I have been driving a mini van for the pass 7 years and I really like everything about it. It drives like a luxury sedan with the versatility of a small truck. Great for everything from hauling all of the kid stuff for the the little one to taking the oldest to and from college. On honey-do weekends, its great for shopping at Home Depot or Lowes. I have a top of the line version that includes leather seats, automatic doors, windows, and a video player. Although my needs have changed, I may stick with the van as it makes a perfect golf trip vehicle for a foursome.

I bought my first minivan in 1996. I was pregnant with twins and received a double stroller at an early baby shower. I put the stroller in the trunk of my small sedan and it took up the whole trunk! The next day my husband and I started shopping the next day. We bought the only minivan had doors on both sides, what now has become standard. I love my minivan and all the kids it now transports daily.

It's a love/hate relationship, for sure. My "dream" vehicle would actually be a full sized Sprinter Van loaded like a mini - dual power sliding doors, entertainment system. That's the basics I ask for. I downsized from my 15 passenger "daycare bus" to my 7 passenger Dodge Grand Caravan w/ the stow-n-go seats about 3 years ago. With my "bus" I could leave the rear seat in storage, and then haul in the back all the cars, trucks, bikes and trikes I wanted to take the kids to the park to ride around. My mini now barely holds a double stroller, a couple of folding seats for the soccer games, and a folding cargo carrier that fits into the hitch to carry our bikes. It is still ridiculously difficult to put anyone younger than 5 all the way on the back seat. And there is no 3-point belt on the center back seat. 3 car seats back there? I think NOT. Breaks my back getting them in and out. A mini is really only good for a family of 2 or 3 kids. 4 max. Twins? OK only if you don't have older ones, too b/c after you put that rear facing car seats in the middle row, no one can get past to the back... I need a van to haul up to 8 daycare kids, and my mini won't work for that so I have to cut back on my daycare enrollment. If only I had my "dream" vehicle.... ahhh.. I can see it now, walking fully upright to the back seat to buckle in that little one..... entertainment center to keep them occupied on the longer rides....who cares that its so big? A sprinter is diesel and gets more MPG, too. Less often maintenance like oil changes ever 100K miles.

When I was pregnant with my second, I knew we needed a bigger car as my mini-suv barely fit the first three of my family. I vehemently refused a minivan and got a sedan. I am able to comfortably fit my family but no one else. I truly enjoy my sedan, its a drivers car, but I miss versatility and would love to have the options of a minivan. In the end though, my love of driving and being low to the road always wins out over playdates. Of course, my husband does not try to convince me otherwise!

I love the mini van. It fits in city parking garages, and gets ok gas mileage on the highway. Take the middle seat out, and there is plenty of room to take a nap.