The minivan debate

Joshua and I are in the semi-final stages of changing our car lineup. To recap, we are now the happy drivers of a 2002 Subaru Outback wagon. It has leather seats that can be heated and makes happy little vrooming sounds when you shift the seats. It has space for 5 people and a lot of room in back to store and carry your mess.

Shawn and Sarah Break Rank
A while back, a couple whom we thought were the right sort of people [yes, Shawn and Sarah] bought a Eurovan. We rationalized it at the time as being ok because it was a EUROVAN and they are not minivans, not really.

But the seed was sown. The wedge was driven into our social circle. We now knew a few people mover drivers personally.

We could just ride the bus
Fast forward to the past few months of knuckle breaking buckling and toys lost in the tight crack between the carseat and the seatbelt clasps, of playdates forgone and carpools that are full before we even take a breath, of school trip driving miscalculations in which kids are shuffled at the last minute.

"You can only take one extra kid? Not two?"
I confess, to my shame.

The Decision
So, after some stewing, much denial and futile analysis of miles per gallon we are planning to trade the wagon in for a minivan. Yes, you heard right, a m-i-n-i-van. The models we are looking at are a Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona and a (Toyota) Sienna. Today, I have a Subaru loan car while the outback is in service. We considered the crossover SUVs but neither of us loves SUVs to begin with and if you are going to move kids you have to love the sliding door.

So, here are the issues:

1) We have been a one car family till now. We would like to continue this way but if I start work we will probably need access to a second car. We don't want to commit all our driving to a vehicle that is not a hybrid and has a high gas consumption. Unfortunately, none of the minivans is a hybrid. All have lousy fuel consumption. Our idea is to buy or lease a second car which is a hybrid or otherwise very fuel efficient vehicle. That way we can do our one-child or child-free driving in the small car and the mass transport driving in the bus.

2) We don't want to be minivan drivers. Well, we could stick with a wagon (friends have the volvo with the 7 seat factor package) and its nice. But Frost gets carsick and is not so good going backwards. If we were going on vacation with another person we couldn't really put them in the trunk with the luggage and it doesn't solve the problem of not really being able to get three carseats across a bucket seat without lots of misery. What is wrong with minivans? They are just uncool.

The Coollessness of minivans
What is it about minivans that make them seems so blah? That makes me want to get a tattoo and drink gin and tonics at noon?

I guess at this point in my life I don't spend a lot of energy on coolness but minivans speak to me about more than struggling to be special. They smack of conformity and are designed giving low priority to style and high priority to groceries and kids backpacks. On the upside they are as practical as fat pants and cotton undies.
This blogger with the same idea showed me that being dragged into mini-vanning, seduced by its amenity, is not uncommon:

And so it goes, on this continuing journey with another "I never thought I'd own a minivan" purchase, that I come to you today with yet another tale of woe as the sad owner (once again...) of a minivan.

You know, people judge you. They look at you differently when you drive a minivan. Owners of SUV's have that - -I don't know - - false sense of bravado. Many of you reading this may, and probably do, own an SUV, and I don't fault you for that. I really don't.

Initially, we too, thought we might purchase one of those fancy new-fangled crossovers OR perhaps, a mid-sized SUV. Then again, upon closer evaluation, we determined that they really weren't for us. They just didn't make economical or environmental sense for our family. We couldn't bring ourselves to buy one. Big gas guzzlers, far more expensive pricetag, and frankly, not as comfortable of a ride, with less legroom in the front and back (we're tall...). Plus, they don't hold as much luggage. We just couldn't justify either one for our family. So, what were left with?

The dreaded - - minivan.

We are going to test drive an Odyssey and Sedona this weekend.

Wren Update
Wren is still feverish. Better this afternoon but then back up to 103 this evening. He is asleep with Tylenol. If he is still feverish tomorrow afternoon I will take him to the ped on Thursday morning - all that stuff about myocarditis and 3 days of fever...


Here he is at Izzy's birthday party. Thanks for the picture Wyndi.