Anyway, she did a ton of research...Consumer Reports, etc., and the Sienna came out as tops in safety, reliability, and so on...
I figured it would be out of our range (by the way, when did basic family transportation get up in the 30-40K area?), but it turned out to be right in the middle of the spectrum as far as price. Maybe a little less than the middle.
That made the choice easy. We haven't regretted our purchase. Again, all this is based on research and options in 98. Were I to go out tomorrow and buy a new van, I'd do the research all over.
I have to admit however that it is not the best looking van out there. Oh well.