Comparing Minivans with Seven-Passenger Crossovers/SUVs

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Some people simply can't handle minivans. Despite recent efforts by Toyota and others to add some "swagger" to the people-movers, a sporty body kit and stylized sheetmetal can't disguise the fact that a minivan is a family vehicle above all else. There are no pretentions of off-roading ability or active, outdoorsy lifestyles in a minivan. But what they usually do provide is more functionality than a similarly priced and sized crossover.

The sacrifice consumers make by choosing an SUV over an equally capable suburban runabout like a minivan is what brings us here today. It's a choice Chevrolet and Ford buyers can no longer make, as the Traverse is now the go-to vehicle for family-hauling duties for Chevrolet and crossovers like the Flex and the new Explorer are doing the deed for Ford. Assuming you've got a garage big enough for a 200-inch-plus-long vehicle, how much do you give up in cargo room, legroom, and maneuverability by driving a crossover over a less sexy van with sliding doors?

We've gathered all the players on the minivan scene and paired them with the equivalent midsize crossover from the same automaker, where possible. With the Chrysler Aspen SUV long gone, Dodge represents Chrysler's minivan duo. Given the choice, would you choose a Dodge Grand Caravan or Dodge Durango? Toyota Sienna or a Toyota Highlander? Kia Sedona or Kia Sorento?
The minivans and crossovers on the following pages are, for the most part, priced from the mid-$20,000 range to just beyond $40,000. This guide attempts to move beyond superficial concerns about style and break down key differences between the two body styles.







The refreshed Dodge Grand Caravan is prepared to battle the minivan competition for the 2011 model year. Then again, the same could be said about the new Dodge Durango against its large SUV competitors. Chrysler's 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 powers both vehicles, making 283 horsepower in the front-wheel-drive minivan and 290 horsepower in the rear-wheel-drive Durango.

Fuel economy for the Durango V-6 is 16/23 mpg city/highway, which is lower than the expected figures for the 2011 Dodge van -- the 2010 Grand Caravan with a 4.0-liter V-6 is rated 17/25 mpg. Those using the Durango as a macho carpool SUV are wasting its capabilities. The Dodge SUV's 6200-pound towing capacity for a rear-wheel-drive V-6 model is significantly more useful than the maximum 3600-pound limit on the minivan. In addition, the Durango handles well for a large SUV. "Throw it at a turn and the Durango will lean a bit," we noted in our recent MT test, "but even two-wheel-drive variants hold tight to the road in emergency maneuvers, giving up only gradual understeer when pressed hard."

Inside, the starkest difference between the two seven-passenger vehicles is in cargo capacity. Take a large family on a road trip and you'll have 17.2 cu.-ft. of luggage space behind the third row of the Durango (and even less in the midsize Journey), compared to 33.0 cu.-ft. in the Grand Caravan. Penny-pinchers who don't mind 16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers should try the Grand Caravan with its $25,830 base price. The Durango has a $30,045 MSRP.