# Death Of The Minivan



## Castle Rock Outbackers (Jan 18, 2004)

This fun and entertaining article was posted on the Chrysler Pacifica forum I belong to.

EDITORIAL: The Death of the Mini-Van 
By Chicago Tribune

Jan. 29--More than a million mini-vans were sold in the U.S. last year, a spectacular marketing triumph given that nobody actually wants one.

In particular, nobody wants a Ford Freestar, which is what prompted speculation this week that Ford Motor Co. will stop making mini-vans as part of its North American restructuring plan. Mini-vans as a class have been losing ground to sport-utility vehicles since the mid-1990s. Could this be the beginning of the end of the Mom Mobile?

The arc of the mini-van's popularity closely follows the life stages of the Baby Boom generation. It was the Boomers who let the air out of the tires of the previous American icon, the station wagon. Having grown up in the rear-facing tailgate seat of their parents' Country Squire wagons, they wanted something cooler in which to haul their own kids. What they got was the Dodge Caravan, but never mind. It was a big hit.

When Chrysler introduced the first modern mini-vans in 1983, demand was so strong that waiting lists stretched for six months or more. Even in the early years, though, a surprising number of mini-van owners insisted they'd bought the thing with a gun to their heads. It was the husband's idea, or else it was the wife's, but both were secretly thrilled with the leg room and the cargo space and all the newfangled amenities, especially--boy, does this date things--the cup holders.

But a mini-van was never the car you wanted; it was the car you needed, especially after that second baby came along. It was a concession to adult sensibilities, with carpool seating and room to stow a double stroller. It screamed "Married, With Children," and it pretty much guaranteed the driver's days of being scoped out at stoplights by the opposite sex were over. It was a bitter, bitter pill.

A Brat Box. A Parent Trap. A Barneymobile.

But a big seller, for a long time. Sales peaked at 1.37 million in 2000. By then the backlash was brewing against the mini-van's soccer mom image, and the Boomers were running out of babies.

Today the mini-van market is giving way to empty-nesters, who need them to haul the grandkids or their own parents. The median age of a mini-van buyer is 51, up from 44 in 2000.

So mini-vans, the station wagons of the '90s, have been overtaken by SUVs, the station wagon of the moment. Coming up in the rearview mirror are the sleeker, smoother-riding crossovers like the Chrysler Pacifica and the Subaru Forester, marketed as a happy marriage of the best attributes of vans, sedans and SUVs.

If you ask us, they look an awful lot like station wagons.

-----

Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail [email protected]

NYSE:F,

Story from REDORBIT NEWS:
www.redorbit.com/news/display/?id=373541

Published: 2006/01/29 15:00:41 CST

Â© RedOrbit 2005


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Interesting reading.............I am hoping my wife will be tired of the mini van by the time the new Challenger concept car is built









John


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Great story, Castle Rock!








And how true!

You mentioned a Pacifica forum. Not that I need another outlet to spend my time, but I am curious what it might be?...

Now that you have had your Pacifica for awhile, how are you liking it? With the exception of gas mileage, we sure enjoy ours.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## nascarcamper (Jan 27, 2005)

That hits the nail on the head. I loved ours when the kids were younger as far as comfort of travel but.....


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

I resemble that!










Although we do love our caravan, it will be replaced as soon as the kiddies get bigger. Guess we are living proof of the article's point! Mama wants a Cadillac


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Yeah DW already told me that she gets rid of the mini van 
She wants a Suzuki XL7









Don


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

The article forgot about those of us who use the miniVans for other than kid-pooling....

Our's becomes my daily driver when the ice comes out & the Miata goes in for winter storage. The rest of the year, the miniVan serves as the weekend DogBus, hauling all of us and our paraphenallia to and from dogshows, as well as serving as the PipeBand Water Wagon, hauling all of the water for all of the parades.


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## nascarcamper (Jan 27, 2005)

wolfwood said:


> The article forgot about those of us who use the miniVans for other than kid-pooling....
> 
> Our's becomes my daily driver when the ice comes out & the Miata goes in for winter storage. The rest of the year, the miniVan serves as the weekend DogBus, hauling all of us and our paraphenallia to and from dogshows, as well as serving as the PipeBand Water Wagon, hauling all of the water for all of the parades.
> [snapback]76856[/snapback]​


PipeBand Water Wagon? Is that a giant bong?


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

Ok....We also have a minivan..... and yes we love it









Thor


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

nascarcamper said:


> wolfwood said:
> 
> 
> > The article forgot about those of us who use the miniVans for other than kid-pooling....
> ...












...and since you asked....I serve as the "Water Carrier" or "Water Wizard" for the Bagpipe & Drum band that KB plays in... I drive behind the band, carrying big coolers of water ... it gets pretty hot playing & marching in those all-wool outfits...especially in high summer.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Thor said:


> Ok....We also have a minivan..... and yes we love it
> 
> 
> 
> ...


