[quote=eavesdropper] . . . a Toyota Sienna minivan. Talk about a perfect vehicle! I bought it when I was doing some major redesign and construction projects on my last house, and you can’t believe the range and the amount of stuff I’ve managed to fit into that car. I can fit a max of 7 passengers (they make them big enough for 8), and still have a huge amount of room for luggage and gear. The last row of seats can fold into the floor, and the middle row of seats is removable; once, after I had done that, I loaded 39 bags of mulch (yes, large bags) into the van, and half of the cargo area was still empty. I’m really into antiques (the big primitive-style ones), and there’s never been a piece that I haven’t been able to transport.

But the big surprises were how it handled and its excellent gas mileage. I can tear around winding country roads, narrow mountain tunnels, and corkscrew highway exit ramps in that thing, sometimes at 75 mph, and it just clings to the road; the handling is as good as any car I’ve ever owned (seems to have just the right combination of aerodynamics and weight). And, in its first 4 years, or so, I was getting 27 mpg hwy. Best part? I walked out of the dealer with this brand-new Sienna for $20,400. It’s the CE model (which I’m convinced means “cheap edition”), but it has the same engine as the $43,000 version did, and it has everything I need. And it’s still going strong at 125K miles.[/quote](emphasis added)

eavesdropper, you are fortunate to be living near many antique dealers in VA. I have visited a few in Loudoun County with a dear relative (now deceased) and had a lot of fun.

Ricechex, I have two neighbors that have the Toyota Sienna MV. I agree that they are very well-built with a roomy interior. This may be a good choice also. I still think an older full-size luxury sedan would offer your friend more leg room within his price range.