What's wrong with minivans?

[psophia17]

Reading the "I would never...but I have" thread got me going - what's so wrong with driving a minivan?

I drove my first minivan when I was 17, and LOVED it. I drove another when I was 21 and LOVED it. At the first opportunity, we bought one and LOVE it. We are now car-hunting, and although I would like another minivan, I don't need one, so am willing to spend less money on something else with the intention of getting a brand-spanking new (or slightly used) minivan within 5 years (it'll take me that long to have 3 kids, I figure).

So, if you love minivans, why do you love them? If you hate them, why do you hate them?

I'll go first - I love the smooth ride, the storage space, the good mileage (compared to an SUV), the fact that you're up high on the road and have great visibility, that you get a captain's chair and not a bucket or bench seat, and that they fit so many people so comfortably (this was especially nice in college, when I was often DD and we all fit into one vehicle).

Your turn :-)

[Marisa6826]

<donning flame suit here>

OK - Here goes. Just remember you ASKED ;) :P

I think it just screams "I'm a Mommy" just a little too loud, kind of like pleated, elastic waistband jeans, KWIM?

Just because I'm a Mom doesn't mean I have to give up my sense of style. I also like that I can go out for dinner with Jonathan and not be in a crumbsnatcher mobile (as my Brother calls them). When I see a minivan, I think of Disney movies, Kool Aid, runny nosed kids and tuna casserole.

I would drive a station wagon, but for the same price I can get a SUV (we're planning on a Volvo CX90 for our next car) where it's easier on my back to load the kids in and out and also be able to have 7 passengers.

I'm sorry if I'm offending the minivan crowd, but that's why I won't drive one.

Please let's keep this thread nice! :)

-m

[Raidra]

Well, my first new car was a Ford Escape. The Escape was brand new then, had pretty good mileage for an SUV, and looked so cool in yellow (and it also matched a shockingly bright yellow Abercrombie coat I had).

Alas, we found out we were expecting, and decided to trade in our Escape for a minivan. I love our minivan.. it's huge, doesn't have a console in between the front seats (something I didn't like about the Escape), has leather seats, and a whole lot of buttons to push. ;)

That said.. I still miss our Escape! I love how young (okay, I was young) and cool I felt driving it around. People used to stop me everywhere and ask me about it. Nobody compliments a minivan. :( If there wasn't the problem of owing more than the minivan is worth, I'd try to talk my husband into trading it in for another Escape.

[MelissaTC]

I love my van. It is super comfortable and can seat my whole family when they come to visit. I love the fact that my trunk and doors open by simply pushing a button on my key. I love the storage as well as the versatility I get with the stow and go seats. The gas mileage is great and DS loves being able to watch movies in the back when we are on a long trip.

Now the downside....

I agree with Marisa that it screams Mommy. It does. And it is nearly impossible to find it in a parking lot, like at Disney. I swear it took us forever to find our van, not because we couldn't remember where we parked, but because there was literally a sea of silver Chrysler minivans and ours blended in. Never had that problem with my Carolina blue Explorer.

I definitely say the pros outweigh the cons. Having said that, I will probably return to a SUV once our "kids" are older. I am thinking one of the big gass guzzling monsters. :)

[hez]

Like Marisa said, it does scream, "I'm a mommy." It has its benefits. I took my driver's ed test in my mom's minivan and passed the first time. It was only because the top of the pole on the cone for the maneuverability part of the test fit right under the driver's side mirror so I didn't knock the cone down and fail :)

DH hates the thought of a minivan. I think it makes him feel older and 'too' responsible. That's my take. After I let him get his SUV (an Envoy), he became less against my getting a mini-van at some point.

I've had mixed feelings on the subject. The whole screaming, "I'm a mommy" thing is a huge turn-off, but the convenience is a huge turn-on. I'm driving a Grand Prix right now (my dad works for GM, hence the GM vehicles). I can't fit the stroller AND anything else in the trunk, so DH leaves the Envoy with me on Fridays. Whenever we go anyplace as a family we take the Envoy, and I would rather be taking my car because it gets better gas mileage. Another reason for a minivan-- we'd all fit.

I'm pretty sure my next vehicle will be a minivan, and that's what I'm saving up for now. I just need to get the emotional piece of it in line before I chicken out and splurge on something more fun :)

[egoldber]

Marisa pretty much nailed why I used to hate them.

