Honestly, I love my minivan way more than I ever thought I would. I joined the minivan life about a year ago and I don’t think I’ll ever go back no matter how “uncool” it may make me.
This post is all about the many reasons why I love my minivan, written in hopes that you might join the minivan gang with me.
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I Love My Minivan
This is Bertha, our somewhat beautiful but highly functional and highly loved minivan. We got rid of our SUV to get her and it was by far the best decision we could have made. It has been perfect for our family in every way possible. Here are 15 to get started.
Benefits of a Minivan
1. Buttons for the doors and trunk
The buttons for the doors and trunk on the dash make getting everyone out quickly much easier. But my favorite thing is that there are buttons for the doors and trunk on the key fab. So when I am walking up to my minivan in the rain with my arms loaded, I can press a button and have the doors already opened when I get there. This feature also allows little ones to be more independent getting into the car.
2. Great for moving
Our family has moved five times in the past three years. And we are literally moving for the sixth time tomorrow! Our van has been the real mvp of our moves. It’s insane and always surprising just how much a van can hold! Plus, it’s even better than a truck because it’s covered if it starts to rain. (and goodness knows it always will be on moving day)
3. Doubles as a party bus
I just recently used my van to tote around all seven other members of a bridal party I was in for the bachelorette weekend. There aren’t very many other cars or suvs that can do that!
4. I can walk to the back
Despite being a pretty average height of 5’5”, I can still walk around in the back of my van when I need to. While I of course have to hunch over a little bit, the clear path through makes it so easy to get whatever my kiddos need.
5. Move seats to the back for snowy and rainy seasons
If you have two or three kids, using the back row and one middle seat means that everyone can hop in the same door quickly to get buckled. And if anyone needs help, you can hop in too to get them buckled with the door shut behind you. This way, you don’t have to stand out in the cold or rain buckling up multiple car seats. Flip down the center console (if you get an Odyssey) and you can walk straight to the front of the car when you are done.
6. Center console can flip down
While I know this isn’t the case for all minivans, the center console being able to flip down is definitely a big perk to my Honda Odyssey. It allows me to walk through to the back when I need to or slide a 10 foot board down for a reno (done that many times).
7. Cup holders everywhere
Minivan manufacturers know that there are going to be lots of people and lots of drinks during your trips. So, unlike cars, minivans have an excess of cupholders. Mine literally has six cup holders up front (plus two in the door) and then there’s more in the back seat too! This is definitely a perk for road trips.
8. Sliding doors make baby carriers so much easier
When I used to have an SUV, I’d come out of store to have someone parked way too close to me, making it impossible to get the door open wide enough for the baby carrier. All those times having to fish the car seat through the other side of the car got old fast. The sliding doors on most minivans will leave you unaffected when other people can’t seem to drive or park.
9. DVD player for long trips
I’ll be honest, I have yet to reveal to my kids that there is a dvd player in the van. Figured we’d save it for a desperate moment on a road trip someday. But, most definitely a perk if you love traveling.
10. Never run out of space
Anyone who knows my husband, knows that he loads up my van with every bit of breakdown gear, cold weather gear, blankets, etc. Meanwhile, I like to keep a basket of toys, back up ketchup, and emergency kid clothes/diapers in the car at all times. So…we ask our van to hold a lot. But, the secret compartment under the carpet is perfect for our breakdown stuff and I have more than enough space for anything and everything my kids needs. I honestly could even tote around multiple strollers if I wanted to!
11. Little yellow light on my center console is great for night time
This is probably another things specific to my Odyssey (if you can’t tell, I’d definitely recommend them), but there is a dim yellow light that projects onto the center console any time it’s dark. Nothing like turning on the light in the car, but just enough to see where stuff is on it. This feature has been insanely helpful on long road trips when we get snacky at night haha.
12. Great for projects/reno
Our home is a massive fixer upper. So much so that our son knows and loves home depot for their car carts. I have piled my van high with dozens of boards to build a porch, with drywall sheets to fix our kitchen, and MANY MANY other things. Best of all, it’s all covered.
13. She just keeps on going
Our van is coming up on 190,000 miles and good ol’ Bertha is still goin strong.
14. Pretty decent sound system
On the rare moments that I get to drive somewhere without kids in the car listening to chicka chicka boom boom, I definitely enjoy throwing my own mini concert. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy the sound system in my van!
15. I’m still in awe of the bang for buck
If you are on the fence trying to decide between an SUV and a van, you’ll definitely want to note the price difference between the two. Vans can do it all but you don’t have to pay for it all.
Cons to a Minivan
While I do think the pros of a minivan far outweigh the cons, I do have to admit there are a few things I wish I could change about my van.
1. Some people think it’s not "cool"
The number one thing I hear when people try to come up with negatives to minivans is that they “aren’t cool.” And ya know, they aren’t wrong but who cares! It isn’t a sports car though, it’s an all purpose vehicle. Sexy for its utility not for its looks.
2. Low profile isn’t as good as an SUV in the snow
Living in a relatively snowy climate, having a car that does good in the snow was important to us. And while I do think our minivan holds her own in the snow, I have to admit it comes second to an SUV. Since it sits lower to the ground it simply can’t do well in deep snow. But it does do well in slippery conditions.
3. Sliding doors can freeze in severe cold
If you live somewhere cold and don’t have a garage, the sliding doors on minivans may pose a problem for you. Whenever we’ve been away from our garage and the weather gets below 20 degrees, the electric sliding doors tend to become not so electric. We have to turn them onto manual to get them to work, which isn’t the end of the world but definitely a little annoying.
This post was all about my beautiful minivan, Bertha, and all the reasons I think you should get one too. In conclusion, go get a minivan. I promise you won’t regret it.
– Beautifully Busy Mom
