Booming Van Sales Driven By Small Business

'Cause you possibly way overestimate the familiarity with MTs of kids and women who often drive these as delivery vehicles and are therefore unlikely to recoup any of the upfront cost disparity of diesel because they couldn't drive an MT at all, let alone hyper-efficiently?

@DiM "Minivans aren’t taking over the world, anytime soon. Least not America." Can you provide a link to show that mini van sales aren't improving in the US. Also, show where this article states that minivan are taking over America. @DiM "Yes mid-size minivans" What style of vehicle is this? Can you provide some links to show me a midsize minivan. @DiM "It’s true consumers are known to cross shop various size/classes of cars, but it’s not so true for trucks, especially commercial." Actually DiM, anyone in business will buy what is best for them. You will not have a pickup centric company, when a minivan will do the job cheaper. These are businesses, they will buy what suits them, not what you deem necessary. If pickups WERE cheaper to run in the past and have become more expensive and van that carries the same weight can do the job, a van will be considered. That's why the Europeans use these style of vans and not pickups. They are cheaper to run a business with.

@BAF0 - Why does it have to be vans vs pickups? I didn't mention pickups. Nobody mentioned pickups. And I didn't say business owners couldn't cross shop anything vs anything, but they usually want to replace what they have with something similar. If a small van (minivan, midsize van, what ever you want to call it) works for them, why would they stray? Florists don't need a huge van and an open bed pickup also wouldn't be an option. By the same token, business owners that love to simply throw tools, ladders, supplies, buckets, etc, over the sides of a pickup and drive to the next job, wouldn't want a van of any sort. Roofers hate vans. Pest control/exterminators can't use vans. Many industries and business people want and demand pickups. Get over it.

@DenverMike "By the same token, business owners that love to simply throw tools, ladders, supplies, buckets, etc, over the sides of a pickup and drive to the next job, wouldn’t want a van of any sort. Roofers hate vans. Pest control/exterminators can’t use vans " Vans do that in Europe and a lot of Asia.So not a problem.

@RobertRyan Some jobs, industries are better suited for, and necessitate vans. Others jobs/industries make better use of, or require pickups. Luckily we have both at our disposal. Any size, class or description. Pickups, vans, utility with open or closed back. Cheap and affordable. Luxury if you what it. 4wd if you want. New or used, just name your price. Isn't America great??? But I'd like to see BAF0 trade in his high end, luxury Mazda BT50GT for a cheesy small van. Then we'll talk... And we still don't know how it is Robert Ryan gets around. Are you a van man? FREE Candy???

@Denvermike, It does not wash in Europe and large parts of Northern Asia. How I get around? a lot better than yourself. I find your posts have you driving a vast collection of vehicles, not sure which to believe.

@Robert Ryan - Why all the secrecy, mate? Everybody knows everything about everyone here. Are you ashamed of something or something??? I can't say I blame you... I've worked in the auto trade since 16, and eventually as a small business owner in the biz. I've driven everything from Yugos to earth movers. I've nothing to hide here. I currently own a towing business and body shop. I've bought and sold auto repair shops too. But what happens in Europe and Asia is fine with me. It's different here is all. Different world in many respects. So what?

@RobertRyan "But what happens in Europe and Asia is fine with me. It’s different here is all. Different world in many respects. So what?" Correct. Still the US and NA markets are a moveable feast and gradually changing.

@RobertRyan The reasons for America's devotion to pickups should be easy to see. They're the biggest sellers in OZ too. Not just a one trick ponies just for commerce, like Europe's vans. That's one thing Europeans aren't likely accustomed to. That's having one vehicle that does it all. Work, play, family life, single life, home improvement/repairs, recreation, offroad, or just showing off... But Europeans must have good reasons for preferring vans for commerce. What ever works for them is fine with me. I don't lose sleep over it.

@RobertRyan You are right, They have good reasons why they have Vans and Cabchasis variants. the European Vans and cab chassis will become a lot more prevalent inNA in the future.

@DiM Why would I sell my BT50? I don't run a business. I use it like most American pickups. It carries air 95% of the time, it's a lifestyle vehicle. As a matter of fact I could probably use a Corolla or 95% of what I do with a vehicle. Why would private SUV pickup owner's buy a van? Families buy van with seats. You seem to fear alot. Why be scared of the future DiM? From what I've seen the US car market is based on Euro/Asian chassis's and engines. It appears Euro and Asian style commercial vehicles are becoming more accepted. Have you ever thought why? It's because if you operate them your business is more competitive. Why run a V8 van or pickup when a 2 litre van can carry the same weight. Carry your gear securely? The van can do most of what you described. Why not just open the door and throw your $hit in the back of a van. Leave the US travel around the world, you'd be surprised that the US isn't the only developed economy, others do exist. Why not go to Europe, even Spain;)

@BAF0 - Dump your luxury pickup and step up to a cheesy cargo van... Your truck is a lifestyle vehicle, I get that. Most pickups are lifestyle, but a high percent lead double/triple lives. That's what you won't acknowledge. Cargo vans have one use, while pickups are the Swiss Army knives of vehicles. Will the Europeans eventually realize this and start to embrace the efficiency of owning less vehicles? Vehicles that can do more than just one task? Probably so. It's not just that cargo vans don't cut it as lifestyle vehicles, and never mind luxury vehicles. Or fun offroad vehicles. Or family vehicles. But it's not always as simple as throwing your $hit in the back of a van instead of a pickup bed. Vans aren't suited for many tasks, like hauling hay bales. You just stack them (more of them) in/on the bed of a pickup for easy on, easy off. For some users, you don't know the size or dimensions of the furniture or other appliances you'll be hauling that day. Hauling toxic chemicals is another problem for vans. Same with hauling livestock. Or trash to the dump. Or huge piles of tree branches. That would sucks in a van. Heavy bulk items, like building materials, are easy to load into a van with a forklift, but at the job site, it would be an extra chore to offload cider blocks and roofing bundles from inside a van. Rough on the back, as opposed to just setting the ladder right in the truck bed, or handing them up or off. Vans are very limiting in more situations than I can list here. If you grew up using vans for everything known to man, you might not miss pickups. But most of us would rather not take the downgrade. There's tons more things a pickup can do that a van can't, than vise versa. But other than that, why replace something that works, for something that doesn't work as well. We have vans of all sizes for those than choose them. Pickups are naturally a better choice, over all.