But then we rented one once when we traveled and I liked it a LOT. I suddenly realized all the advantages:

- being up high and yet not feeling like I had to climb a ladder to get in the vehicle

- all the room. Even with one child, when we drive to visit family especially at the holidays, we pretty much need all the space a minivan offers

- drives like a car, not like a truck

- so easy to get DD in and out of the car seat

- LOVE that push button to open all the doors AND the rear liftgate

I just decided that for the handful of years when I have young children, I would prefer to have the conveniences of a "family room on wheels", rather than a sporty vehicle.

HTH,

[C99]

I don't love them, but I don't hate them. I don't really want one, but I'd rather get a minivan than an SUV, because I think most people get SUVs because thet don't like the stigma of minivans, not because they actully need to haul 3,000 lbs of dirt of equipment or they actually go offroading. (Disclaimer: I'm speaking about Chicagoland here, so if you live in an area that actually has rough terrain, don't jump to the offense.) Why don't I want a minivan?

- I live in a city and I have to parallel park fairly often. I want to parallel park a minivan like I want a hole in the head. I actually want a smaller car than the one we have, but since we only have 1 car and my husband is over 6'6", it's probably not going to happen.
- I don't really *want* to drive anyone else around. My husband wants a minivan because our car will not take another passenger outside of our family once #2 is born. That's OK with me. If we have a bunch of people coming in from out of town and need to haul them, we can always *rent* a minivan.
- If I need to haul something, I can borrow my MIL's SUV.
- A selected number of minivan drivers annoy me. They drive too slow in the fast line and have an attitude that they are the only ones hauling around children. I should probably add a disclaimer to this as well because I am not normally so down on minivan drivers (my best friend drives a minivan), but I had two negative driving experiences with minivan drivers in the suburbs yesterday and they (and the city of Aurora) are not my favorites right now. ;-)

[C99]

Rachel,

You *are* young! :)

[kristine_elen]

I think the reason so many people said they thought they'd never drive one is that it's kind of an admission that you're not young and hip anymore. Your experiences aside, most teenagers don't long for a minivan to go cruising at night and look cool. "Cool" people don't drive minivans, except John Travolta in Get Shorty and that was just paid product placement. Can you see James Dean in a minivan?

I'm not saying I'd never drive one. Maybe I would, if we had lots of kids and I could find one that got decent mileage.

[jk3]

This will probably sound superficial but I've always thought minivans were uncool. I swore I would never get one + to date I haven't. That said, our next car will probably be a minivan. We looked at the new Toyota Sienna when it came out + surprisingly, it's an extremely cool car. I loved all of the plush features. The new minivans are a bit more stylish + plush on the inside. Also, getting better gas mileage is appealing - as compared to that of our SUV. =)

Jenn
DS 6/03

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030603/2/5/1/-5/.png

[momathome]

I love my minivan (we have a 2003 Mazda MPV)! Yeah, it's not the most stylish vehicle on the road, but you can't beat the conveniences and the gas mileage. I LOVE my power dual sliding doors - I swear, for that reason alone, I would never want another SUV - they make car-pooling and drop-off and pick-ups for my older dd a breeze. The ride is so much smoother than what it was on our Ford Explorer, the third row is easy to access, the 2 captain chairs in the middle can slide together to create a bench, love our dvd player, third row folds into the floor, and it is easy to park. Also, price-wise, you get a lot more for your money going the minivan route over the SUV route. I really wanted a Toyota Sequoia but when we priced them out, they would have cost about $15,000 more than our van - ouch! I would not hesitate to get another minivan. :)

[bnme]

I love my Ody now, but wasn't excited when DH suggested we needed it for #2. I think it's soo much easier than a large SUV would be (though admittidly not as "cool"). Aside from all the other great things pp mentioned I LOVE my sliding doors and how easy they make it to load and unload w/o the door being in the way. So easy to pull up next to the door with the double stroller.

But, I imagine when the kiddos are a little older we will be back to an SUV.

[parkersmama]

I used to hate minivans like a lot of folks here. I think it was the "cool factor". To me, minivans were for my parents. :) Eek...now look what I've become. LOL!

Anyway, I love our Odyssey (and we're about to replace it with an '05) for all of the features that everyone else has listed. But, the biggest reason that I wouldn't want to drive an SUV is that I don't think they are environmentally friendly (I know, I know, most cars aren't but I'm going for the least of the worst here) and they consume gasoline at remarkably breath-taking rates. We've considered a few of the smaller SUVS that have 6-cyl engines but they just aren't big enough for our family of 5 and they cost more. :( So, it's minivan land for us for quite a while I fear. But someday I will *happily* go back to driving a CAR! ;)

[Jeanmick]

Yes, I must admit that when I was in my 20's and early-mid 30's before I had kids, the idea of "minivan" did not appeal to me. My DH was worse than I was. He swore up and down that we would not get one. If we needed the space, he preferred an SUV. Well, fast forward to two 1/2 years later and two kids, and we are BIG fans of the minivan, especially my DH. Yeah, it screams "Mommy," but I have no problem with that. It's pretty obvious what my role is when I've got the two kids in tow. :) Like PPs have mentioned, we love the space, the mileage, the visibility and the height of the van.

