The List: 6 Great Reasons Not to Get a Minivan

Looked at some of these before buying an Ody. Here are six reasons:

1. Better mpg
2. Better reliability than all the above
3. More space by far (the rear seat in our Odyssey is practically a sofa, and there's plenty of cargo room behind it)
4. Electric sliding doors the kids can operate, and that can be opened as you approach with kids in rain, sleet and snow.
5. The rear doors on most of these are so huge (nice for loading children), and will not open fully in these Northeastern-sized garages without smacking the wall on one side and the other car on the other.
6. No reason to pay a premium for a less roomy, less efficient, less usable station wagon on stilts.

And, if you're keeping up with soccer mom's, you know that CUVs are already gaining the same stigma as minivans anyway, so buy what is actually more capable to the task.

And just to be fair, I actually like all but the ultra-bland Traverse, which makes most new minivans look stylish by comparison. I especially liked the Flex & the Mazda, but they are much more cramped, and added nothing beyond appearances.

I'd pick the Mazda, hands down. My second choice would be the new Durango--I'm surprised at how good it looks.

Instead of using the GMs for half the list, why not replace one of the GMs with the Honda Pilot (which seats 8-- comfortably I have read)

Warren, now you've done it. You've taunted the (import) minivan crowd. I hope you're prepared for the onslaught.

ed124c, I agree that listing each GM product separately might be a little too much, but they are very impressive. If I were in the market for such a vehicle, they'd be my top three choices.

We recently lost our '08 Pilot to an oncoming driver on an icy road. To replace it, we took the opportunity to look at minivans (which for us carry no stigma, in fact we think they're kind of cool), and drove a Sienna. Beautiful vehicle, but it was like driving the living room couch. Ended up with a CX-9 and cannot be happier. AWD and great access to the third row, but most importantly, I cannot wait to drive it, which to me is the whole point of owning a car rather than an appliance. I thought the Pilot drove well and was a great road trip vehicle, but I just can't stand to see the Mazda sit in the driveway not being used because it is just so darned fun to drive.

Buying one of these instead of a minivan is like buying a Civic coupe instead of a 4 door as your family car.

You're giving up a lot for the illusion that it is somehow sportier.

I can see the pitch for wanting some of the crossovers available with more serious power (Flex, Durango, etc.) - especially if your family activities involve moderate towing.

But the appeal of a Traverse, Enclave, CX-9, etc. over a minivan is hard to fathom beyond aesthetics. In fact, I'd argue that if GM or Mazda actually had a proper minivan, those crossovers would not sell nearly as well. I suspect the only reason that Honda doesn't put AWD on the Odyssey is that it would probably kill Pilot sales.

But, the market wants what it wants. The success of the GM trio certainly indicates that. Thank god for variety.

We'll keep the Odyssey!

@Church123. The implications of your statement about AWD/4WD and the Odyssey are probably true for many. If there had been a 4WD version of the Odyssey we would have bought that rather than the Pilot. That said, though, the Pilot has been a good vehicle for us. The only thing I have really missed from the Odyssey is the sliding doors -- so handy in tighter spaces, and especially with child seats.

Ummm...How about none of the above? Not a single wagon? Give me a nice German or Volvo wagon over any of these. HopIng that Audi brings the Avant over here for the new A6. Better yet an S6 Avant.

Without a doubt I'll take a Durango. Non-gimmicky exterior that should age well. A higher quality interior than anything else on this list. Ride and handling of a luxury SUV that costs several thousand dollars more. RWD or real AWD. Not some FWD based CUV with a clutch pack to drive the rear wheels.

Wow, all these get lousy mileage and less interior space. Sorry but the minivan makes more sense than these things.

I want the Quest. But in AWD. Doesn't exist? Damn you Nissan!

Just have one kid- then you can buy almost anything you want.
My wife and I highly recommend that strategy.

First of all, lets bring this list down from 6 to 4. The GMC Acadia, Chevy Traverse, and Buick Enclave are the same cars.

Secondly, none of these cars will beat minivans if you have more than 2 kids in terms of mileage or the ability to haul people and crap.

Third, if I had two kids or less, I'd buy a Mazda 5 or Subaru Forester over all of these. Hell, I'd consider trading in my Impreza for a Forester now and I don't even have kids.

