Minivans have a spacious interior and are supposed for a large family. It is believed that the first class of large family self-driving wagons was the spectacular Alfa 40/60 HP Aerodinamica, as if assembled according to the drawings of an old movie about the distant future. The first minivan in our understanding of the word was developed and produced by the Italian company Fiat in 1956, it was called Fiat Multipla 600. The pioneer of serial production was the model Renault Espace. It is called the "world's first serial minivan", dispersing many thousands of copies.
A minivan and a station wagon. What are the differences?
In fact, the station wagon has less space than a minivan. Car rental services are increasingly receiving requests for big family minivans instead of station wagons. This is due to the fact that the price of rental cars is getting lower and tourists with kids prefer not to use the services of cabs and public transport, and rent a family minivan. Of cource you can rent a lamborghini in dubai for unbelievable driving experience, but we think minivan would be much more comfortable.
The minivan passengers have more space above their heads and more leg room. The "captain's seat", which offers a better view of the road, is more common in the minivan. It can have up to 9 full seats. Outwardly, the minivan is usually larger than the station wagon, and for this it is often confused with a minibus. Thanks to the good visibility, the minivan in a cramped city has no more problems than a usual compact car, though it is larger than an "average" station wagon. Another nuance: with unfolded seats in a station wagon there is usually more space in the trunk, because it is equally important for the manufacturers to maintain a balance between a roomy "hold" and the interior. The minivan "by default" has less space, but it is necessary to fold or remove the back row and the car immediately becomes a real van, so that it even becomes possible to transport dogs. Thus the greater dimensions of the body give the bulky cargo a hope of moving.
Which minivan to choose?
Citroen Spacetour
Citroen actively promotes its novelty, not embarrassed that new minivans are not very popular after all. Spacetourer is positioned as a car for business and for the big family: 8 full-size seats, fast and easy transformation of the salon for transportation of long goods.
Its advertising is also aimed at pragmatic people: it says that Spacetourer is very economical (6 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers, with diesel engines).
Chevrolet Orlando
The first Orlando appeared in 2008. The model was available with two engines: 1.8-liter gasoline (141 hp) and 2.0-liter diesel (163 hp). Among the advantages of the model the automotive enthusiasts have marked out its roomy and cozy interior, reliability of the power units and inexpensive service. The main discontent was caused by the small passability of the minivan: it is adapted only for city exploitation. The rural roads are difficult for the car.
Volkswagen Touran
This multifunctional car provides five and seven seats in the cabin. Due to the transformable interior it can easily be transformed into a roomy two-seater van.
In the "Trendline" set it has halogen headlights with washers, electric heated and electric drive of side mirrors, front seats with height adjustment, separated armrest, adjustable and removable rear row seats.
The "Highline" package includes sports seats, climate control, tinted glass, and light-alloy wheels.
The standard equipment has two rows of seats, the third row is installed as an option, as well as panoramic sliding sunroof, bi-xenon headlights and leather seats.
Mercedes-Benz V-Class
Speaking about family minivans, it is impossible to ignore the Mercedes-Benz models, because their quality is legendary. Reliable, cross-country, endurance, but, alas, expensive cars of this brand are not affordable for everyone. The cost of a new V-class begins from a mark of 30,000 dollars. However, you should not feel sorry for that money: due to the spacious transforming saloon, intellectual auxiliary systems, high level of safety and powerful power plant, every trip gives a lot of positive emotions.
The car has many interesting features, such as a sidewind stabilization system, an intelligent lighting system, an active parking assist system with a 360° camera and many more.
Conclusion
The minivan is suitable for a large family - it's a great option for big trips, where everyone has room and you can also take a lot of things with you. Ideologically the cars are similar, but the minivan is more about traveling in a large company, and the station wagon often finds itself somewhere in the city or nearby, where you need a lot of space for cargo. Minivans can be fast, but their history does not know them as sporty: station wagons can often give an example in speed to others - "charged" versions are not uncommon.