When I don't feel like driving a minivan, I'll drive the sedan we have, but to tell you the truth, I rarely feel that way. It's really not a big deal to me. Our neighborhood is pretty much full of families w/ vans and SUVs and I guess I don't really differentiate between the two. When you look inside, we're all carrying the same thing: kids, strollers and the like! :)

[DDowning]

Like others, the minivan advantages are quite a lot: extra storage, easy access to passengers and trunk, etc. No, its not cool looking, but I do fit in here where I live. We chose the Nissan Quest because it has a different look to it but still maintain the conveniences of a van. I really had to work on DH to get one though as he was adament anti-MV. Then we test drove one and he came around. Finally he said, since you're driving it mostly, get what you want. He finally saw the light when he took my van to Home Depot to haul some plywood home. He came home and said, "okay, all the crap I gave you about driving the van, I take it back". Made me laugh a little. That being said, when it came time for him to get a new car (we had a BMW 325i) he chose the Porche Cayenne. His reasoning, you've got your mommy car, I get a Daddy car. LOL!

[Momof3Labs]

We have a minivan (Odyssey) and a station wagon (VW Passat). I'm not so much a minivan lover as an SUV hater.

BTW - DH had an SUV when we got married and later traded it in for the minivan.

I like that it is easy to move around in our minivan. I like that I don't have to break out a ladder to get Colin into his car seat - in fact, he can climb into it on his own. I like that you sit a bit higher on the road. I like that it has crush zones, like a car, and thus does not further jeopardize the safety of others in an accident (unlike many SUVs which are built like battering rams). I don't like that the minivan isn't stylish or cute but it just can't be beat for practicality and function at this stage in our lives. I don't feel like we need a cute family vehicle - Colin has enough cuteness to spare, lol! And maybe it does scream "mommy" but I AM a mommy and darn proud of it! That's hardly a badge that I'm ashamed to carry around.

And with my wagon, I like that I can throw a dog or two in back and still transport Colin without the dogs practically sitting in his lap. I like that it is small and more maneuverable and I get pretty good mileage. I like that it is more roomy than a sedan (trunk vs. "way-back"). And I like that it is a cute car :p.

[Sarah1]

Yeah, I agree, minivans do send off something of a dork vibe. But then, IMO, SUVs send out a "I'm bigger than you, and I want to bring home 20 bags of crap from Costco, so get the f*** out of my way" kind of vibe :P

We have a Volvo 850 sedan, and I love it. Even when/if we have another child, I would love to stay in a sedan. Maybe I'm in denial...but I just don't want to bring myself to either a minivan OR an SUV.

[essnce629]

I don't have a minivan or SUV (I have a microscopic 2-door Hyundai Accent!), but if I had to choose between the 2 I'd pick a minivan. Here's why:

* Minivans have been proven to be the safest vehicle to drive with kids (this is my #1 priority when I buy my next car)
* I see SUVs as being extremely unsafe since they are a lot more likely to roll over in a crash (my friend's mom was in 2 rollover crashes with 2 different Landrovers)
* SUVs are gas hogs (but anything is compared to my car which costs about $17 to fill up :))

I'd love to see a Hybrid minivan in the future. I love Hybrid cars!

***Latia
Conner 8/19/03
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/aug2003angel
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif One year and counting!
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/9870.gif

[sbjf]

You know, before I went through 2+ years of infertility I was anti-minivan. After going through all that I did to have my sweet son I changed my mind about them for 2 main reasons...

1. I am so damn proud to finally be a mommy that I actually DO want my ride to scream it.

2. My son is so precious to me that I want to drive him around in the safest thing possible.

Lesser reasons why I am pro-minivan...

