Comments by "Stephen Hendricks" (@stephenhendricks103) on "" video.

  1. Ah, the slow lingering death of the minivan. Every time I see a minivan review I hear the reviewer note how much more practical the vehicle is than a comparable SUV/CUV. Yet the message seems to be largely ignored by most consumers. What's the deal? Is it because male consumers have lost their taste for them? Not likely. "Real men" never took to minivans. The "cab forward" design didn't appeal to males who want a long, long hood stretching out before them. It suggests a BIG powerful and "potent" engine. Even better if it has a protruding grill (Lookin' at you CX-9) that makes the point even more obvious. From the beginning minivans acquired the reputation (and the stigma) of being "mom-mobiles." And when CUV's came along to replace a "truck" feel with the driving dynamics of a car, it was the best of both worlds for men who never took their vehicles off-road but wanted them to feel "tough." No, the declining popularity of minivans stems from the fact that females (who have a major voice in the purchase of "family" vehicles) increasingly rejected them. How come? First, it's difficult to avoid the fact that younger generations of women increasingly reject the stigma of being "just a housewife" and accurate or fair or not, minivans project that vibe. But that's not all. Females may not find the same appeal as males in a massive hood in front of the driver but it does suggest strength and security in the event of an accident. And safety, real or perceived, is especially important to female drivers. Further, as highways filled with SUV's/CUV's all drivers, but especially women, feel overmatched in terms of visibility from a driver's seat. A "command" (i.e. taller) driving position gives them a better chance to see what's going on around them. Of course it's a vicious circle with more bigger and taller vehicles making the problem worse. But like nuclear deterrence individual purchasers may see no alternative. Minivans still appeal to those with large families to haul around, especially if extended family trips (or a family with multiple hockey players) are a priority. But large families are a smaller and smaller portion of the population (except perhaps in Utah.) Bottom line is that the few manufacturers who offer minivans (Toyota, Honda, Chrysler, and Kia) seem to be fighting a long term losing battle.
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  2. Back in the day when the world (and I) were young and dinosaurs roamed the highways, I owned a 1989 Mazda MPV minivan with AWD. It was a great van and its AWD once got me out of a ditch in deep snow on a logging road in the Cascade mountains. Might have saved my life, in fact. As I understand it, the Sienna is the only minivan to offer AWD and with a 300 hp engine it looks like a very good option, especially in harsh winter conditions and even in the messy winters we see in the Pacific Northwest. Would probably have avoided the wheel spin demonstrated in the review, in fact. Though I think the Odyssey is an overall superior choice, the AWD would be a major plus for me if I were in the market for a minivan.
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