Why Do people Hate Minivans So Much?

[HeatherC]

Was just reading a five page thread on the budget board about buying expensive cars and affording the payments. The OP wants an SUv and is adamant against minivans which many people suggested as a more affordable alternative.

I know tons of people who drive SUV's and will never buy a minivan. They tell me they are "mom mobiles". And I am thinking well....you are moms.

To be fair, some use their SUV's to pull campers and boats, etc.. But the majority of people I know are just like me...shuttling kids back and forth to a sports field and the grocery store.

Last Sept. we bought a new Nissan Quest and I cannot believe the space in this car. It has more storage than my previous Sienna which was huge. When we looked at SUv's they had half the storage...seriously. I have three tall kids who couldn't even get in half the third rows. And if you have a third row, there is hardly any trunk room.

Minivans are also easy to get in and out of, better gas mileage, easier to load and unload kids and stuff....especially if you ate short...like me. They als ride higher than a car like an SUV.

So....why such strong animosity towards them? And I am not talking about people who use their SUV to pull boats, campers, etc..

 

[Nayan]

Sometimes I wish I had one! I already told my DH next vehicle I get is going to be a minivan. I am finding that with just 3 people my Mustang is a little cramped with suitcases, cooler and whatever else we take.

 

[mhsjax]

As for me, a mom of 3 that has driven a mini van and now drive a Suburban, I would almost rather walk than drive a mini van. I am sooooo over them. am at the state again in my life, 48, where I don't want to look like a mom mobile, and mini vans just aren't cool. As my DH always tells me, once you get a woman up, you will never get her back down, and I have to agree with him.

PS my suburban was way more space than my mini an ever had. Plus it drives better and I can see so much better out of it.

 

[EmJay2001]

I have no idea. We bought a 2001 QX4 two weeks after my dd was born. I drove it for 10 years and loved it. We now have three kids and it was just not big enough anymore. We paid 50K ten years ago for it (I am Canadian!) and just bought a 2011 Grand Caravan R/T last summer for 40K all in (10 years later!) and LOVE IT. I love my minivan more then my SUV. Granted I really like the 4 wheel drive aspect of my QX4 but I just put winter tires on my van and I think it will be fine. I just LOVE all the space. We have the stow and go and all the seats fold in. I cannot believe the space we have when the seats are down. So many people say once you go SUV you never go back. For me, not the case. I just could not justify the cost of an 8 seater SUV!

 

[Mickeyluver37]

I really don't get it either. I've had a minivan since I had just 1 kid, and I was pretty young and got a lot of wierd looks from my friends back then! They are practical, decent on gas mileage, and roomy. I have an 8 passenger Toyota Sienna, and it's been great for our family. All three kids can sit in the middle seat, and i can choose to stow the back seats if need be. Even if the seats are up, there is plenty of room for the stroller, cooler, sports equipment, etc. It's also great for carpooling- except that only half of us have minivans and can take 6 extra kids, and the other half can only fit 3.

I had a friend come over and borrow a car seat before she had her third child because she needed to make sure she could fit 3 carseats across in her SUV. Her SUV cost more than my van, I'm sure. It's all about image with her and her dh. It just seems like a silly hangup to have- you're already in your 30's with kids. What difference does it make if you drive a mom mobile?

 

[HeatherC]

So is it just the "cool" factor then? And why aren't they cool? I think my Quest is pretty nifty.

Can certainly understand wanting another type of car after the whole kid stage. But I have friends who will climb over seats to stuff a kid in a third row and then complain the stroller won't fit. I just don't get that.

 

[DISshopkeeper]

I couldn't care less about "cool" and I love minivans. Very versatile. Take the seats out and have almost a cargo van. Seats in, transport 7 people. I can see all around me. When it dies, I will prob get a small car as my kids are grown. I will miss it, would like to always have one!

 

[hereyago]

I think it's the stigma the station wagon used have. The mom mobiles thing, not everyone wants to be labeled as just a mom hence the suv. People think SUV's are more "cool and sporty looking".

I am a single mom with 1 DD13, I drive a 2 door coupe, red, sporty, but then again, I don't haul alot of stuff around or have a need for many people in the car with us.

