If I had a dollar for every time I said that I would never be a mini-van mom, I would be able to buy a mini-van. I don’t think that I am alone on this! When we find our forever partner and settle down, we are not driving a van. A family car is the farthest from our minds at that time. Around the time the first kid is added to the equation, the thoughts start to creep up. Many are still not ready to run out and buy that sweet mini-van. By kid three if you haven’t already made the plunge, you are considering it! At this point, you are either crying tears of joy or tears of sadness.
The Doors
After becoming a mini-van driver, the doors will be the first thing to win you over. Instead of swinging open, they slide along the side of the car. Getting multiple children in and out is so simple with these doors. You can open the door without having to worry about it being smashed into the car next to you by a child. Once kids hit the independence stage, they want to open the door and get in and out by themselves. This can be nerve raking in a vehicle with doors that swing. In a mini-van, relax and let them do it without worrying about any damage.
The Gas Mileage
Checking gas mileage when car shopping can make or break a purchase. When looking at your budget for a new vehicle, the gas money should be factored in. If you are only getting 10mpg that could break the budget. A list of the top gas mileage mini-vans can be found here. They beat trucks and SUVs; only smaller cars will get better gas mileage.
The Room
Trying to buckle children in the back seat of a tradition car is a challenge; you better be a gymnast to get that job done. In a mini-van, there is enough room to climb in with your child to buckle them. If you have children that pester each other when driving, you have the choice of 5 seats to put them in. With all the options, you can space everyone out so that no one can touch each other. The front seats are just as spacious and have more legroom than other cars.
The Storage
All the extra seats are what most think of when getting a mini-van. They tend to forget about the storage. With the last row, down you have over half of the length of the van for storage. That length is comparable to the back of some pickup trucks. If you need your third row for passengers, the trunk space is deeper than traditional trunks giving you more space. On top is the option for even more storage by purchasing a cargo box.
If you haven’t taken the plunge and upgraded to the mini-van, you should take one out for a test drive and see everything that you have been missing.
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