Minivan Vs. Crossover

I think that the people who are getting cross-overs may be part of the group of people that say, I am never getting a mini-van. Some people just really really dislike the look of a mini-van. I thought I would be one of those people but when I drove my sister's mini-van I changed my mind and got one myself. So roomy and so comfortable. I don't even have to get out of the car to get into the back seat to feed, change baby, etc. love it!

I also have three kids and couldn't imagine them sitting next to each other in the back seat! YIKES! Give me my van anyday!

We have a crossover and I do love it! BUT I would not love it as much if I had 3 kids instead of 2. It does have a 3rd row seat but the only way to get to it is to climb over the middle hump between the two back seats. I guess since two of your kids are out of carseats that would maybe be ok. Also, there is very little cargo space in the back once the third row back seats are being used. We need to use them once in a while when I am driving friends' kids around. I like the look of the cross-over better than the mini-van--sportier. But not quite as roomy as a van. I drove a mini-van before we got this car.

I traded in my minivan (Chevy Venture) for a Buick Enclave a year ago. While I love all of the luxuries and conveniences that the Enclave has that my van did not, I do wish I had gotten an upgraded van instead of the Enclave. It's a great crossover, but you're right that for loading up a family and hauling stuff it is not nearly as convenient as the minivan. My kids are 8 6, and 2 and I definitely could have used a van for many more years.

Good luck,
K.

I may not be the best person to answer your question, as I have never owned a minivan... I did drive one once though :) (dealer vehicle while service done on my own SUV).

I think one reason (aside from vanity) that I prefer the crossover/SUV is the handling and visibility. I may be WAY off (like I said... it is speculation on my part here) but it seems like a minivan is gonna drive like.. well.. a minivan. I prefer to be up a little higher for visibility in traffic (so I can see past the honking SUV next to me) but also be able to maneuver the vehicle into tight parking spaces, etc. Also.. I haven never liked the window/brace configurations... I felt less comfortable in that minivan about backing up or changing lanes.. because I worried I didn't see something/another car from a blind spot.

And the one I drove didn't have the acceleration and "pick up" that my car does.... something that is important to me b/c I drive interstate daily... and maneuvering in/out of traffic/lanes/exit-on ramps requires the ability to "gun it" and actually GO IMMEDIATELY.

I currently drive an Xterra, and LOVE it. (I only have 2 kids, though... lol). I can see EVERYTHING... very tiny tiny blind spot that is easily remedied with the side view mirror's proper placement/angling. And I can park the thing ANYWHERE I want to. It has a very small turning angle... so a 3 pt turn isn't a 5 point turn.. it's a 3 pt turn like it should be. It is actually pretty fun to drive. My hubby has a Mazda 6, and while it IS "zoom zoom" fun.. it has a crappy turning radius compared to my car. We ALWAYS take my car as the "family" vehicle. My husband is about the only one ever in his car.

Now, again... I am speculating about what the current mini-vans' capabilities are these days... but from what I experienced... they just don't have it when it comes to pick-up/acceleration, visibility around you, and maneuverability. Not all the Crossover/SUV's do either.. but those are my big issues.

I've driven both (and an "I've got me chrysler, it's as big as a whale, it's about to set sail!"... seriously... the 60's stationwagon with one finger/featherlight power steering, complete with the godawful "wood" panneling that could fit a DOUBLE BED -and I know because I did- in the back BEHIND BOTH ROWS of back seats in it).

I prefer SUV's because I. Actually. Drive. Off-Road. On beaches in Oregon, through the old logging roads in Washington, in the desert in CA, through ranches in Montana, in the snow up mountains -or in the winter montana/ wyoming. 4wheel drive baby. I seriously don't understand having a SUV if you're only using it to drive around in the city. Unless you have a hybrid the gas use is ridiculous.

