Crazy to Trade-in Mini-van?

Got rid of my minivan a few years ago and got an suv and regret it to this day. Loved my minivan. Who cares about "being cool" or having a cool car to be seen in? For me it's about a vehicle that is useful, comfortable and works for me and my family.

Yes, you're crazy. I LOVE my minivan. I will keep it if I ever get a smaller car. It has been great for long road trips, extra kids, drum sets, garage sales, Lowes runs, SAMs runs, and moving dorm kids/college appt kids. Did you know you can get a twin mattress and box springs in that thing??!

As for feeling big and sloppy, I feel large and in charge!

I would ditch a mini can in a heartbeat! There are so many options out there these days especially if you only have two kids. Subaru outback is great, Honda CRV, the crossovers. Just do some research.

I ditto MamaR. I HATE my minivan. I HATE being seen in the thing. It is SOOOO uncool. I drool over the day my youngest graduates and I can trade i in for my Jaguar. It's really, really sad when i get in our run-about-Prius and I feel like I've been upgraded to a sports vehicle. :(

But, until he graduates, I am stuck with it. The older they get, the more friends I haul around. We have a birthday party in 2 weeks in which I'll be hauling 6 kids on a 2 1/2 hour trip. Taking a group fishing tomorrow night, so we'll need the extra seating then as well as room for all the gear. And tonight is dance carpool - my turn to drive. No way I could do that in a sedan. And as bad as my gas mileage is, an SUV would be just as bad. And we already have a 4-Runner that we trailer with, so it'd be stupid to get another. Unless we trade 4-Runner and mini-van for a pickup truck and a large SUV....Ugh. But it's been nice having no car payments!

The only other nice thing about my minivan is how the seats fold flat and I can haul just about anything in a covered vehicle. Full sheets of plywood and drywall, enough lumber to build a shed, etc. And LOTS of stuff up to the thrift store. Bikes, dogs in their kennels (not safe to transport any other way), even 2 small kayaks.

I hate my minivan, but I'm not getting rid of it. My kids are 9 & 11. On any given day I'll suddenly have 2-4 additional kids carpooling with me to soccer practice/game/tournament. Add to that the stash of chairs, team bench, blankets, sleeping bags, first aid kits, and corner flags that live in my car because I need them frequently and there's no way I would be able to have a smaller car. When mine were smaller it would have been doable, but now that they are older and in sports - no way.

I haven't been driving my van for a while, we got a new 4 door pickup, and I miss the room inside. It is so confining without that space in the back section and without the open floor space.

I like my van because it's big enough that I can take the kids and a friend with me to the mall and hubby can drive. He can park after letting us out at the door by our favorite store. He likes the stores at the other end so he parks down there and when my friend and I have went to all the places we like we end up where he parked.

I miss being able to toss the groceries in the back and know they are not going to be all over the place too.

IF I were to purchase a station wagon I would want it to have those old fashioned seats in the back that fold up if you have extra people with you. I had an old one that held 10 people if you folded up the 2 seats that faced each other in the back. They were just wide enough to hold 2 kids/teens on each seat. I loved loading up the kids and going to the OKC Zoo, Omniplex, and Kirkpatrick Center. It was so much fun.

So yes, I like a mini van that seats at least 8. That's my ideal. Although most only hold 7 they are the smallest I really want to go to.

My biggest deciding factor for the size of vehicle we drive is simply this.

Semi vs car

Semi vs mini van

Semi vs big pickup

I've been in a wreck with a semi and we were in an old LTD. A heavy car made with metal instead of fiberglass or plastic. We walked away with road rash from the seat belts. We drove our car home even though the windsheild was a maze of spider web breaks. Even though the whole thing was slightly crooked. Since it drove hubby wanted to drive it home and park it so people could come look at it.

We had been sitting facing east 2nd or 3rd in line to turn left (north) on highway 9 onto Jennings road. A semi rear ended a bronco which proceeded to flip a couple of times and land on the car in front of us. The semi broke something to do with the left front tire, it was smashed into the wheel well a bit and this made the truck go slightly to its left and not straight. So it curved into us. The rear tires under the tank hit the drivers front tires of our vehicle and the tank was over the top of our heads. The truck was behind our car a ways.

