We asked moms across the country to tell us what they love best about their minivan. The answers were as diverse and eclectic as the moms who drive them.
From the space and comfort a minivan provides to the memories created from the daily trips and vacations, a minivan is more than just a vehicle, it’s a second home on wheels.
There’s something about the thrill of the drive…the wind catching your hair as you head down the highway alone… the speedometer going from zero to 120.
It’s togetherness...and love.
Colleen A Halifax, NS
While a minivan is pretty much a necessity for carting around four kids and the stuff that inevitably accompanies them, safety and comfort are a must. We literally packed our van to the rafters on a recent trip, using every available space, and everyone still rode comfortably. I also love the feeling of sitting 'up high' as it not only affords me a bit of a bird's-eye view of my surroundings but is also particularly beneficial when collecting my order at the Starbucks drive-thru window: no more reaching!
Erica G Aurora, ON
What's the best thing about minivans? The space! With two moms, a 14 month old and two dogs, we simply need space when it comes to travelling. We're an active, busy crew who travels a lot. Whether we're heading to the zoo, for a picnic in the park, shopping, a weekend at the lake or out of town to visit family, space is a must for us. Stroller, diaper bag, purses, suitcases, shopping bags, dog kennels, ice chests...we're a house filled with girls and we all know girls don't pack light!
Crystal L Saskatoon, SK
What I love most about minivans is how it allows my family to be on the go. It has enough room for everyone, all their stuff and expected mishaps. What other vehicle gives everyone in the family the leg room; yet has all the room for the stroller, groceries, the dogs and anything else the kids lugged with them? Minivans make the kid drop-offs quick and easy with no moving and juggling seats or needing to crawl over people. If you have kids and a family you need a minivan to help keep your life on wheels as organized as the life in your home.
Dana C Truro, NS
I love the extra space for both passengers and my party supplies in my Caravan. It certainly beats having to tie supplies down in the back of the truck and then chase the loose items down the road when they fly out. No one wants to be that person on the side of the road! I also love that we have space for Nana & Papa to hop in the van with us for excursions to the park.
Cheryl K Regina SK
Minivans: A vehicle built with multiple purposes and any driver in mind. I can safely tote my family, a friend, club-sized toilet paper, diapers by the box and swing through a drive-through without blinking an eye. In the next hour my husband can switch it up, make way for his extra-long tradeshow display, IT paraphernalia, a colleague and perhaps a client with a pair of burning hot Americano coffees. He doesn’t need to feel embarrassed using “The Mom Wagon” to meet a prospect and I’m not preoccupied by the kids destroying his one-time work set-up. Fine diversity!
Renée L Brampton, ON
My minivan was a place of firsts and our home away from home. Our refuge. Our travel machine. To different parts of the city. Of the country. The continent.
It grew with us through different ages and stages. Braces on; braces off.
It toted every type of gear; as you tried every sport imaginable. It offered leg room; because you were busy growing taller and bigger. It worked hard, in every configuration. It was a study space, reading room and confessional. A place for a tired mom to catch a nap, or enjoy a cup of tea, when everything we did was away from home. It was a place for you and your friends to joke and hang on route to practice. First skates; first lacrosse practices. Gymboree, preschool, kindergarten, grade 12 grad sleepout. Grandma's house. Music Festivals. Camping. And hockey hockey hockey. The sound system shaped who we were from Sharon, Lois and Brahm to Mackelmore & Lewis. We listened to books on tape, and you had your first driving lessons.
And you dreamed. You imagined the day you would be big enough to drive your own car. Sea to sky and back again. This is how you were shaped. In a minivan.
Tamara L Lions Bay, BC
The best thing about minivans is the room for passengers! I am a busy mom of a teen and tween and often on the weekends I am the neighbourhood mom who drives all the teenagers home in the winter when it's -30 outside. The more teens I can squeeze in, the less trips I know I have to make and I can rest easy knowing I got everyone home safely to snuggle in their nice warm beds! And let's not forget those multiple hockey gear bags that I have to transport as I have to drive my son and friend to their hockey academy every school morning!
Angie P St. Albert, AB
I love that Dodge Caravans are just as easy to drive and park as smaller vehicles, and that they give me all the room I need for the many hats I wear: Mom of a university student moving back and forth to school, great aunt of little ones going out on adventures, pet owner to a German Shepherd needing frequent vet visits, empty nester taking frequent long road trips to finally see the world out there, and artist who is always hauling things from the thrift store.
Cyn G London, ON
Ever packed a car for a road trip with small children? I’m all for family time, but close quarters can make us all a little testy. “Hey, it’s naptime. Maybe we can listen to something we’d like on the stereo! No, wait. It’s all Raffi, all the time or we’ll pay dearly for it.” Not in a minivan! Mom and dad up front, sleeping littlest one in the back, older one in the middle with headphones and a movie of his choosing in the entertainment system. *sigh* Peace and (relative) quiet with plenty of room for all the comforts of home, including a cooler full of snacks. A minivan really can make the journey part of the destination.
Julia W Toronto, ON
Find these stories and more on YMC's ‘Tales From the Minivan’ page.
This is proudly sponsored by our friends at Dodge Canada.
dodge.ca/grandcaravan
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