OT- Minivans

[TigerBlood28]

So we are getting my wife a new car. She is dead set on a minivan. I'm 29 years old, I was not prepared to own a minivan this early (we only have two kids). Can anyone on here make me feel better and vouch for a minivan. I keep telling myself it's her car not mine, but i know I'll have to drive it some.

 

[1983Grad]

Add a Salt Life and Yeti sticker to the back

 

[EagleScoutCU15]

I cannot make you feel better about that purchase.

What I can do, however, is recommend that you find SUVs that would function just as well as a minivan (if not better) for your four person family, find things that are better compared to the minivan (safety, gas, etc.), and present those to her.

Praying for you OP.

 

[PEDETIGER]

always make the wife happy. you might talk her into something else but it will come back to bite you in the end. Happy wife happy life.

 

[JITIGER]

So we are getting my wife a new car. She is dead set on a minivan. I'm 29 years old, I was not prepared to own a minivan this early (we only have two kids). Can anyone on here make me feel better and vouch for a minivan. I keep telling myself it's her car not mine, but i know I'll have to drive it some.

My wife has had one for close to 17 years. She loves hers and I occasionally have to drive it. It isn't the end of the world. Now I'm 45 so I could care less what someone thinks about me driving a mini van. They are extremely useful with kids. Electric sliding doors are awesome. My wife has the Toyota Sienna. Her last one was a Sienna and she had it for ten years. Would still have it but she ran in to the back of someone and totaled it.

 

[WinterSpringFall]

I'm anti-minivan (27, no kids, no wife), but my dad would say its the best thing possible for tailgating because there is tons of space to pack all of your stuff (and keep it dry if its raining) and there is room to fit passengers with all of the cargo. Ultimately a much more cost efficient option than a large SUV (initial cost, gas, etc.) with the same room inside. That would be the practical take on it, so hopefully you can find some consolation in that.

... but I can't tell you you're going to look cool driving it, its still a minivan.

 

[LUV DEM TIGERS]

Minivans have more space than an SUV and when you drop the seats down you can get tons of stuff in it. We have a Sienna also. If you worry about what people think about the vehicle you drive, you have problems.

 

[tigerridge]

in before @Ron Munson

 

[bron90]

I hated them to but with young kids its so much easier loading and unloading them. My wife has the Toyota Sienna and loves it. Thing has tons of room and we have the Limited with every option available. It's her daily driver and her work pays for it so it works for me.

 

[CLT-Tiger]

Unless you are planning on having more kids, I doubt you would need the space of a mini. Does she carpool other kids around? Does she have a band of Mexican day laborers she needs to transport? Just seems like overkill and unnecessary loss of the man card. Go get her something like an Acura MDX, Ford Explorer, etc..

 

[PAWrocka]

The Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey are really the only two options here

 

[Flying Elvis]

Its a phase in life-doesn't suck too bad unless you let it. I drove one a few years-1996 Dodge Caravan. Babe freaking magnet. Light green with driver to match. Looking back, it was a happy day when it blew a rod, but it sucked at the time. It passes...........

 

[Daytontiger]

I absolutely love my Toyota Sienna. Can't recommend it enough. We looked at SUVs but none persuaded us away from the Sienna. It's not the vehicle I drive daily but awesome for trips and anywhere I drive the kids.

 

[TIGER 78]

 

[shortbus22]

Some of you cool cats need to try to get a gangly three year old in and out of his car seat, while he's being a terrorist, when some jack leg parks way too fvcking close to the line, before you go blasting minivans. Those sliding doors are a godsend with kids. We got one as a loaner while her 4Runner was in the shop, and it was pretty flipping awesome, if not super cool.

My wife is still fighting it, but if and when we have #3, she's getting one whether she likes it or not. Odyssey or Sienna are the only answers.

 

[84Tiger]

My wife has had one for close to 17 years. She loves hers and I occasionally have to drive it. It isn't the end of the world. Now I'm 45 so I could care less what someone thinks about me driving a mini van. They are extremely useful with kids. Electric sliding doors are awesome. My wife has the Toyota Sienna. Her last one was a Sienna and she had it for ten years. Would still have it but she ran in to the back of someone and totaled it.

