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True that. You can add all the bells and whistles you want to, but they're still not overly stout vehicles.
I'm trying to think of a model that keeps a transmission in it and I can't find one off of quickie memory.
That and the hell if I'm going to work on something so tight under the hood. Changing out the intake mani gasket on my v6 F150 was no fun and that was really only for two bolts that I was reaching for. I'm not even bothering with a whole cylinder bank pointing at the firewall.
Astro/Safari with a 4l80e, 7.5 rear axle, and 4.3 is about as stout as the s series trucks with the same drivetrain. The only other domestics I see a lot are caravan/voyeger/t&c, even the k car models. I tend to see more areostars than windstars and freestars. The Mercury equivilant is actually a rwbadged nissan quest, and I don't see a lot of those either.
If you want to drive your solitary self or your 14 kids or your husband/wife and dog or a ton of bricks around in an SUV or a van or a semi truck, you are welcome to do so. If you want to have a motorhome as your daily driver because it has more space, be my guest. I simply wish people would voluntarily choose to do their part for the beleaguered earth by selecting the most environmentally-friendly choices that fit their needs. If you have 4+ children or you drive in a massive carpool or you run a daycare center, a van is probably the answer. If you are a typical modern family with 2 or fewer children, I would hope that you would choose a more appropriate vehicle that would be better for planet we all have to share (and for your pocketbook as well!) But again, whether you want to drive a monster truck or a Prius, nobody is stopping you.
Accept, that's how you feel. For me, a vehicle I find appropriate for me has nothing to do with fuel mileage, safety, or any of that. Performance, looks, and attraction to a vehicle are all that matters to me. I would rather drive a funny car as a daily driver, than a prius or anything practicle. Matter of fact even as a kid, I've always wanted a stepvan.
Honestly, the difference in gas millage between a 2014 Minivan and a large crossover or even large SUV is marginal.
It probably equates to like $400 a year, which to most people is nothing.
correct to some people the $$ is nothing. But I feel like I lost half my usable space. My 2011 Honda van fit 8 people & has tons of space in the back piece. My new lexus SUV can't fit much.
Also my friends who drives a Suburban has a 42 gallon gas tank size X cost of gas....it gets old quickly.....and many people I know who are wealthy don't like to pay a lot for gasoline
This. I don't have children now--and may not choose to ever. But if I do decide to start a family, there is no way on god's green earth that I would amass so many children that they would not fit in a standard vehicle! Unless you have 4 or more little ones--which hardly anyone does these days--I don't see the need for a van. Of course everyone has the right to do as they please, but I wish we could somehow get to a point where gas-guzzlers were only driven by people for whom such vehicles are actually necessary.
Ah, a save the planet through boring transportation type.
Are paper products (except toilet paper) banned in your house? Do you print on the back and front of the pages?
Are you wearing clothes till they have holes in them and only replacing what you need? Do you keep your appliances for DECADES? Do you let yellow mellow and flush brown down? Do you keep furniture for decades? Electronics? Are plastic bottles banned from your life? Do you recycle everything? Are all your lights being exchanged for LED as they burn out?
Come talk to me about my gas guzzler when you do this and all the other things I do bc I love my planet.
BTW, I drive fewer than 10000 miles a year...less than 500 gallons of gas...
We had only one daughter and were not into the soccer routine , haul the team or all her friends around. If they couldn't fit into the Accord or Camry, then someone else drove. If I were in a business where I needed to haul things, yes, I would consider one. But they really don't interest me.
Maybe if enough ppl ask Honda, they will make the surplus Indy car engined, all wheel drive Odyssey available to the public. The Hillclimb is this weekend. Can't wait to see what shows up this year
I never understood when a couple has a child and right away they feel the need to go out and buy a huge SUV or Minivan. It's a tiny child for christ sakes. No need to go out and buy a 7 passenger automobile for something as tiny as a child. Even with the transportation of a carriage, etc. There's still no need for such a huge automobile.
As other people said, it's also the "stuff". One other important factor at the time of a $20k+ decision is it's likely to only happen once in the foreseeable future. The majority of the rest of the savings will be going to the kid(s)... preschool/daycare/activities/college fund. Of course you're going to plan ahead and go bigger right now as far as a family car.
We have a van and I LOVE it! I can easily fit the 4 dogs and 3 kids no problem!! We have a focus too and its good but you cant easily fit 3 carseats in the back and thats dangerous. I dont care if i look cool or not, i need room for carseats (yes my 6,8 and 9yr old are still in booster seats)
Judging by the tons of $$$$$ which Toyota, Nissan and everybody else have spent in upgrading their minivans in pursuit of the Odyssey, it's very safe to say that minivans are in no danger of going away, on top of the reason that they're substantially more profitable than the Accord, Camry or Altima, or any other family sedan out there.
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