[Mako]

my wife and I agreed on that before we got married "no minivans", trying so hard to even keep it to a smaller SUV (X3). The world needs less minivans and the minivan road rage drivers that come along with them

[myzmak]

Originally Posted by Mako

my wife and I agreed on that before we got married "no minivans", trying so hard to even keep it to a smaller SUV (X3). The world needs less minivans and the minivan road rage drivers that come along with them

I am more hardcore: have sworn no minivans and no SUVs. With 2 kids (7 and 8) who have lots of activities (hockey, soccer, etc) and with lots of travel (skiing, camping, etc) it has been very manageable. How? Screw the SUVs and buy wagons. They drive better, look better (IMHO) and are generally way more useful. I even find the cargo space much more useful than in an SUV. [/end plug for Estates/Wagons. A losing fight, I am sure, but one worth making.....]

But, back to the original point, "minivan Dad" syndrome (as I call it) is a worldwide phenomenon. It is a sad/terrible reflection of people who are doing uncool things trying to desperately pretend they are cool.

"Its got a V6 in it, feel those torques as I race to that next red light....."

My favourite are the 'sport' editions of the minivans.

...cause the Caravan SE is really gonna kick some ass at the 'ring.

[paddy335]

Originally Posted by myzmak

I am more hardcore: have sworn no minivans and no SUVs. With 2 kids (7 and 8) who have lots of activities (hockey, soccer, etc) and with lots of travel (skiing, camping, etc) it has been very manageable. How? Screw the SUVs and buy wagons. They drive better, look better (IMHO) and are generally way more useful. I even find the cargo space much more useful than in an SUV. [/end plug for Estates/Wagons. A losing fight, I am sure, but one worth making.....]

But, back to the original point, "minivan Dad" syndrome (as I call it) is a worldwide phenomenon. It is a sad/terrible reflection of people who are doing uncool things trying to desperately pretend they are cool.

"Its got a V6 in it, feel those torques as I race to that next red light....."

My favourite are the 'sport' editions of the minivans.

...cause the Caravan SE is really gonna kick some ass at the 'ring.

They're called 'people-movers' down this way. A friend and my saying: "Death Before People-Movers". Then he went and got a Mazda MPV. No longer friends (jk!).

You got a staunch ally here for wagons. I used to hate SUV's too until I drove an X5. Still feel mildly disgusted with myself sometimes

[myzmak]

Originally Posted by paddy335

They're called 'people-movers' down this way. A friend and my saying: "Death Before People-Movers". Then he went and got a Mazda MPV. No longer friends (jk!).

You got a staunch ally here for wagons. I used to hate SUV's too until I drove an X5. Still feel mildly disgusted with myself sometimes

I understand the problem.

Wagons have fallen so out of favour in North America that in the full-size world we were basically left to MB to choose from and that is it. No 5 Series wagon, no A6, etc. Even VW doesn't sell the Passat wagon here anymore. There was a Volvo XC70, but it felt...cheap. We either had a smaller wagon (3 series touring, A4 avant, etc,) or went with the E-class. So desperate were we to make competition that we seriously looked at some SUVs. Wasn't a major fan of the X5 (the styling never worked for me...I know it is well liked, but I couldnt do it) and I disliked the Q7 (unlike @lups, who loves hers. she will pretend otherwise, but ignore that) but we came very close to going with a GL. It was quite nice and cozy in there.....but we didn't.

....but had we done so, I would be sharing your sometimes-shame now.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by paddy335

They're called 'people-movers' down this way. A friend and my saying: "Death Before People-Movers". Then he went and got a Mazda MPV. No longer friends (jk!).

You got a staunch ally here for wagons. I used to hate SUV's too until I drove an X5. Still feel mildly disgusted with myself sometimes

Originally Posted by myzmak

I understand the problem.