The Chevy Traverse? Does anyone actually like thie portly-looking vehicle? After checking the long term test vehicles-- it appears that Edmunds still owns the 2010 model. It has 55 total posts--the 2011 Acura SportWagon has 3 times that many posts.

Back in the summer of 2009, the Wife gave me her three must-haves. AWD, 2nd row buckets & had to be higher off the ground than a normal car. Our first choice was the Acadia, but equipped the way we wanted, it was dangerously close to $40k, and GM was not doing leasing at the time. Our second choice was the Sienna XLE AWD. Very nicely equipped with leather, DVD, sunroof, etc, we got it for about $33k.
Our only complaint after 30k miles is the horrible gas mileage. We average about 17mpg doing a mix of highway and around town.

I think think of one greater reason not to have a minivan. Don't have kids.

Seriously, if you're that worried about your fragile ego and what people think of your bad ass ride as you head back to the 'burbs from soccer practice then you probably have other priorities that are more important besides your kids.

Could that be more smug and condescending than the original list? I don't think it is, because the author seems to be suffering from the same fate as other people who are in denial about being domesticated.

@dinobot666

I do not believe the list is about being in denial -- it's more about keeping things in perspective: One doesn't need to default to the status-quo of minivan once they hit 1.4 children. This is America! We have options :)

If you regaularly need to transport multiple kids, and AWD is not a priority, then a sliding door trumps any possible handling advantage offered by an SUV.

Personally I think that if the Flex had sliding doors Ford would sell 3x as many of them as they do.

@stress83

Aside from the Durango, which offers up a nice V8 engine option, all the vehicles in this list are essentially tall station wagons, or minivans without the sliding door and three of the vehicles listed were badge engineered clones with no real significant advantages over a minivan.

You're right though, choice is a great thing to have, and there is plenty of it in this seemingly endless variety of people haulers with increasingly gray areas of vehicle classification.

All of these sacrifice some things compared to a mini-van. The flex probably sacrifices the least since it has the deep well behind the 3rd row. all the others require a roof top carrier to travel if you have 3-4 kids and any of them youngin's.

We will be shopping in this market again as our kids get older and the need for AWD will be greater (they are old enough to ski and do other stuff in the mountains). We will be in the same boat.

We will look at the Sienna AWD's again (they were too expensive last year when we were shopping) but I will have to travel far away to get a decent deal on one. My wife really likes the CX-9 but I don't like that you can't lock the AWD on. My top choice would be an ecoboost flex but she hates fords!

@agnh: Thats interesting to know on the mileage of a sienna AWD. I know part of that is because the AWD in those is always a 50/50 split more like a subaru instead of a front biased or FWD only until slippage. Where to do you live? sounds like you got a great deal on it too... you must not live where they are a popular ride. They are all over the place here in reno/tahoe, but its hard to find one for sale usually.

"Seriously, if you're that worried about your fragile ego and what people think of your bad ass ride as you head back to the 'burbs from soccer practice then you probably have other priorities that are more important besides your kids."

Amen.

If you don't need AWD or the ability to tow heavy items and you have multiple kids, you're kidding yourself if you think you're buying an SUV over a minivan for any reason other than you care what others think of you. Hopefuly, when you've made the decision to have children you've also made the decision to put your children and family in front of your ego and you're past that point.

The sliding doors, larger and more flexible interior and better fuel efficiency of a minivan FTW.

What the author doesn't get is that once you have child seats installed in the 2nd row of these crossovers, the 3rd row can't be accessed in most cases.

The only "crossover" that approaches minivan territory in the 3rd row is the Suburban. An Odyssey, like mine, has nearly 40 cu.ft. of trunk room behind the 3rd row. The Acadia has 20, as much trunk ... as a Honda Fit.

The 3rd row in crossovers is for emergency use, not regular use.

I did try the Pilot's 3rd row ... and it's ridiculous, plus there's almost no trunk left.

For 3 kids or more, nothing approaches a minivan. With 2 kids or less, a CR-V makes more sense than any of the behemoths listed above.

@blueprint - if you can put up with the handling of the CRV. Egad that's one sloppy vehicle. Luckily with 2 or fewer you can opt for anything really.

Having just gone through this debate, I must echo many of the statements. It comes down to fashion versus function. There are plenty of individuals out there who will make most choices based on excitement and style. Conversely there are many who will make their choices based on practicality. Neither is wrong, just different. Until they start making more minivans in AWD/4-Wheel Drive or start adding sliding doors to the CUV's mentioned above, we will continue to have this debate.

