A Suburban Icon, Still on Cruise Control
June 1, 2003

When production of the first Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager began in November 1983, the minivan was born. Soon it became a symbol of suburban living, the vehicle of choice for soccer moms from Atlantic Beach to Wading River and parked in lawn-bordered driveways across the country.

A decade later came the onslaught of sports utility vehicles, which in many cases didn’t carry as much cargo as the minivans but were brawnier and less sedate. The minivan, it seemed, was ready for the dustbin of history.  Hah.

S.U.V.’s are big sellers on the Island, but minivans are holding their own as family workhorses.

R.L. Polk & Co., which tracks the automotive industry, counted 59,211 new S.U.V. registrations last year in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The number may dwarf the 15,287 for new passenger minivans, but they are still showing sales growth, with registrations up from 13,232 in 1998.

Many minivan loyalists, like Lynn Cosentino of Port Jefferson Station, point to space and gas mileage. “We were about to have our third child and found that our station wagon was running out of room,” Mrs. Cosentino said. (The station wagon, for the younguns among you, is what came before minivans. Before that came rumble seats.) “The additional space made it easier to move car seats and tend to the needs of my young children, at the time 5, 3 and a newborn.”

Mrs. Cosentino replaced her Ford Taurus station wagon with a Ford Windstar six years ago. “We did consider S.U.V.’s, but they are much smaller inside than a minivan,” Mrs. Cosentino said, adding that “they really guzzle the gas” and their height makes it difficult for young children to step in and out.

Tricia Dougherty of Massapequa also steered clear of S.U.V.’s. “I do not like the way they drive,” she said. Instead, she found the extra room she needed for her growing family in a 2001 Chrysler Town and Country, her third minivan to date. “I also felt that a minivan was safer than a car,” she said.

These sentiments are good news to the Chrysler Group, where a spokesman, Bryan Zvibleman, said, “Despite speculation that minivans are going to drive off into the sunset, the segment continues to be vibrant, averaging 1.2 million units sold every year, or approximately one out of every 12 new vehicles sold in North America.”

Some minivan drivers, like Tom and Dolores Garger of Hicksville, liked S.U.V.’s but were swayed by the price. With two children and two dogs, the Gargers considered station wagons. “But for the price they didn’t have as much space as the minivan,” said Mr. Garger, who has driven a Dodge Grand Caravan for the past four years. “We did look at a couple of S.U.V.’s, and although we liked them, they were cost-prohibitive.” As a point of comparison, list prices for Caravans range from $21,095 to $25,540; the Dodge Durango S.U.V.’s go from $27,520 to $39,335.

Lisa and Warren Suskevich of Floral Park bought their Caravan for the extra room, and discovered an added benefit. “I also love driving above the height of most other cars on the road,” said Mrs. Suskevich, though she never considered an S.U.V. “I’ve seen several S.U.V.’s flip over.”

Space, safety, comfort, affordability, fuel efficiency and car-like handling are features that attract minivan drivers, a pragmatic group, favoring function over form.

Yankelovich Inc., a Norwalk, Conn., marketing consultancy company specializing in American lifestyle trends, issued a report in May 2002 that studied data from 1996 through 2001, based on 2,500 interviews each year nationwide. The report called the minivan a lifestage purchase rather than a lifestyle purchase.

 Yankelovich found that the mean household income for S.U.V. drivers was $51,800 compared with $46,600 for minivan drivers. S.U.V. drivers seek style, performance and extras, it said; minivan drivers want utility.

Research like this has created a stereotype of the minivan driver as an unexciting, style-challenged, sexless suburbanite.

“I cringe a little when I see the commercials poking fun at minivan owners,” Mr. Garger said, “but have you ever watched someone try to put a bicycle into the trunk of a sedan?”

“The appearance never bothered me,” Mrs. Suskevich said. “We were only interested in how practical it was for our needs.”

Conversely, P.J. Frankel of Dix Hills drives a Toyota Sequoia and enjoys the “power and presence of an S.U.V.” versus the “minivan mom look.”

Manufacturers seem comfortable with the minivan’s sensible reputation. Mercury uses phrases like “minimalist approach” and “functionality” to describe its new Monterey. Chrysler’s Voyager is “designed to adapt” while the Town and Country is “the ultimate ability vehicle.”

“There used to be lot of negative connotations, but that’s not the case anymore,” said Henry Schwartz, general manager of Baron Honda in Patchogue, who notes the steady popularity of Honda’s Odyssey minivan. “The Odysseys are usually sold before they get here,” Mr. Schwartz said. “We have a waiting list. That’s been the case here for the past four years.” He attributes the minivan’s popularity to its versatility: “You can load all the kids in it and go to a soccer game or take the seats out and go to Home Depot.”

At Hustedt Chevrolet West in Floral Park, minivan sales have remained constant. “The market is good because the factory is supporting the minivan with rebates and more options. Minivans now have DVD players,” said Emad Gadelkarim, general manager. “I think the market is getting better for minivans.”

“I see the minivan staying here,” said John Bell, general manager of Lee Dodge in Farmingdale. “Gas prices have jumped, and S.U.V. prices are out of reach. People are saying, ‘Why do I need a four-wheel-drive S.U.V. in New York and the gas mileage is terrible?”’

Dealers also noted that customers rarely switch categories. “S.U.V.’s aren’t taking away from minivans, but from the car market,” Mr. Gadelkarim said.

The Yankelovich report predicted that the minivan market would remain consistent as minivan owners are less likely to move to flashier, more expensive S.U.V.’s, crossover vehicles or other autos.

“As long as consumers continue to value flexibility, versatility and practicality,” Mr. Zvibleman of Chrysler said, “the minivan will continue to be a popular choice in the marketplace.”

Steve Aviano of Bellport became a minivan devotee after the family rented one in 1991 for a Florida trip. Recently he and his wife, Patty, shopped for a new car.
“I wanted a minivan, my wife wanted another Jeep,” Mr. Aviano said. “She won out. But she is now, after two months, regretting she didn’t get the minivan. You can seat five adults in the Jeep, but it’s not comfortable. You feel like you’re in a cockpit.”

Mr. Aviano for the past nine years has remained happy with his choice, a 1994 Plymouth Voyager that his friends have ironically dubbed “the chick magnet.” While he may laugh at its appearance, Mr. Aviano takes pleasure in its performance. “I turn the key,” he said, “and it starts every day.”