8 minivans and vans perfect for road trips

Intro

Like most people on this green Earth, Filipinos love going on road trips. Filipinos however, tend to take it up a notch as most would like to include their entire family (sometimes extended family) on said trips. To that end, many will opt for vehicles with the highest seating capacity possible. Something that’s roomy, but can also provide a decent amount of comfort. 

In the past, the Kombi was the icon of road trips. This particular one made an epic trip from Chile to Alaska

The kind of vehicles that can provide that of course, are vans and minivans. Most of them can seat up to 15 or more, and many can strike a good balance between capacity, comfort, safety, and power. So without further ado, here are our ten picks (not ranked) for vans and minivans that are great for road trips. 

Toyota Hiace

To kick off this list is the ever-present Toyota Hiace. It is a common sight on Philippine roads, and it has a reputation as a reliable people carrier. Under the hood of the Hiace is a 2.8-liter turbodiesel capable of making up to 174 horsepower and 420 Nm of torque, which is then sent to its rear wheels. The variants with the six-speed automatic transmission can make more torque at 450 Nm. There’s also a six-speed manual version. 

The Toyota Hiace

Speaking of variants, the Toyota Hiace in its most affordable form has a price tag of Php 1,649,000 to Php 2,998,000 for the top-of-the-line Hiace Super Grandia. The entry-level Commuter Deluxe can seat up to 15, but as you go up the variant lineup that said seating capacity shrinks.  

The Hiace with the least seating capacity is the top-spec Hiace Super Grandia Elite and Super Grandia. They can seat up to ten, but instead of more passengers, these are designed to pamper their occupants with captain seats.  

It also has loads of features that will make long-distance driving easy. It comes with rain-sensing wipers, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, electronically adjustable driver’s seat, adaptive cruise control among others. It is also no slouch when it comes to safety due to having seven airbags, lane departure warning, and hill-start assist. 

Nissan Urvan

Just like the Toyota-made van, the Nissan Urvan is also a popular people carrier in the local market. Some of its variants can also seat up to 15, but it does have one version that can seat up to 18. Even its high-spec Urvan Premium still has a 15-seater capacity.  

The Nissan Urvan Standard trim

On that note, the 18-seater will definitely work well if you’re planning a road trip with relatives and/or your huge barkada. 

Propelling the Nissan Urvan is a 2.5-liter turbodiesel engine. At most, it is capable of making up to 127 horsepower and 356 Nm of torque. Power is sent to its rear wheels via a five-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed manual gearbox. 

Prices for the Urvan range from Php 1,172,000 to Php 1,866,000. 

Honda Odyssey

Another vehicle that will also do well on long-distance out-of-town sojourns is the Honda Odyssey. The top-spec Odyssey EX-V Navi in particular offers the most features with its electronically adjustable driver’s seat, cruise control, hill-start assist, blind-spot detection, and parking assist. 

The Honda Odyssey

For the passengers, it provides a great amount of comfort as well. It has a sunroof, a nine-inch infotainment system with HDMI and DVD capabilities, as well as a sliding and reclining third and second row. Of note, the second row of the Odyssey EX also gets armrests. Meanwhile, the Odyssey EX Navi has captain seats. It also has power sliding doors. 

Powering the Odyssey is a 2.4-liter inline-4 gasoline engine that can make up to 173 horsepower and 226 Nm of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission. Driving enthusiasts can also enjoy the long drive with the Odyssey’s paddle-shifter controlled manual mode. 

The Odyssey has two trims in the Philippines market. The lower Odyssey EX variant is priced at Php 2,298,000, while the top-spec Odyssey EX-V Navi has a Php 2,698,000 price tag. 

Kia Grand Carnival

Next up on this list is another minivan and this time it’s the Kia Grand Carnival. Depending on the variant, the Carnival can seat either 11 or seven with the top-spec Grand Carnival EX having the least passenger capacity.  

