Minivans are great for workouts! Don’t believe me…check it out (hope you have a good laugh):

Buying a minivan…it is the one thing that most Dads (and Mom’s) fear the most. It is the end of an era. It is seen as a sign of weakness by some, meaning that they have caved and given in to the fact that they have lost their sense of self and that they are no longer part of the cool crowd.

I beg to differ…here are five reasons why having a minivan is freaking awesome:

1. You have kids to transport! How awesome is that?! You have successfully made yourself a parent and you want the best for your kids. While a minivan isn’t a necessity, it definitely  helps, but let’s just take a moment and celebrate the fact that you are lucky enough to have kids of your own to cart around.

2. The doors slide. Whether you have a garage or not, you are going to love these room-saving, convenient gateways into safety. Not only are they cool because (in some models) you can push a button and they open for you, but they are often times reinforced with super safe stuff and make for a very high side-impact rating.

3. You can haul way more stuff...under cover. Yes, trucks can haul stuff too and yes you can get a cover for the back of your truck so that the stuff stays dry in the rain, but is it air conditioned? Ha! I thought not! Minivans have tons of storage in the back…especially if you get one of those ones when the seats fold into the floor. I have put a double stroller, cooler full of food and a 36″ dog cage back there and still had room for suitcases. Yes!

4. Your wife will be happy. Unless your wife is just resisting the whole minivan thing, chances are she wants a minivan. Just get it for her…especially if she wants it. If they carried the baby around for 9 months and had to go through all the sickness and body changes that come along with having your little bundle of joy, the least you could do is get a van so she feels safe.

5. Playpen on wheels. With all the space in the back of these things, you can totally have a small picnic. Our family did it one night when we drove to a (vegan) pizza place and it was pouring rain. We called in the order from the car, ran inside and grabbed it when we were ready and all sat in the back and at it together. When we were done, we just hopped back in our seats and off we went to a fun night of bowling. Can’t do that in your Honda Civic can you? Now I am not saying you have to give up your small car. At least one gas-efficient car is a definite must, especially with how gas prices are now.

IronDAD'sUltimateMinivan Workout!

Lean Green DAD’s Top 5 Minivans worth checking out:

  1. Honda Odyssey – we are partial because that is the one we have, but WOW! One of the safest cars on the road my friends.
  2. Nissan Quest – super cool looking, but you might want to read the disclaimer below
  3. Chrystler Town & Country – All the seats definitely fold into the floor for this one, but you might sacrifice a bit of comfort on the chairs.
  4. Mazda5 – It’s like a car with a sliding door, but still technically a minivan.
  5. Toyota Sienna – If you are a Toyota person, check this one out.

*disclaimer – no minivan will make you look cool, so really you can pick whatever model you want, but it is still a minivan. Embrace your “minivanness” and drive it with pride. Tell you what…put one of those little Hawaiian ladies in there if you want to man it up for yourself. If you still aren’t ready to dive into the minivan, HERE is why the Ford Explorer might work well for your family!