3. I feel they are the perfect height for parents and children, no need to climb up or crouch down.

4. They are plush nowadays and very user friendly. Automatic opening doors, come on, need I say more?

[JacksMommy]

It's all about the style, baby! I was never a minivan fan, but then I was against big cars in general. DH was very anti-minivan so when we were shopping for a bigger vehicle, he was insistent that we get an SUV. Then we talked to his sister (who has always been very style-conscious) and she said "I always thought minivans weren't cool enough but JUST GET OVER IT, you'll love it once you have it." DH checked out the specs (MVs have ever so much more space than SUVs and are more passenger friendly), test drove a few and got sold on the Toyota Sienna, which he now insists on driving (he knows I have dibs after the baby comes!). We got a fully loaded one with tons of features that we adore - cup holders everywhere (and we seem to use every one), seats that flip up and down easily so we can carry groceries (there is even a well to hold the grocery bags up in so they don't slide all over) or up to seven people. So while I still prefer to drive my little sedan to work, I wouldn't ever trade our MV in for an SUV (although we were tempted by the Toyota Hybrid SUV coming out next year).


Laurel
WOHM to Jack, 6/4/02
EDD baby girl 12/24/04

[C99]

LOL. Or the ultimate, the Hummer, which sends off a "just move goddammit, because I'm better/bigger than you" vibe. :) I can't even see the bottom of the grille on an H2 from my car's windshield.

[C99]

Oh and another reason that I have kind of an "ick" factor about minivans. My parents bought a Chevy Astrovan when I was 15. This was pretty much when minivans first came out and the Astrovan had cutesy little custom details like a miniTV on the ceiling and twinkie lights all around the running board and ceiling. As yet another sign of my dad's complete and utter dorkiness (he *is* a nuclear engineer), he called it the "rockin' disco love bus." I can't believe I just admitted that on the Internet. So a part of me has trouble getting over that to actually *buy* a minivan.

[Momof3Labs]

I was going to mention that SUVs just seem to be dripping with testosterone (and the attitude that goes with it)...

[mysweetboy]

Before Charlie, my DH and I were anti-minivan....we just thought that it wasn't us. When we decided to trade in my car after Charlie was born, we surprised ourselves and bought a Honda Odyssey. We test drove some SUVs but the Odyssey made the most sense. I love the automatic doors (although the back door isn't in the '04 :() and how easy it is to get Charlie in and out. It's very plush....we got the leather interior and now that it's getting colder, I really love the heated seats. There have also been quite a few times that I've ridden in the back w/Charlie and I'm just as comfortable as riding in the front seat. Last, our bully has more room and is comfortable in it. He doesn't seem to mind that he can't look out the windows. :)

What I don't love....I miss driving a car. My DH's car is a 5-speed, which I can't drive b/c I don't know how. So I'm always stuck w/the minivan, even when I'm going out by myself. DH always talked about me having a fun car (he has a 300z, his hobby) but I told him that one car was enough for me. Now I may take him up on that offer! Seriously though, we will eventually sell his car and get a 4-door sedan....something that I'll look a little cooler driving. ;)

Lori
mommy to Charlie, 6 months old!

[Vajrastorm]

>We have a minivan (Odyssey) and a station wagon (VW Passat).
>I'm not so much a minivan lover as an SUV hater.

That would be us. :)

We don't currently own a minivan, but will consider the Odyssey when dh's car kicks the bucket (which could be anytime as we are driving it into the ground).

No SUV's for us ... although I have to admit I currently drive a Ford F150. Not exactly a fuel efficient vehicle.

[kijip]

Well if you need to seat more than 5 family members, an SUV or a minivan are your only choices. I would prefer to stick with a station wagon or a sedan. We drive a Corolla and love it. It fits our enormous Wizard car seat as well. Here is the dilemna--when we have #2 we will have 2 seats in the back of the Corolla which is doable but NO room to drive Grandma or Uncle along with us ever. A wagon, which I love (Subaru Outback or similar) adds cargo space but no people space to the Corolla. So we treaded into the SUV or Minivan debate. I was leaning towards buying a wagon and taking 2 cars if we are driving grandma or towards feeling guilty about safety, gas mileage etc in a "cool" looking SUV. I had a negative image of the minivan mom with the elastic waist sweatsuit and a big, cold coffee for breakfast.

THEN we rented a HUGE 7 passenger SUV while on vacation and there was NO FREAKING CARGO SPACE ANYWHERE! I have put more luggage into my Corolla! And it was bumpy. So I axed the remote possibility of an SUV. And we rented a minivan later. Smooth ride, TONS OF CARGO SPACE and better gas mileage than the SUV.

