Minivans are supposedly making a “huge” comeback:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/02/success/minivans-cool-again/index.html
Unfortunately there is a huge stigma regarding minivans. One of the best right now has to be the Toyota Sienna that gets 36 mpg. The Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid gets 30 mpg, has 32 miles of EV range, and qualifies for the $7500 federal tax credit, so that is one to look at too for people interested in those. They are great for young families to get the kids in and out of car seats easily. Admittedly, we had a couple of minivans when the kids were young that worked out great, but then got a Honda Pilot when they were older. It got about the same mpg as the Odyssey it replaced.
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We owned three different minivans (voyager, Nissan Quest and Mazda MPV). Our Quest was before they decided it needed to be huge. We loved that car. The MPV was great too…another smaller minivan.
When the MPV needed some expensive work, we traded it in for an Outback wagon. We don’t need a people mover anymore…and really, that’s why we had the vans (I was carpool mom for one EC my kids did, and often traveled with just me and six kids).
I don’t miss the van.
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I know someone that owns Lexus dealership. At one point he only had 4 new cars on his lot to sell.
Used car market is also insane. I have been looking fora Lexus IS 350c convertible… They stopped making them in 2015. If you can find one they have raised the prices to stupid numbers for these cars. They also fly off the lots once their taken in. Very reliable engine… I am waiting till Spring for now unless something comes up. All the regular sites like Carvana are just over priced. They normally are for the convience but I will just over pay so they can much.
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Heard from a local car salesman. The Mercedes dealership has two cars on the lot and normally sells 350 per month. His dealership normally sells 80 and most are being preordered. They’re selling at list or up to $1,000 over list. Quite a few sales people are quitting due to lack of pay.
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Next up: A magnesium shortage, used to harden aluminum alloys, is likely to further impact production of new cars:
Just watched a commercial offering low finance rate & offering $1,000 rebates on Mercedes vehicles. Interesting that the premium / surcharge / market rate adjustment is also $1,000 per vehicle.
With respect to vans: I have always, and still do, differentiate “minivans” from “vans”. Vans are for hippies, surfer dudes, & blue collar work vehicles while minivans are for families with young children.
The Pilot is basically the SUV version of the Odyssey. Less useful in terms of people and cargo carrying capacity, although optional AWD can be useful for some.
Aluminum is an element, not a compound. So magnesium cannot be an ingredient in aluminum.
However, magnesium is used in some aluminum alloys.
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Many minivans are or were offered in both work cargo van and family passenger van configurations. Hippies and surfers could choose any kind of van they like; the VW Type 2 minivan was popular at one time, but was sold as a family van or camper van.
I think this is more a function of the smarter car companies realizing that the car shortage is going to be over pretty soon, and as you point out in your post, people are not driving nearly as much as they were 2 years ago so a lot of people are going to put off car purchases. The car companies want to get their inventory and anything currently on route to the dealers sold as soon as possible.
I think that within 6 to 12 months car dealers will be very generous as the backlog inventory from the chip shortage is pushed out to dealer lots along with any excess production capacity trying to meet demand that no longer exists because so many people are working from home. I am holding off buying a new car until the spring.
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“Chip Shortage Absolutely Tanking New Car Sales”
Article shares that 7.7 million fewer cars built in 2021.
In addition to shortages of computer chips & magnesium, the auto industry is also being affected by shortages of steel, resin, and human capital according to the article.
Magnesium is used to harden aluminum alloys.
Anyone have a Volt? My son in law is looking at a used one.
LOVED our minivan: Dodge Caravan, but the shorter version. The shorter version was great. Big enough for everything we needed, but easy to park. It also had great visibility unlike most current SUV’s & cars.
Surprisingly for “just a Dodge”, it lasted for about 24 years! Body was in great shape, but everything leaked ((yeah, probably a few comparisons there with aging in general 
).
By the time it was 12 years old, and we didn’t need the 7 seats, we used it to transport nearly anything, and for occasional camping. I’m excited to hear they may be making a come-back.
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Our Toyota Sienna can lasted fine for over 20 years but I grew weary of driving a minivan and love the Prius prime we bought instead. It was great for hauling around a lot of “stuff,” plus fitting the 4 of us plus my folks but now we are happy to have my newish hybrid.
We had a Grand Voyager with the opposite issue—after 130K miles, engine and transmission were humming away perfectly, but the body had disintegrated around them. Reached the point where there was too much rust to pass state safety inspection–unibody construction I guess.
We now have a 10 yr old Sienna that we needed when the Voyager died, as we still had 6 yrs of hauling kids to/from college ahead of us. Now we don’t need it, as emply nesters, but it’s become our “pick up truck”, as you can haul just about anything in there. Almost 100K miles on the Sienna.
We have a Prius Prime too. For those that don’t know, you can often get one cheaper than a regular Prius after a $4500 federal tax credit and any state/local rebates.
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Ours was pricey but we didn’t care, we wanted a plug in hybrid. At that time, you got free parking in airport parking lot, contra-flow lane and free parking meters. Those perks expired but were nice while they lasted.
We also rarely buy new cars, once every 15-20 years, so are happy when we do.
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