I hate minivans ...

Tasty said:
..many people (myself included) don't want to admit it or give in to the minivan. If I really wanted to be practical, and actually if they were priced a little more reasonably, I might trade my CR-V in for an Odyssey.
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Heh heh, I sure sympathize with anybody who just can't bring themself to get a minivan :) I possibly argue the sensible-but no fun angle because I have one ;) And I can leave it in the garage when I'm not dog-hauling.
 
Since I posted about my Porsche conversion to the Odyssey I feel compelled to reply as well. As Tasty and Accumulator have already posted, feature for feature the mini-van, and in my case the Odyssey, wins hands down.



Is the aversion to the minivan a psychological one or is there a reason associated with the function and practicality of the minivan?



If you think of all the creature comforts that you would want in a crumb catcher, the minivan has them.



For me personally, I was thinking about 5 star crash safety ratings, full side curtain airbags, a great deal of room for my family today and for what my family may look several years down the road, i.e. maybe more kids, ease of use for my misses - hoisting the kids in and out, multiple compartments for all of the kiddie's stuff, improved gas mileage and all around comfort.



Just my $.02 but it looks like you have a nice list of vehicles to consider regardless of which way you go.
 
[quote name='adjulian']Is the aversion to the minivan a psychological one or is there a reason associated with the function and practicality of the minivan?



I suspect that *most* people just don't like the boring putz-mobile minivan image ;) Our previous dog-car was a lot *more* grandma-looking, but it drove *nice* and I miss it, the dogs don't though- they prefer the minivan, same as most people would.



I just don't like how it drives, it's sorta an exaggerated example of why I'm not fond of front wheel drive and soft suspensions. FWIW, it bugs my wife almost as much as it bugs me.



If terms like "weight transfer" are meaningless to somebody's commute, then never mind *my* opinions about how such vehicles drive ;) But we have to consciously adjust how we drive, even with the dogs in it.



The rent-a-Suburban came a lot closer to what we're used to and was great in the winter. But not, alas, as practical by a long shot.
 
Victory- yeah, and nobody bought 'em so nobody else will probably ever build such a thing :(



SpoiledMan said:
Accumulator, the Odyssey isn't like the "other" mini vans. Take one for a spin one day.
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I'm starting to get that impression :D



If I were shopping for a new minivan it'd be at the top of the list. I keep resisting the urge to dump the MPV as (with 25K on it) it can probably haul the dogs for near-free forever. What we *need* is something for nasty winter weather (well, something besides the two Quattros, man am I spoiled :o ).
 
I think the $50,000-60,000 price tag had something to do with no one buying them. But, yeah, full tuned race suspension and over 250hp at the wheels. Just the fact that it can be done is impressive.
 
Accumulator said:
What we *need* is something for nasty winter weather (well, something besides the two Quattros, man am I spoiled :o ).
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Accumulator,



I really wish your first experience with Subaru had been better . . . the B9 Tribeca is getting decent reviews, and would do well in inclement weather (and for a lot less money that some of the competition).



Tort

(totally biased Suby fanatic)
 
Actually this thread had me thinking the last time I took the dogs out...I actually *like* how the MPV looks. But then my taste in vehicles has been questioned before :o Heh heh, the same people who snicker at my dog cars are all :bow when I'm in the good ones. Actually had a pair of guys in a TA cut me off in the Volvo and laugh about it and then give me a :xyxthumbs a few days later when I was in the Mallett :rolleyes: Never occurred to them that I was the same guy.



Victory- And IIRC the FWD dynamics of the Windstar weren't all that happy with the extra power. Build one in AWD and I'd write the check.



Tort- You mean *both* my initial experiences with 'em ;) A lot of it was the incredibly bad local Subaru dealers.



I sincerely wish that Subarus had worked out better for us...I still recommend them to people. I think it's great that so many people (including you) are so happy with them. I recommended them to some relatives who were thrilled with 'em.



Our situation is kinda unique due to the dogs and all their stuff, the B9 wouldn't work if we *did* want to try one.
 
Accumulator - Actually, the MPV is one of the less offensive looking minivans. I think the new ones look pretty good with that chrome trim around the bottom and the fog lights. Not a bad effort. When you look at the Chrysler and Ford options....makes me shudder.