I see a lot of parents buying a big car for 1 child which I don't really understand BUT can wrap my head around. What I can't figure out is why people buy SUVs for cargo space. If you have a lot of people in the SUV, there is nearly NO cargo space in a lot of the models. I think that people buy SUVs over minivans to avoid the minivan mom mobile label but the suburbs are FILLED with SUVs- Frankly I associate SUVs as mommy mobiles as much as I do minivans now. And the SUV brings higher roll over risks, terrible gas mileage (for both price and environment) and a bumpy ride with no cargo space. Minivans have an un-hip image but they are the safest car for passengers, get better mileage than SUVs and have lots of comfort features mommies can use. So now when I see a mom in a minivan I think "a proud mom who defies trends and keeps her family safe". If that's not hip, oh well. Either way, we are getting the freaking Subaru wagon or the hybrid sedan. But if we have 3 kids it will be minivan time. And I will be happy. But everyone is welcome to be happy in their choice.

And the 2005 Nissan Quest is a cool looking ride, minivan or not!

[jubilee]

Frankly, I'd give my left boob for one. I don't think they look "uncool" or anything. I see them as very practical, well designed vehicles. I've had a few SUVs and they didn't have the seating arrangement I'd like and can only find in a minivan. (Unless something's come out that I don't know about) If I was able to get a new minivan, I would have another baby. But I can't fit another carseat in my sedan. I'd also love it simply to be able to take my oldest and his friends places. Now, every seat in my car is filled and we can never take any friends with us. So I think my son misses out on fun because we DON'T have a minivan.
*** that said, my husband's best friend said if we ever get a minivan, he'll get DH a license plate holder that says "Nothing says whipped like a minivan" ... I think that's funny, but DH isn't thrilled :)

[twinmama]

Safety is the biggest factor for me, too. Toyota came out with the Estima hybrid minivan for Japan; I'm hoping my current car can hang on until it comes to the US market! http://www.toyota.com/about/environment/technology/minivan.html

Lisa
mom to 16 month old twin girls

[papal]

Thanks for the link. Hoping my Camry hangs on till the Estima comes out.

[anutalp]

I have one baby so maybe I'll change my mind when I'll have more but for now I'll NEVER get a minivan. It does screems "Mommy" and unfortunately I have my ugly postpregnancy body to scream it :(
I'm still dreaming about my 110 pounds that I've used to be before...
So I decided that at least I'll have a cool car (if I don't have a cool body...). I have Toyota Rav4 which is small so we're thinking about gettting Seqoiya. I tried it and Love it.
Again maybe with 2-3 kids I'll change my mind. BTW, my DH thinks I should get a MV (well, he drives Camry).

[egoldber]

Drive cross country with a kid in a carseat, baby gear, 3 suitcases, presents for 10 people and a dog in a crate and you'll know why people with one child need a minivan. :)

[tinkerbell1217]

I have driven a minivan for 4 years now and I have to say I am ready for an SUV again! Maybe its just the particular minivans I have had, or the fact we bought them both used (a year or so old). We have had so many problems with both of them! I used to have an Isuzu Rodeo and I LOVED it!!!! But, we figured with 2 kids and TTC #3 we would need more room so we got a Dodge Caravan and I did love it, at first. Then, we started having problems with the transmission. Luckily our extended warranty helped out but when the transmission took a dive again a year later we decided to trade it in on a newer Dodge Grand Caravan. Lo and behold we had transmission problems after one year again! The extended warranty helped out again, but I was without my vehicle for almost 2 weeks. Aside from the mechanical problems of the transmission, right now our windows are broken and won't go up and down, our door locks only work half the time, our air conditioner only works on high, our speakers have decided to stop working on the passenger side, and the transmission is starting to act up again! Maybe its just Dodge, but this is the second one we have owned. Extended warranty is up, of course!

I like the look of some minivans, but not enough to buy another one. Next time, in about a year, we will be buying brand new again and I am leaning heavily towords the Acura MDX. After a TON of research I think this is the one that will last me through the next 5-6 years. I have heard nothing but good things and have test driven one a few months ago and all I can say is WOW!

Minivans do scream "Mommy coming!" which didn't bother me, but I am ready for something else now. DD will be driving and have her own car when we buy the next vehicle for the family so I don't need 7 passenger room, but the Acura will seat 7 if I happen to need that option. I will probably keep the 3rd row closed most of the time though. There is plenty of cargo space too.

Yes, SUV's are big and bulky, like the Expeditions or Seqouias. They are gas guzzlers too. But, I know the Acura gets almost the same gas mileage as my van so that won't change. Besides, I am ready for a luxury vehicle that I LOVE!

