SUV vs MINVAN: THE GREAT DEBATE

In this video I debate the pros and cons of the SUV vs minivan.

[lapinecommunitychurchorego]

My daughter and SIL have a 2 yr old, with twins on the way. We recently helped them purchase a new Karnival EX partially based on your previous review. It's a fantastic driving car, and the 2nd row seats are marvelous for car seats. Thanks Car Mom.

[marcusdavis]

This is a great debate. It reminds me of the days when people was comparing the hummer with other SUVs and a lot of people realize the Hummer did not have as much room as other SUVs do it at the time.

[kristenkaufman]

You hit the nail on the head! I never thought I would go from an SUV to a minivan, but when our 4th was born and we also had a 2yo and a 5yo in carseats, the sliding doors were the game changer.

[kimo]

I think I would agree with you.. for this phase of life a van makes more sense (with small kids) but i definitely will be getting an SUV once we pass this stage.

[jillfranklin]

Minivans definitely win in MANY areas....this is why we will always own one in our vehicle fleet. We have 2 SUVS and a truck also. We have 5 kiddos and my hubby and I are business owners who drive loads of miles and travel frequently. We own an A/V company and I can tell you....hands down the minivan has more usable cargo one with stow and go features like ours. We can get up to 75" TVs in our van. When we were adding an addition to our home my hubby would take the van and load up materials rather than his worries about immediately unloading to protect the materials from weather or theft. He only used his truck for very long he has successfully strapped that to our minivan roof LOL! I do prefer the style and drive of an SUV, but I will never be without a minivan!

[paulamorris]

Mini vans are a phase of life. When you have a bunch of littles, the van just works really well. I prefer an suv but currently driving a carnival. Of the vans, it really is the best.

[farmereliza]

Payload, which actually does make a difference if your car doubles as a Home Depot hauler, or even if you have teen boys. The Yukon maxes out at 1900, and the carnival at 1500. I have a family of seven, with just one teen boy currently.

[DakotaLindsay]

Why pick? My husband drives a Yukon XL and I drive Sienna. Van is great for school drop offs and day to day. Yukon XL is awesome for long trips and all the gear you need for kids!

[sanedeen]

I think the comparison for most people would be a minivan vs a midsize 3 row suv like the kia telluride, honda pilot, etc, as opposed to a full size suv like a GMC Yukon XL. They're more similar in size and cost

[RDJSS]

Had a 3rd kid. Carmom convinced my wife that she didn't need a Tahoe. Got a Carnival instead, because Carmom got one

[astrosntexans]

So basically 40k for the more practical vehicle with better mpg or 80k for the less practical vehicle that looks cool.

[torocars]

All the parents out there undecided, I’ll make it simpler choice. End of the day safety and highest survival rate for kids is deciding factor. Van wins hands down on most practical variables: such as ease of use. But all of those advantages is worth zero if another family with half ton Ford Expedition, GMC Yukon, Chevy Tahoe/Suburban, Lincoln Navigator, or Cadillac Escalade, Nissan Armada, InfinityQX 80, Toyota Sequoias, Jeep Wagoneer crashes on to your passenger side of a Van. Where would your rather have you family in?

Those late to conversation: my perspective is based on video made by IIHS Insurance Institute Highway Safety (non profit organization) “Which Cars Are Deadliest “ if you got some time watch the video/data.

Reason Van got relatively good safety rating is not due to how it’s constructed but how less likely it’s involved in accident due to how ITS DRIVEN not because it’s a safe vehicle to be in when in a crash. Logic holds true to Large SUV if it’s driven as defensively as most Van drivers . But variables out of our control are aggressive drivers on the road among us, that’s when according IIHS biggest and heavyweight vehicles are recommended.

[JustDance]

Your video makes me want a minivan if we decide to go from 2 to 3 kids but worried about the snow driving living in Northern Alberta Canada

[SuperP]

Parking a SUV though is much more difficult . Maybe I’m alone on this but I require cameras to park my Expedition. Granted I’m on the East coast currently and spaces are tighter but I use my cameras every time. My Minivan was always a breeze and I could easily swing her in and out. Still I’m also not sure other than parking if I would pick either one although my expedition gets a lot more attention vs my minivan 😂.

[wesleyathompson]

Very fair evaluation. Thank you. The only other point that an SUV has over minivan is when loaded down, it still is way more powerful for highway driving to still be comfortable passing. I'm thinking the annoying slow driver you get stuck behind on those two-lane roads, especially.

[brett]

A mid size 3 row seems like a good middle ground for most people. You get most of the space of these two options with slightly less trunk space and legroom, AWD, close to minivan gas mileage, and closer to minivan price.

Something on the bigger end of the mid size 3 row market is probably the best overall choice.

[cubist]

I think most people are going to compare a vehicle like the Telluride to a minivan. In that case, the Carnival kills it when it comes to cargo space. Easily double with the third row seats up. If you're a family of 4, any SUV will probably work, as the last row won't be required on those family road trips and you'll have plenty of cargo room. But, if you're a family of 6+?, then that cargo space w/the third row up is going to be critical. Also, the more I think about it, the more important those sliding doors are when you have kids. My kids would be dinging those outward-swinging doors constantly. Hell, they've even found ways to ding the sliding doors. But, being able to drop that third row and remove the second row gives you enormous cargo room with the minivan. So, it really is a no brainer for bigger families.

[kalicrownover]

The mpg for all GM full size SUVs is inaccurate though. You can get the 3.0 duramax and it's fuel economy is 26 highway, 20 city, and 22 combined mpg

[joses]

First comment! Woo! Love the Car Mom! And as a father of 3 I want the minivan!

[gstoner]

One thing on the minivans and most others as well. The so called extra markup services they are putting on these new cars to get $3k-$6k more for the dealership is really hurting them in the long run. You can't find anyone to sell you the cars at MSRP