‘Soccer mom’ minivans make major comeback as SUV prices skyrocket

Much maligned as an embarrassing mom-mobile, the minivan is making a comeback.

The surge in minivan purchases comes as Americans enter a new era of higher car costs, with the average price of a new car hovering around $50,000.

Crucially, minivans fall well below that median, while SUVs are hovering far above it.

Large SUVs now average $67,000+, and minivans start around $40,000, a considerable differential that’s increasingly hard for consumers to ignore.

According to Yahoo News, minivan sales jumped 21% in the U.S. last year, while the overall auto market grew just 2%.

Meanwhile, gas prices continue to soar, and people are searching for cars that are either electric or fuel efficient, helping minivans edge out their SUV competition.

To that end, minivan loyalists and converts cite space, fuel economy, and cost as reasons to opt out of an SUV and into a van.

On Reddit forums dedicated to SUV vs. minivan comparisons, comments typically skew in favor of the humble, practical van.

“Everyone is going to be more comfortable in the van. Everything is going to fit better in the van,” said one Redditor.

“I secretly take the minivan instead of my pickup truck a lot of times,” confessed one dad. “That thing is BITCHIN!” he added, noting that the sliding doors make school drop-off seamless and loading dogs and kids much easier.

“It kills me to say, but the minivan is just insanely practical. Not to mention, the number of features you get in a minivan for the price rivals luxury vehicles priced significantly higher,” theorized another.

For those worried about the aesthetics, another commenter came correct with these hard truths.

“Since when were SUVs aesthetic? SUVs are popular like Olive Garden is popular. May as well paint every room in your house gray and put a live laugh love sign over your sink,”

So Reddit speaks, and the world listens.

According to Chris Heck, head coach at Jeff Wyler Superior Honda in Cincinnati, sales of the Honda Odyssey are on the rise.

“They’re up 30% over the last two years. We find that’s primarily due to the price segment of this vehicle and gas. The fuel economy on the vehicle is actually very, very good,” Heck told Scripps News, counting storage space as another draw.

“The cargo volume, I think, is its biggest seller, honestly,” he said.

He shared that the Odyssey’s epic name and flexible interior appeal to parents and travelers, with a third row that folds flat into the floor and a middle row that can be reconfigured between a bench and captain’s chairs.

“There’s a lot of configurations you can do with the vehicle,” Heck maintains.

Further, Heck believes minivans are losing both their social stigma and their reputation for torpid handling.

“They have a lower center of gravity. They drive like a car,” he said.

Perhaps the best advertisement for the magic of the minivan comes from this commenter: “You can pry my Pacifica keys out of my cold, dead fingers.”

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