[beatr911]

Here in California the small vans have gone through the roof in prices. Not sure what is going on exactly but if someone is saying they don't sell well, maybe it's because they are now so friggin expensive.

I love small vans for their versatility, efficiency, often decent driving characteristics and keeping the stuff inside safer from theft and weather. I've had my '02 Odyssey for 19 years now and it has been stone reliable, probably because I keep it garaged and am a bit obsessive about doing my own maintenance.

These are some observations from the last three years.

1) Used Transit Connects have doubled in price. New have increased at least 50%. Come on, 35K for a stripped Transit Connect? Really?

2) Lots more people here are living out of vans.

3) The whole vanlife thing with remote working has increased demand and "builds" to make them more homey. This is a whole new growing industry now.

4) Contractors are beginning to use used ex soccer mom minivans vice new commercial Transit Connects and the like because they are so much cheaper. For now.

5) Used minivan prices are creeping up.

6) The used full size Chevy vans have not increased at nearly the rate of the smaller vans. Maybe this is an indicator that businesses are concerned about operating costs? Gee, who knew?

7) Mildly built "adventurey" vans are rediculously expensive, but someone is buying them. Fully built vans are simply insane an irresponsibly priced. Some people either have lots of cash, or debt, or sold the house and are spending all the equity.

Just some thoughts, but I really think there is a distinct market opportunity here for a manufacturer to sell a relatively inexpensive, low content van in the USA, at least in California.

As mentioned, I currently live in California which, I'm convinced, has only a barely lucid relationship to the rest of the world. Take that for whatever it is worth.