Why Do People Actually Buy Minivans?

An up-close look at the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, with some help from a friend..

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Shot on iPhone 15 Pro

[AutoFocus]

One note here; Marques says the Pacifica is Four Wheel Drive, but the car is Front-Wheel-Drive in this trim.

- Miles

[BradSeebeck]

One word: Kids. No other vehicle does a better job at transporting kids and their stuff better than a minivan. I was a hater, but now I have 3 kids and we own a Sienna. Best family car we've ever owned. Recommend it to everyone with kids.

[nowayjose]

My sister was ADAMANT that she did not want a minivan. After looking at a couple of different SUVs with the salesman and saying she liked X about them but not Y, the salesman told her "you keep saying you don't want a minivan, but I have to be honest with you, everything you're describing that you want in a vehicle is going to be found in a minivan." And he was right - they got the minivan and she's been happy with that decision ever since.

[AngelinaHickman-ph]

Common sense is not common anymore. Minivans is what most SUVs are trying to mimic, unsuccessfully, and people just keep buying them and compromising. Their money- their choice, and I respect it. I got my minivan, and I wish I had more options.

[Pinhotube]

It’s actually pretty simple, it’s comfortable, they are big, in the right ways, but yet very close to the ground so kids and elders can enter with no problem, also carry a lot of stuff. Besides the lack of work from designers minivans are the perfect family daily drivers.

[illusivedestroyer]

Everyone wants a minivan, but very few people are confident enough to buy a minivan

[sjgoff]

Bought an Odyssey Elite a few years ago. Best decision ever. That thing does everything! Road trips, lumber yard trips, taking friends to a concert, drives like a car, and has pretty good power for what it is.

[Drew_]

My dad fit my entire apartment into a minivan the first few times I moved. The storage capacity of a minivan is absolutely unmatched.

[bernieswim]

I got four kids, bro. I need a house on wheels.

[wipis]

I drove a minivan in high school. People would make fun of it but when we wanted to get 5 or more friends to the movie theater or the bowling alley it was great. When my brother's band wanted to play a show guess how they moved all the equipment? Road trips, summers beach trips, moving my mom's wall papering supplies. That van got a ton of use and was full of memories. Lots of glass made it easy to drive. It got pretty good mileage thanks to a turbo charger. A high driver's seat was comfortable.

[EricMitton]

Mazda5 former owner here. Minivans are purpose-built tools with no fakery and no pretentiousness. Buying the right tool for the job should never be uncool.

[djp]

Vans make way more sense than SUVs for most people. But most people don't have common sense.

[thirdmort]

I have a Pacifica AWD non hybrid. We tested all the 3 row SUVs and the second we sat in the minivan, it blew away all the SUVs. More space, better fuel efficiency, the sliding doors meant we could open in the garage with no worry of dings, lower load height for my short wife, stow and go, and the list went on. It destroyed our anti minivan paradigm. After 9 months of ownership with 2 littles and family nearby, it's been the perfect tool for the job. My friends who have 3 row SUVs with kids are surprisingly jealous. They aren't the sexy option but man, they are the practical option.

[TheRealMafoo]

The reason people buy minivans, is it's the peak form of a practical vehicle. The reason people resist minivans, is they don't want to think there life has changed to the point where peak practicality is for them.

[Fourthofsons]

I'm so glad you got in an actual minivan! I was a little offend on behalf of all minivans when you compared the EV9 to one. Also, my favorite underrated feature of a minivan is being able to carry full sheets of plywood within the vehicle. Even most pickup trucks can't keep plywood dry on a rainy day.

[johnwilliams]

<Raises hand>. Former minivan owner here. My advice to new parents is always “Just buy the damn minivan!” All of the large stuff little kids require, from pack-and-plays and strollers earlier to camping and sports gear later, fits in easily and quickly within a minivan’s cargo hanger-sized space. Also, the first time it’s pouring down rain and you are able to open the giant rear hatch and load the kid(s), the stroller, and yourself inside without having to unbuckle and disassemble everything in the downpour, you’ll be sold. Bonus points for a nice ride and reasonable fuel economy too.

[dirty_haute]

Its easier to get a minivan that can flat carry a full sheet of plywood than a truck that can.

[TechnicallyJeff]

We've had our Pacifica Hybrid for a few years now and it really is a great vehicle. 30ish miles of all electric range. 30 MPG combined once the electric range runs out. Great for road trips. Comfortable. Lots of storage. Decent tech. The Uconnect Theater is great for the family. The only problem is it's reliability. It's one of the lowest rated vehicles for reliability. We've had ours at the dealership for warranty work over a dozen different times in 3.5 years. Even right now, they ordered a new module for the infotainment and a new front sensor that impacts AEB and cruise control, and they've already replaced both of those under warranty before. If they can get the reliability figured out though, it's an ideal vehicle for families.

[rideon]

I will never understand why minivans have so many haters purely based on looks. To get cargo capacity of a typical minivan you have to purchase a Suburbian - a vehicle that's 2 feet longer, 1/2 foot taller, harder to get into, harsher riding, with poor handling, and an awful gas mileage.

[squirreldriver]

Rainy day. Rear door child locks are on. You pull up to an elementary school to let your kids out. In a minivan: Push one button to open the passenger side slider. Kids all get out that one door. (And hey, they were going to get wet anyway.) Nobody is required to get out on the traffic side. 

In an SUV: Kids can't open the rear doors. You get out, before carefully checking the rear view mirror for anybody passing on your left. You close your door. Maybe open the rear driver side door to help one kid out. You walk around the car (it's really raining!). You open the rear passenger door. Other kid(s) get out. You walk back around the car (waiting for any traffic to pass) and finally get back in, smug in the fact that no one caught you driving a minivan.