Once the gross weight meats the 179 deduction i think they will hit their targets.

 

So, I think I'm a target consumer for a luxury minivan. We own minivans, have high income and am a luxury car consumer.

I would not buy a luxury minivan...and here is why. A minivan for most AMERICAN consumers is by and large a family hauling appliance. They get dirty, kids beat them up, pets beat them up. Ours has 29,000 miles on it and the dye is coming off the leather on the passenger seat from the dog, the plastic panels are all scuffed up from the kids kicking and stepping on everything and eating in the car **** is ground into the carpet. Nicer materials in a luxury vehicle would not hold up to that. If we didn't have kids...we wouldn't have a minivan. When our kids are older and less hard on a car, we will get something other than a minivan.

My wife has been in CO all week and I get in the van to take the kids to school because the dog rides along, then I bring it home and get in my Mercedes for the day lol. Dog doesn't ride in the Mercedes...and if I had a luxury van I wouldn't want him to ride in it either which would negate the whole purpose of having a van

There are SOME older people who like minivans, you do see retired couples who get them for travel, etc. Thats a small subset of the market though...

Like this MB van looks okay, I would never buy it. If I'm going to spend that kind of money I want something that is cool looking and a van just isn't that.

 

I think you're right on both counts. Toyota/Lexus offers are great. Viloran is nice too. This VLE certainly will have its place.

 

You need a convertible/roadster once the kids get older ;-).

Minivans are great today but I just wouldn't buy one. Even a luxury one.

 

Funnily enough I never had any desire to have one until I had kids!

They really can't be beat with young kids. So much space, so easy to load, easy to move around in...they're just not "cool" or "fun to own" which a $100k vehicle needs to be.

 

IDK if you saw a post I made earlier- I was so focused on just acquiring a Silver Arrow SL that I didn't even think about the convertible part. Just get me the car. Then I realized how much I loved convertibles over the next month or so... we had a Miata growing up! I was just so focused on finding the car I didn't realize the pleasure of just top down motoring... not to mention in an R129.

You don't have to tell me, we had a 1994 Oldsmobile Silhouette lol. I think it was a bout $25,000 then.

 

$25,000 sounds about right.

Interested to see what this MB van costs

 

I really am eyeing the GT63… beautiful

 

Yep....we'll have to wait and see, but I strongly-suspect that 25K wouldn't even make a down payment.

 

i think that's largely a myth. examples: the lexus rx made in canada and bmw suv's made in south carolina are excellent.

yes, given the typical use of minivans, a fancy luxury interior that will get beat up is hard to take. i was always intrigued by the old honda element which had a flat rubber floor interior you could HOSE out.

i generally prefer utility over luxury these days. i think the land rover defender's interior is GREAT.

the rivian interior also strikes a great balance of utility and luxury.

well you don't really have a need for one, right?

just read about gt63 pro as well with 150kw rear electric motor for a combined 805hp

this package price is insane though...

 

Right, but even if I had kids I'd still drive SUVs. The Yukon is huggggge inside, perfect for a family. LX is smaller inside, but it's still roomy.

 

Vans are not for me either. I often tell my wife... "I'm glad you've never made me buy a van or pickup."

 

Not insane at all, that's a normal high end interior upgrade pack cost for that tier of car.


As far as vans go they are objectively the most useful car shape for most people. A high end van like that could have all the luxury of a high end sedan and more flexibility of use than a CUV.

Only thing you lose is handling, performance, aero, dynamics, and looks but most already drive SUVs

 

Once you saw how much better a minivan would make your life with kids, you probably would change your mind. Yukon doesn't have anywhere near the interior volume or adaptability of a minivan. Most people who say "I don't need a minivan for my family with kids" stop saying that when they fully experience the benefits.

If I had to drive the family vehicle as my daily I would put up with the drawbacks of an SUV vs a minivan, but for a family vehicle I only have to drive when doing family things? Minivan.

 

Yep. Much harder to get small kids into their car seats on something like a full-size SUV and much harder for slightly older ones to get themselves in and out of a full-size SUV. And it's much easier to get luggage in and out of the low loading area of the van than the tailgate height cargo area in the SUV. Full-size SUVs are still trucks at heart, and have the same disadvantages when it comes to families and in particular young families.