Minivans Making A Comeback
When the first minivans were introduced in 1984, the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager, they took the world by storm. The vehicles were credited with saving Chrysler at the time and were named as one of Car and Driver Magazine's 10 best cars in 1985. Chrysler has gone on to sell more than 12,000,000 minivans worldwide since 1984. Minivans are smaller than full–size van but offer plenty of space, front–wheel drive, car–like handling and decent fuel efficiency. They offer seating for seven or eight depending on the model, ample cargo room, and practicality for families.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Ford, Mercury, Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Honda, Hyundai and Kia all offered a minivan model. However, by 2007 minivan sales had dropped off precipitously and many models had gone by the wayside. Many wrote minivans off due to their uninspired styling, soccer mom stigma, and the increasing popularity of crossover SUVs, which hurt minivan sales.
In 2010, only seven minivan models were sold in the U.S. market: the Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona, Mercedes–Benz R–Class, Toyota Sienna, and Volkswagen Routan. However, the Town & Country, Grand Caravan, and Routan are built on the same platform and share many of the same parts and engines. This compares to more than 50 2011 SUV models sold by more than 25 automakers. All of the 2010 SUVs had a starting price of about $27,000 except the luxurious Mercedes–Benz R–Class, which starts at about $50,000.
2010 sales figures and 2011 trends show that the minivan is making a comeback. According to motorintelligence.com, minivan sales rose 16.9% for the year in 2010 with total sales of 678,325 units. The 2011 models offer more engaging styling than was seen in minivans in past years. For the 2011 model year, there is one minivan returning to the marketplace, the Nissan Quest. The Quest, which was last sold in the 2009 model year, is all–new and goes on sale early in 2011.
Also for 2011, Chrysler is out with a new generation of their minivans. The Town & Country and Grand Caravan are significantly improved from 2010 with new features and a more powerful, fuel–efficient engine. Since it is built on the same platform as the Chrysler minivans, the Volkswagen Routan is also significantly refreshed for 2011. If you need all-wheel drive, the Toyota Sienna is the only minivan model to offer optional all–wheel drive.
Now even compact minivans are gaining in popularity. The Mazda5 is a compact minivan model that was first introduced in 2006. It is a unique vehicle in the U.S. that is built on the same platform as Mazda's popular Mazda3 compact car. However, the Mazda5 offers a higher ride height, an extended frame, two sliding rear doors and seating for up to six passengers. The model has been a success and has lead to Ford developing the similar C–Max model for the U.S. market. The C–Max model is already popular in Europe and is being introduced in the U.S. for the 2012 model year.
The 2012 Ford C–Max will offer seating for seven passengers, with fold flat third row seats. The model will offer two engines in the U.S., a base 2.5–liter four–cylinder engine and a 1.6–liter EcoBoost turbo charged four–cylinder engine. These compact minivan models, which are also called compact MPVs (multi–purpose vehicles), offer near car–like fuel efficiency with a starting price of about $20,000.
Generally speaking, the more expensive a car is to buy, the more expensive it is to insure. This has to do with repair costs and replacements value. The area you live and level of theft for your particular model also play a factor in car insurance rates. Thus, minivan insurance rates typically do not vary that much from comparably priced cars or SUVs. Enter your zip code above now to get a free online car insurance quote and save.
