You crack me up, Kurt! I did see that scene, and was impressed at the maneuvering you can apparently do in a minivan.

There’s nothing wrong with minivans! Mom and pop still have one. I learned how to drive in one (the venerable Dodge Caravan “Extended Cab”) and was able to cart my buddies back and forth from the movies in it! How cool is that? Okay, so I wasn’t the captain of the cheerleading squad in high school, but I wasn’t stuffed into lockers either, and for me and my tastes, mom’s minivan held a dorky appeal. I embraced that! I kind of like the Odyssey ads with the psychedelic colors and music hearkening back to the 70s that poke fun at the evolution of the minivan from hippie bus to mom-mobile. To me, today’s minivan is a more honest version of the SUV. The minivan and the SUV are both going to pick up the kids from soccer (softball, play, speech and debate club) practice, but at least we know the minivan isn’t going to pretend it’s doing some off-roading on the way there.

Unfortunately for both the minivan - and its hipper, maybe even more macho, cousin, the SUV, they are gas guzzlers. As long as prices hover around 4 smackers a gallon or more, they will both be on the endangered vehicle species list, while mom and pop learn how to load all the peewee t-ball team gear into the Prius.

I have had 3 and my ‘03 is the best one yet. It was going to be our “last one” but it seems maybe next year I will do it again. My friend has a Toyota van and the new Chrylser/Dodge seems to compare. Now if somehow either one can come up with a gas answer (even though my van gets gets great gas mileage in comparision)

p.s…..My dodge minivan takes up less parking space than your nomal SUV.
Escalades/larger SUV’s etc. its just the person parking it. I have noticed that most malls that have parking lots as an “after thought” the spots are smaller. A friend of mine has a toyota prius and complains about whomever parks because of the re-sizing of parking spots.

I had a Dodge minivan in the late 1980s and early 1990s and I loved it! The purchase price was reasonable, the gas mileage was good, and you got to sit “up high” so that you could look over and around the trucks and cars trying to pass you at 80 mph! Best of all, it had enough seats for our entire family of 7! We once took a trip all the way to California and back (a 19 day trip) with all seven of us in the car, and it worked out great (well, okay, I wanted to pull my hair out several times a day, but that was not the fault of the minivan!)

But, all good things come to an end. Just as the station wagon was eventually replaced by the minivan, so too, the minivan was ultimately replaced by the SUV. I think that part of the reason was that most men did not like driving “mini” vans at all (even the name sounded wimpy!) They liked driving SUVs because those vehicles were built on truck chassis — so male drivers of SUVs could rationalize that they were “really” driving a truck, not a wimpy van made for women and kids. Also, some women liked it because it was sturdy — there were fewer “roll-overs”, and if you did get hit, you were less likely to be seriously injured than with the thin-walled minivans.

So that’s the story of how the SUV surpassed and chased the minivan off the road. But that was before today’s high gas prices. So who knows — with any luck, the minivan may make a strong comeback — here’s hoping!

for many years the chrysler minivan has been the # 1 minivan all others tried to copy ford plant in hazelwood had one they took apart by far the best for many years it replaced the old station wagon and was easy to see out of so it got the nickname catholic sports car ( kid hauler ) gm and ford wish they had it they did they copied it horray chrysler

I drive a mini-van because i choose to,,,,,Good ride, look’s good,,,Don’t really give a darn what people think, i like it,,,

Kurt, you have outdone yourself with this topic. I like it.

I vacationed in Hawaii for many years after I finished my construction season. I am cheap. Rather than pay for a U drive. I bought a 1967 Volkswagen van for $500. The previous owner gave me a manual. The manual said, “If the red light for oil comes on. coat to stop. I was driving up Haleakala Mountain and the sun was shining on the instrument panel The engine seized.

The Volkswagen dealership wanted $1200 to repair it. I said, “NO”. I went in a parts house and inquired about buying a new engine. The salesman laughed, and asked, “Can you read?” I assured him that I could.

He walked me over to a rack of manuals and picked up, “The Idiot’s guide to a Volkswagen” He carried it around with him while pulled the parts off the shelves, He even pulled the tools I would need. It all came to less than $200.00. The book said “Don’t think. If you won’t agree to that, take the parts back to whoever you bought them from. We have done the thinking for you” The book continued, “If you don’t think, you can have the engine completely rebuilt in 6 hours.”

It was true, I didn’t think, and the van was running great in 5 hours…rebuilt like new. IT IS STILL RUNNING TODAY, 20 YEARS LATER. tHE FAMILY THAT USES IT ONLY CHANGE SPARK PLUGS, SPARK PLUG WIRING AND BATTERIES AS NEEDED. It still has the original paint. No rust anywhere!

One, many an SUV is simply a minivan with a nose job - they just look more macho, so they sell better.

Two, rationally, a minivan is the better choice - it gets better gas mileage, holds more and is easier to load and get in and out of. It’s just a matter of percepation and image - see point one.

And three, minivans ain’t mini anymore. They’ve become bloated, cost a lot and don’t get that great fuel mileage. Compared to the three ’70’s VW vans I once owned (and loved), the only things that come close these days are the Mazda 5, the Kia Rondo and maybe the new Scion xB. Not all of us want or need the “grand” vans, and with their latest versions, Chrysler walked away from a viable market (and shot themselves in the foot?).

Buy an Odyssey, they go forever with just changing the oil. They come with loads of standard features, which are pricey options on the American-made mini vans. And, on the highway you’ll get almost 30 mpg. The assembly and engineering is superb. Also they are revered by their owners, almost all of which are satisfied.

Love my Chrysler Town and Country minivan. It is our vacation mobile, and fun around town car! Kids pile in, kids pile out. We play games, watch TV, eat. It is an amazingly versatile tool for our family.

It is an American success story despite the rap. Those I know that turned up their noses now own one.

The SUV is a whole different set of hormones. Mostly a work vehicle and a class distinction.