We just bought a Sienna too because it was too difficult to manage small grandkids in our SUV. The minivan has helped a lot. As someone else said, they have a ton of room. And I too couldn't care less what people think of me owning it.

 

[84Tiger]

Some of you cool cats need to try to get a gangly three year old in and out of his car seat, while he's being a terrorist, when some jack leg parks way too fvcking close to the line, before you go blasting minivans. Those sliding doors are a godsend with kids. We got one as a loaner while her 4Runner was in the shop, and it was pretty flipping awesome, if not super cool.

My wife is still fighting it, but if and when we have #3, she's getting one whether she likes it or not. Odyssey or Sienna are the only answers.

Yep.......what he said.

 

[Tigerpaw00]

The Honda has a built in vacuum system.

 

[Old Green Tom]

The Honda has a built in vacuum system.

 

[VaTiger85]

Had a series of minivans when the kids were younger - they absolutely make your life easier. Dual sliding doors, super easy to walk through if you have the captains chairs in the second row (highly recommend), sitting up high with a great view of the road and surroundings. Trips are just easier all the way around. And maybe not as necessary any more, but in the day a video monitor with Lion King on repeat was good for about 7 hours of quietness.

Was also good to load up about 80 bags of mulch if needed.

We had four or five over the years starting with a bad ass Ford Aerostar Eddie Bauer edition, circa 1994. Went on several golfing trips with a group of guys in the day and it was the go to vehicle. Everybody loved it.

 

[sloanMB]

trust me...your kids will love you forever

 

[JAMCRACKER99]

If you are worried about what other people think of your vehicle then you just aren't very mature or secure with who you are as a man. My wife had a Honda Odyssey for 11 years and that thing was extremely convenient and drove like a car. Count me in as one of the few who think SUV's aren't very cool looking, but then again, I've never been one who had to be like everyone else.

 

[bron90]

The other advantage of a minivan is the sliding doors. Once kids learn how to open doors you dont have to worry about them hitting every car you park next to.

 

[gooddogjudge]

Great for traveling to ballgames.

 

[88MechEng]

Another Toyota Sienna minivan owner here and it has been incredible. Great gas mileage and plenty of room with no problems after 150k miles.

 

[MillerHighLife21]

So we are getting my wife a new car. She is dead set on a minivan. I'm 29 years old, I was not prepared to own a minivan this early (we only have two kids). Can anyone on here make me feel better and vouch for a minivan. I keep telling myself it's her car not mine, but i know I'll have to drive it some.

We have a Town and Country and when you fold the back seats down its basically a covered pickup. I fit a washer and drier in the back at the same time once.

 

[MillerHighLife21]

Also, you take this for granted now but if you'd had a minivan in college it would have made you more popular than a Porsche.

 

[Clems0nTiger]

We have a Town and Country and when you fold the back seats down its basically a covered pickup. I fit a washer and drier in the back at the same time once.

We enjoy ours too. Bought it because we didn't have money for an Oddysey. May look into a Sienna next time, though.

Also nice for tailgating.

 

[CU1TruTiger4Life]

So we are getting my wife a new car. She is dead set on a minivan. I'm 29 years old, I was not prepared to own a minivan this early (we only have two kids). Can anyone on here make me feel better and vouch for a minivan. I keep telling myself it's her car not mine, but i know I'll have to drive it some.

RIP OP.

 

[Tigergrad99]

We have an Odyssey. I bought it when we were having our third. I also had a Sequoia at the time. I will say this, they aren't gonna win you cool points, you can't pull a house with it, forget off-road. However they are functional as it comes. It's easier to put a kid in a seat with a sliding door in a parking lot than dealing with and SUV. I now have an Explorer that I love, but the odyssey has more room. It's a stage of life not a status symbol.

 

[shortbus22]

We have an Odyssey. I bought it when we were having our third. I also had a Sequoia at the time. I will say this, they aren't gonna win you cool points, you can't pull a house with it, forget off-road. However they are functional as it comes. It's easier to put a kid in a seat with a sliding door in a parking lot than dealing with and SUV. I now have an Explorer that I love, but the odyssey has more room. It's a stage of life not a status symbol.

