Old Van | Source: De Swert Nicolas
As a mom who knows a thing or two about cars, I can only shake my head when I see yet another growing family squeezing into a three-row crossover SUV. There's a better solution out there, folks, and it's called the minivan. Whereas those crossovers have conventional rear doors and cumbersome seat-sliding mechanisms for third-row access, minivans have dual sliding doors that make ingress and egress a cinch. Plus, they don't ride as high, which makes them easier to load — and when you do load them up, you'll find they can hold nearly twice as much stuff as many crossovers.
I'm telling you, moms across the country need to band together and get a minivan movement going. When it comes to family vehicles, function should be more important than form, am I right, ladies? Moms know best, and minivans are undoubtedly the best vehicle type for families who need more than two rows. Let me tell you about the three best minivans on the market today.
1. 2014 Honda Odyssey
If you read car reviews, you'll hear a lot about how the Odyssey has "sporty handling" or something like that. Let's be honest: no one buys a minivan for the way it handles, whatever that even means. But the Odyssey does have a car-like feel from the driver seat at least, and that's no mean feat considering how large it is — the maximum cargo capacity is 148 cubic feet, dwarfing the Ford Explorer's 80 cubes. The 2014 Honda Odyssey also comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth streaming audio for your phone and even a rearview camera. Its 248-horsepower V6 is rated at 28 mpg on the highway, making it considerably more fuel-efficient than most V6-powered crossovers.
2. 2014 Toyota Sienna
The Sienna is similar to the Odyssey in many ways, but it's got a trump card that sets it apart: optional all-wheel drive. That's a pretty big deal, because all-weather capability is something that clinches a lot of sales for crossover SUVs. With the Sienna, you can enjoy a minivan's superior versatility along with the security of AWD. It's also got the best engine in the business, a 3.5-liter V6 that can really whisk this van along. If you're looking for entertainment options, the 2014 Toyota Sienna offers a nifty split-screen monitor that flips down from the ceiling and allows two different inputs (a video game and a DVD, for example) to display at the same time.
3. 2014 Mazda5
Here's a dark horse candidate for moms who think the Odyssey and Sienna are just too darn big. With three rows and six genuinely usable seats, the 2014 Mazda5 is a real-deal minivan, yet it's barely larger than a compact crossover SUV. That makes it super simple to park and maneuver around town. On the fuel-economy front, it gets the same 28 mpg as the Odyssey on the highway, but it trounces the bigger van with up to 22 mpg in the city. You can even get a six-speed manual transmission if you ask nicely. If a full-size minivan just doesn't fit your lifestyle, the Mazda5 is a great alternative.
What Do You Drive? Do you all drive any of these minivans? Got a different family vehicle that you really swear by? Let's hear it in the comments!
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