Soccer mom minivans make major comeback as SUV prices skyrocket above $60K

Much maligned as an embarrassing mom-mobile, the minivan is making a comeback.The surge in minivan purchases comes as Americans enter a new era of higher car costs, with the average price of a new car hovering around $50,000.

Crucially, minivans fall well below that median, while SUVs are hovering far above it.Large SUVs now average $67,000+, and minivans start around $40,000, a considerable differential that’s increasingly hard for consumers to ignore.

According to Yahoo News, minivan sales jumped 21% in the U.S.last year, while the overall auto market grew just 2%.Meanwhile, gas prices continue to soar, and people are searching for cars that are either electric or fuel efficient, helping minivans edge out their SUV competition.

To that end, minivan loyalists and converts cite space, fuel economy, and cost as reasons to opt out of an SUV and into a van.On Reddit forums dedicated to SUV vs.

minivan comparisons, comments typically skew in favor of the humble, practical van.“Everyone is going to be more comfortable in the van.Everything is going to fit better in the van,” said one Redditor.“I secretly take the minivan instead of my pickup truck a lot of times,” confessed one dad.

“That thing is BITCHIN!” he added, noting that the sliding doors make school drop-off seamless and loading dogs and kids much easier.“It kills me to say, but the minivan is just insanely practical.

Not to mention, the number of features you get in a minivan for the price rivals luxury vehicles priced significantly higher,” theorized another.For those worried about the aesthetics, another commenter came correct with these hard truths.

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