The magic minivan

Love the Stow and Go Seating! We can have a dance party if we want.

Look at all that cargo room!
McCade, jumping out of the car after he pushed the "magic" door button.
Isn't that a great color! It won't show dirt or snow.

Our saga with the minivan started a few years ago when Matt bought us one on eBay. We had to replace the transmission as soon as we got it (eBay insured it, but still). The drama has continued accordingly. Every few months something has to be fixed or replaced. It got so bad that my friends joked about getting me a gift certificate to Elbie's (our local repair shop where the guys know me by first name) for my birthday. A month ago we were on our way to Shelley and it overheated in the Arco desert , we had to replace the radiator a week later. That was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. (I would like to point out, for the record, that in the seven times I traveled to and from Billings in the last year it never gave me any trouble when I was on the road alone. Matt on the other hand has had it pop a hose and start smoking just on his way to Albertsons.)

So now the extensive debate about what vehicle to buy begins anew. Matt wanted an SUV, (more masculine and cool, 4x4, and boat pulling ability being the main things, A "But, it's a minivan" thrown in for good measure.) It's no secret that I LOVE my minivan. (better gas mileage, easy to get in and out of for the kids, lots of cargo room, and I am so comfortable behind the wheel because it drives like a car.) I have taken more than enough heat for my undying love and devotion to my van, but I wanted to be open minded so we test drove a Tahoe (loved the way it cruised, hated the lack of cargo), an Expedition (loved the automatic flip down seat,), and an Acadia (loved every single thing about it except the price tag), and an 08 minivan. I took each of them to Albertsons to see if I could park. ( I get sweaty just thinking about parking a big SUV, I know it's illogical but that's why they call them phobia's, their illogical but still very real.) Anyway, I decided I could drive an SUV if it would make Matt happy, it wasn' so bad, why was I fighting it. . . Then the shopping began. And that is the long story of how I got a new "magic" minivan, with stow & go seating, DVD player, dual automatic (magic) doors, and automatic hatch. The bottom line is... it costs less, especially with gas prices factored in. So cool goes out the window and practicality wins.