It doesn’t seem that long ago that practically every family owned a minivan – it was the quintessential American family car… But it looks like all of that is about to change. As more and more people turn to SUVs, is the minivan going to become redundant? Let’s look at why so many American families are making the swap.
The Anniversary
The news of declining minivan sales comes in the 35th anniversary since the New York Times described them as “the hot cars coming out of Detroit” back in 1984. While there had been various types of minivan vehicle before that time period, it wasn’t really until the 1980s that people started to sit up and take notice. They were deemed to be the perfect family car, thanks to the sheer amount of space. The year 2000 was the best year for minivans, with a whopping 1.4 million units were sold. However, since then, it seems as though this style of vehicle has been on the decline.
Soccer Mom
One reason it’s believed that people are turning away from owning a minivan is due to the ‘soccer mom image’ that comes with them. These vehicles tend to be synonymous with your typical suburban family, and it seems as though Americans are keen to shy away from that image. A Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) seems to be a far more popular choice for those who want to shake off the shackles of the ‘soccer mom’ vibe. This also ties in with the declining birth rate and movement toward city life for a lot of Americans. Who needs a minivan when you’ve just for one or two children?
A Nation In Love
Another huge factor that people are avoiding minivans is simply due to the rising popularity of SUVs. It seems as though we can’t get enough of the SUV, especially as they’re easier to get around in and seem to suit the changing needs of the consumer. It’s believed that 50% of all U.S. vehicle sales are SUVs, which is a huge increase from the 31% market share it had in 2009.
Between 2009 and 2019, minivan sales have dropped from 4% to just 2.6% in America, and vehicle manufacturers are responding accordingly. Plenty of them are turning their attention to the more covetable SUVs and dumping their minivans for good… Is this the end?