Steering Toward the Minivan

Last week, while my SUV was in the shop, I headed down to the car rental agency to pick up my mid-sized coupe.

“We’re out of mid-sized cars for a couple of days,” the cute 20-year-old behind the counter chirped. “Do you mind driving a minivan instead?”

What? Do you think I look like a soccer mom? Now young lady, I might be getting up there in years, but I can still out-mosh you at a Flogging Molly concert.

“No!” I screamed in my head, and then sighed, “Sure, that would be fine.”

She winked at me as she handed me the keys to a Dodge Grand Caravan. “Beware. You might get addicted to it.”

She had no idea who she was talking to. Making the move from an SUV to a minivan? Never! Then I began to take notice…hey, there’s sure a lot of room in here. My kids’ car seats go in a lot easier, and it has better gas mileage than my SUV. And the leg room, my god, the leg room! Best of all, there’s Sirius radio. I can listen to Alt Nation and still feel like a bit of a rebel.

The car rental representative was right. Within minutes, I was hooked.

When I posted about my new obsession on Facebook, the comments came rolling in from my mom friends who were also in love with their minivans. These aren’t the stereotypical minivan-drivin’, mom-jean wearin’ mommies. Many are drinking buddies from college, the chicks I hung out with at rock concerts, heck, one used to promote raves back in her day.

Way to Go, Toyota, You Sucked Me In

The rental experience isn’t the only thing that’s piqued my interest in the minivan. I hate to say it, since I’ve preached about parents and kids not submitting to marketing messages, but the Toyota Sienna Swagger Wagon campaign really hit home with me. Not only is the new 2011 Sienna body style featured in the ads great-looking, but the young, pseudo-hipster parents (played by Brian Huskey and Rachael Drummond) trying to hold on to the last shred of their youth tug at my inner groupie. My manager and I laugh that we want to have pretty hair like Drummond’s and enjoy time-outs where we sit in our vans and talk on the phone.

You got me, Toyota.

I’m not the only one. According to Steve Stiegman, general manager of Newbold Toyota in O’Fallon, Ill., via email, “A customer came in and asked about the Sienna vans. She said that her husband was deployed just this morning and before he left, he mentioned that she should buy a van. She said she had reservations about getting a van. She currently has an SUV and said she did not want to be ‘a minivan mom.’ He told her that he had seen the Toyota swagger commercials and that he thought they were cool. So she came in to look and now she agrees that the Toyota Sienna is cool and does have that ‘swagger.’ She is going to purchase one and surprise her husband!”

“It seems no one ever looks at or buys a Sienna that does not mention the ads,” he added.

Alas, my personal relationship with the minivan was short-lived. A few days after introducing me to my minivan, the rental car company gave me a call.

“We have a mid-sized in, and we need the minivans for the weekend. Do you mind if I come to your office and switch out the cars?”

“No!” I screamed in my head, and then sighed, “Sure, that would be fine.”

By Nicole Plegge, Lifestyle Blogger for SmartParenting