hey OP, your in-laws sound like mine! Born and raised outside Detroit, will never drive anything but a "Detroit-made" (ha, Detroit-made!) vehicle, and the positively flipped when we bought a Honda--which took a not-inconsiderable amount of teeth-pulling to even get my husband to look at. Anyway, quite happy with my Honda (not a min-van, though); way better than that POS, always breaking down Chevy we had.

of course, I'm still trying to figure out why my in-laws think it's any of their damn business what we drive. Serious boundary issues.

OP again. Thanks for the late responses--though I have to say they were not encouraging re: the T&C. To answer PP's question, my inlaws are not Asian American immigrants (or really immigrants of any other kind), and have been American-born since the beginning of this country, as far as I know. The inlaws live in the Midwest, want to support the car industry there, object to historical Japanese fair trade policies, etc. FIL's info is outdated, but he's in his mid-70s and won't be persuaded otherwise. To be fair, he paid for our wedding (which cost a pretty penny), so I guess we can placate him and re-spend that money on repair bills for an American/Windsor, Canada minivan. Life is full of compromises, no?

I'm surprised that nobody has pointed out that the "American-made" Town and Country is manufactured in Windsor, Ontario.

Agree with PP to get an Explorer instead. Loved mine but with 3 kids needed the Sienna.

Go and get consumer reports magazine. I just saw it last month at Costco. It compares minivans. I believe Sienna was their top pick, Honda was 2nd, and it basically said that that Chrysler was a POS. If you aren't going to keep it more than 4-5 years it might not be an issue. If you want it for 10 years I think that you could argue that it's a big waste of money and you will most likely be dealing with lots of repairs.

Why does your FIL get a say in the car you drive?

Can you test drive the American one, and then find it terribly uncomfortable? Would your husband actually force you to drive a car that puts you in pain?

If he won't budge, what about the new Ford Explorer?

Anonymous wrote:I say go for the vw routan...we have the 2011 and it is amazing! Gorgeous looking, American engine, but handles like a german car should!

The Routan is a rebadged Town & Country. Check the IIHS crash ratings and you'll see the same ratings apply for both because it's essentially the same car.

I say go for the vw routan...we have the 2011 and it is amazing! Gorgeous looking, American engine, but handles like a german car should!

I say go for the vw routan...we have the 2011 and it is amazing! Gorgeous looking, American engine, but handles like a german car should!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My FIL (and therefore DH) insists that we get an "American" car. Foreign is not an option--even if it's the Honda that rolled off the Indiana assembly plant. (I've argued myself hoarse, but you can't win a logic-based argument with illogical people.) I want to get a minivan, and I've seen so many posts about moms loving their Odysseys and Siennas and even Kias. Anyone out there own a Town and Country or Grand Caravan that they would advocate? The reviews make them seem so unreliable and bad. Should I forgo my minivan dream (with its sliding doors for my 2 rowdy kids and their friends) and get one of the plethora of "American" SUVs?

Even the "American" car are filled with components from Mexico, Canada, and the like. So maybe it's a continental thing.

Every component of the 2011 Odyssey is American made except for the transmission.

I have a T&C (after having an Odyssey) and while I like the features, it has been in and out of the shop since the month after I got it. I will never buy another one again (and have given thought to trading it in even though it is not paid off.)

Is your dad a naturalized American? I know that many Asian Americans who have experienced bigotry are staunch believers in "Buy American" in order to seem more American. Since my parents immigrated and naturalized 50 years ago back when there was still a lot of anti-Asian sentiment, they and many of their friends still instill this sense in their adult children. My siblings and I have always bought American. My wife wanted a Prius and that is literally the first non-American car that my family has ever owned. And it did feel weird to me to be buying a Japanese car, but we do love the Prius.

Unless your dad is buying your minivan, get a Toyota or a Honda. Buy an american car when they stop making shit.

coming in late here and not with good news.

We had our 2010 Odyssey stolen this summer and had a 2011 Town and Country rental for a month while we waited for the Odyssey to be recovered (or as it turns out, not recovered). I am NOT a car buff and in general could care less about cars or what I drive. However the difference in the Odyssey I was used to driving and the Town and Country was night and day. The T&C drove like a truck with NO pick up. It was clumsy and difficult to park. The interior layout was much less convenient than the Honda and the entire thing has a "plastic", cheap feel that I hated. In comparison, the Honda (I now have a 2011) drives like a car, corners like a dream and just feels more solid.

Going into it I thought "hey a van is a van" but having driven both for more than a month I found that the Honda was light years better.

OP here. Thanks for all your posts. Sounds like Town and Country is the "American" winner...we'll start our search there. By the way, I come from a family of Honda and Toyota owners, and they run for a decade or more without problems. The inlaws drive American (and we now have one), and that POS has brake problems, A/C problems, belt problems, etc. every 6 months to one year. PP--I can totally relate to your brake problem that almost killed you! No, FIL is not going to pay for the minivan, but he won't STFU (as one of you said) and DH and I don't want to get earaches from his old-man rantings...

My BF has a Town and Country and loves it. She's had it for quite a few years and has not had any mechanical problems.