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minivans

With a vehicle as family focused as the Grand Caravan, you have to remember its purpose is to help you easily load kiddos and cargo into it. A minivan isn’t going to be the most stylish piece of sheet metal on the road because it’s too busy accommodating the family to have time for its looks. Sound familiar?

For me, a minivan is a vehicular vacation; it takes no effort to open or close its doors, and it has fun features and plenty of space for the whole family. The 2009 Chrysler Town & Country I tested is no exception to this experience; however, it’s more of an all-inclusive resort as opposed to a vacation I’d plan on my own.

The 2009 Toyota Sienna had me assessing the value of my soul. You see, I’m ready to sell it to Toyota for a Sienna minivan. “But wait, Sara,” you say. “You swore you’d never even remotely consider a minivan. What happened?” You also may be calling me a hypocrite under your breath. Or out loud. Allow me to explain why.

Everyone in my brood loved the look of the 2009 Mazda5. Hubby thought it was sporty and unique-looking, and I loved that the interior was highly usable while the exterior didn’t make me feel like a mom. I have to hand it to the Mazda designers on this one; the Mazda5 really does have a “zoom-zoom” affect.

Honda calls the Odyssey the “King of Minivans,” but I think it must be a queen. Especially with the Touring trim level, the Odyssey is minivan royalty that’s built to suit all. She’s elegant, poised, smooth and secretly running the show.

If the minivan is the grown-up, mature version of the family-mobile, the Mazda5 is the precocious little sister. It’s not quite as big, fast or well-developed as its big sister, but it still wants a turn on the dance floor.

Let’s face it — buying a minivan is the ultimate vehicular concession to parenthood. Nothing says, “My first name is Mommy and I have breast-milk stains on my shirt” like sliding doors. That said, while minivans come in many versions, some are more family-friendly than others.

When I’m running late, I get really speedy. I pick up the pace, stomp around and mix it all with a dollop of fluster. What inevitably winds up happening is I forget stuff, or I mutter. These behaviors are usually directed to my poor family, but during a recent test drive, I found myself saying them to the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan.

Welcome class, to Chrysler Town & Country 101. If you are in the wrong classroom please take this opportunity to leave now, as I have a lot to say and cannot be interrupted once we start.

Until two weeks ago, I was a minivan virgin. Perhaps, as with other notable first times, my expectations were too high. The bottom line is that the Kia Sedona has a lot to offer for such an affordable car, but I’d like to find a minivan with a few more frills.

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