I secretly like my minivan – do you?

[karen]

So, I am just wondering how many people are out there that don’t hate them as much as they expected to?

I swore I would never drive one. Of course that’s what I drive now. And I will admit it’s perfect for what I need. Ok, so I regularly try to get into someone else’s car because they all look the same.

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[Jerald]

I used to have a Dodge minivan and once DID get into someone else’s — the same key worked! Mine was just on the far side and out of view. Boy, was I surprised to see someone else’s stuff inside “my” car.

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[Wes]

They are the best ever! I remember Time magazine doing a special on the worst cars ever made and named the SUV, in particular the Ford Explorer, in the top ten because it outed the minivan for soccer moms (and dads) but said it was awful because it did not meet their needs they just wanted to be trendy and “safe”. I have friends who swear they will never own a minivan, then they get into one and realize that it would be ideal for their needs. I am on my second one and love it!

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[JoB]

I can’t believe i am adding to the chorus… but i love my minivan. It’s comfortable, working on it’s second 100,000 miles and shows no real signs of slowing down.

I kept beating myself up because i wasn’t driving something more fuel efficient until i drove a pt cruiser for a month after my minivan was wacked at an intersection. I was amazed to find that the gas mileage was only a little better than i get with the minivan.

I was never so glad to get a car back in my life.

Yes, i know i could do much better.. and when this one gasps.. i will be looking for something more economical to drive… but in the meantime i just bite my little old hippy lip and crawl into comfort.

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[karen]

JoB –

I felt the same about the fuel consumption, too. However, I think with all the carpooling and ride sharing I am able to do with other parents, that my actual impact is down.

Before this I drove a Land Rover (and YES, it was because we needed the off-road abilities) so anything seems economical in comparison!

But I love that I can take a bunch of kids and all the junk that goes with them and still have room for groceries or more junk. It’s also really good for long road trips with kids. I can split them up or put them together, I can get up and attend to them while we are driving (not safely or legally but sometimes need takes over!) and there is room for all the things they “need” in the car.

I am so glad to hear that I am not the only closet minivan enthusiast!!

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[JoB]

karen,

I have driven mine cross country (Portland/Seattle to Minneapolis and minneapolis to the gulf) at least 8 times.. not to mention the many little trips we’ve taken… and you can pile a lot of stuff in and still have plenty of room to avoid dog fights. that’s a plus! And with a little music or books on tape… the miles just melt.

Besides, i have room for grand babies. ok.. and in-laws too when i need to…

I got it when my in-laws were visiting a lot and we had an older dog who had difficulty getting into a car… it solved a lot of mobility problems… then i fell in love… sigh…

I have this fantasy of converting it to a little camping van when it runs it’s course as city transportation. we will see:)

for me.. my car is an extension of my legs. i can’t hike any longer.. but my car still takes me comfortably where vistas clear my soul. i don’t know what i would do without my mini-van.

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[hlywdsm]

My question to you all of you owners is this…Do minivans go the speed limit? Because, every time I see one on the road I have to make an effort to not be in the same lane as the Minivan, because 99% of the time the thing is moving along about 3-8 mph under the speed limit. Just wanted to know if they build that feature into the vehicle, or is it just the minivan driver’s preference to control the speed limit of all the other drivers on the road?

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[JoB]

hlywdsm… JoB chuckles…

i go the speed limit in mine.. in fact i tend to set my cruise control at exactly 3 miles over the speed limit whenever i am able (i don’t like tickets)… and over the broad stretches of America’s prairieland… that thing flew with little regard to speed limits. across the prairie, i didn’t have so many other drivers to contend with…

You might consider whether you want minivans driving faster tho.

if we begin weaving in and out of traffic frantically trying to gain just one more car length like so many other cars do… you are going to have a lot of rollovers on the highway and i think ultimately that will slow you down.

and maybe you want those of us who chose our minivans because we have cars full of distractions to keep a good buffer between us and the car ahead of us. and maybe you should think about that minivan full of distractions next time you impatiently edge up against the taillights…

i wonder what the accident stats are for those who drive minivans compared to those who drive other cars ;-)

i don’t know, so maybe i am wrong.. i bet someone will look it up:)

anyway, there are probably idiots in minivans too:)

come to think of it, i saw a lot of them off the road last time i drove through winter storms.. but not as many as SUV owners.. they couldn’t stay on the road in ice for anything:)

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[Bernicki]

I resisted getting a minivan for a long time, opting for Subaru wagons instead. Finally, though, our trusty Subaru quit running, and since we have kids, the minivan made sense. We bought a used one a year and a half ago.