We looked a the MDX, Flex, CX-9 and Enclave. We also looked at the Odyssey, Sienna, and Quest. I can honestly say the MDX and CX-9 were the "most engaging" to drive. The MDX, Enclave and Flex had the best highway drive. And by our accounts, the MDX, Flex and Quest had the best interiors, while the Enclave "felt" the most spacious. And any of the CUV's could be had with AWD and tow packages...so overall, the CUV's won out on handling, towing, bad weather handling, looks and luxury minus the Quest interior which really surprised us. If that was our focus alone (or we only had two kids), then the MDX or Enclave would have won.

But the Minivans blew away the CUVs in space, access, practicality, and every other category. This was especially true if, like us, you have more than 2 kids, have car seats, need all three rows up and available for people duty, and/or routinely take long trips and travel with lots of bulky items like strollers. In addition, we already have a 4 Wheel Drive SUV, so we did not need the extra towing, etc. Had we needed 4WD or AWD, we would have picked the Sienna but only because the other minivan entries don't offer it. Since we did not, we picked the Odyssey.... and do not regret it for even a second.

Now... if the Flex offered power sliding doors... then sign me up. Until then, if you have more than 2 kiddos and the need to haul anything then a minivan just makes too much sense for most.

"Instead of using the GMs for half the list, why not replace one of the GMs with the Honda Pilot (which seats 8-- comfortably I have read)"

Because it handles awful, has a disappointing (for Honda) interior, and looks ugly. Which is why sales have been disappointing.

@albook - buying SUVs based on looks reminds me of people picking a movie based on the poster.

The Flex would have been a perfect minivan "competitor" had it sliding doors. Why these aren't there I don't know as they would be easy to hide given the design.

BTW - you aren't fooling anyone by driving an SUV. You are a parent. You could step out of a Panamera with two children in tow and guess what. People will think you are a rich parent, and maybe even self absorbed. So, given that, if you are going to drive something this big, just get the one that is comfortable and super spacious. And that my friends is the mini-van, the vehicle purpose built for your needs, not tailored to try and meet them.

Wow, nice one IL... way to go... have "one vehicle" hog up 3 spaces... sheesh... talk about uncreative picks. You could've at least tossed in the Pilot/MDX or maybe a Highlander.

Practicality is where it's at. Burn the NSX. Blow up the Miata. Push the Mustang over a cliff. Replace them all with a minivan. Otherwise, you're a pussy with a fragile ego.

You list all three GM crossovers separately, but no mention of the class leading Toyota Highlander???

Six reasons not to buy a minivan, eh? Well, to be honest, my wife likes the Acadia. I just hate all SUVs and so called "crossovers" (just love the way the public drinks the pop culture Kool-Aid by thinking a catchy name stuck to a SUV or smaller SUV - "crossover"- changes what it is) and I can name two good reasons why I'll keep our minivan, even if it is a T&C:

1. It may be a minivan, but it isn't an SUV.

2. I actually have use for the size and do use all of it regularly for business. I traded in a Ram Quad-cab for it because it could never do what the T&C can do.

brn

You're missing the point. We're not comparing minivans to cool cars. We're comparing one type of boring people mover to another type of boring people mover.

We're just making fun of people who think that giving it a little bit of SUV styling, way less usefulness and in most cases charging more money somehow makes it cool.

Minivans are great. They are the perfect thing to park next to your Miata/ Mustang/ NSX.

This is crazy I am actually in the market for a new vehicle for my wife we want something large that can accomodate people my dogs and luggage and none of thes SUVS quite fit the bill. I absolutly hate minivans but I have come to the relization that no SUV can quite take the place of one. I personally think fuel economy anc overall cost and insurance will be cheaper on the Vans vs the suvs also. That being said I do kinda like the FLex but after looking at all of these I think my best bet is to get a certified preowned minivan.

You only gave FOUR reasons. The Lambda triplets should not count as three....

I'm not a huge minivan fan, (OK, I never want one) but I can give several reasons to pick one over a CUV.

1. Most minivans can internally carry a 4x8 sheet of plywood. NONE of the CUVs featured is wide enough to do so.
2. Most minivans get better mileage than any of the listed CUVs (honda gets up to 28mpg)
3. Most minivans have tons more internal volume than any of the listed CUVs.