 

[Pikester]

Love my mini van! I'm all about what works for us and not how it looks.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

So is it just the "cool" factor then? And why aren't they cool? I think my Quest is pretty nifty.

Can certainly understand wanting another type of car after the whole kid stage. But I have friends who will climb over seats to stuff a kid in a third row and then complain the stroller won't fit. I just don't get that.

This was my biggest pet peeve when shopping for a stroller. Tons and tons of negative reviews based on how something fit in the trunk of their little car. I care more about the comfort for the kid and how the thing handles, not if it fits in the back of your Prius.

 

[SaraJayne]

I'm one in that thread that said I will never buy a minivan. And I won't.

To me, they are the epitome of "momdom" and are totally un-hip. I have no interest in driving one.

My 7 passenger crossover is perfect for my family ~ and it still looks cool.

 

[wdw4rfam]

Love mine too- we get better gas milage like you said, more space, ease of just about everything. So I guess us smart moms are uncool- oh well I'm not in high school anymore and dont care about whats "cool".lol

 

[Mickeyluver37]

Love mine too- we get better gas milage like you said, more space, ease of just about everything. So I guess us smart moms are uncool- oh well I'm not in high school anymore and dont care about whats "cool".lol

Exactly!!! Why do you care about looking "cool" when you're 30-40-50? I thought we as adults were over that.

 

[penn19]

MY opinion is that they are "mom mobiles" and even though I AM a mom, I just didn't care for them. But that's me. I certainly wouldn't judge someone else for driving one. You have to do whatsbest for your individual situation.

 

[Wadecool]

I used to make fun of my friends who had minivans. I believed all of the preconceived misconceptions.... and then we bought one. A 2002 Honda Odyssey. Don't get me wrong, I love my truck and will always prefer it over anything else, but DW's minivan is a close second to its cargo carrying capacity and overall usefulness. I am now an official minivan lover.

 

[SaraJayne]

Love mine too- we get better gas milage like you said, more space, ease of just about everything. So I guess us smart moms are uncool- oh well I'm not in high school anymore and dont care about whats "cool".lol

My crossover has just as much space and has the same MPG (or even better) as minivans.

 

[Goofyluver]

I'm also anti-minivan.

I think they're ugly.

Beyond that, my first car when I was a teen, handed down to me by my mother, was a van. It had a huge oil leak and burned oil and had no air conditioning. We lived in the hot desert. I had two choices. I could be cool(ish) with the windows open and get smoke inhalation, or I could breathe clean air and sweat like the dickens and get heat stroke.

Never again. No minivans. Ick.

 

[scrapquitler]

Love mine too- we get better gas milage like you said, more space, ease of just about everything. So I guess us smart moms are uncool- oh well I'm not in high school anymore and dont care about whats "cool".lol

i love my minivan! My kids are 9&15, and we are getting ready to purchase a new vehicle, and I want anotherinivan. I think its extremely practical, easy to get in and out of (i am onlt 5'1" and can barely get in and out of my Mom's Ford Explorer! And really, I don't care if I look cool, I'm not in high school anymore.

 

[luvmy3]

I remember when I was younger (pre-kids) and said I would never drive a mini-van. To me they were hideous and uncool. Well then life happened and my car wasn't cutting it with 3 kids in carseats so I caved and got a mini-van. I grew to love it, but I am so ready for a car again!

 

[Acklander]

Mini vans today have the same image station wagons had when I was growing up. A great family car.
I'm not sure how others picked what works for them as far as cars go, but I know what worked for me-
When I bought my car, I thought of my needs first (travel back and forth to work, the occasional road trip with the family, a family of 4, and the need to make it down dirt roads during the rainy season) after that, I went with my personality (a bit sporty) followed by favorite color. So, I ended up with a Blue Honda CRV.
If I was ready for a new car now, I'd take in consideration that we are now a family of 3, no longer live down a dirt road, and live in a warmer climate - so think I would look towards a sporty convertible - maybe mustang?
I don't think I would have Ever picked a mini van - we're not a large family, don't haul a lot of stuff around, and no overly tall people needing extra space. And its hard to make it sporty.
Glad the mini van works out for you, it just doesn't do anything for me. I'm glad there are a lot of choices out there to fit all the different personalities.