R

I have 2 kids...an almost 2 year old and a 4 year old. I have an SUV (Toyota Highlander) and was getting super frustrated with the fact that I couldn't fit anyone else besides our family of 4 in it. Even when my Mom would come to visit, I would have to try to squeeze in between the car seats in the back seat and it was just impossible. I will say that it did NOT have a 3rd row seat, so I can't speak to that aspect, but I ended up begging my hubby for a minivan because I wanted to be able to carpool with another child to my daughter's preschool, but couldn't fit another seat in the back to even do that.

So, we just got a minivan in December and I LOVE it! Like you said, the automatic sliding doors and just the amount of space to haul kids, car seats and just about anything else you could possibly need to haul, is amazing. I find cool new things about it every day too. I used to be a "I will never drive a minivan because I'm too cool" person too, but I wouldn't trade mine for anything now. All I have heard from people with the crossovers is that the 3rd row seats are too small for anyone to actually fit in anyway, so they are hardly worth it. With this vehicle, when my Mom or my in-laws come to visit, we can easily all fit in the car together and not even have to move car seats around. Perfect vehicle in my opinion, despite it's reputation as uncool!! :-)

I have a Honda Odessey 2003, the motor is that of an SUV!
I was an SUV person before and drove Jeep Cherokee - more maintanance and not necessarily more power or flexibility. Dreaded the thought of getting a van. I love my van, the room , the body, the extra seats, cargo space, leather seats and it's lot cheaper than SUV.
Strangely, I have had more maintance repairs on SUV than my van. It's up to you though, with 3 kids I would stick to a Van, if you are not sure rent a Crossover for 1 week and see how it is? Why not if you are going to spend the money, Carmax I think let's you exchange your car within 30 days if you don't like it.
Good luck finding the right car!

I have a Nissan Murano. I didn't want to go as big as a minivan--for steering/maneuverability. I only have 2 kids so it is a good size for me. However, I am tight on cargo space in the trunk for road trips or buying multiple boxes of diapers at Costco ;-P

I'm an SUV person, love my Acura MDX. There is tons of room in it for 7. If we had more than 2 kids we might have gone with a different option. My husband tried to sell me on a minivan even though neither of us have ever been minivan people but I couldn't bring myself to do it. If I ever did, I think it would be the Honda Oddessy. Our MDX has everything in it including the entertainment system. They will definately be able to grow in it.

Vans drive differently than crossovers. Some people prefer the crossover style of driving. I also know that my SIL just refuses to drive a minivan. I doubt she's ever even tried it. She says it's a coolness factor, but I can fit my 3 dogs and 2 carseats in my minivan and still have trunk space for luggage, and that's pretty cool. ^_~

I just purchased a minivan, and I did look around at many van options and crossovers. I prefer the way a minivan drives (more like a car, less like an SUV) and the price tag made a big difference to me, too. If you're really wondering, go to your dealership and test-drive a couple of crossovers, but I don't think you're missing anything.

I have had 2 minivans - was in need of a new vehicle and looked at minivans and crossover SUVS - I would have loved a full sized SUV but not the gas bill!!

We would have loved a Chevy Traverse - but got a much better deal on a Volvo XC90 - I LOVE it!! It is definitiely smaller than a minivan - but still seats 7 and I would not go back to my minivan now. If I was still dealing with carseats - definitely would still have a minivan!! Plus my dad lives with us and he has a minivan - so we have that option if needed!

My kids are 13, 11 and 7 too!!

I love my minivan. I can't see me driving anything else for a long time to come. Mine with be 12 yrs old in May (we bought it new just before my son was born), and I'm going to have to look for another vehicle sooner or later. When I do, I'll look for used minivan that's a few years old with low miles on it and I'll keep it as long as I can.

I don't think you are missing anything "important" :) I owned mini-vans for YEARS (Sienna, Transport, Venture, etc) and when it was time to trade my last van in (2007), I just couldn't buy one more mini van. Purely vanity I guess. I have a Hyundai Veracruz and I do really love it. Do I miss sliding doors? Yep - I am always constantly reminding kids to be careful not to bang car doors in parking lots. Other than that, I LOVE my vehicle. However, it really was a personal choice for me.

