Posted here a while ago about car buying.

We decided to try again. We need 7 passengers - 3 rows of seating. That's a must. We would like decent mileage. We DO NOT WANT an SUV because we take the seats out of our minivan all the time to haul stuff and we need the big open space inside frequently.

There's not many minivans out there. Worse still, the ones we looked at and test drove all have the same problem.

Apparently, there's been some mandated design change for vehicles that makes the headrest come up from the back of the seat at about a 76º angle forward. These things basically shove your head forward while you sit" and they REALLY HURT my wife's neck to sit with the thing pressed on her head like that - and apparently she's not alone -

From

http://www.automedia.com/Are_Safer_Head_Restraints_a_Pain_in_the_Neck/dsm20090701hr/1

"So, what can you do about uncomfortable head restraints? First, before you purchase a vehicle, make certain you and its other intended drivers are comfortable in its seat for long periods. Consider renting a version of the car before you buy. Next, raising the head restraint to its highest position or reclining the seatback a bit more makes some vehicles more comfortable to some drivers. And that’s about it. Removing the head restraints is the equivalent of not wearing a seatbelt. Bending the head restraint posts or replacing the restraint with one from an older model is similar to modifying the seatbelt: It’s unlikely to protect you the way the car-company engineers, regulators and interest groups intended. And don’t ask anyone to do such modifications: You, or the car’s other drivers or next owner, may sue them if there’s an injury."

She literally can't sit in a vehicle with these new head restraints for more than maybe 90 seconds before her neck starts to hurt. If she tilts the seat, to get her head off the headrest, her back hurts.

The one - and only - vehicle that seemed to be almost OK was the Mazda - and the dealer says he has none, the one on the showroom floor is sold, and they aren't making them anymore. We've not been able to find a Kia dealer who stocks Kia minivans to try them. We rented a Town and Country - If you gave me $10,000 and a case of 9mm ammo to take one off your hands we'd turn you down. The Toyota Sienna can't be found around here at any price. The Honda just didn't feel right. The Volkswagen is a Town and Country for $10,000 more. The Nissan can't be found around here for a test drive, but we looked at the interior pictures and it seems to have the same harsh tilt.

I was 100% ready to buy - we actually emptied the car out and planned to drive off the lot with something last time we went out - and it looks like we're going to have to buy used again. I was actually looking forward to a new car - it's something we were planning on doing every 10 years...not really sure what to do next. Even when price wasn't an issue, we can't find anything that is tolerable for the primary driver.

I REALLY like the Ford Transit Connect (saw them in Europe a lot) but they don't seem to have a passenger configuration at all. Too bad, because I'd snap that up in a hurry.