We do too, Thor. But the Miata is SOOOOOooooooo much more fun!


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## Burger (Dec 20, 2005)

That's why my second car is a'94 Buick Roadmaster "Woodie" Estate Wagon. My 7 and 8 year olds love the rear facing seat







It gets 22.31 MPG on the hiway, too.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Burger said:


> That's why my second car is a'94 Buick Roadmaster "Woodie" Estate Wagon. My 7 and 8 year olds love the rear facing seat
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow - the amount of time my brother & I spent riding backwards....hours at a time. That was the ONLY place we wanted to ride. Do they still make rear-facing seats .... with a working window, too?

btw - love your signature (biological kds vs adopted kids)


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## Burger (Dec 20, 2005)

Wolfwood,

I'm not sure about the other brands, but 1996 was the last year for the big GM wagons. I don't know of anybody currently making a rear facing seat. I found mine on Ebay and bought it out of Oregon. My DW thought I was nuts for buying it. I looked at it as the poor man's SUV, not to mention I can slide a 4'X8' sheet of plywood in that sucker if I need to. Some say that the big wagons are the collectors item of the future







, but that might be because they have one







With the wagon I have no problem with people crowding my car in the parking lot... can't figure that one out


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

We still have the Volvo wagon...

My DW loves it and swears she will always have one. Have to admit, it drives well and I know darn well my kids are safe in the Volvo.


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## Burger (Dec 20, 2005)

Oregon_Camper said:


> I know darn well my kids are safe in the Volvo.
> [snapback]77009[/snapback]​


You're right about that!







I don't think you can beat the Volvo for safety.


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## Burger (Dec 20, 2005)

Wolfwood,

Here's an interesting link for wagons.









http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/stationwagon/


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## nascarcamper (Jan 27, 2005)

wolfwood said:


> nascarcamper said:
> 
> 
> > wolfwood said:
> ...


Just checking


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## kjdj (Sep 14, 2004)

HootBob said:


> Yeah DW already told me that she gets rid of the mini van
> She wants a Suzuki XL7
> 
> 
> ...


Ditto here! Before kids I had a 95 4-door sidekick. Bought it for 9971 new sold it last year for 4000. Best car I ever had. Replaced: 1 headlight, 3 sets tires, 1 set brakes, 1 timing belt.

Tanya wants a XL-7 to replace her 98 Winstar.


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

We had a 96 chevy venture, but like the article said we owned it reluctantly. DW was happy to trade it for our current yukon so we could pull the outback.

Mike


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## W4DRR (May 17, 2005)

Guilty as charged!








If you look close, the TV is a Chrysler T&C. Of course, this was taken back in the days when we were poor pop-up trash.


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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

"Nobody wants one" ...tell that to the Honda dealer who won't, and doesn't have to, budge on the price of a new Odyssey. Wish he would read that. Although we are probably going to end up with a Town and Country...


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## drobe5150 (Jan 21, 2005)

okay, i might as well chime in too.

our first tv for our jayco pup was a 1990 mazda mpv, had a 2.7 litre engine. it was one of the best cars i had driven at the time, towed the jayco just fine with the 4 banger. a minor fender bender (okay a major fender bender) and it was just never the same after that. sold it, and bought a full size bronco.

darrel


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Ya know what would be really cool? A nicely restored old station wagon with some really cool wheels! I have seen a few running around here and am always impressed. Gotta look very nice though.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

matty1 said:


> "Nobody wants one" ...tell that to the Honda dealer who won't, and doesn't have to, budge on the price of a new Odyssey. Wish he would read that. Although we are probably going to end up with a Town and Country...
> [snapback]77153[/snapback]​


Just a word of caution on the Odyssey. GREAT VANS! Bought ours used and had it for a year. Loved it except for an apparent electrical gremlin residing in the side slide doors. They'd randomly open (never while moving) and, at times, wouldn't close....acted like there was something in the path interupting the signal.) Dealer couldn't fix it and said they had seen this before - not alot, but enough. Sadly traded it in on the current '05 Toyota Sienna and haven't looked back ('cept to see that the Odyssey re-styling looks alot like the Sienna







). The T&C was actually where we started the hunt - but for the money, the Odyssey & then the Sienaa were the better buys.


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## schrade (May 5, 2005)

I will second that about the Honday Odyssey doors. We just turned out leased 2004 Honda odyssey in early on a 2006 Toyota Sienna. I had both motors on both doors replaced twice trying to get rid of the problem. This in addition to many other electrical problems.

This was the third Honda we had owned, and I am not sure what is going on, but it was the most unreliable honda I had ever seen.


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## Reverie (Aug 9, 2004)

My parents were too cheap to get the third seat so we never had the "tail-gunner" position. Of course I doubt it was an option on our '65 Rambler Station Wagon.

Reverie


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