A story out from Ward’s Auto world says the minivan market is in a slump. Indeed, General Motors and Ford Motor Co. have effectively abandoned the segment as it’s currently classified altogether. Ford sales analyst George Pipas is quoted in the story as saying, “The minivan market is toast.” Well, let’s take a closer look here.

A story out from Ward’s Auto world says the minivan market is in a slump. Indeed, General Motors and Ford Motor Co. have effectively abandoned the segment as it’s currently classified altogether. Ford sales analyst George Pipas is quoted in the story as saying, “The minivan market is toast.” Well, let’s take a closer look here.

Ford’s most recent minivan offerings have been the Freestar (itself a warmed-over and re-named version of the solidly mediocre Windstar) and the Mercury Monterey. GM laughingly attempted to remove the minivan stigma from its latest round of vans (Chevy Uplander, Buick Terraza, and Pontiac Montana) by putting a ridiculous-looking Pinocchio-like schnoz on them, hoping to make them appear more SUV-like.

So once again, the Cassandras of the minivan market are themselves the losers that couldn’t get their game together. You don’t hear the import brands crying foul. In fact, Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna sales are up for the year. Of course, the standard line about this trend is that nobody likes the domesticated stigma associated with the minivan. Possibly. But maybe it’s just that people prefer the refinement, solidity, and comforts of the well-built Honda and Toyota models (not to mention the Kia Sedona) over the awkward-looking and outdated domestic offerings.

So now, Ford and GM are countering with their new “crossovers”, itself a thinly-disguised term for the minivan of the 21st century. I have seen the guts and design of the GMC Acadia up close, and it’s indeed a solid and well-engineering machine. But aside from the front-hinged conventional rear doors, there’s not a whole lot separating its overall packaging in my eyes from a traditional minivan. In fact, I’d argue the lack of sliding rear doors makes it less practical. I’ve blogged before about the virtues of rear sliders, and I still feel the same. Again, rear sliders are inextricably linked to the perennially-uncool minivan. Hence, that’s why this first round of “crossovers” don’t have them. I predict within 2-3 years, they will be an option or standard equipment on many crossovers, due to consumer demand, and yet another amorphous term will be coined to designate this “all-new” vehicle category, like “Utility-tourer.”

The fact of the matter is consumers are a notoriously fickle and unpredictable lot. Companies spend millions researching and predicting what the “next big thing” will be, and then launch their attempt at hitting that moving target, and cross their fingers that they hit it. “Crossovers” are the latest attempt. The minivan is dead. Long live the minivan!

Edward A. Sanchez