I guess I could list more but I already feel dirty in supporting minivans. I need to go drive my 328i sport wagon for a while...

Moronic article.

None of these can do what a minivan can do. If you have 2 kids, sure. These can float the bill just fine as long as you only use your "CUV" to drive around 2 kids with no luggage, friends, pets, mulch from Home Depot, etc. If you have 3 or more kids and an active lifestyle, keep dreaming. Put up the 3rd row in a "CUV"and have your kids' heads are 1-2 inches away from the rear window and have next to notihng in terms of storage.

Besides, other than the Mazda, none of these SUVs are known for their quality, reliability, etc. And most minivans will still beat them in terms of overall MPG.

When my girls get old enough and I have no need for car seats and a stroller, than I will get the new Durango. IMO there is no other minivan that's better at hauling all of us and our stuff than the Dodge Grand Caravan. Nothing better than the stow-n-go seating.

Another thing to keep in mind about non-minivans with kids. Door dings. And I don't mean on your car. I talking about the ones your kids will give to others as they shove open the door into the car next to them.

Anyway, buy what you want. I just don't understand why people hate minivans. Whenever I ask people say it is because you just look like a "mom". Well guess what you look like when you drive a CUV/SUV that is driven 90% by moms (dads too).

Real men have large families. Drive your minivan proudly.

I am a proud owner of a Traverse LT FWD. Yes, I said it - a Traverse. When we were shopping around we did look at several options, but fell in love with the Traverse. I have owned the Traverse for almost a year now and absolutely love it! It is a dream to drive...

We have 4 children ranging in ages 8mos to 10 years and have NO trouble transporting the entire family to and from functions. We travel almost every weekend and have put over 20,000 miles on the CUV. Our longest trip was a 6 hour drive where I, a 5'7 female, sat in the back to tend to the baby. The children not once complain about discomfort of the ride nor about room inside. We do have the entertainment package to keep them occupied.

There is no issue of the children getting into the 3rd row with the infant seat in the 2nd row bucket seat. The children can easily slide the passenger 2nd row seat forward and climb into the back. There is plenty of room for adults to sit comfortably in the back for a distance as well (tested - two adults, 8 hour drive).

Luggage room would be my only complaint. Fortunately for us, we pack well and most our travels the baby does not require additional equipment as it is already provided.

I travel 1 hour one way daily to work and am averaging 21 mpg highway. I would never trade my Traverse for a minivan...

If you have >2 small children and are using booster seats, the minivan is a no brainer. I am a total car nut and have several sports cars, but absolutely love our Odyssey. SUVs are not that great - mostly a fashion statement for those who need high-chair seating (ie insecure).

I wish BMW would bring a 335xi wagon to the US.

rboyett:
"1. Most minivans can internally carry a 4x8 sheet of plywood. NONE of the CUVs featured is wide enough to do so."
The GMC Acadia is wide enough.

"2. Most minivans get better mileage than any of the listed CUVs (honda gets up to 28mpg)"

True. Too bad the Explorer wasn't listed as it bests all minivans.

fw, While I put it crudely, I do get it.

Many here are flogging CUV and SUV folk for buying something that's a little less boring than a minivan. This is the same group that desires impractical (sporty) vehicles. We buy these sporty vehicles for impractical reasons. Most people can't have both, so what's wrong with a slightly less practical vehicle that's slightly more desirable. That being the CUV.

brn,
Why is the minivan more boring?

I know its a matter of personal choice, but I find CUV's and the average pavement only SUV's more boring than any minivan. First, they are very common. Second, I do not think their interior layout is neat - I never see the exterior size translate to the interior the way I see in a minivan. Minivans can have some cool layout features (table in the Town&Country) Finally, they are not rugged and you are fooling yourself if you think they are.

Long story short, buy whatever, but I can't see how one can say a road going SUV is more exciting than a minivan.

I'm just lucky in life. I still have my '02 Explorer V8, 4WD, plus my '11 Explorer AWD.
If I need extra cargo capacity, I just put the cargo box on the roof.
Tests of AWD minvians didn't get mileage better than an SUV.

compressor: "Long story short, buy whatever,"

That's basically it. Personally, I don't need a minivan and I do find it boring. I'm interested in a five passenger CUV as my next vehicle.

"You list all three GM crossovers separately, but no mention of the class leading Toyota Highlander???"

