I drove one, very underwhelming...

 

There is at least one more advantage - you don't have to own a minivan...

 

I have to say my Durango SRT drives and handles better than some cars I’ve owned let alone a minivan. Is it as comfortable, no it isn’t but it handles really well for what it is. I took it in for some warranty work last week and they gave me a Pacifica for the weekend and I hated the way it drove and it handled terribly compared to my Durango.

 

Winner winner chicken dinner!

All kidding aside, minivans are very practical for any trips with a lot of luggage or just in general hauling kids around. The problem is my wife and I don’t like them whether it’s the looks or the way they drive, it’s just not our cup of tea so it’s not a consideration at all. We did at one point like the looks of the Pacifica’s a couple years ago when they had a sporty looking model with graphite/gunmetal colored wheels but it still wasn’t enough to sway us.

 

Your Durango is a high Performance version and RWD based so not surprised. The regular FWD based ones that are high off the ground don't drive well.

Also, nothing wrong with owning a swagger wagon. It's not like I drive aggressively with kids and I rarely drive the minivan without kids so it serves it's purpose well

 

I know minivans are not for everyone and not here to sway you, but if you haven't driven a sienna SE (pre 2021-last gen, haven't drove a current SE), you should just to see that it handles pretty well. It's not your typical minivan floaty or loose feeling.
I've done curves on ramps/off ramps...and I pass suvs easily And mine was the 2011 where it wasn't as updated like the 2015 refresh where they had more structural welds (whole car feels firmer).

Anyways, back to your SUV shopping

 

My wife and I are the same way on the minivan topic. We agree that it wouldn't be a bad idea to own one for practicality, but then we point the finger at each other when the "who is going to drive it" question comes up!

 

I have many years of experience of lugging around hockey bags and will say that you should be able to fit a bag behind the third row. Maybe not if you're carrying goalie gear though... haha

 

My minivans have been the best vehicle purchases I have ever made from a practicality perspective. They are a phenomenal family tool. I never want for cargo or passenger room, sliding doors make it easy for the kids to get in and out, its comfortable and nice to drive. Smooth riding and relatively quiet. Lots of great features. But....it doesn't do anything for me as a car enthusiast. I don't look forward to driving it, don't look forward to cleaning it up and detailing it, don't give it a second look when I walk away. Its just a tool to me, other than my wife's old Prius the only vehicles I've had I ever felt that way about. I drive it when I have to, and get it washed and clean it out once a month or so.

So, I am happily looking forward to the time when I can have a vehicle in that spot in the garage I enjoy again.

 

I don't know about that... the X7 is pretty tight behind the 3rd row. When I was measuring a bunch, the X7 had about 17" at the floor behind the 3rd row seat, GLS had 21.5". That can make a big diff of if the bag, and OP said often 2 bags, could fit.

Palisade had 20", New Escalade/Yukon were 21", Defender had just 9" behind the 3rd row.

 

You wash yours? I just take mine through one of those machines and they have an area to vacuum afterwards. I tried to hand wash it once and I needed a ladder to get it cleaned on top and decided it wasn't worth the risk of me falling

I love my old minivan as I couldn't care less if someone dinged it as it already has hundreds of dings. Its a complete appliance and I have no issues treating it as such and you are right, its like a rolling living room where it keeps the family completely comfortable as it eats up hundreds of miles for soccer games or family vacations. I'm going to keep it until its wheels fall off and the way its going, this will be way past the kids going to college

 

Oh no, I take it to the carwash lol. Afterwards I clean the interior up because its always way too dirty for the carwash guys to make a dent in it.

I handwashed it once when it was brand new and it was a nightmare lol. Middle of summer, hot day, dark blue minivan...nightmare.

 

I love my minivan more now that it's old and I don't feel guilty about abusing it. It's a nightmare to clean though so if it's super dirty, I'll do a full service wash and let someone else clean it.

I actually like to wash my personal car though. It's therapeutic

 

There is something nice about not caring about your car. You don’t care where you park or if it gets scratched, dinged, wheels curbed, etc. i used to drive a beater daily and I always had a nice weekend car. Now I like to drive nice cars all the time but it’s more “stressful” so to speak because I just don’t want to trash it because I take pride in it.

 

Oh yeah I love washing and cleaning on my car, the van though is just a chore. If it were some cool SUV I would like cleaning on that too...I always did my Jeeps.