7 Great Reasons to Buy a Minivan

Sure, a minivan isn’t the fastest, sportiest or even the nicest looking car to have but for day to day travel needs, there is hardly a better option if you are taking a large group.

Back in the 80s, minivans were all the rage, with these vehicles being a favorite among both families and young college students. However, nowadays, minivans are certainly a rarer sight on American roads; their prominence has since been superseded by the rising popularity of SUVs and crossovers.

With that said, owning a minivan can still confer a number of advantages over the other car types. Here are 7 great reasons to buy a minivan this year.

1. They Are Super Practical

Sure, a minivan isn’t the fastest, sportiest or even the nicest looking car to have but for day to day travel needs, there is hardly a better option, especially if you are taking a large group along with you. First, let’s talk about storage space, which many minivans tend to have a highly generous amount of. Whether it is getting the month’s groceries or packing in the gear and equipment for your camping trip, you seldom have to worry about running out of space within a minivan.

And if on those rare instances, you are not able to fit in all your luggage items, you can just fold the back rows seats and effectively double the cargo space.

Minivans also provide a lot of passenger space and seating – an entire family of 5 plus 3 friends (or relatives) can fit in many of these vehicles quite comfortably. On average, minivans have five more inches of legroom and 15 more inches of interior room space than their third row than three-row SUV counterparts.

2. They Provide Excellent Value for the Money

Because demand nowadays is low for a minivan, it is easier for you to get a good deal on the purchase of one. With the prices compared between that of a new minivan and three-row SUV, you are likely to pay $6300-8000 less for the former over the latter. Adding in luxury models widens the price gap even further with the average high-end SUV costing $18,300 more than its minivan counterpart.

Running costs on a minivan are also cheaper. Mile per mile, a minivan is one of the most affordable options of any other car type of a similar size thanks to its lower maintenance needs and generally higher fuel efficiency. Because of the demography minivans are usually associated with, and that they rarely show up in crash records, insurance coverage tends to be quite cheap as well.

3. Easy to Get in and Out of

Because of their very low profile, even the smallest of kids can easily climb into a minivan. The same holds true for the elderly and handicapped. And with its powered sliding doors, there are no worries about one’s hand or foot getting injured, as often happens with an accidental slam of a car door.

Powered sliding doors also means that it’s easier to get in the van in relatively cramped parked spaces or if both of your hands are kind of occupied with holding groceries, small kids, or other items. The same is true if the van is parked in a steeply inclined position. With a press of a button, it springs open for you to easily get inside.

Image trying to get into any other large vehicle parked on a steep incline. Trying to open its big and heavy doors would certainly be cumbersome and even dangerous, especially when you are carrying items in your hands.

4. Perfect for Long Road Trips

In a minivan, passengers are not cramped next to each other while seated. Instead, they can comfortably remain seated for hours with plenty of space to stretch out their limbs. In addition, because there is often more than enough room for your luggage, rarely will your passengers even find themselves in the predicament of having to contend with any extra load that couldn’t be fit in the cargo space.

5. Excellent Utility

Don’t let the timid and urban appearance of a modern minivan fool you – many of them can boast of superb utility. Take the Toyota Sienna as an example. It’s an all-wheel-drive with a towing capacity of 3,500 lbs. Others, such as the Nissan NV and the Mercedes-Benz Metris, have towing capability that can nearly rival that of larger SUVs and some personal trucks.

While most minivans are not designed to be off-road vehicles, they can still get by nicely on the less demanding tracks, such as gravel trails and dirt roads.

6. Safety

Driving a minivan is safer than most other car types. Compared to SUVs and crossovers, minivans have a much lower center of gravity, providing them with better road stability. Their lower profile also aids in reducing the impact of a collision. Both it and the other colliding car are most likely to come most in contact with each other at their crumple zones.

The safety value of a modern minivan is further enhanced by the great range of advanced safety and driver assistance features that typically come as standard. This includes such options as adaptive cruise control, rear-view camera, pre-collision safety system, lane assist, as well as emergency brake assist.

7. Performance-wise, They Are an SUV’s Equal

A lot of readers may be shocked to read the above title, but it’s true. Performance-wise, minivans have improved immensely over the years.  While some SUVs may have the edge when it comes to power, minivans beat them when it comes to handling and steering. This is because they are usually built on platforms similar to that of cars, while the design of SUV platforms relates more to that of trucks. The latter is better for off-roading while the former is specially built for the urban environment.

Concluding Note

We are well-aware of the ‘soccer mom’ stigma that has come to be associated with the ownership of minivans, but if one can look past this rather unjustified label, they will see a car that, in numerous metrics, proves to be able to deliver great value. Besides, at the end of the day, if one is looking for a great family vehicle, convenience and safety should be at the top of their mind, not looks or how sporty the driving experience is.