Why Do people Hate Minivans So Much?

[EmJay2001]

One of my friends traded in her jeep for a vehicle to seat 8, and she has an only child. In order to participate in carpools, you need to have the seating. Now, if your child's activities tend to revolve around gaming, you're okay with your speck. However, most people are schlepping to practices, games, and classes, and it makes life much easier to carpool. We are driving kids here and there on a daily basis, and usually my 7 passenger van has every seat filled.

Same here, that was one of the main reasons I wanted to change my 5 seater. I wanted to be able to bring more kids around than just my own. Now I can!

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I think Minivans are ugly. Plain and simple even the Mercedes one! I will always drive Jeep. We are a Jeep family, even my parents. if you can't fit it tin a jeep you have too much stuff.

I also find most Mini van drivers to be the most reckless on the roads. They are too occupied with attending to the crew in the car or you have guy who has given up everything cool and is now driving it like a tank 90 MPH on the highway.

Cheaper or not I'm not about to get a mom mobile just because I am one. I can still have a good looking car and be a mom.

...wow

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

I can fit three kids in my back seat. Why I would need/ want to take more than that EVER, I don't know. I'm not big on carpooling and I'm not going to volunteer or request others to take my kid around. It's selfish/safety. No one really needs a minivan.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I can fit three kids in my back seat. Why I would need/ want to take more than that ever i don't know. I'm not big on carpooling and I'm not going to volunteer or request others to take my kid around. It's selfish/safety.

With carseats?

I drive a Compass and cannot SAFELY fit 3 children in booster/carseats in my backseat.

 

[cappygirl]

I used to be anti-mini vans. When I was pregnant with DD2 we needed to trade in my tiny beetle and I insisted on the VW crossover. I thought a mini van would mean I was old
We now have DD and a 100 pound St. Bernard puppy. Everytime I try to load us all into the car I kick myself for not getting a mini van. Once baby number 2 comes along, we'll have no choice but to get that mini van...and I can't wait!!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I can fit three kids in my back seat. Why I would need/ want to take more than that EVER, I don't know. I'm not big on carpooling and I'm not going to volunteer or request others to take my kid around. It's selfish/safety. No one really needs a minivan.

I love reading your posts! They are always so entertaining!

So, since no one really needs a minivan what do I do with my children? Make them take turns running alongside the car? If you like your car then that is fabulous. Enjoy it. Just remember that there are other people out there that have different lives and needs. It's also wonderful that you will not be volunteering to drive anyone anywhere or ask anyone to take your child but as Mom with a bit more experience than you I would say never say never. Your selfish/safety comment makes no sense.

Oh yeah- and rare is the car that actually fits 3 carseats properly in the back seat.

 

[michellev]

I can fit three kids in my back seat. Why I would need/ want to take more than that EVER, I don't know. I'm not big on carpooling and I'm not going to volunteer or request others to take my kid around. It's selfish/safety. No one really needs a minivan.

No one really needs a jeep, either. It's all about personal preference and what you choose for your family.

I drove a minivan for about 8 years. It was really handy when my kids were very young and I was strapping them into the 5 point harness car seats. I loved the automatic sliding doors.

I'm currently driving a mid-sized SUV (Volvo) and while I absolutely love it - it has 7 seats, so great for carpooling (I'm a hockey mom and we do like to help each other out -I'm not sure how that is selfish), I know that my next car will be a minivan. The back seats in the Volvo are fine for the current sizes of my kids, but once they are teens they will definitely need more leg room in the third row.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Duplicate post

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I think Minivans are ugly. Plain and simple even the Mercedes one! I will always drive Jeep. We are a Jeep family, even my parents. if you can't fit it tin a jeep you have too much stuff.

I also find most Mini van drivers to be the most reckless on the roads. They are too occupied with attending to the crew in the car or you have guy who has given up everything cool and is now driving it like a tank 90 MPH on the highway. Cheaper or not I'm not about to get a mom mobile just because I am one. I can still have a good looking car and be a mom.

Comedy gold I tell you!

Really? You know most minivan drivers? I also hate to say this to everyone but being "cool" is a high school thing. Unless you are BonJovi or something "cool" is not a word I have ever heard an adult described as. Of course YMMV.

 

[brookmey]

As someone who has never had a need for one, I have a different reason for disliking them. The head of the driver turned around towards the back seat dealing with the kids and the DVD player or the games they're playing or the behavior problem means said mini-van is going to end up in my lane. Of course, that could happen in any vehicle with children in the back seat, but when I see a mini-van, I can guarantee it's going to happen.

I still have to wonder why people with one or two kids actually needs a small bus to travel around-you used to be able to do that in a sedan and it took 3 or 4 kids before you even bought a station wagon.

I think Minivans are ugly. Plain and simple even the Mercedes one! I will always drive Jeep. We are a Jeep family, even my parents. if you can't fit it tin a jeep you have too much stuff.

I also find most Mini van drivers to be the most reckless on the roads. They are too occupied with attending to the crew in the car or you have guy who has given up everything cool and is now driving it like a tank 90 MPH on the highway.

Cheaper or not I'm not about to get a mom mobile just because I am one. I can still have a good looking car and be a mom.

Bolded parts may be each individual driver's experience, but it's not right to generalize that all minivan drivers do that. I can't count the number of times I've been cut off or almost hit by a mom, on the cell phone, in her SUV with bumper stickers praising her honor roll kid, cheer kid, soccer kid, or football kid.

