Fabulous FInds Friday: Yes Virginia, There is a Cool MInivan

The Lost in Suburbia Blog

I’ve spent a lot of time talking about how uncool minivans are. I wrote a book called “Rebel without a Minivan.” I BLOGGED about how to make your minivan cooler. You would think, after all this, that I would never be caught dead talking favorably about a minivan.
Well, guess what?

Yes, it seems that pigs really can fly and I have found a minivan that I would not be embarrassed to be seen in.
Maybe it’s because it looks more like an SUV than a minivan. Or maybe it’s because it actually gets decent gas mileage. Who knows, but when I saw a Volkswagen Routan up close and personal, I decided I could come down off my high, minivan-hating horse and give the Routan a chance.
It's got all those mom-friendly minivan features that makes us suburbanites drool, like a rearview back camera, nav system, rear seat entertainment system for the kids, lots and lots of storage space, and 13 cupholders so almost every passenger can drink two Big Gulps at the same time.

But it also happens to look good. Really, really good. Not like that one minivan that shall go nameless that looks like a lady with a really large backside from behind… which of course, makes you wonder what the lady who’s driving the car must look like, too.
I happen to think the Routan looks a lot like the Audi Q7 from the front, with a slightly larger grill and higher nose than you are used to seeing on a minivan, and it is boxier all around than the typical mom-mobile (this is a good thing!). Inside, the leather version is Cheerios and Juice box friendly, and the pretty dash makes you feel like you’re driving a sportier vehicle than a van. As an aside, this is the car that Brooke Shields chooses to haul her tots around in… and if its good enough to look good on Brooke, it's good enough for me.
In full disclosure, I haven’t driven it so I can’t tell you firsthand if it will satisfy the rebel-mom race car enthusiasts out there, but I’ve heard it's got a lot of zip for a car its size. If you add the racing stripe decals I blogged about several weeks go, NOBODY is going to mess with you on the road.
The Volkswagon Routan starts at around $25k. To check it out, click here.