A highway patrolman who was going home from work lived in the housing addition close by there. He saw the truck at an angle and thought it was pulling into his housing addition. Then as he got closer he realized it was on top of our car. He called for ambulances and backup. He had never seen a wreck this bad where there weren't bodies everywhere.

He was astonished we lived through this and I had red skin and bruises where my seat belt was. That's the extent of our injuries.....

He said it was specifically due to having a sturdy vehicle. If we had been in a smaller or newer vehicle we would likely have not lived through this.

In another experience we were driving along at night with 7 people in our Nissan van on I-35 and were sideswiped by a pickup truck with a couple of drunk teenagers. Our drivers rear quarter panel was gone. My granddaughter was sitting in her car seat right there. The truck bumper hit our left rear tire.

The highway patrolman said if we hadn't been driving a bigger sturdier vehicle we would have likely lost control and flipped a few times. We'd have hit all the signs showing the way to the Lazy E Arena.

SO I will never drive a car that is not a sturdy vehicle. One that is metal and made to sustain an impact well. They aren't going to get great gas mileage or be cute and small. But they are going to give us a better chance to live through any wreck we might have.

We had a loaded Town and Country for about 10 yrs. That was a great van, never any issues. Easy when daughter was younger. Great for Home Depot runs and loading up... etc.

We got rid of it a few years ago and upgraded to what is now my daughter's car Mercedes CLK 350 (coupe/sporty so not good for a family) and hubby got a sedan, Mercedes E350 (seats 4 but large trunk space), Then 2 yrs ago we got my car the Mercedes SL550 which is a convertible, 2 seater, race car. We LOVE our cars and will never ever drive anything but a Mercedes again... However, We CANNOT go to Home Depot or Costco for a big run, or bring home a piece of furniture, etc.

I did use the van often for carpooling, etc. It does not matter as much now since daughter is 18.

When we have some sort of project, etc, we rent the Home Depot truck to get things home. In the past, we would have removed the van's seats and had plenty of room..

The only part about the van that we miss are the options for Home Depot, Costco, and carrying a bunch of stuff.

I don't buy into the whole gas mileage fallacy. For the kind of driving I do, my husband's 4 cylinder sedan gives me a negligible boost in miles per gallon. I calculate my mileage every time I fill up and when I drive his car rather than my van I only get about 2 more miles per gallon with the car. It seems crazy but it is true.

With that being said, I do find it difficult to park in tight spaces. When possible I will back my van into the space and it makes a world of difference getting out of tighter spaces.

I love the extra space that the minivan gives. Right now it is loaded with softball and soccer equipment, but I still have room for my groceries.

Personally I think you will take a huge loss if you trade it in so with all due respect yes I think you are crazy ;-)

I could never get rid of the mini-van. My last mini-van had a back-up sensor that beeped if there was anything in the way. The van I have now has a back-up camera. You can easily get a back-up camera installed after market. When I drive the car I don't feel comfortable because I don't have the same visibility in traffic. I know my kids really appreciate the fact that they can each bring a friend along with us on outings. We also enjoy camping, and road trips, and without the van we just wouldn't have room for all of our stuff. I had a friend who refused to get a mini-van, and when her family went on trips they always had to bring two small cars. I imagine if you have to bring two cars the gas mileage is much worse than one van!

We have the minivan because we take very long car trips (16-18 hours one way, a couple of times a year) and the extra space is helpful. We also regularly take bikes to different parks to ride, and I can fit three bikes in the back of the car, so I usually end up carrying my kids and the bikes of the kids we're meeting (even our friend with the SUV can only fit one). We carry lumber, mulch, etc. in it for projects. It's really not about the kids as much as it is the space. But since we have kids and projects, the minivan works best for us. This weekend I'm driving five girls and all their gear to Girl Scout camp. I love ours.

ETA: We just traded in our old Honda Odyssey for a 2012 in December. I love it and I happen to think it looks very cool. But then again, I've never been one to care about being "cool," even as a kid. I'd much rather do what makes sense.

