2008 Dodge Grand Caravan: A Shout-Out To The Minivan

There is only one vehicle with sliding doors that I think could be remotely considered "cool" -- The Mazda 5. All the benefits of a minivan, in a more fun package.

I was really hoping that Edmunds would add one of these to the fleet once they got rid of the Rondo.

And Brent, you can add that minivans on the whole are cheaper than equivalent full-size SUVs.

I think minivans are great as do most of the Dad's I know. Strangely almost of the wives (including mine) share your wifes view.

I suggested trading my Legacy wagon for a minivan (simular mileage, vastly more useful) and she said no way. It was hard enough to convince her that a wagon was OK but I'm making no headway on the van. She doesn't even have to drive it (loves her Grand Cherokee) but that doesn't matter.

She likes the new Acadia even though I tried to explain it's just an over priced minivan with a smaller interior and without the handy sliding doors.

We bought our 2005 Honda Odyssey Touring (replaced her 2000 Lexus GS400) and have been happy ever since. With 5 children under 10 (2 sets of twins and a single) a minivan was necessary. My wife initially wanted an Acura MDX but I had to prove to her that there wouldn't be sufficient room for 2 adults, 5 kids and luggage. The Odyssey was the next on the list and to be honest both of us were excited with the purchase. These things just make sense especially with a larger family and having a antique lover as a wife. People concerned about their image seriously need a reality check as minivans are MUCH more sensible than a full size SUV or CUV considering heavy towing isn't a necessity.

To be fair we test drove nearly every van in the segment and it came down to the Sienna and the Odyssey. That Sienna Limited was nice but exhibited the typical Toyota appliance feel. The Odyssey was quite the opposite as the steering, chassis, materials, build quality and features were all more than adequate.When the next generation Odyssey debuts we will certainly be in line.

+1 on women being more anti-minivan than men. My wife would never have anything but another Suburban. We do tow/haul often enough to justify its added utility, and I do like it a lot. Way more leg room for me than any of the minivans we tested. But for my Texas girl, only a truck will do regardless of whether it's actually needed.

gah second time trying to post this, because I got rejected somehow.

Anyways, I wonder if women hate minivans because they don't want to fall into the 'soccer mom' stereotype, whereas for men there is not really a 'soccer dad' image.

I'm going to go old-school and give a shout-out to the station wagon.

I second that shout-out to the station wagon... especially since mine is an AWD Wagon. It's great for now but if my wife and I have more than 2 kids she's gonna have to come to grips with a minivan... although Toyota is the only one that makes an AWD minivan and I'm not a fan of the Sienna. Maybe they will come out with a better version down the road. I definitely wouldn't want a CUV though... less room than a minivan, less convenient and just about as bad real world mileage as a suburban but far less capable. For us the option would be Minivan vs. Suburban!

Two (three if you count the badge Hyundai) vans are on the IIHS top safety pick, the Carafailvan is not.

misterfusion, the Mazda5 definitely doesn't have "all the benefits of a minivan." Two key benefits of a minivan are vast amounts of space for people and cargo, and the Mazda5 has neither.

A Toyota Sienna offers 44 cubic feet of cargo space while seating seven passengers, while a Mazda5 offers 44 cubic feet of cargo space while seating four passengers. That's a huge difference.

Minivans got a bad rap because they were underpowered and too 'domesticated' and boring, so people started shifting towards V8 SUV's with 4WD. Now people are back to wanting crossover vehicles, which are getting almost identical to minivans, save the sliding doors. People really want the functionality of a minivan w/out the stigma of one.

I say it's because women are vain and impractical. Who buy more cars because they're "cute"?

More "Soccer Moms" use SUVs to cart around the kids. Why don't they pick up the stigma of being that kind of vehicle?

Answer: Minivans rarely tow boats, make hardware store runs, and appeal to people who are "soft." SUVs are rough and tumble and kick-yer-heiney tough. They can also transport your family...just not as efficiently or as comfortably or as cheaply as a minivan.

Bradyholt: You're right of course, I should have said that the Mazda 5 has all the benefits of a minivan *except* for cargo capacity. But Edmunds doesn't have an Edit button, and I didn't want to double-post. :P

Actually the Mazda5 holds lots of people and lots of cargo, just not at the same time.

It's the perfect minivan for those who have two kids but often have to carry a one or 2 more. Unlike my Legacy wagon, in a Mazda5 I could bring my mom along when I go out for dinner. 2 child seats turns the Legacy into a 4 seater.

When I don't need to use the backseat, it has a huge cargo area (compared to a wagon.