[jcp123]

Vans are great. I had a Dodge conversion van, total overkill for a single guy, but for traditional SUV FE, it just offered more usability. Biggest minus was the doghouse eating up driver footroom which affected comfort.

When we ditched our Rio for a full family rig, neither my wife nor I considered an SUV, aside from the Ford Flex, if that's considered a crossover. I spent a big chunk of my childhood in minivans, and wifey has really never acquiesced to the SUV form factor. Similar to my conversion van, minivans just offer more flexibility from the real estate it occupies. But minivans have gotten so heavy (almost 5000lb curb weight for our Town + Country) that around town it's a true fuel hog - she averages 13-17mpg. Out on the interstate, however, where it reigns supreme, I'd challenge most any three-row SUV to match its FE. I haven't spent much time driving it, but I saw an FCD indicated 36mpg from Harrisburg, PA to Washington DC which was hilly but had plenty of 55mph speed zones.

Oh boy I could go on and on...my own brief drives for FE, comparing it to Acadias/Traverses/Tahoes/Escalades...