July:

I don't know what kind of minivan you have....there are minivans with back up cameras. I have a Honda Odyssey - I don't have problems backing up.

Personally? I think you need to find the right car for you. You might not have the seat adjusted right..the mirrors adjusted right...

I have two kids. I am ALWAYS carting around someone else's kids. I have two boys that I take care of frequently. A smaller car will NOT do for us. But that's US.

I don't know what you consider poor gas mileage, either. I get about 15 miles to the gallon city with my van. Highway? 24 to 26. Are there better? yep. are there worse? yep.

I know that when I drive a smaller car - I feel funky and don't have the same visibility I would have in my van (sitting higher). You need to do what works for you. If you can afford to trade it in - go for it. But really - rent the car you want for a weekend...USE it. See if there is any difference for you. You might find another car or minivan that works right for you.

Are you crazy? Nope. You just don't have the right one for you.

Good luck!

Or it's a bonus that you cant offer rides to friends ;)

Lots of moms survive without driving a minivan :) Go for it! The only downfall I can see is if you need more space for roadtrips but wagons can have good space too.

I have 3 kids so I am sort of stuck with the mini van for a bit.

I'm with Marla. I have older kids now and got rid of my mini van because of mechanical issues and car payments. Paid cash for a much older suv, doesn't have the 3rd row of seats. Although we have not had one single problem with it, our 3 kids all sitting next to each other is NOT worth it. Also, if we want to go somewhere with just my mom, we don't have room for her. I KNEW I was going to miss that 3rd row! Oh well, we are making do. As far as "looks" go, I don't try to be cool, I try to drive something that doesn't cost a fortune and is good for my family.

I refuse to own a mini van and I also have two kids. I also watch my three nephews during the week. I drive a Pontiac Grand Am and even though it only fits 5 I love it and really don't plan on getting rid of it any time soon. With five kids during the summer ( really only have the youngest during the school year) my husband drives his motorcycle and I drive his truck that fits 6 people. He did have a 92 Chevy pick up extended cab that fit all of us to go to the park or other outings, although we just upgraded to a 2005 Chevy crew cab and I LOVE driving it.
When I had my daughter my dad was all over me telling me I needed a mini-van. I said no way and that he and my mom did it with only one vehicle and two kids and those vehicles included a Jeep, and a couple sports cars and even single cab pick ups.
There is a push for us mothers to drive mini vans but if you feel that you can do without and like others said it makes financial sense then get rid of it.

We have three kids and here are the cars we have had.

When we had one, I drove a Honda Accord coupe. Not the best choice, but I was 20 when I had her and was NOT going into something that was too "mom" for me.

When we had the second, my husband tried with all of his might to get me into a mini-van. I was 22 and again, not doing it. They don't fit my pseronality. So we got a Maza 6 wagon. It worked well for two, but was squished when we had our 3rd. We dealt with it until he was one though.

We then got a Nissan Armada. HUGE! I loved that truck so much. But with the poor gas mileage (12-14 around town) we never drove it once we had the option to not drive it.

We got rid of that in February and now have a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Highlander. The Highlander lets me take 2 extra kids if we need to, but I don't see a need to drive everyone else around. Actually, when I had the Camry all the time it got me out of driving two girls to dance that I really can't stand - so it worked in my favor.

You need to find what fits YOU and your family. I don't buy cars to drive other people around or I'd need a bus. I buy cars that work for my family, my needs, and my budget.

No-you are not crazy. Mini vans are awful IMO. I vowed never to drive one-even when my husband brought one home. I never drove it once and he got rid of it-just as quick.

We have a Jeep for hauling the dogs and driving in winter and a Mustang for summer. I have comtemplated trading the Mustang in for a four door but it will be a cool four door-I really want a Charger.

My husband has a truck for his job and any major hauling of product and my in-laws have a large SUV that I borrow if I need to haul a bunch of kids to a birthday party or something but otherwise-I am totally fine with what we have.

We do not owe anything on any of our cars and I do love that so I agree with the poster that says to only do it if it makes financial sense and doesn't put you upside down on the loan.

i have never understood why a mini-van is considered to be standard equipment for mothers. a station wagon will do you just fine.
khairete
S.

