Minivans fading

[mrvincent]

Article in USA Today on the slowdown in Minivan sales. No mention of Pilot.

Heres an excerpt:
Ford had 14.6% of the U.S. minivan market last year, down from 17% in 2001. George Pipas, the company's top sales analyst, said minivan sales as a percentage of the overall U.S. are likely to continue to decline in the coming years because of more choices among SUVs and crossovers.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...minivans_x.htm

[vellinga]

The declining minivan market makes sense.

One metric to consider is the sheer number of choices for Crossovers and SUVs of all shapes, sizes and configurations.

Two features that may increase the decline in the mv market, is the increase in available seating (i.e. Pilot = 8 available seats) among van-alternatives and the increased ride height/entry height of crossovers (vs. sedans and wagons).

Three most important factors impacting this decline:
a) the boomers are getting older,
b) the boomers are getting older, and
c) the boomers are getting older.

[Scoobs]

Vans have had a larger share of the market in Canada ( compared to the US ) and continue to have a larger share although the sales are declining. My wife surprised me the other day ( she drives the Pilot most of the time ) by saying that when it comes time to replace our van she thinks we should replace it with ...... another van.
I think the next van will have 4wd.

[PILOTinginCO]

Although I would never own a minivan - because of the stigma attached to them, they are an amazing vehicle as far as space and practicality.

And, with vehicles like the PILOT and other crossovers are taking a serious bite out of minivan sales, automakers are far from throwing in the towel.

I think there are two new minivans coming to the market now that we should pay attention to:

The new Nissan Quest and the new Toyota Sienna.

The designs of those vehicles still say "minivan" to some respect, but there new, more high-tech designs make them pretty cool looking )if you can say that about a minivan.

PILOTinginCO
Sagebrush Pearl-EX
Parker, CO


This is the new Toyota Sienna

[PILOTinginCO]

Here's the new Nissan Quest

[74PILOTMOM]

Originally posted by PILOTinginCO
Here's the new Nissan Quest

Wow, IMO Nissan is sure into that weird looking rear end in all of it's new cars. Sort of looks like it's been run over. I'm sure some people will love it, just for the simple fact that they're different. Go for it. Diversity is good

Has anyone read the dimensions of these new vans? they look smaller than previous generations...is this just an illusion?

[Spartanman]

Interesting styling, yet still looks like a minivan.....

[vellinga]

Also looks like the headroom in the 3rd row will be alot less that that of our Pilots.

Headroom is one amazing aspect of the Pilot. Aside from my Jeep YJ, I've never had a vehicle with so much headroom in all rows.

[dsrpilot]

Make an Odyssey with AWD/4WD, and I'll trade-in my Pilot without thinking twice !

[Ziploc]

Originally posted by dsrpilot
Make an Odyssey with AWD/4WD, and I'll trade-in my Pilot without thinking twice !

dsrpilot, what does the Odyssey offer you that the Pilot doesn't? Anybody else, jump in.

Just curious, especially since a friend of mine just told me he drove both vehicles, and decided on the Odyssey over the Pilot.

[colorider]

Originally posted by Ziploc

dsrpilot, what does the Odyssey offer you that the Pilot doesn't? Anybody else, jump in.

Just curious, especially since a friend of mine just told me he drove both vehicles, and decided on the Odyssey over the Pilot.

When my wife and I were down to the final two contenders, it was the Odyssey and the Pilot. We drove the Pilot first and then came back to the lot to do the walk-around the Odyssey before driving it. My wife said "Don't bother - I've made up my mind. This is just a minivan - nothing special."

[vellinga]

My parents have an Odyssey:
- Captains chairs in 2nd row
- Increased liklihood that adults can spend a bit more time in the 3rd row
- lower entry height
- lower load height

We have a Pilot:
- AWD/4WD (don't go there)
- Increased (ever so slightly) height for better view of the road
- eight passenger seating
- increased load or towing capacity (just a guess, I haven't run the numbers)

Both very good vehicles, just depends on how you'll use them.

Rob

[dsrpilot]

I'd have a 4wd Odyssey over Pilot for the following reasons:

More room
better handling
more functional
better gas mileage (maybe not with AWD)

I'm not into the status of a SUV vs. minivan. I'll hop in my Z if I want to tool around.

I need AWD for functionality not because of status, and I don't really need off road capabilities.

That's all...

[hop23]

Originally posted by vellinga
My parents have an Odyssey:
- Captains chairs in 2nd row
- Increased liklihood that adults can spend a bit more time in the 3rd row
- lower entry height
- lower load height

We have a Pilot:
- AWD/4WD (don't go there)
- Increased (ever so slightly) height for better view of the road
- eight passenger seating
- increased load or towing capacity (just a guess, I haven't run the numbers)

Both very good vehicles, just depends on how you'll use them.

Rob

I agree completely. We have both, and wanted both. The Ody has much larger cargo capacity, and the Pilot offers a more car-like feel and is a better choice for towing. The fact that most of our needs can be met with either vehicle means the combo offers us a great deal of flexibility.

[Scoobs]

I was gassing up in Barrie, Ontario ( @ 20 miles away from the Honda plant in Alliston that makes the Pilot ) yesterday at @ 6:00 when a guy pulled up at the next pump in a van. When he got out to pump gas he asked how I liked the Pilot. I must admit that I told him that while I liked the AWD for getting in to the cottage in the winter ( we have a huge hill to traverse ) the van he was driving was a better choice for hauling lots of stuff easily. He asked me how much I liked the 8 place seating to which I replied that I had only used the third row once since getting the Pilot in September of 2002. I did say that I was happy to be supporting the local economy and he smiled at that comment. It turns out that his wife works at the same Honda facility in Alliston but at the Civic factory. He said they were thinking of getting a Pilot when the lease on their van ran out.
I also told him that if Honda built an ODY with AWD I'd sign up in a heartbeat.( hopefully his wife might mention the conversation to someone at the plant ) I've got to admit that while I like the Pilot I'm getting a bit tired of playing the "what stays what goes " game when I'm packing the Pilot for a trip. With the van I just throw it all in, including the two dogs, without a thought. To get the same cargo capacity in the Pilot I have to put the roof box on and I'm getting tired of doing that, especially in this cold weather we have been having for the last month and a half. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not dissing the Pilot, I really like it. I just don't think that people who really need a van should view the Pilot as a direct alternative. In my case I've just decided that our family also can't do without a van in the immediate future. That's why when it comes time to replace my present van I'll be replacing it with another van. Hopefully Honda will be offering AWD in the ODY by then.

I guess this means I agree completely with hop23's comments.