Yes, the current makes and models of minivans in America are (and I’ve probably forgotten some):
Ford Freestar
Dodge Caravan (and Grand Caravan, which I believe is bigger and more expensive, plus Dodge basically created the minivan in the 80s)
Toyota Sienna
Honda Odyssey
Chevy Venture (do they still make the Astro?)
Kia Sedona
Mazda MPV
Chrysler Town and Country
Nissan Quest
Pontiac Montana
Minivans have a “soccer-mom” stereotype. They really are good for families, but I find them hard to drive in that they’re long and have a really short front end and a really long back end as a result. Plus, I think they’re hard to work on, since the engine (at least in the Windstar) goes in somewhat slanted to allow for the really short hood and, as a result, part of the engine is only accessible from the passenger compartment. I also found it hard to see out the back of the Ford Windstar unless you remove all the back seats, as the headrests really get in the way. Plus, it’s a really large car, which can make it tough to drive in tight areas. The only add-on I really found useful (and this is for driving, not things like the CD player) was the back-up sensor. As I said, it can be hard to see out the back and judge your distance, and the sensor comes in handy to give you a little more of an idea of exactly where your back end is.
As I said before, I prefer a station wagon. You don’t get as much cargo space, but I find them much easier to drive. Minivans have taken over the family vehicle spot from station wagons, though you often see SUVs as well as a family vehicle.
Forget safe and approachable dude. I did this too and Minivans kick ass! My buddies called mine The Babemobile. And by babe, I believe they meant “hot young women” and not “small chubby kids” because we would always pack that thing full of people and hit the town, or Mexico. We used my minivan to off-road to work when road construction kept the roomies’ bitchin camaro and eclipse at home. Lots more room than most SUVs because of the lower floor, so I could carry just about anything that could go in a pickup (and a lot of things that would get broken in a pickup), but could do it in the weather or without lots of tiedowns.
Doubled really nice as a tent when I took a girl I was seeing on a two-week road trip in it and the weather was too crappy to camp out. At the very least, she was not turned off by my minivan. After we got hitched, we got a house in a neighborhood and she took off the jolly roger sticker, signalling the end of The Babemobile . . . but I think the bumper sticker is key. Pick one from an appropriately scary band or unamerican.com or your local Harley-Davidson dealership and it will clearly communicate “no small chubby kids on board.”
Vans are great for drive-in movie nights! You fold down the seats and open the back doors - so much more comfy than going in a car. If you still need to look cool, join a band and use the van to transport the drum kit and guitars to your gigs. Can’t use a truck for that, nosiree!
Tell them you’re in a band and use it to carry all your gear. Better yet, become a roadie for a band in your new minivan and use it to carry their gear. Then you’ll snag the ladies.
I’m afraid can’t picture that. By “great” do you mean it’s more comfortable to watch the movie, or, um, something else? Do you mean park the van backwards, open the tailgate and sit on the edge of the flattened seat?