this post was submitted on 14 Nov 2023
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United States | News & Politics
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I don't think that the branding is the problem with minivans. IMO they really do look pathetic (sorry!) and that's not something an ad campaign could have overcome. This is the same problem station wagons and modern day don't-call-it-a-station-wagons have: they're very practical but that can't make up for the way they look.
That's the entire problem: people treating vehicles like fashion accessories instead of as tools. I really don't understand the sentiment as I think all motor vehicles are eyesores. Sure some are better looking than others, but at the end of the day they're something to be hidden away in a garage or tucked behind a building; they don't enhance their surroundings like a decorative statue or ornamental shrubbery. I know car enthusiasts are going to disagree, but most car owners are not enthusiasts, they just need decent transportation. So why are we all forced to treat motor vehicles like designer purses?
I wouldn't call myself an enthusiast, but I still like the way my car looks and I usually enjoy driving it. To me, it's like a house - the primary purpose of a house is to provide shelter from the elements and even a very basic house can do that, but going beyond that and having a good-looking, cozy house is very important.
I wonder if minivans have a reputation as women's cars not because women particularly like minivans but because on average women are less interested in cars than men are and therefore tend to buy the most practical ones, which often happen to be minivans. It seems sad to me, a little like being unable to taste food and therefore deciding what to eat based solely on nutritional value.