The minivan became a part of the American automotive culture in the mid-1980s with the introduction of the Dodge Caravan. In subsequent years, these people and cargo movers became a symbol of suburban life and helped supplant the station wagon in defining the "soccer mom."
And why wouldn't they? Most minivans can carry at least seven passengers. If space for stuff is needed, the two rows of rear seats can be removed, opening up a cargo hold of 100 cu ft or more.
For more than 15 years, the minivan was the king of family movers. Enter the SUV. While somewhat less capable as people and cargo haulers, their rugged images proved to be a fly in the minivan's ointment. Though a stogy stigma made minivans fall out of favor, automakers haven't stopped freshening designs, refining powertrains, and offering more innovative features. It also has brought in competition from companies who have not typically played in this segment.
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Cool Minivan Features |
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- Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan are the only minivans that feature Stow 'n Go seats that fold completely into the floor. |
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Get 'em In, Move 'em Out
They look different, are priced differently, and offer different levels of equipment, but all minivans share some common traits. Powertrains consist of V6 engines and automatic transmissions with four or five speeds. Access to rear seating is through sliding doors on one or both sides of the vehicle. Power operation for these doors, as well as the tailgate, is commonly available.
All minivans seat at least seven passengers; two rows of bucket seats and a third-row, three-passenger bench seat. Some models, like the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna, are available with eight-passenger seating via a three-person 2nd row.
In order to get the most cargo flexibility out of a minivan, the back rows of seats have to disappear. Older-generation minivans required owners to engage in a taxing process of removing, carrying, and storing rear bench seats. The advent of rear bucket seats, lighter weight materials, and new removal procedures have simplified this process across the board.
Now, automakers are taking space arrangements to the next level. Most minivans offer 3rd-row bench seats that split, fold, and tumble into a well in the cargo floor, creating a flat surface. Nissan's 2007 Quest minivan has a 3rd-row bench that folds in one piece, using a one-hand operation. Disappointingly, General Motors' minivan lineup (Buick Terraza, Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac SV6, and Saturn Relay) do not offer this functionality. Instead, their 3rd-row buckets fold flat atop the cargo floor and need to be removed in order to create a level loading deck.
The original minivan, the Dodge Caravan (and its Chrysler Town & Country sibling), ups the ante by offering a seating system, dubbed Stow 'n Go. In addition to 3rd-row seats that fold into the cargo floor, the 2nd-row buckets also have this capability. The floor wells double as covered storage bins when the seats are upright.
Playing It Safe
Most cars in this class come with or have as options nearly every modern safety feature. Since people are among the most precious cargo a minivan can carry, these vehicles place a high priority on offering lots of safety features. Antilock brakes are available across the board, and often a standard feature.
Airbags are plentiful. In addition to the standard ones for the front passengers, those traveling in the rear rows benefit from curtain side airbags. These are standard on the Odyssey, Sienna, Kia Sedona, and the upcoming 2007 Hyundai Entourage. Some minivans, like the Ford Freestar, have curtain airbags with sensors so they deploy in an impending rollover. The Caravan offers a standard driver knee airbag.
So that the airbags may never deploy, many models offer active safety features designed to prevent an accident. Traction control is available on nearly all entrants. Stability control, also known as an antiskid system, is available on certain trim levels of GM's entries, the Freestar, Odyssey, Sedona, Sienna, and Quest. GM's minivans and the Sienna are available with all-wheel drive to help improve traction on slick surfaces.
Pedestrians also benefit from certain minivan safety features. Most models are available with a rear-obstacle-detection system that sounds an alert when the vehicle may hit something. Odyssey and Quest can be outfitted with a rearview camera that shows a picture of what's behind the vehicle while it's in reverse. The images are displayed on the navigation screen.
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Best Buys |
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Recommended Pick |
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Just Playing
Few things aggravate parents more than their kids sitting in the back seat, screaming at each other, or shouting out the legendary question, "are we there yet?" Most minivans are equipped with plenty of entertainment distractions.