The Kia Grand Carnival doing what it does best

Then again, the seven-seater Grand Carnival EX also has the most features that you’d want for long trips. This is because it has captain seats. It also has an eight-inch headunit, stability control, and hill-start assist. Cruise control is then standard on all Grand Carnival trims. 

The engine of the Grand Carnival is a 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine that can make up to 197 horsepower and 441 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. 

The Philippine-spec Kia Grand Carnival's price ranges from Php 1,995,000 to Php 2,395,000. 

Hyundai Starex

The Hyundai Grand Starex is also great for long-distance trips and in-city travel. It offers loads of space, and CRDi versions produce a decent amount of power. Specifically, the higher-spec Starex GLS trim uses a 2.5-liter CRDi that can make up to 170 horsepower and 441 Nm of torque.  

The Hyundai Starex

There are also non-CRDi five-speed manual versions that can make 100 horsepower and 226 Nm of torque. For the CRDi variants though, it exclusively uses a five-speed automatic transmission. Power is then sent to the rear wheels. 

As mentioned, the Starex provides a lot of space with some trims equipped with swivel seats. The top-spec Platinum variant also gets an eight-inch touchscreen and stability control.  

For the Hyundai Starex, prices range from Php 1,248,000 to Php 2,938,000. 

GAC GM8

Next up is the GAC GM8. It is also classed as a minivan, and it was introduced locally by GAC Philippines last year. And like its competitors, it has a pretty roomy interior. It has only one variant in the market, and it has a price of Php 2,880,000. 

The GAC GM8

At most, the GM8 can seat up to seven occupants. It also has a cooled electronically adjustable driver’s seat, cruise control, a ten-inch touchscreen headunit, automatic headlamps, a power liftgate, among others. 

The GM8 uses a 2.0-liter gasoline engine that can produce up to 198 horsepower and 320 Nm of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. 

Volkswagen Multivan Kombi

In talking about road trip chariots, we of course cannot ignore the Volkswagen Multivan Kombi. It is after all, the spiritual successor of the original Kombi which was regarded as the road trip car.  

The Volkswagen Multivan Kombi. The spiritual successor of the old road trip icon

For the more modern version released in the Philippines just this year, it is propelled by a 2.0-liter diesel engine linked to a seven-speed automatic tranny. It can churn out 148 horsepower and 340 Nm of torque, which is then sent to the van’s front wheels. 

Inside, the Multivan Kombi is equipped with a lot of bits that bring it up to the luxury spectrum of vans. It comes with cruise control, an eight-inch touchscreen headunit, a power liftgate, a push-to-start button, among others. It also gets a decent safety kit, which includes hill-start assist, stability control, etc. 

Prices for the Volkswagen Multivan Kombi in the Philippines range from Php 3,595,000 to Php 3,650,000. 

Toyota Alphard

Also in the luxurious van category is the road trip friendly Toyota Alphard. Sure, we commonly see this milling around the city, but it can very well provide a comfy and quiet ride for long distances. Its 3.5-liter V6 can also make up to 292 horsepower and 361 Nm of torque, so it makes for a decently powerful highway cruiser as well. 

The Toyota Alphard

The piece de resistance for the Alphard however is its luxurious interior. It comes with plush captain seats, a sunroof, ambient lighting, and a 6.75-inch headunit. The driver of the Alphard is also provided with adaptive cruise control, an electronically adjustable driver’s seat, a push to start button, rain-sensing wipers, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, automatic headlamps, among others. 

Toyota also made no reservations in providing the Alphard with safety tech. It has lane-keeping aid and lane departure warning, a tire pressure monitor, blind-spot detection, hill-start assist, autonomous emergency braking, among others. 

With all that equipment though, the Toyota Alphard has a relatively hefty price tag of Php 3,910,000. But if what you’re after is the best in terms of safety and comfort, then this Toyota van can provide that for you. 

Do you agree with this list? Are there other road trip worthy high-capacity cars you think will fit this list? Do you want to see more list-type articles from us? If you do, stay here on Philkotse for more.