With 5 children there really wasn't much of a choice on the type of vehicle we were going to have to buy. Aside from anything else, I was fed-up of having to take 2 cars everywhere. When we finally started looking I was pretty amazed at the variety of mini-vans out there. We test drove a few different types and styles and finally came down to a choice between the Windstar and the Caravan. The Windstar won by a very small margin.
We ended up with a Windstar LX, 3.8L, dual sliding doors, quad-seating, (total seating capacity is 7), with comfort control system. It has lots of nice features, the seats fold down to make a picnic table, there are cup holders everywhere, the rear cab has it's own climate controls. Rear wiper and defrost, cruise control, dual air-bags, electronic anti-theft device, roof rack etc.
The ride is comfortable, there is plenty of space, and I find the seats to be excellent (I suffer from back problems and normally find driving in a car very uncomfortable). My children love riding in it too, which certainly makes my life easier!
Fuel Economy is okay, considering the size of the vehicle. We are getting around 18 - 20 miles/gallon in town - not too bad, although switching from my old escort to this it came as quite a shock!!
The controls for the driver are all located in such a way that they are easy to reach, and comfortable to use. I particularly like the positioning of the foot pedals. That is usually an issue for me, as I normally find that they are positioned for a man to drive.
The seats are easily removeable in case you need to use the space to transport a large item, and they also roll forward and back, to allow extra cargo space (like when I go grocery shopping).
The one down side, is I do find the engine to be slightly noisier than I would like.....it's not overly noisy, certainly doesn't interfere with conversation, but it does get a bit loud when you are accelerating fast.
Combine all the features with the fact that it has the 5-star safety rating, and I couldn't be happier with it!