Death Of The Minivan?

With Ford having already killed off its minivan lines, and with General Motors now following suit, the vehicle that was once the icon of soccer moms and large families might soon be a thing of the past.

GM was already planning to close its Doraville, Ga. minivan plant, but it recently announced that it is canceling plans to introduce a new line of minivans for 2009. This follows Ford's September announcement that it will end production of the Ford Freestar early in 2007.

GM's minivan sales have dropped about fifty percent since 2000, with the rest of the minivan market dropping twenty percent. What has caused the decline of the once iconic family hauler? Most of it probably lies, oddly enough, in its iconic image. Minivans have long been associated with soccer moms and older drivers, making them the antithesis of cool among drivers. GM has been trying for years to change the minivan's image, like the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander, which they marketed as a "crossover sports van."

So it comes as no surprise that GM is diverting its minivan resources to the rapidly growing crossover utility vehicle market. Ironically, their new line of CUVs, including the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and the Saturn Outlook were to be the basis for the canceled new line of minivans. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz says that the new CUV line, each featuring three-row seating, will meet the needs of minivan drivers without the soccer mom stigma.

If you're a minivan loyalist, don't worry just yet. Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota are still in the minivan game, producing the Chrysler Town and Country, the Honda Odyssey, and the Toyota Sienna. Not only that, but now may be one of the best times to buy a minivan. As of September, minivan incentives were averaging about $3,584 per vehicle.

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