Nearly all offer a rear DVD entertainment system. A small Liquid Crystal Display screen pops out of the ceiling. The DVDs play through the audio system. Most minivans include sets of wireless headphones to keep the audio confined to those watching.
The GM vans take rear entertainment a step further by offering "PhatNoise." Essentially a wallet-sized, 40-gigabyte hard drive, this system allows owners to store MP3 music files, MPEG movies and JPEG photos in an on-board hard drive and play them through the DVD screen.
Many Capable Choices
While all the choices in this segment are competent and fufill the minivan mission, the Consumer Guide(r) Best Buy picks; Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan, and Honda Odyssey; are at the head of the class. In addition to these, don't count out Korean brands Hyundai and Kia. Their entries, the new-for-2007 Entourage and redesigned-for-2006 Sedona, look like they'll go toe-to-toe with the leaders.
Sure, minivans don't have the rugged looks or off-road capability of an SUV. They don't have the athletic performance and handling of a sporty sedan, and they are loathed by many enthusiasts because of their soccer mom image. But a minivan's combination of people and cargo hauling abilities, safety features, and (in most cases) reasonable pricing are tough to beat for bustling families.
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Buick Terraza |
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Chevrolet Uplander |
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Chrysler Town & Country |
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Dodge Caravan |
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Ford Freestar |
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Honda Odyssey |
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2007 Hyundai Entourage |
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Kia Sedona |
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Mercury Monterey |
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2007 Nissan Quest |
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Pontiac SV6 |
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Saturn Relay |
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Toyota Sienna |
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| Vehicle | Wheel-base, in. | Length, in. | Curb Weight, lb. | Cargo Volume, cu. ft. | Fuel Capacity, gal. | Front Head Room, in. | Front Leg Room, in. | Rear Head Room, in. | Rear Leg Room, in. |
| Buick Terraza | 121.1 | 205.9 | 4426 | 136.5 | 25.0 | 39.8 | 39.9 | 38.9 | 38.9 |
| Chevrolet Uplander | 113.0 | 191.0 | NA | NA | 20.0 | 39.8 | 39.9 | 38.9 | 37.5 |
| Chrysler Town & Country | 113.3 | 189.3 | 3899 | 146.7 | 20.0 | 39.6 | 40.8 | 39.7 | 36.5 |
| Dodge Caravan | 113.3 | 189.3 | 3763 | 142.3 | 20.0 | 39.6 | 40.8 | 39.2 | 36.6 |
| Ford Freestar | 120.8 | 201.0 | 4295 | 135.7 | 26.0 | 38.9 | 40.7 | 40.1 | 38.0 |
| Honda Odyssey | 118.1 | 201.0 | 4378 | 174.4 | 21.0 | 40.9 | 40.8 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2007 Hyundai Entourage | 118.9 | 202.0 | 4400 | 141.5 | 21.1 | 41.0 | 41.7 | 39.8 | 40.9 |
| Kia Sedona | 118.9 | 202.0 | 4387 | 141.5 | 21.1 | 40.9 | 41.7 | 39.8 | 40.9 |
| Mercury Monterey | 120.8 | 201.1 | 4492 | 136.9 | 26.0 | 38.9 | 40.7 | 40.1 | 38.0 |
| 2007 Nissan Quest | 124.0 | 204.1 | 4040 | 148.7 | 20.0 | 42.0 | 41.7 | 41.7 | 41.3 |
| Pontiac SV6 | 121.1 | 204.0 | 4206 | 136.5 | 25.0 | 39.8 | 39.9 | 38.9 | 38.9 |
| Saturn Relay | 121.1 | 204.9 | 4221 | 136.5 | 25.0 | 39.8 | 39.9 | 38.9 | 38.9 |
| Toyota Sienna | 121.1 | 200.0 | 4140 | 148.9 | 20.0 | 42.0 | 42.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
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