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The Ten Greatest Minivans Of All Time

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Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est
11/12/08

In reply to The Ten Greatest Minivans Of All Time
Awww, no Lancia Zeta? It was Italy's answer to the Oldsmobile Silhouette (a question no one had asked, I'm sure) and it too had a stick and a Turbo.

I'm going to sit down and make my own list now, so there!
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tonyola
11/12/08

In reply to The Ten Greatest Minivans Of All Time
One van that's missing from this list is the mid-'80s Porsche B32, which was basically a Volkswagen Transporter (Vanagon) modified and equipped with a 230-hp 911 engine. Porsche built around 11 of these for rally-team support.

[i2.photobucket.com]
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Deartháir II
11/12/08

@tonyola: AGREED. Goddammit

And the Race Taxi. Very bitter that it was left off the list. I am writing a very sternly-werted letter.

"Dear Sirs,

I write now to protest your failure to include..."
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salguod
11/12/08

In reply to The Ten Greatest Minivans Of All Time
A list of top minivans by folks who obviously know nothing about what makes a minivan great.

I'll go along with the outrageous here (Shostar, Espace F1, Supervan) and I'll give you the Mazda5 even though it's too small because it manages to be a van without much of the stigma and it's got a 5 speed.

But the original Caravan was great not because of the Turbo 4 but because of the packaging genius of a big box with a FWD drivetrain attached to the snout. the real good Odysseys are the gen 2-3 big ones that still manage a bit of fun to drive while swallowing a 4x8 sheet of drywall and running forever. The GM dust-busters were a classic case of style over substance, without the style. The drove horribly, looked goofy and fell apart instantly. And those Toyota vans rode like a hobby horse with their short wheelbase and the mid engine layout and small size hampered utility.

Vans are all about multiple kids and carrying a bunch of stuff and no vehicle, none, offers as much versatility as the modern minivan. My 1999 Odyssey takes our family of 5, all our gear, 4 bikes and pulls our 2,500 lb+ camper on long trips while returning nearly 20 MPG. None of your top 10 could do that, and that's what minivans are all about.
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smalleyxb122
11/12/08

@salguod: While I concede your point in principle, it is what makes a minivan a minivan that also makes it lame. Every top ten list is biased by the group that compiles it. This is the Jalopnik Top Ten Greatest Minivans. Ergo, the criteria that makes something great to jalops probably won't apply to why the average minivan owner bought his or her minivan.

Perhaps if it read "Coolest" minivans, you could agree with the list? Except for the dustbuster, er, Silhouette. Cadillac of minivans my ass.
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tonyola
11/12/08

In reply to The Ten Greatest Minivans Of All Time
Actually, the Toyota Van was called the VanWagon at the time of its introduction, and early ads used that name. It appears that Volkswagen made a fuss because the VanWagon name was too close to VW's Vanagon; therefore, Toyota quickly changed the name to "Van". It is not known whether Van Morrison ever objected to the change.
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fodder650
11/12/08

@tonyola: Usually i saw it referred to as the Ace
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theeastbaykid
11/12/08

@fodder650: There was also a version of it called the Master Ace, which conjured up images of either of the following, depending on your generation/geography:

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PhilRoastBeef
11/12/08

In reply to The Ten Greatest Minivans Of All Time
Nothing is cooler than the Supervan. The Espace F1 seated 2.

Isn't the Silhouette the Cadillac of minivans?
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SundaySunday
11/12/08

@PhilRoastBeef: Chili Palmer says it is, so it must be.

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LTDScott
11/12/08

In reply to The Ten Greatest Minivans Of All Time
I can always tell when a supercharged Previa is driving past by the high pitched screeching noise the worn out superchargers make.

Props to you guys for spelling Trans Sport correctly.
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OG_
11/12/08

In reply to The Ten Greatest Minivans Of All Time
Espace F1 gets my vote. There is not much out there that can beat it on shear lunacy and uselessness. Yet it is so damn cool.

BTW Did you forget this one?

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Schm, enjoying his first desert winter. .
11/12/08

@OG_: I suppose the Windstar was somewhat car-like, and had sliding rear doors, albeit being a whale, is a minivan. Darn.
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Cognitive Friction
11/12/08

In reply to The Ten Greatest Minivans Of All Time
...is minivan day over yet?
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six
11/12/08

@Cognitive_Friction: Is football practice over yet? How about Sally over at dance class, or Billy with the oboe?! Dammit woman, all of this costs money.
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Ray Wert
11/12/08

@six: Ha!
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Plecostomus [Tyrrell]
11/12/08

In reply to The Ten Greatest Minivans Of All Time
Supervan is #1??

Seriously?

The Espace F1 is definitely cooler, and likely seats more people... the espace seated FOUR... how many does the supervan seat?
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