I wish they would use the sienna as as platform for a luxury version like the insane vans you see in japan . They shame limos . I love my sienna but if they dropped in some of the higher end lexus materials and detail it would be awesome . Once you drive a van SUVs seems silly if you don't tow anything ( most never even touch a dirt road) . SUVs are for drivers who can't get over the stigma . once you drive one and look inside you will see what I mean

 

For some, I believe it's true, but not as a blanket statement.

I have an SUV because there are three if us in our family, but I don't need to haul around 5 extra seats I won't use, yet we need the cargo capacity for camping and road trips, Costco, and home improvement projects, etc. We also wanted AWD for trips to the mountains and inclement weather.

 

(moved to own thread from old bumped nx rumor thread)

vans are typically not as high riding as suvs and many buy suvs because of that. also, vans are typically about hoards of people and not everyone likes the sliding side doors (i generally don't like them).

but vans are still awesome.

 

To me, the SUV's with 3rd row seat options always seemed to be more appealing

 

Vans are for fat old people.

 

What do thin old people an fat young people drive.

 

With the exception of the Sienna and some full size American vans, AWD is not available so SUVs make plenty of sense.

 

You do make some valid points. I think a Lexus van and a Cadillac van would work right about now in the current market.

 

i'll call and raise...

 

Yeah but thats not a van, thats a bangwagon

 

The so-called stigma about minivans is ridiculous....IMO, it is nothing but a bunch of nonsense parroted in the auto press. There is absolutely nothing wrong with driving a minivan....NOTHING. For many families, it is the ideal vehicle, except in really bad weather and slippery roads. But, even then, an AWD version of the Sienna is available....one does not necessarily have to convert to an SUV, although, of course, with SUVs, you have a much wider choice of AWD/4WD models.

 

That's what people used to think about Buicks, Cadillacs, and Lincolns....which, of course, like the so-called minivan stigma, was a bunch of nonsense.

 

I guess someone started a thread with a comment I made in another. Not a bad topic but strange

I do think , as an all around vehicle for a a person with multiple young children , that a minivan is very difficult to beat when it comes to value, design, and utility for an urban family . Doesnt get any easier to load a child into a seat, costco runs are a joke, and it rides like my LS460. Still has the wood steering wheel, cloud like suspension, great safety and tech, and has enough power to cruise at high speeds across the desert with ease. Harder to roll than an SUV, better mpg ( in comparable size 8 passenger SUVs), and way more cabin space


To each his won , but for my family the van just makes more sense. I used to hate them....until I actually shopped for one in comparison to SUVs even as big as the QX56.

 

Since you mention child's seats, one excellent feature that the Dodge/Chrysler minivans used to have was the rear seat-backs with the built-in child seats (DOT/NHTSA-approved). You just pulled the seat down out of the folder like a big armrest, sat Junior down on top of it, buckled him/her in with a couple of built-in straps, and Presto, you were done. When you got where you were going, you simply unbuckled Junior, lifted him/her out of the seat, folded the seat back up into its hole/folder....and Presto....ready for next time (or to seat adults instead). That, IMO, was a truly ingenious feature ...but it was dropped some years ago, perhaps (?) due to production costs.

 

your comment post was in the thread on the rumored luxury rav4 below the rx, which we now know is the nx. vans and suvs didn't seem too relevant but that thread had been bumped (not by you), with relevant posts which were moved to the main nx info thread in the nx forum now. but your comment/opinion is interesting and worthy of discussion! hope that clears things up.

great points. you really think the sienna rides as nice as your LS460 though?

if one needs to transport 5+ people fairly often, a family van is pretty awesome compared to an suv. the 3 row suv is more for 4-5 and 6/7(eek, 8) in a pinch.

again i prefer the higher seating position of the suv, but i expect vans will evolve too. i'd like to try a sienna some time, not that i need all those seats, lol... is the third row removable by the way?