What planet are you driving on?? Motorweek/USA Today/carsdotcom had a comparison of all of the above, the Highlander, the Pilot, and the Veracruz and the Highlander was so bad it came in last (pilot won, Chevy second, Mazda third). The family testers couldn't find one good thing to say about the Highlander. It was overpriced (over $42K but still had a lousy interior with tons of hard plastic), got lousy gas mileage, and had the most cramped third row.

The same group had a minivan comparison and the Toyota again was last with the Odyssey winning. You have to stop drinking the Toyota/CR kool aid - twenty years of cost cutting has made the Toyota entries mostly uncompetitive in every segment. A few good years in the early 90's when they shared Lexus components and all downhill since. I know it hurts to see Dodge, Ford, and GM rated highly (and Mazda too), but get over it - they build the best vehicles with a few Honda exceptions (not CRV or Civic).

ed124c, the third row of the Honda Pilot is really small. We have four kids, and decided against the Pilot for that reason. We also own a Honda Odyssey minivan, so this is not from anti-Honda bias.

In terms of pricing, minivans have been getting more expensive. They used to be substantially cheaper than an equivalent 7 or 8 passenger crossover, now you have similar prices except for minivans with almost no features (like an entry level Dodge Grand Caravan or Toyota Sienna) or inferior models (like the Kia Sedona, which has the lowest crash safety ratings from the IIHS and an uncomfortable driver's seat).

We own an Odyssey and a Flex and test drove a Traverse. The Odyssey is the most spacious by far. The Traverse drives better than the Flex and has a larger cargo area than the Flex, but the Flex has dramatically more comfortable second row seats and at the time had much bigger discounts, so we got that. When it comes time to replace the Odyssey or the Flex, frankly we'll probably just get more minivans.

If you have 2 kids then an SUV will suit especially with the third row for hauling the grandparents or whatever. If you have more than 2 then you need a minivan. My friend just had his 3rd kid. He drives a MB GL. That is a pretty big SUV, but not for 3 kids. He knows he needs a minivan with the sliding doors. It just makes it easier for everyone else to get in and for hauling stuff. Its not about image. Its about your family and what make it easier for your wife and kids. Happy wife happy life.

Cost is a big factor. We were recently in the market for a new family hauler and bought a 2011 routan for 30k with leather, nav, power liftgate, heated seats, etc. To get all those features on one of these CUVs you'd be pushing 40k.

Also, you can fit a freaking couch in the back of a minivan...

Yes, cost is a big factor, but it seems to me there is almost a premium on minivans. Just purchased (a month ago) a 2011 CX9 AWD Sport w/ heated seats for 27k. It was just a little more than a 4 cyl. Outback, and several thousand less than a Sienna or Odyssey.

This will probably end up being a rant, but here it goes...

I have a couple of problems with both the article and the comments that have come after it.

I definitely feel like there were some vehicles that were ignored - the MDX, the Pilot, and the Highlander are all options.

Honestly, I can't think of how many times I've seen a minivan loaded with adults from the 1st through the 3rd rows. Like never? Why is it such a big deal for a 3rd row to fit a 6 foot tall man? Like seriously, most of the time the 10 and under crowd are stuck back there and they end up being pretty comfortable.

Now as far as the comments go...

This whole image vs. practicality argument is stupid. Many posters have stated that having a minivan is basically necessity for anyone with more than 2 children. I'm sure this is because a Honda Accord doesn't have 3 seats in the back right? oh wait.. it does? Then why can't I just drive one of those if all of my kids will fit and there is room in the trunk?

Anyways... there is also this "image" issue that many have said people need to get over. Well I think that if you are paying 30k or more for a vehicle you get to have something you enjoy driving - especially if you plan on driving it daily. One poster said a parent driving a panamera was in denile that they had children. -___- no... a parent driving a panamera is a lucky parent and every other parent in the parking lot is jealous as they open their power sliding rear doors... lol

Now I can go on and on, but I won't because 1) If I was a reader I'd be tired by now and 2) I think you guys get my point.

People should drive what they want to. As a believer in the greatest of CUV's and large SUV's I think its ridiculous to say that people with more than 2 kids should have a minivan... especially in such a "matter of fact" tone.

I would definitely buy any of these over a minivan, and I'm especially fond of the Durango. Also, and more importantly, it seems like buying a minivan is a sign that one has just completely given up on life...