Wagons have fallen so out of favour in North America that in the full-size world we were basically left to MB to choose from and that is it. No 5 Series wagon, no A6, etc. Even VW doesn't sell the Passat wagon here anymore. There was a Volvo XC70, but it felt...cheap. We either had a smaller wagon (3 series touring, A4 avant, etc,) or went with the E-class. So desperate were we to make competition that we seriously looked at some SUVs. Wasn't a major fan of the X5 (the styling never worked for me...I know it is well liked, but I couldnt do it) and I disliked the Q7 (unlike @lups, who loves hers. she will pretend otherwise, but ignore that) but we came very close to going with a GL. It was quite nice and cozy in there.....but we didn't.

....but had we done so, I would be sharing your sometimes-shame now.

http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...37&postcount=8

Wagons are the way to go, one can still feel alive in one, and @myzmak you are buying the coffee I will need for the effort i made to locate that post. I'm seriously now thinking about feeding you to reindeer's. They are the most horrible beasts of all.

[myzmak]

Originally Posted by Lups

http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...37&postcount=8

Wagons are the way to go, one can still feel alive in one, and @myzmak you are buying the coffee I will need for the effort i made to locate that post. I'm seriously now thinking about feeding you to reindeer's. They are the most horrible beasts of all.

I dont believe a word of it.

you are to Q7s what Mr. "Lupus-in-Lupus-hosiery" is to 911s. An unabashed fan boy. (and don't think the similarity between your screen name and the latin version of his has not been noticed.....)

Admit it. You like body roll. you like hitting a corner and saying "why am i still going straight when the wheels and chassis are going over that way?" The intrigue is exciting.

You'll be miserable in a car that goes where you want it to and quickly.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by myzmak

I dont believe a word of it.

you are to Q7s what Mr. "Lupus-in-Lupus-hosiery" is to 911s. An unabashed fan boy. (and don't think the similarity between your screen name and the latin version of his has not been noticed.....)

Admit it. You like body roll. you like hitting a corner and saying "why am i still going straight when the wheels and chassis are going over that way?" The intrigue is exciting.

You'll be miserable in a car that goes where you want it to and quickly.

Hey if you get your M before I'm free of that horrible thing, I'll even race you. see, unlike mean lawyers from Canada, I can drive even that!

Now, as to being put into the same coat hanger as mr Wolfie, I admit the nick originally came from Canis Lupus, and then it was Luppis and other variations for years, spreading horror trough the internet. To this place, I decided that I will never mention being a female, so I turned it intoa a word game in my own language. Thank my mean spirited friends for that nick, they make our furry friend seem nice.

[MrPrena]

My mom had it all. E36 M3, E430, Avalon, and Santa Fe. She had the Santa Fe the longest (11 years). She is really into home improvement that she wants an another smaller SUV (like rav4 or CRV type).

She said it is boring, but she can haul more than 4 small trees at home depot garden centers at once.

[MrPrena]

Originally Posted by Marsa

Minivans are cool only if they come equipped with a hot soccer mom.

Yes.

When your kid is popular in K-5, hot soccer mom will usually approach you to talk.

[adriang]

Oh god minivans. I went to a Chrysler dodge jeep dealership and saw one going for $50000. Wth?!? I would not pay $25000 for a van either!

[Taskmaster]

NO to minvans, Trucks and Suvs.

[ddk632]

I feel pretty damn alive driving the X6M "DadMobile" - although, especially here in South Florida, no one messes with raging moms in minivans. Not even M power can compete with their sheer stupidity. They try to race me on my motorcycle, even! And, because I don't like being run over, they win. It's life and death driving in these suburbs!!!

As far as wagons go, the only ones I've ever liked are the rare E61 M5 wagon, even rarer E63 AMG wagon, and CTS-V wagon. Otherwise, hate wagons.

The X6M is the perfect DadMobile for me, with red car seats to match the red interior

[persian54]

ironically my dad loves minivans

it's all he's owned… I'm not kidding. He won't consider another car.

when I was younger, we would take family trips all the time (vegas 5 times a year easy). it was great.

he still loves it but now the seats are all folded in (Dodge Grand Caravan), so he uses it link a truck.. it's a mess in there but then I realized how convenient it is.

