Talk:Minivan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What defines a minivan as being a minivan? Enthusiasts of both the Volkswagon Van and the Corvair 95 Van claim that Crysler's claims of having invented the minivan are false, since both brands had vans that they feel fit the definition back in the 1960s. Since there's no actual definition here of what is a minivan vs. any other type of van, we're unclear as to whether or not that claim has merit and should be addressed in this article.--216.198.159.38 5 July 2005 19:37 (UTC)

[edit] List some are MPVs

In the list wouldnt it be better to choose typical US-style minivans rather than European style MPVs? Billlion 00:18, 10 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I agree - a "minivan" is the same as the British "people carrier." The MPV is very similar, but subtly different. Nandesuka 15:16, 10 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I agree, there ought to be distinction between the US minivan and the european MPV. There also ought to be a distinction between the car-based minivans (the original Caravan and most current minivans) and the original, truck-based minivans from Chevy and Ford.

The key innovation of the original Chrysler minivan was its use of a car-based uni-body design.

Why doesn't the VW count as a minivan? It's based on a car, and it's the right size. The article says the VW is too big, but a caravan is WAY bigger in exterior dimensions than a VW bus, isn't it?

[edit] Article revamp

Jeffreyhermann has revamped the article, rewriting almost every word without any discussion. I'm sure many of the original sections can be kept, and others may be merged with his. But the current version has many gaps and mistakes, just as well as the eariler version. Please help me to merge both versions and write a better article. -- NaBUru38 18:48, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

I have just merged both revisions, rewrote the introductory paragraph and added two missing sections: Characteristics and Segments. Now, this article spanns all sizes and distinguishes them; and also describes what is a minivan/multi-purpose vehicles/etc, with descriptions of design features, drivetrain and seat architecture, and the kind. My intention is not to "crush" the article, but to improve it; both versions were very complete but also very different, so I tried to merge the best of them. Perhaps the "public image" section should be completely written, possibly with a better point of view and references to "non-US markets" (sorry, I've just read Jennifer Government ;), or more pictures of models of different segments. Please, let's discuss the article's layout and content before any other major overhauls. -- NaBUru38 02:38, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Jeffreyhermann has removed the following two paragraphs written by me:

"In other languages, the terms that describe minivans are loaned or derived from Engilsh. In some cases, they are completely different from English terms. In German, Minivan refers to a mini MPV, while Kompaktvan means compact MPV, Mikrovan describes tall hatchbacks simliar in size to city cars (like the Hyundai Atos and Daewoo Matiz), and Großraumlimousine has the same meaning as large MPV. The French and Spanish languages have their own words for minivans, monospace and monovolumen respectively; minivan sizes are also defined by words like "mini", "compact" and "large".

[...] Minivans are usually between 1600 and 1800 mm (or between 65 and 70 in) tall, which is around 200 mm (8 in) taller than a sedan, hatchback or a station wagon. The engine is mounted very close to the front edge of the car, and its elements are grouped higher to minimize front overhang length. Seats are also located higher, in a way that passengers seat more upright and leave more room for the legs; some people find this seating position uncomfortable and prefer lower automobiles."

While I'm sure you can heavily edit them to improve precision and verfiability, I do think much of the information should be included in the article, especially the description of a minivan itself in contrast to other car types. -- NaBUru38 18:27, 8 March 2007 (UTC)