If parents who drive SUVs do so because they have a lot of kids to haul, how are they not too occupied with the crew in their car to watch where they're going on the road?

If you don't like minivans because of the way they drive or even if they're ugly, that's one thing, but to make generalizations about the drivers of minivans is just plain irresponsible.

 

[mjkacmom]

Comedy gold I tell you!

Really? You know most minivan drivers? I also hate to say this to everyone but being "cool" is a high school thing. Unless you are BonJovi or something "cool" is not a word I have ever heard an adult described as. Of course YMMV.

I don't this "princess" will be transported in other vehicles anyway, out of mommy's sight. And since apples don't fall far from the tree, I'm guessing she won't even have a large circle of friends, so no issues.

Now, I'm off to buy a trendy vehicle, and some bungy cords, to tether my children to the top. I also have to coordinate tonight's carpooling - 4 girls need to be at dance at 5:15, 4 others at 6:30. I need to pick up some kids from play practice (no set end time), and get my ds to basketball practice at 6:30. I'm so lucky to have so many friends to carpool with - they're like family to me!

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I don't this "princess" will be transported in other vehicles anyway, out of mommy's sight. And since apples don't fall far from the tree, I'm guessing she won't even have a large circle of friends, so no issues.

Now, I'm off to buy a trendy vehicle, and some bungy cords, to tether my children to the top. I also have to coordinate tonight's carpooling - 4 girls need to be at dance at 5:15, 4 others at 6:30. I need to pick up some kids from play practice (no set end time), and get my ds to basketball practice at 6:30. I'm so lucky to have so many friends to carpool with - they're like family to me!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I don't this "princess" will be transported in other vehicles anyway, out of mommy's sight. And since apples don't fall far from the tree, I'm guessing she won't even have a large circle of friends, so no issues.

Now, I'm off to buy a trendy vehicle, and some bungy cords, to tether my children to the top. I also have to coordinate tonight's carpooling - 4 girls need to be at dance at 5:15, 4 others at 6:30. I need to pick up some kids from play practice (no set end time), and get my ds to basketball practice at 6:30. I'm so lucky to have so many friends to carpool with - they're like family to me!

I tend to think you are right.

 

[luvmy3]

I can fit three kids in my back seat. Why I would need/ want to take more than that EVER, I don't know. I'm not big on carpooling and I'm not going to volunteer or request others to take my kid around. It's selfish/safety. No one really needs a minivan.

Somehow I don't think you'll ever have to worry about that. I'm not a psychic but I get the impression you won't have alot of other moms or dads asking you to take their kids anywhere.

 

[furb & dez]

Bolded parts may be each individual driver's experience, but it's not right to generalize that all minivan drivers do that. I can't count the number of times I've been cut off or almost hit by a mom, on the cell phone, in her SUV with bumper stickers praising her honor roll kid, cheer kid, soccer kid, or football kid.

If you don't like minivans because of the way they drive or even if they're ugly, that's one thing, but to make generalizations about the drivers of minivans is just plain irresponsible.

Oh hey look, the "hidden disability defense" by page 6!

 

[Scurvy]

I love my minivan. It might not be the prettiest thing on the road but then again neither were any of the SUVs that would have been comparably sized. You usually can't fit too many people in the really great looking cars.

We use our minivan when our whole family is traveling with lots of luggage (or our dogs), when we are transporting furniture or other large items, or when we go places with more people than will fit in our smaller cars. For us, it was by far the best choice of any vehicle we could have purchased. I know that some people don't like minivans for some reason, but that's fine - I didn't buy it for them. I make my choices based on what works for me and what I like, not what other people might think.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Oh hey look, the "hidden disability defense" by page 6!

Where did anyone say any such thing?

 

[disykat]

When I was growing up we would just pile kids on top of more kids. Plus the front seat was a bench seat so you could squeeze one (or 2, if tiny)more in there.
Now, with each kid needing a booster seat until they're a tween and no kids in the front seat, you would need to move to something larger, sooner.

Exactly! I'm the youngest so I grew up sitting on the hump in the middle, sometimes even on the floor between people's feet.

 

[mhsjax]

Somehow I don't think you'll ever have to worry about that. I'm not a psychic but I get the impression you won't have alot of other moms or dads asking you to take their kids anywhere.

I am one mini van hating mom, but based on that posters reply about carpooling and no one needing a mini van, I may just run out and buy one.

Ok, seriously, I would never buy another one been there 6 years worth, and loved it at the time, but I won't ever buy another one. I am one of the, "high school" mentalities that worry about the "cool" factor. But I have come through the small child years and it is getting back to being about me. I like my suv, I like the way it drives and I like the way it looks over a mini van. Doesn't make me better, doesn't make me worse. I am very vain, I admit it, I am not childish, I am just over being all about "mommy hood" I love being a mom, just don't want to look like one Lucky for me, my kids understand this. FWIW most of my friends drive mini vans, I don't care and I will gladly ride in them, I just don't want to drive one. But hey, that is why they make so many different types of cars.

PS none of that directed at you, but just in general.

 

[Scurvy]

Oh hey look, the "hidden disability defense" by page 6!

Did you mean to quote someone else? The post you quoted doesn't mention hidden disabilities at all.