Minivan or SUV: The False Dichotomy

Making the choice between a minivan and a SUV has almost become a rite of parental passage. The decision is a topic for discussion that is guaranteed to set the forums on fire, with a recent thread on the subject quickly exceeding 100 posts. Both vehicle types have their supporters and detractors, but my response is "none of the above."

Certainly there are those who of necessity require a large vehicle. Families with more than two children, large dogs, or with a need to tow something are obvious examples. But for smaller, urban families, in my opinion there are much better choices. One such choice is the station wagon. However, perhaps due to nightmarish memories of long trips in the family Vista Cruiser, my generation has largely spurned station wagons. The few good choices available tend to be luxury models from the likes of BMW, Mercedes, and Volvo. The most obvious, and attractive, exception to this rule is the Subaru Outback.

However, to my mind, a better — if even more overlooked — automobile style for the urban family is the hatchback. For reasons I can't fathom, Americans just don't seem to like hatchbacks. Conventional wisdom is that Americans prefer the styling of a sedan. In addition, hatchbacks in the US have frequently been little more than jokes - the AMC Gremlin and Pacer come to mind — or cheap, poorly made cars (e.g. Chevrolet Chevette). However, some excellent examples of hatchbacks have been available — the SAAB 900 and Volkswagen Golf are but two examples — and the body style has still failed to gain much traction in this country.

The hallmark of a hatchback is that characteristic that should be most treasured by space-conscious, yet active urban dwellers — versatility. Their generally small size and nimbleness make hatchbacks excellent city cars. Whereas some SUVs require systems to lower them before entering parking garages, hatchbacks scoot right in — assuming they haven't found parallel parking in a space over which minivan and SUV drivers can only weep. Yet, pop the hatch and a week's worth of groceries easily fits. Lay the back seats down and even a trip to Home Depot is not out of the question.

The most obvious objections to hatchbacks from parents are ones for which I personally have little sympathy. The average hatchback lacks room to carry SUV-sized strollers (in fact, a SAAB 900 we owned easily carried a Bertini Bidwell). Or, it lacks multiple flat-panel displays allowing each child to watch a different DVD (is that really necessary for a two mile trip across town?). No vehicle is going to be perfect for every situation, but I'd argue that the average hatchback will be better in more situations for most urban families than most other alternatives.

My family of four recently put my faith in hatchbacks to a test. We packed up my beloved MINI Cooper S with a week's worth of clothes, various electronic gadgets, a few toys, and some reading material, and embarked on a drive of over 1600 miles (round trip). No trip that involves over 15 hours straight in a car is going to be enjoyable, and this one had it moments. But the kids, strapped in their car seats as they were, didn't notice a lack of space and the fact that the adults in the front seats could reach back to the kids when they inevitably dropped their toys was a great benefit. While the other adult on the trip (my wife) is unlikely to be talked into to such a thing again, our older son has been asking when we can take our next trip in the MINI.

My MINI is routinely used to run the kids around town (the two car seats provoke constant questions from others), gets parked in the smallest of spaces, zips through traffic with a zeal unmatched by anything other than a motorcycle, has been on the race track at Summit Point, and has carried the family to the Midwest and back. When hatchbacks offer that kind of versatility, I simply can't understand why they are not the most popular style of car on the road.

So, my message to urban parents is this: When you head out to the auto dealer, pass right by the SUVs and minivans. Stop to look at the Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, or Scion xD. If you want smaller than that, look at the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, Scion xA, or Nissan Versa. Two other choices are the Volkswagen Rabbit and Dodge Caliber. And finally, two hatchbacks that unlike most have been successful (but for reasons unrelated to being hatchbacks), the MINI Cooper and the Toyota Prius. These are cars that make sense, if only to me.