many other minivans, though; it doesn't fold down, swivel or turn into a Barcalounger. Also, the rear-seat entertainment package is nothing special in this era of dual-screen entertainment. Nevertheless, you have to respect the value.

Video: 2010 Kia Sedona

Price: Starts at $19,195
The Mazda5 is pretty small by modern minivan standards. The third row is practical only for children. The Mazda5's engine is an unimpressive 2.3-liter 153-horsepower 4-cylinder that struggles to get this little van going, but it does post impressive fuel efficiency of up to 28 mpg. Many of the fancy powered door and liftgate options that spruce up competing vans aren't available on the Mazda, but all the seats do fold down to take advantage of the vehicle's cargo capacity. And you simply can't argue with the price; this is the only minivan available for less than $20,000.

Read:  Mazda Gets Ho-Hum Reviews

Sam Foley is a Connecticut-based automotive journalist who has written for GQ, Forbes, USA Today, the New York Post and various other publications.

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