I like the fact that I’m not hitting my head on the top of the car every time I reach in to buckle car seats. I like the cargo room in the back: we do lots of volunteering and gardening, and tables, boxes of food, bags of compost, etc. fit nicely. I like not having to squeeze five people and assorted car seats into a smaller car.

But on the other hand…I’m a minivan driver. I used to be a young, hip urbanite, and now I drive a minivan. And it’s the only choice I have right now, because it’s the only vehicle we own. If I need to drive, I have to get into the…well…you know.

Mini.

Van.

Oh, my aching self-image.

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[JoB]

i could choose the small pickup instead:(

yes… i too used to be a subaru wagon driver… it wasn’t the snazziest of images.. but i did like what it said for my values…

but the seats killed my 6″4″ husband’s back and the newer ones didn’t get the fuel economy the old ones did.. and my doc said i HAD to go to an automatic… AARGH…. and my geriatirc dog couldnt get in without help and that was killing my back…

so after sitting in everything in an auto show.. i bought a used minivan:(

which turned out to be a blessing… and it’s late for it’s next date.. so see ya all later. i’m going to lunch.

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[karen]

I hear you – I hate saying what I drive.

I found some temporary car paint that is supposed to stay on until you wash it off with the special soap. It’s not supposed to damage the paint (like that matters on a mom-mobile!) I really want to do a flame job on my van just because! Maybe the cat artist could come over and “pimp my ride!”

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[Kayleigh]

It’s a slippery slope. First it’s the mini-van, then stretch pants and sensible shoes, then only kid-friendly movies in your DVD player….

before you know it, you’re asking people to turn down their music and watching PBS: middle age has arrived.

(okay, I watch PBS, but that’s my only middle-aged sin so far. I don’t care what Oprah says; I’m not cutting my hair, either.)

:-)

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[bertha]

Check out these links & you’ll feel better about that minivan feelin.

http://www.turbovan.net/van.html

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[JoB]

kayleigh.. you are wrong about the stretch pants.. by the time you need the sensible shoes the stretch pants aren’t so appealing.. that is if you happen to catch sight of yourself walking past a reflecting window:)

and i did cut my hair.. it was thinning (ok.. more than a bit) and it took too long to dry.

i think of the middle aged look as convenience clothes… maybe not the image we might like to have of ourselves.. but never the less.. comfortable.

My hubby smoked the tires on the minivan… once. he doesn’t get to drive if he does it again:)

i love my minivan and want to keep it.

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[charlabob]

Oh, come on —stretch pants??? NOOOO, call them tights or leggings and you can wear ’em til you’re 90. Pounds, that is. Unless, of course, we’re talking about the ones with stirrups — Of course, I’m not old enough to remember them, but my grandmother told me …. :-) LOL HEEEEHEEEHE

And sensible shoes got hip (what looks more sensible than Doc Martens?) Either sensible or orthopedic. So I’m just fashionably confused.

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[GenHillOne]

LOL, JoB – a PT Cruiser? Isn’t that like a V8?? Definitely a gas guzzler anyway. We rented one on vacation – super fun, but couldn’t believe how powerful it was. Had to really watch my lead foot and yes, it required a couple of trips to the gas station!

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[JoB]

GenHillOne.. i thought it was a 4 cylindar… the one i had certainly didn’t have much in the way of guts.

and it wasn’t as much fun as i thought it would be to drive.

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[GenHillOne]

Yeah, I think I’m exaggerating on the V8…but we drove it to the beach a lot with our boards out the back window. Wasn’t a woody, but we thought we looked cool anyway ;)

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[JanS]

hmm…I’m feeling a little like a second class person, as I don’t have a mini-van :o(

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[Bonnie]

I don’t have a mini van but a station wagon with a jump seat in the back and I love it. Except for the fact that it is old. Next move is a mini van.

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[Sue]

For some reason, this minivan thread made me think of my first car – a 1976 AMC Hornet Sportabout Stationwagon. Imagine a 23 year old punk rocker in NYC driving this monstrosity with woodgrain sides. I remember getting really drunk one night and going out with a can of paint to “fix it” and make it look better. Not that you can make that look much “better,” but I guess that’s where the beer goggles came in. :)

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[JoB]

Sue… was it any better in the morning without the beer gogles?

I’m with Karen.. i want my car to get old enough that i could paint it.. however i think that is a fantasy as hubby wouldn’t go for it.

I may be an old hippy.. but he was slightly too young and too serious for that:)

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[Sue]

Nah, Jo, I think the only thing that would’ve improved it would have been a torch. LOL!

My fantasy was always to buy a minivan and have someone paint some Roger Dean art (Yes album covers) on the side.

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[Author]

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