Why would they not sell a Sequoia with third row seating AND sliding doors? They'd sell a billion of them.

 

[Clem'sSon]

So we are getting my wife a new car. She is dead set on a minivan. I'm 29 years old, I was not prepared to own a minivan this early (we only have two kids). Can anyone on here make me feel better and vouch for a minivan. I keep telling myself it's her car not mine, but i know I'll have to drive it some.

...if it's what your wife wants and she'll be the one driving it 95% of the time, make it easy on yourself and please her. As others have pointed out, they're not all bad. I've never owned one, but my parents had a couple when they reached retirement age and began traveling, and they loved 'em (particularly the aforementioned Siena). I would imagine that with kids in the picture, it'd be pretty great.

Just please, please, please for the love of all that is Holy, don't get your manhood threatened every time you drive it, and attempt to drive it as if it's a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta (Trust me, I've never owned one of those, either). Any of you that spend significant time on the road know what/who I'm talking about...

Trust me, no one thinks it's cool. If anything, it's a little sad...

 

[scott in nashville]

We have an Odyssey now and actually got out of a Mercedes GL to get it. It's cheap as dirt to maintain (especially coming from MB) and super useful. It drives and handles better than the GL too.

On the negative side, I've gotten used to leaving my balls in a jar on the mantle when I drive it. Let's face it, if you're married with kids, nobody is after you for your ride.

 

[Clem'sSon]

We have an Odyssey now and actually got out of a Mercedes GL to get it. It's cheap as dirt to maintain (especially coming from MB) and super useful. It drives and handles better than the GL too.

On the negative side, I've gotten used to leaving my balls in a jar on the mantle when I drive it. Let's face it, if you're married with kids, nobody is after you for your ride.

Funny, my wife of 29 years keeps mine in a 'baggie' in the freezer.

Different strokes, I guess...

 

[Taints fat ugly lover]

We have a Town and Country and when you fold the back seats down its basically a covered pickup. I fit a washer and drier in the back at the same time once.

Seriously? "Basically a covered pickup" ? WTH? Please turn in your man card.

 

[Paul Strelow]

So we are getting my wife a new car. She is dead set on a minivan. I'm 29 years old, I was not prepared to own a minivan this early (we only have two kids). Can anyone on here make me feel better and vouch for a minivan. I keep telling myself it's her car not mine, but i know I'll have to drive it some.

Let me try this route: I'm proud to have been blessed to be a dad. I enjoy being a dad and being a good husband and dad is how I want to be defined. Nothing says dad to people than seeing a man driving a minivan. You are patriarch of your family sir.

 

[ptowntiger1]

Does she choose the vehicle you drive?

 

[Zothras]

Let me try this route: I'm proud to have been blessed to be a dad. I enjoy being a dad and being a good husband and dad is how I want to be defined. Nothing says dad to people than seeing a man driving a minivan. You are patriarch of your family sir.

Own it @TigerBlood28 . Paul said it well.

Be the husband of your wife. Be the father of your kids. Eff the minivan judgments. They pale as insignificant and trivial behind those two honors. Embrace the first two things and owning a minivan becomes just a tool to accomplish a blessed task.

 

[Clem'sSon]

Let me try this route: I'm proud to have been blessed to be a dad. I enjoy being a dad and being a good husband and dad is how I want to be defined. Nothing says dad to people than seeing a man driving a minivan. You are patriarch of your family sir.

Own it @TigerBlood28 . Paul said it well.

Be the husband of your wife. Be the father of your kids. Eff the minivan judgments. They pale as insignificant and trivial behind those two honors. Embrace the first two things and owning a minivan becomes just a tool to accomplish a blessed task.

Dang. You boys shore do talk purty.

Seriously, well said, both of you. You gave the perfect 'serious responses' in a thread that was sorely lacking in them (and, yes, I accept my share of the blame for that).

 

[MillerHighLife21]

Please turn in your man card.

That's what getting a minivan is...