Friday, September 22, 2006

The Mini Van Debate


Yes, I am sure there are a million posts that are dedicated to the mini van but I have such a strong opinion on the matter that I thought it was time to let my voice be heard. A few years ago I would be that girl in the Chuck E. Cheese parking lot telling all her other mom friends that she wouldn't be caught dead in a mini van. "Only a SUV for me thank you," I would say and laugh as I watched some other mom pack her kids in her Toyota Sienna. I learned my lesson the hard way. When Seth and I found out we were expecting our third baby we realized that the Mazda 626 just wouldn't cut it. A full row of carseats just wouldn't work so we started looking around for our SUV. We finally settled on a Durango. It was a great SUV. It was a limited edition R/T engine. (I have no idea for what that means but I think it means that the vehicle had balls, big ones.) The first few days I loved driving around looking all cool in my big SUV. Nevermind that I had to use a freaking step stool to get in I was enjoying my youth with 2 1/2 kids in tow. I looked so cool, or did I? A couple weeks and $250 in gas later I hit a huge realization. I was not cool anymore. This car was never going to drive into the OHS parking lot. It was never going to cruise main in Spanish Fork. This Dodge Durango was only going to see days full of dropping kids off, trips to the park, the occasional diaper change in the car and maybe even a little vomit after a long road trip to grandma's house. Besides the gas factor it was a pain in the butt to buckle the kids in their carseats and it had NO cargo space with the third row up. Once you have 2+ kids no one says things like, "Look at that really cool mom, she drives a Tahoe" or "Look at that really lame mom, she drives a Ford Windstar." With this sudden light bulb Seth and I decided to trade in the Durango and get a Mazda MPV. I love it. I have never been happier with any other vehicle. It gets good gas mileage, it is easy to drive, the kids are comfortable...the list goes on and on.

5 comments:

Marc said...

My sisters were even more anti-mini-van than you and they've converted to... so I've accepted the fact that we too will concede.

King Family said...

I am proud of you Marc for conceding so early. It seriously shows true maturity.

Sammy Pow said...

Minivans are fine and all, I was proud of the Anderson LT (the Astro), but dudes driving minivans just look awkward. Almost as awkward as the spelling of awkward.

King Family said...

BA,
That's why you have your wife drive it. Seth only drives it on road trips and to church so I don't look like the wife who wears the pants. Your parents had an Astro? Thats great. Seth's family had a white station wagon and the back row was turned around. I laugh so hard thinking about Seth and his brothers and sisters backward in the station wagon waving at the other drivers. They later upgraded to the Econoline that had track lighting and a T.V.

Alifinale said...

You have a pretty good argument. Why worry about being cool when you have to turn the backseat into a changing table? I just wish they didn't make minivans so pointy in the front. Is that too much to ask? I guess they are getting better, but still.