When I was hardcore tracking, I would have to buy tires in bulk. I was able to stack 20 tires in that van! it was awesome.

[ddk632]

Haha same with my dad, too. It worked out when I went motorcycle road racing in my early 20's, we just put the bike, stands, and tools in his Toyota Previa with seats folded down, installed hooks for tie downs, and it became The Race Van!

I still refuse to ever own one, though

[upstatedoc]

My wife and I swore we would never get a minivan...until we had 3 kids. I don't know how people do it that have 3 kids without a minivan. We have a Honda top-of -the -line. Its got leather, nav, split screen dvd, all the doors open automatically. The kids dont need a step stool to get into it. It really makes my wifes life easier.

[davis449]

Like these three posters above, I HATE minivans, but it's REALLY hard to deny their versatility. There isn't a single SUV on the market that has the shear volume of useable interior cargo room of a Minivan. My dad HATED our minivan for the 7 yrs. we owned it. We had a Suburban before that. He and I proved, much to our dismay, MANY times how much more room there is to pack shit in that damn Ford as opposed to our former Suburban. The last and final time we proved it was moving me into my first college dorm room. My dad looked at the back of that POS Ford full of my shit on after pulling up at my first college campus and confessed "I fucking hate this thing, but we NEVER could've pulled this off with the Suburban." Sure enough, the next vehicle moving me to another college campus was a 2002 Denali XL...yeah, we had to have a fucking u-Haul trailer. My mom just stood there at my college apartment laughing at my father and said "You know, you laughed at my minivan...".

I don't and am never going to have kids, so I can easily stick to "I will NEVER own a Minivan".

[Maestro]

Yeah it hard not having more than 4 seat car when you have kids. Yes you can squeeze the kids in the back of a 3 series, for a short trip and with a little bit to duck tape you can stop the complaining and the fights from breaking out from minor infraction of person space being violated.

I drove nothing but two door cars, including pickups, then I got married. We first own an Explorer when they first came out since we did lots of outdoor stuff and hotrod cars and trucks just did not do well on the off road. Then came the kid(s) along with that the minivan. Again you can squeeze little kids into the back of most cars until you try doing anything but taking them back and forth to school, and forget about car pooling and taking your kids friends with you especially if they play sports.

We too got tired of minivan so we now have a Ford Flex, yeah I know people have love/hate attitude with the Flex. But it reminds me of the Nomads of the 50's and I like 50's style cars and it far better than any wagon or mini Van you can buy today without getting into the big SUV. It easily fits 4 or 5 tall kids and their stuff and the likely hood of the person space violation issue is low and I no long have to have duck tape in the glove box.

When I bough my 335I I really wanted a coupe but I knew better, I was not interested in getting in and out of my seat ever time the kids wanted to get out of the back seat, so I settle for 4 door. Once the kids are gone, the Flex is gone and back to two door cars.

I will tell you this, one advantage a mini-van and SUV has, when you have small kids and getting them into car seats it far easier and you do not have to bend over, your back hurts far less. Trying doing the car seat thing with a two door car, especially when the kid decides to be sick all over themselves.

[chillbil79]

This is the only van I would ever own

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by chillbil79

This is the only van I would ever own

so badass...

[2011CrazE89]

Driving a minivan is like driving a school bus on bicycle tires.

[Trijicon]

Just had our 2nd kid and we were about to get an Odessey. But then decided to keep my man card and grabbed this.

[Litos]

Minivans are for people who are non-car-enthusiasts.

nothing wrong with them, but they are for normal practical people.....

you will NEVER EVER catch me or my wife driving a minivan....

she's driven an STi, an SRT8 300C, a Cobb Tuned 335 and now she drives a 392 SRT8 Challenger...

she would divorce me if I ever tried to buy our family a mini van....

if I got her a minivan, it better be a V8, AWD and making 450hp MINIMUM...

she's a 95lb tire shredding soccer mom driving a 4200lb land yacht with 470hp and white leather seats - NO WAY she'd go for a POS minivan.....

now an SRT8 Jeep - yeah, that's something she'd get into