I was reading up on this Kenny Brown Windstar simply because I'd never heard of it before, and Edmunds said that he specifically used that Eaton supercharger to AVOID horrendous torque steer and sudden surges in weird places on the power band. Sounds like it was pretty cool...for a minivan. The debate shall rage on...



I actually have to give some props to those of you who buy them and then revel in the utility and practicality that you get. When it comes to cars and real life usage, mileage, and what you really need a vehicle for this entire country needs an attitude adjustment.
 
Just decided today that we're going to exercise the utility in our mini van for a "short" road trip from Los Angeles to Little Rock. With two kids, we will be able to take pretty much what we want with room to spare.:) I'll have to check with PT91 to see if I have anything he wants to sample since I'm driving.:D
 
Tasty said:
When it comes to cars and real life usage, mileage, and what you really need a vehicle for this entire country needs an attitude adjustment.
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Yeah, amen to that. Heh heh, too many people seem to consider their vehicles to be primarily a fashion accessory ;)



SpoiledMan- By the end of that trip you'll sure know how you feel about that minivan!
 
Accumulator, it's 6.5 years old. It's done it's share of 600+ mile trips. I still like it like the day I drove it off the lot.:)
 
Accumulator said:
Tort- You mean *both* my initial experiences with 'em ;) A lot of it was the incredibly bad local Subaru dealers.
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D'oh! I remember you had a WRX, what was the other Sube?



I'll have to admit, though, part of my huge bias for Subaru comes from having awesome local support. You might not expect it, but the Nebraska Subaru Owner's Club (NSOC) is very active, and chock full of people who wrench on their own cars to one extent or another. Plus, one of our members is a mechanic on the side, and only charges $30/hour for labor (less than half of what the stealerships charge). He's also happy to teach you how to work on your own car, if you're willing to learn. If I didn't have the club to fall back on, and had to rely on dealerships, I don't think I'd be nearly as enthusiastic about the marque.



Tort
 
TortoiseAWD said:
D'oh! I remember you had a WRX, what was the other Sube?
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First Subie was a '95 or '96 Outback, forget which year. Short version: defective clutch/pressure plate, had to toe the clutch pedal up to engage. They said "there's no problem" until it got so bad it wasn't drivable, then they said it's the return spring, I said nope. Drove it like this for a very long time while they [messed] around. Finally just told them to replace the parts I said, that I'd pay if I was wrong (they still resisted, saying they'd never worked on a manual Outback with clutch issues before!). I wasn't wrong- they were all "gee, look at the defective parts.." Shortly thereafter I got an intermittent CEL and they couldn't figure that out either. Then it started eating batteries...enough was enough.
 
Accumulator said:
First Subie was a '95 or '96 Outback, forget which year. Short version: defective clutch/pressure plate, had to toe the clutch pedal up to engage. They said "there's no problem" until it got so bad it wasn't drivable, then they said it's the return spring, I said nope. Drove it like this for a very long time while they [messed] around. Finally just told them to replace the parts I said, that I'd pay if I was wrong (they still resisted, saying they'd never worked on a manual Outback with clutch issues before!). I wasn't wrong- they were all "gee, look at the defective parts.." Shortly thereafter I got an intermittent CEL and they couldn't figure that out either. Then it started eating batteries...enough was enough.
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:mad:



Yep, sounds like a competent dealership would have made your first experience a heckuva lot better.



I've been exceedingly fortunate with my WRX; I've only had to go to the dealer for a couple of recall issues, and other than that, I've been trouble-free (knock wood).



Tort
 
Tort- Heh heh, see why we're not shopping Subarus these days ;)



We never did have some of the recalls done on our WRX because the dealers just couldn't seem to get their acts together. The whole thing was just unacceptable, at least after the treatment I've come to expect from the other shops/dealers.



I ended up having a talk with the owner's son when we bought the MPV as it was from one of the dealers who'd [messed] around with the WRX. They also handle Porsche/Audi and I explained why they lost my business to Stoddard (the S8 was parked outside). When they realized all the $ their service dept. had lost them they were pretty :eek: about it. No problems so far ..



I'm pretty confident that you're Subie experience will be just as swell as everyone else's is.
 
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