I hate mini vans! I would never drive O..
You'll love a car better.
Go for it!

(P.S. we also don't like car payments, so that might factor into the decision!)

We gave up our minivan a couple of years ago. Now our "big car" is a Honda Fit. I don't regret it at all.

The only thing that is inconvenient is that we can't take both kids' bikes in the car. I suppose that could be solved by a rack if it were important enough. Everything else is good. The parking, the gas mileage, the ease of driving. It's fine on road trips, even when bringing our big mutt. If my husband is not with us, I can take both my kids and two friends. That's more than sufficient.

I think we exaggerate what we "need" in our society.

I love my station wagon:) I have been teased forever for it, but they are great. don't get too concerned about toting kids. I have two in elementary and I rarely take any more than one additional child with me anywhere. sometimes (rarely) two. I just think dynamics change and unless you are going to do a community carpool, don't worry about other kids - most parents want to take their own kids anyways.
(I have had two Volvo wagons and now a BMW - I strongly recommend the larger Volvo or buick?? brands. the current one I have is a little on the small side and my Volvos had a back seat in the "trunk" that flipped up for when I was the DD and drove my girlfriends around - yes that happened.)

How about a microvan like the Mazda 5?

I had that when we only had 2 kids, and it was great. It still gives you the minivan-style sliding doors, and has a small 3rd row that folds down for extra cargo space.

A brand new fully-loaded Mazda 5 would be about $22k.

Love my minivan and don't know what I'd do without it. Costco runs, picking up kids and friends for play dates, road trips, and airport runs with relatives. So worth the size. My husband and I trade off that and the smaller car though, so if I ever need to park in tight spots or drive clients around I can skip the minivan. Also, I couldn't have one without the backup camera. Totally necessary, in my opinion.

For me, it's only crazy if the van is not paid off. Being upside down on a loan is crazy to me. I have a dear friend who always falls into the trap of "my monthly payments are going to be lower" then last month she REALLY looked at what her cars were costing her and had a complete freak out moment. Not every mom is a "mini van" mom. Fortunately there are lots of options. I'd just make sure to take several test drives to make sure you find the right car for you.

Personaly, I love my minivan. Even when the kids are gone, I will still want the minivan. My husband and I, sometimes put a blow up mattress in the back, and go on "road trips", without the kids!

Maybe you could rent the kind of car you are thinking about getting for a week, or so, and see how you like it. I know it would cost you money, but if you find out that it's not what you thought it would be, you still have your minivan. It's cheaper then buying something that you reget buying!

I love my mini-van, but I also have a back-up mirror. I told hubby that I refused to drive a mini-van without it....

I can tell you that it did take me well over a year to get comfortable with its size. I use to drive a small Honda Civic, so driving a big Min-van feels crazy! I still have days when it feels sooooo big, but then I have days when I pile in a bunch of people and I am so very happy I have the extra space.

You need to think about the purpose of your vehicle. We wanted something that we could fit extra people in, so that when my in-laws visit, we can just take one car, for instance...or we can just take one car on Mother's day when we go to the Zoo with my parents...or I can take my friends to the Zoo on Monday with us....This is priceless to me. What's priceless to you?

Had to sell my BMW when I got the van...and I cried...and I hated the van for as long as we owned it. Then had an Acura MDX, which I LOVED! (Except for when I had to fill the gas tank...which was pretty often.) Drove an SUV with a 3rd row seat for a lot of years. I WANTED to be able to give my kids' friends rides. That way I knew what was going on. There have been a lot of days in the summers when I filled that SUV with kids and food and took them places. Couldn't have done it with something smaller. It all depends what you want to do with your kids and their friends - that will dictate how big of a vehicle you need.

My daughter's BFF's mom never took the kids anywhere. Said her car wasn't big enough. I don't know if that was an excuse or she just didn't want to be bothered. I wanted to hang out with my kids and their friends. Not every one does. You've got to decide. If you do, a small car probably won't cut it. If not, you're probably fine.