If you are in the catering business, you need a reliable vehicle that will provide you with what you need to transport your food, linens, and other supplies. Generally speaking, you're better off buying gently used, because you will get a reliable vehicle with a good resale value.
We have reviewed five of the best minivans available for caterers, and narrowed it down to the Nissan Quest SV, the Toyota Sienna LE, the Chrysler Town and Country, the Dodge Grand Caravan, and the Ford Transit Connect. Each features tons of room, good mileage, and comfortable interiors.
Nissan Quest SV: The Quest SV comes with power sliding doors, which are perfect for moving all your equipment in and out of the vehicle. The rearview camera makes it easy to maneuver in and out of tight spots, and you’ll appreciate the fog lights that make it easy to travel when your event takes you into the wee hours. Cargo space is ample, since you can remove the rear passenger seats and accommodate up to 108 cubic feet.
Toyota Sienna LE: The price is right on this minivan, since the trim level offers a lot of features without tipping it over into the point where it becomes less of a bargain. You can haul up to 150 cubic feet, and you’ll appreciate the power tailgate when it comes to unloading and reloading after your event.
Chrysler Town and Country: If you’re catering a large event, you’ll appreciate the nearly 144 cubic feet of cargo space when you fold the passenger seats down, and the roof rack. A power tailgate also makes loading and unloading easy. Front wheel drive makes it easy to get around in bad weather.
Dodge Grand Caravan: The Grand Caravan has been a mainstay of the Dodge lineup ever since the 1980s, and it is still a contender in the minivan market. It’s not flashy, but when it comes to utility, you won’t do much better. When you fold the passenger seats into the floor, you’ll have all the cargo capacity you need. We especially like the fact that since this minivan has been in production for so long, virtually all of the bugs have been worked out, so you can count on it to be reliable – and of course, as a caterer, you know that reliability is of the utmost importance.
Ford Transit Connect Wagon: If you want to look cool, this probably isn’t the rig for you. It’s very utilitarian in appearance, but offers all the reliability that Ford customers became used to before Ford took a hiatus from the mini-van business. It is also very fuel-efficient, and in a business where profit margins can be slim, that goes a long way with caterers.