[JennSimm]

Yes, minivans scream...'mom here'!, but with 5 kids, yes, I am a mom, and I need the room! We had a Durango until last week, when we bought a new 2005 Honda Odyssey...I LOVE IT! My DH said he would never own one, and he has driven it more than me. This is a truck and tractor man..we farm for a living, and he loves the van! Just last night I had the boys out alone. I had to change them, and I was able to go to the back of the van, get them out of the carseats, change them in the back seat...all without leaving the van! the Honda has a flip down console between the front seats that is awsome to get to the back. Safety was another reason for getting a Honda...side curtain airbags standard. We got the leather so seats are easy to clean, and with leather, you automatically get moonroof and 6 disc changer. We also got the DVD in the back. It drives like a car, and our first tank of gas we got 23 miles to the gallon, which was WAY better than our Durango. It has a very luxurious feel to it. Honda and toyota are the best rated in every catagory, but for the same features, the honda was cheaper. Oh...I also love the 2nd row sunshades that come out of the door panel....no more messing with the ones that loose suction! It also can hold my side by side stroller, and I can see out of the back!
There is also a removable 8th seat that will be asesome when we have my mother for a visit...we wont have to take 2 cars! As you can tell by my post...I am so happy with this van...go test drive one, and you will be VERY impressed!

Jennifer

[mysweetboy]

I agree! At first I thought it was silly to drive a minivan having one child. But it has proven to be invaluable. Since we bought it in July, we've been on 3 road trips that just wouldn't have been as comfortable in anything else. Also, it's perfect for hauling stuff....we've made numerous trips to Home Depot. :)

Lori
mommy to Charlie, 6 months old!

[MartiesMom2B]

My first car was a Toyota Minivan. Yup the model of the car was minivan. I dubbed mine the Beast (fondly because it looked like a can of Milwaukee Best). Oh God, how I love the Beast.

And guys LOVED that drove a minivan. Probably b/c you could fold the middle seat to make a bed in the back. How my one boyfriend wanted us to take that to the beach and. . . Nevermind. I think it's a little sexy to get one, especially with tinted windows. Just think you are out on a date with DH, you get in the mood and you can pull over and have some fun with the ability to stretch out. Hee hee - it can be like highschool again. You know that old saying "If this van's a rockin' don't come a knockin'"


-Sonia

[MartiesMom2B]

>he called it the "rockin' disco love bus."

Snort snort. OK, that's hilarious.


-Sonia

[Roleysmom]

I'm laughing out loud at everyone's responses. When we looked for a second car last year, DH had no problem considering minivans. To his thinking, we are uncool, we have a lot of crap, if a minivan has what we need, what's the big deal. I said no way. People will know I'm uncool when I get out of the car with my too long hair that hasn't had a good cut since late 2001 and my t shirt that has a gloopy mini handprint on it about waist high or if I'm carrying Roley, right smack dab on the left boob. I don't need strangers on the expressway realizing it too. We went with a station wagon. The height of cool, right? I've always loved station wagons. When I was little, my across the backyard friend's parents had a big 'ole American wagon with the woodpaneled sides. It was such a treat to pile in the way back and make faces and wave at the people in the other cars.

Paula -- mom to Roley Julia, January '02

[Roleysmom]

I won't name the model of the SUV, but I've imposed my own little tax inside my head for this particular SUV. Everytime I see one, I want to march over, bang on the window and demand $100 tax. I won't tell you what I've named the tax. I figure if someone's going to own a car that is too big and too heavy for the roads and sucks down fuel, then he or she owes me some money. Too bad I don't have the guts to actually try to collect my tax.

Paula -- mom to Roley Julia

[rorycam]

I totally agree with you. If we are talking cool versus uncool, to me a minivan is far hipper than an SUV and looks better as well--a well-designed, roomy, safe vehicle that is not "in your face" with the overly aggressive, supposedly "sexy" design that the SUVs have. Like your area, practically every mom in my area drives an SUV, and yes, I *still* know you are a mom despite that fact. A minivan is so supposedly uncool that it has gone back around to cool again, IMO.

Plus, I'm not 16 any more, thank goodness. :) I'm really not concerned with appearing hip by the standards of others and I haven't been for many, many years now. But, to each his or her own!

[kijip]

I can get WHY people would want and use a bigger car for 1 child. But for most of the families I know personally I just don't understand it since it goes empty (with 1 driver, 1 baby and 5 unused seats and not a lot of cargo) 99 percent of the time. I just personally don't want to drive around an empty bigger car waiting for the few days I will use it. If you need the cargo space a lot then it would be worth it but for me I would use it like 7 days per year. For me it is cheaper to just rent what I need when I need something bigger than the sacrifice my easy to park, low mileage Corolla for the day to day. Also, as far as I am concerned a dog is a passenger! So if we had a dog, we would have a bigger car. But I am not a pet person. I am sticking to the smallest possible car for as long as possible for economic, parking ease and environmental issues.