Good luck in your decision!

I would say stick with a minivan if you are dealing with carseats, kids who open doors without looking at what they're gonna bang into, or gonna be driving friends around. I had an suv before, and now I drive a 2006 Honda Odyssey. My minivan is stylin. It is navy blue with chrome around the tinted windows. I put some cool surfer flower stickers on the windows and it looks awesome. I love it and love the room. No longer do I need to have my niece sit in the cargo area in the back when she wants to come home with us to spend the night. We have the room. I won't convert back until my kids are grown. Good luck.

I have had both I drove a Ford Freestyle until 2009 and now I have a Chrysler Town and Counrty. I did like the Freestyle but I love my Town and Country, but I have four kids. For room and convience the minivan beats it hands down. Also the doors open on a crossover and the dents on our other car are terrible young children just don't get openning a door carefully.

If you love your van, I'd say stick with it. I'm personally an SUV drive and it's for the totally ridiculous (I admit it) reason that I just can't bear the thought of driving a mini-van :) I have 2 kids (3.5 years and 9 months) and the SUV works fine. If we had more kids, I would have to seriously consider changing over but with 2, I'm fine with the SUV. I don't think you're really missing anything - it's probably just that more people are driving cross-overs because there are more options now-adays. Everyone I talk to that drives a mini van LOVES it. Our family is headed down to Florida in 2 weeks and we've rented a mini-van (I got a great deal - cheaper than an SUV down there which is unusual) so maybe I'll come back from this trip "converted" :)

Anyway, if you love your van, I say stick with it.

I drive a Saturn Outlook and I love it. I refuse to drive a van. Period. I've never owned a van and I don't need to drive one to know they're super-lame. I don't want anyone to jump all over me. This is just my opinion. Elastic-waist pants are easy and convenient too, but I prefer to go with a stylish pair of jeans! My crossover is all-wheel-drive and is terrific in the snow. We had some really stormy, snowy days this past winter and I've never felt so safe transporting my 5 year-old and infant sons. It just plowed through the snow! Happy shopping! I hope you enjoy whatever you choose to buy!

LOL!
My husband and I just got a new(er) van (07), a Town and Country Touring with the stow and go. We were looking at new crossovers (the Traverse and the Acadia). We have 4 kids, all in carseats.
Well, for one thing the new vehicles we were looking at, a basic package with no "extras" runs around $24,000... we wanted a few extra things so what we were looking at for price ended up being around 30K. Even a used Traverse and Acadia had close to the same price tag, even basic.
We decided we'd check out vans, soley because we decided we could not afford the crossovers (we have to have 7 or 8 seats, so these were about our only options for a crossover)
Well, we saw in the paper a used van. We went to look at it and fell in love (hehe)
It has the automatic doors, navigation, entertainment package (6 disc dvd), heated leather seats, lots and lots of extras.
This van is such a blessing! Not only is there more room inside (remember, it is a stow and go, so lots of storage too) but those doors! OOH man I am spoiled already and it is now only a week since we bought it! My husband was set on wanting a crossover, but now, he doesn't regret getting the van AT ALL! He loves it too! My kids can open the doors manually by themselves, then (when we let them) they can push the button to close it! It is awesome! I can not even imagine having to open the reg. doors on a suv type vehicle, then clamber in to help the younger 2 children with carseats, since the cross overs are taller, we'd have to help the younger 3 get in...
SOOOooo the van is much more convinient, it costed us a fraction of the price of the crossover, plus we have soo many features we would not have been able to get with a new, or even used crossover.
That's my opinion!
(OH, I don't think it'd be hard with a crossover with older kids and no carseats though... but come on you know how awesome automatic doors are!)

I am a 20 something mom with 2 young children. I just feel like I'm too young for a minivan. I drive a Chrysler Pacifica and have been for the past 5 years. I love it! It works out really well with 2 kids, I'll probably breakdown and do a minivan when we have another one. But for now I still feel a little bit cool in my crossover ;)