Some people think the minivan, as we know it, will disappear in a few years. Yet when you need one for going on a family vacation, you realize that it's a miracle on wheels. The minivan, just like this Hyundai Entourage, can do it all: haul the family, carry a great amount of cargo, and tow a camper or boat.
Once your 2-week vacation is over, though, you still have a big vehicle to drive around for the rest of the year. Is this the reason why minivan sales are dropping? Let's see what's right and what's wrong.
250 horsepower! But is that too much?
Well, if you just look at the numbers, the Entourage is outgunned only by the 270-hp Sienna, but that's missing the point. No one really needs a van that goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds, with the kids and the dog on board, but that's what this world has come to; a family man won't like buying a minivan, but at least he can tell his buddies he's got some firepower under the hood.
So, the 3.8-liter V6 is handy when the Entourage is loaded, or when you need to exploit its 3,500-lb (1,588-kg) towing capacity by hooking up the tent trailer. But for the daily commute or for heading to the shopping center, a smaller (read: less thirsty) engine would be appreciated. Our fuel economy average of 12.5 L/100 km is not bad but should've been a little better since we mostly racked up highway mileage.
Space, the final frontier
You don't buy a minivan for its racy looks; you buy one for the amount of interior space. And in the case of the Entourage, you get an immense cockpit ready to carry seven passengers or a lot of stuff.
The second row gets two captain's chairs whose seatbacks fold down. You can also remove them completely, but they are very heavy and taking them out requires some elbow grease and a good underarm deodorant. The third-row bench is much better, as it easily folds into the floor to create a flat loading dock.
Up front, the driver and passenger get a panoramic view all around, and the seats are reasonably comfortable. The driver's chair gets power adjustments with Mercedes-style door-mounted controls; ironically, everyone looks for them on the side of the seat cushion.
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| The Hyundai Entourage in leather-lined Limited trim lists for $39,495. |
Once your 2-week vacation is over, though, you still have a big vehicle to drive around for the rest of the year. Is this the reason why minivan sales are dropping? Let's see what's right and what's wrong.
250 horsepower! But is that too much?
Well, if you just look at the numbers, the Entourage is outgunned only by the 270-hp Sienna, but that's missing the point. No one really needs a van that goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds, with the kids and the dog on board, but that's what this world has come to; a family man won't like buying a minivan, but at least he can tell his buddies he's got some firepower under the hood.
So, the 3.8-liter V6 is handy when the Entourage is loaded, or when you need to exploit its 3,500-lb (1,588-kg) towing capacity by hooking up the tent trailer. But for the daily commute or for heading to the shopping center, a smaller (read: less thirsty) engine would be appreciated. Our fuel economy average of 12.5 L/100 km is not bad but should've been a little better since we mostly racked up highway mileage.
Space, the final frontier
You don't buy a minivan for its racy looks; you buy one for the amount of interior space. And in the case of the Entourage, you get an immense cockpit ready to carry seven passengers or a lot of stuff.
The second row gets two captain's chairs whose seatbacks fold down. You can also remove them completely, but they are very heavy and taking them out requires some elbow grease and a good underarm deodorant. The third-row bench is much better, as it easily folds into the floor to create a flat loading dock.
Up front, the driver and passenger get a panoramic view all around, and the seats are reasonably comfortable. The driver's chair gets power adjustments with Mercedes-style door-mounted controls; ironically, everyone looks for them on the side of the seat cushion.
 |
| The 3.8-liter V6 is handy when the Entourage is loaded, or when you need to exploit its 3,500-lb towing capacity. |