A minivan is VERY likely in our future and I love it! Like I said- it really has the cargo space, un-like a lot of SUVs.

[C99]

>highschool again. You know that old saying "If this van's a
>rockin' don't come a knockin'"

Sonia, I'm totally LOL here! Of course, my next thought was the rockin' disco love bus and I just *so* do not want to go there!

[MartiesMom2B]

If my dad dubbed my beloved Beast (which is still running today) the rockin' disco love bus, yeah then it would've lost it's sex appeal. I just want to add, that I didn't take up any of the offers that I received that was to take place in the back of the van.

-Sonia

[StaceyKim]

Marisa,
I agree with your comments. No minivan for me!

I drive the Volvo SUV and LOVE it. It actually is a popular car where I live and I have often times gone to the wrong car and tried to open the door! One time the person left there doors open and they had the same car seat as my son and I almost put him in the car before I realized it was the wrong car!

[Marisa6826]

Stace-

I can't wait for it. There's actually a 2003 sitting on my local dealer's lot. I'm thinking that if it's still there in January, and it has the third row option, I might just try and see if I can persuade them to take over the five months left on my Camry lease. ;)

-m

[8isenough]

Petra (beautiful name BTW)...don't give a moments thought to other's taste in cars. It is so varied and what works for you may not work for others and vice versa, KWIM?
Mini vans are fine....however they just aren't big enough for my brood. :)
Can I say I would never own a motorcycle...?? LOL :)

[psophia17]

What do YOU drive with a brood of eight? I was wondering that when I first realized that your nickname wasn't kidding...

[8isenough]

I LONG for the days when I could cruise around in anything but a behemoth...just me all alone in a small little 2 seater would be nice... :)
We drive an Excursion Ltd., Ford 15 passenger van, and just traded in our GM extended conversion van for a Cadillac Escalade ESV (WON'T miss THAT van). :)

[Marisa6826]

Sterling-

I'm just CRINGING at your gas bills!

hugs Girlie!! :)

-m

[candybomiller]

After my LAST car accident (yes, there have been many!) I decided I would never again drive a car. The accident would have been completely avoidable if the other car could have seen us over all the minivans and SUV's. If being seen can prevent an accident with Matt in the car, there's no choice.

I LOVE my minivan. I'm one of the evil with only one child and a tiny dog, so you wouldn't think I needed so much room, but darn it, I'm a shopper! It's amazing all the stuff you can buy at Costco when you have that much room! Plus, living in Montana, you have to drive 5 hours to get to the nearest grocery store and Matt's so much more comfortable with the extra room a minivan provides.

[Marisa6826]

Do you really have to drive that far? How often do you go shopping then?

I think I would lose my mind!

-m

[candybomiller]

I was being slightly sarcastic. ;)

[jubilee]

It was a ploy to get us all to ship brownies to her! :)

[ginalc]

I feel that I'm safer on the road in a minivan -- seems semi-trucks are more respectful of my minivan than any of the smaller vehicles I've driven.

gina, mom to 3
new baby due 5/05

[sbjf]

>seems semi-trucks are more respectful of my minivan than any of the smaller vehicles I've driven.

Gina, that's a fantastic point, that I never even thought of myself. I don't have a mini-van yet, we will get one in Feb./March, so in the meantime I'm driving either an Accord or an Explorer and so many times on the road some jerk (careless driver) tailgates me or cuts me off and I just always think to myself, I wish I could yell at them, 'hey!!! I have an infant in the car!!'. I have actually been tempted to buy one of those geeky "Baby on Board" signs for my window! (Yes, BRU still sells them!) Think they'll make a come back??

I'm so happy to hear that you do feel that drivers are more respectful of minivans, one more reason for us to get one.

Edited to fix spelling.

[Mommie2MadLyn]

We don't have a minivan YET...but I see one coming in the near future for us. I drive a Nissan Altima right now, which is fine for the day-to-day stuff with just 1 child. But, we moved 8 hours away from all of our friends and family, so the frequent road trips are not so comfy in our small car. DH is actually pushing for the minivan over an SUV because from a practical point of view...it just makes the most sense for us. We plan on having more children in the next few years, so we might as well get a car that will accomodate us!
Plus, a huge factor is the gas mileage. If we were to get an SUV we would only go for the bigger models, like the Expedition, Tahoe, Yukon, Sequioa...so the price tag on these PLUS the gas prices, just make them out of our $-range.
I think I will feel safer in a minivan also like PP have said. My little car traveling on 95 is a scary sight with all of the SUV's and tractor trailers.

