We were on our way to peak minivan in 1995 when, in the comedic thriller Get Shorty, John Travolta’s character Chili Palmer kept passing off his rental Oldsmobile Silhouette as the “Cadillac of minivans” (probably the movie’s most memorable line). Back then, just about every major American and Japanese carmaker offered a minivan. Even the final iteration of the Volkswagen bus was still sold here.
Twenty-five years later, you need only one hand to count the minivans on the market in the U.S. Why? Demographic shifts, in part. But mostly, the decline stems from the emergence of three-row SUVs. Minivan sales have been dwindling for decades as drivers ditch the symbol of suburban surrender, the automotive equivalent of drawstring sweatpants, for something they like to call their “truck.”
But having spent Thanksgiving week hauling my extended family around town in a 2020 Honda Odyssey (MSRP $34,690, EX trim), I am again reminded that when it comes to putting a lot of humanoids in a box, you just can’t beat a minivan. Most of the credit goes to the sliding doors. The ability to not just unlock but open these giant access ports remotely is huge. While still fussing with locking up the house, I could pop open the doors and let the nieces and nephews scramble into the back row, as the elder generation followed into the middle row with far less acrobatics (and grumbling) than when entering any vehicle in my own fleet (which, yes, includes a big three-row SUV).
My friend Jody Danforth Root, who considers herself a big van fan, notes another plus. “My van’s sliding doors meant there was never a wind gust or thoughtless kid that blew the door open, dented the car next to us, and left me paying for someone’s body work,” as happened with her other vehicle, a GMC Yukon Denali, a big ol’ SUV.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2020 من Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2020 من Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
My Top 30 Index: An Update
A year ago, I put together what I called \"my own reinvention\" of the Dow Jones industrial average, the popular 142-year-old large-cap index.
Balance Your Risk and Reward
These new ETFs let you cut stock market losses. But you'll sacrifice some gains.
IS A HYBRID CAR RIGHT FOR YOU?
Hybrids offer a fuel-saving option for drivers who have reservations about all-electric vehicles. But there are trade-offs.
HOW TO REACH YOUR INVESTING GOALS
Patience helped these four investors make their portfolios work for them.
WHERE TO INVEST NOW
Expect a lot of midyear churn, with a rally toward the end of 2024.
TIPS FOR FINANCING A HOME PROJECT
I recently had a call with a client who was looking to fund the construction of a swimming pool at his house.
MORE WOMEN THAN EVER ARE STARTING BUSINESSES
Retail and travel businesses, along with health, beauty and fitness, are popular with women entrepreneurs.
Finding Home Health Care
It’s important to hire a caregiver you trust.
UNDERSTANDING BOND FUND YIELDS
What's a 30-day SEC yield? A trailing 12-month yield? A yield to maturity? We explain what each measure says about an income fund.
ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS ON STUDENT LOANS
If you have federal student loans, you may benefit from new government policies. Here's what you need to know.