Are Minivans Easy To Work On? (Why Or Why Not?)

Minivans have now become a bit old fashioned, it’s true. But then again we know that old is sometimes gold. Minivans too are indeed a golden option when it comes to searching for a car that would be just right to take yourself and your family and friends on short trips nearby or road trips. Sometimes we feel it’s especially important to take a break and get away from all the hustle-bustle of daily life. 

But what if just when you are ready to go you realize that something has gone wrong with your minivan and now you have to work on it. Is it difficult to work on? 

How difficult a minivan is to work depends a great deal on how new the vehicle is. If it has been made in the last 5-10 years it is full of electronics which can be difficult for beginners to try and fix. However, minivans typically have a good ground clearance and decent space under the hood so they are typically much easier to work on then a car from the same year. 

I recently had the alternator go out on my minivan and I was able to change it quite easily despite the fact that I’m far from a mechanic. I simply watched a YouTube video on how to do it for my specific model, grabbed my tools and started tearing into it. 15 minutes later I had the old one off, took it to Autozone and got a new one and then put it back on. 

Believe me, if I can work on a minivan then they have got to be pretty easy to work on! 

Why are minivans easy to work on? 

There are a few different reasons why minivans are quite easy to work on. A few of those reasons are: 

Ground clearance 

Often when you are working on a car you will have to jack it up just to get to any parts or bolts underneath. However, minivans are much further off the ground and when they are on a flat surface you can often climb underneath them without even having to jack up the vehicle! 

Being able to work on a minivan without having to move a jack around it makes it a lot easier to work on for anyone but especially those of us who are less mechanically inclined. 

Larger engine compartment

Most minivans have a considerably larger engine compartment than virtually any other vehicle on the road (excluding trucks). This makes it much easier to reach any part that needs to be replaced without having to remove additional parts or try and work your way around other ones. 

Another huge bonus to having a large engine compartment is it’s much easier for you to see and reach the part you are trying to remove and replace. I have pretty large hands so trying to reach parts on smaller vehicles can be quite difficult for me but with the larger engine compartment on a minivan I can easily reach virtually anything. 

Working on a minivan is quite simple for most people especially with common part replacements having a video on how to do it on YouTube. That combined with the two things above makes working on a minivan pretty easy. 

Why is a minivan a good choice?

Below are some of the reasons that will show you why a minivan is a good choice for many people. These are just some of the advantages that a minivan would have above other cars and thus are easy to drive and use. 

Plenty of space inside the car

Minivans are big enough to fit a good sized family and all that they need for a long trip. This implies that the vehicle has an abundance of space inside it and that would be accurate. 

This abundance of space not only allows the passengers and the driver to never feel cramped but also leaves tons of extra room to stretch out or to bring along as much stuff as you want. This extra space is what helps set a minivan apart from all of the other vehicles on the market. 

Heavier weight

Having a heavier vehicle prevents it from being easily turned over if and when it is involved in an accident. This in turn lets the driver be a bit more relaxed while driving. Being too cautious and caught up in focussing on the road could be a very exhausting experience for the person driving the vehicle. They need to focus on the road ahead and at the same time be relaxed enough to not get drowsy. 

The heavier weight of a minivan when compared to other vehicles also allows it to get better traction in snowy or slippery conditions however this does hurt the gas mileage that the vehicle gets. 

Desirable height from the ground

Minivans are at a desirable height from the ground. They are not too high where you have to climb up into them and aren’t too low that you fall inside them either. The extra ground clearance can also be helpful if you live in a place that has a lot of potholes or you happen to live down a gravel or dirt road. 

This is a good thing as while on a road trip it would be difficult and impossible for you to know the exact terrain of all the places you will visit. This versatility of the minivan will help you to carry on with spending some quality time with your family.

Easy to get in or out of 

The appropriate height of the car from the ground makes it easier for people to get in and out of the minivan. It mostly helps the passengers to get comfortably in and out of the minivan, but also helps the driver to a certain extent too. 

If a passenger has some kind of a health issue such as back pain or some kind of problem in the legs, then it would be easy for them too to get comfortable inside the car. The driver too would be easily able to get into the car.

What is the purpose of owning a minivan?

This is a crucial and quite an important question if you are looking to buy a minivan. It sure is easy to work on and is easy on the driver and so on. But is it worth it to have a minivan? What will its purpose be? 

Well, for starters, you can take an easy break from your daily routine and spend some quality time with your friends and family during an impulsively planned road trip or a trip to some beautiful spot nearby. 

Some people even convert their minivans into small living spaces. They take out the seats and instead put in accessories, intelligently placed, so that you can even stay in it for a few days. These prove extremely great when you go out camping or other similar vacations. 

Minivans are super comfortable and can accommodate the passengers along with the driver in it for long hours. There are many people who choose a minivan not only for the space but also because they want to be able to use it to haul items around. 

My minivan has been used to help me move across country , haul 4×8 sheets of plywood, carry thousands of pounds of items, move freezers, and much more. Minivans are quite simply the most versatile vehicle that I have ever owned! 

Minivans are easy to purchase and easy to get rid off too. You can even rent a minivan on many online sites or maybe contact someone you know who is looking to sell their minivan to get a lower price. If and when you do not want it anymore, you can dispose it off to some junkyard or put it up on some online site too. 

The point is it is not that hard to get hold of neither is it hard to get rid of. So why not give it a chance? If you were considering the idea of buying a minivan then it is high time you stop thinking and start acting upon it.