Reasons I might love our minivan

I've been driving our new beast for a couple of weeks now, and not only am I starting to understand why people buy minivans (other than necessity - which is why we bought one), but I'm starting to actually really LIKE the minivan.  I would not say I love the minivan yet, but never say never, right?

1.  Size - The cargo space in this thing is unbelievable.  We thought a small SUV was serviceable for a family of 4, but it would have been tight.  Since knowing we will be a family of 5 with 3 in gigantic car seats, we knew we had to make a change.  We really didn't even consider larger SUV's' with a third row because we travel to see family too much and need space for luggage and all baby crap.  With a third row occupied with a baby or two, the space behind the seat is just not worth it.  Plus the gas mileage is not something we care to participate in.  This is our new beast packed to the brim for a weekend away - luggage, pack and play, stroller, pillows, blankets, food bag, cooler, toy and book bag, diaper bag, camera and DVD bag.  We didn't even touch the third row (which will soon have carseats in it anyway) AND you can see out the back window with tremendous amounts of room to spare.

 

2.  Drink holders - I don't think I've ever had a car with drink holders that made sense.  The front two rows of this car have 9 of them.  When you travel and have kids, its a pretty good bet that all 9 will get used.  The 4 that sit between the front captains chairs are big enough for my Nalgene water bottle (or a Super Big Gulp whatever your preference).  So now my water conveniently sits by my side instead of rolling off the passenger seat onto the floor at every red light.

3.  Windows, windows, bigger and bigger windows - You could go to a drive-in movie in this thing and see just fine.  All it needs is a glass top, and we could make money giving scenic rides around the country.  Lillian loves it.  The one drawback of this would be that for a child that doesn't sleep well during the day, the daylight inside the car is a little much, even with tinted windows, for any worthwhile napping.  

 

4.  Doors that slide back instead of open out - Those of you with kids who have been through the car seat phase, especially the removable bucket seats, can appreciate this.  People don't care when they park like absolute idiots.  Nor would they ever consider that some people in this world have children they need to get in and out of the car they just parked 4 inches from.  On more than one occasion in our small SUV, I had to open the opposite side of the car from which said idiot had parked, and crawl through the back seat with the car seat bucket in order to get my child safely into the car.  I will do this no more.

5.  Height - Once that fabulous sliding door is open, all I have to do to get Lilli in and out is stretch my arms straight out.  No bending or twisting involved, which is very important in my present physical state.  I know some SUV's are a great height too, but that wide open doorway just adds to the ease.  And, as you can see from the pics of Lillian here, she is up high enough to see everything, and she loves it.

 

So while I might still just only like the van a little bit, my daughter could not be happier in it, which is reason enough in my eyes.  Cars are silly things to us.  One day we may feel differently and want to purchase some dream car we always saw ourselves in, but right now, John and I are perfectly content driving something that gets us to and fro with ease, efficiency, and reliability.  Not to mention, this thing could be a tailgating machine...