A minivan would be cheaper, get better fuel economy and do just as well if not better at hauling people and stuff around. They're easier to park too.
If I read the article right, the tester doesn't even have AWD which I always thought was one of the justifications for buying a vehicle like this one. The Enclave doesn't make sense to me.
I disagree.
FUEL ECONOMY: The Lambda crossovers and the Ford Flex actually get equivalent fuel economy to the Odyssey and Sienna, and better fuel economy than the Quest, Grand Caravan, and Hyundai/Kia minivans, if I recall correctly. You can check the numbers from
www.fueleconomy.gov.
CHEAPER: The Enclave is going to be particularly "overpriced" because it's the fanciest of the four Lambda crossovers. Still, you're right that a base Traverse is going to cost several thousand more than a base Sienna...though maybe incentives and financing deals even the playing field?
STORAGE SPACE: Pretty equivalent. Slight advantage to the minivans, but it's not night-and-day. It's a smaller relative sacrifice than going from a sedan to a four-door coupe, and nobody suggests that VW CC owners are being socially irresponsible because they could have a bit more room with the same drivetrain in a Passat sedan.
EASIER TO PARK: Why? Big crossovers and minivans have about the same footprint and the same style of drivetrain. Seems to me they would be equally hard or easy to park.
AWD VERSUS FWD: If you're buying a vehicle for the interior space (just like you would on a minivan), why get AWD if you don't need it? The Sienna offers AWD for those who want it, but for most people, FWD is cheaper and more fuel-efficient, and they really just want the vehicle for the storage space. The same reasoning could work just as well for a Lambda crossover purchaser.
Basically, the difference between a large crossover and a large minivan isn't as big as many would think. After all, except for the sliding doors, they're basically the same vehicles under the skin--large FWD-based unibodies with transverse-mounted V6s. The biggest differences aren't objective performance differences (size, fuel economy, weight), but styling and door mechanisms.