I'm not worried about the "cool" factor.

[starrynight]

The only thing I don't like about my minivan is the lack of cargo space, the newer ones take care of that though. I will never drive an suv unless it's a hybrid or they start making them much more gas efficient. From a financial and environmental standpoint I can't burn up that much gas without massive guilt!

I never swore I wouldn't drive a minivan, but I did say I would wait until we needed a bigger car to get one. When Daria was 4 months old it came to we needed something bigger, good thing we bought the van then because we really needed it when Eliza came along the following year! We could have made it with 2 in the car but Daria was horrid in the car and I often had to sit back there, me squashed between 2 carseats was not fun. And then once we had 3 kids, we needed the van.

The biggest pain is what someone already mentioned, trying to find your van in a parking lot!! Tons of people have tan colored ventures around here, same model as mine.

[pritchettzoo]

My dad wouldn't have let me date you. :P I couldn't go out with anyone who drove a van or one who honked at me from the driveway instead of coming to the door.

Have you heard Ron Howard talk about how he and his wife name their children?

Anna

[hwin708]

Umm....My mother drove one.
And I will NOT become my mother!;-)

[MartiesMom2B]

No, how do they name their children?

Anna, I would've gone up to the door for you and maybe borrow my mom's car! LOL

-Sonia

[KrisM]

I agree. We shopped for a new car for me when I was pregnant (had a Ford Probe) and decided on a Malibu Maxx, which is a hatchback. We priced compared with a mini-van. The Maxx was at least $7000 cheaper. I called around and found I can rent a mini-van for a week for $300. So, I could rent a mini-van for 23 weeks before I hit the break even point. Unfortunately, we don't vacation that much :(.

We'll likely get one in the future if we have more kids though. My concern is how tiresome it'll be to always tie down things in the back, since there is no trunk cover. It just seems getting out the bungee cords for everything would be a pain.

[ginalc]

I'm not exactly a "luxury car" person. Gosh, my last vehicle didn't even have a working radio! :)

With baby #3 DH convinced me we needed a different vehicle. Now, I'm glad we made the switch!

To tell you how much I REALLY care about cars, the first time I called to have my 1st vehicle serviced, the question arose:

What type of car do you have? .......... My answer? a blue one! :)

gina

[pritchettzoo]

Gee, thanks Sonia! ;)

The Howards name their children after where they're conceived. He was on Letterman and explained that "Main" (as in Main Street) sounded better than "Volvo" for their youngest child. Ain't that a pretty mental picture? :P

Anna
Mama to Gracie (Sept '03)

[smilequeen]

I don't love or hate them. I don't WANT one, but if the need arises, I'll get one.

Really my personal taste goes for something else...a sedan or an SUV just satisfies me a bit more. So for now, the Mommy mobile is the Acura MDX. And I'd be kidding myself if I didn't admit it is just as much of a mommy mobile as a minivan :) But I like the look and the drive much better. It's safe, it's relatively fuel efficient, and I like it...so...

[JenCA]

I have to agree with your assessment, Marisa. It's so funny--when I announced to my co-workers that I was pg, one of them insisted that it was only a matter of time before I traded in my sedan for a minivan. I assured him that would never happen, but he just rolled his eyes and said, "Wait and see." Well, I did trade in my sedan--but I traded it in for an small SUV (BMW X5). Not only is it an extraordinarily safe car, but IMO, it's also stylish, which I have to admit I really like. ;) I just cannot ever picture myself driving a minivan--I just have no desire to, whatsoever. My X5 has plenty of room for another carseat (if we ever need one)and all of the other accoutrements that kids need. Oh, and it gets really decent gas mileage for an SUV, too. :)

***Edited to fix a typo***

[TahliasMom]

I'm 30 and I'm still cool factor! Last year I had to give up my other baby, Toyota Celica GTS, for an SUV, Honda CRV. Couldn't imagine breaking my back getting my baby in and out of bucket seats not to mention the safety factor. So needless to say no minivan in my future. I might settle for a bigger suv if honda or toyota make a hybrid.

[suribear]

I keep bungee cords hooked up to the van and it's easy to use them. I also have a cargo net for smaller items.

Kris

[suribear]

I've never had a problem with minivans and don't see what the big deal is. There is no way I could/would hide my mommy status, considering I always have at least one kid with me :) but I'm a very practical sort, so..

Once you have two kids, it's hard to manage without one, especially if they're involved in a lot of activites. I practically live in mine on some days, doing everything from storytime to lunch! It's also great for carpools, visitors and lugging around big/long stuff whilst still seating passengers.

Kris