Honda has a whole campaign to make minivans look cool called Respect the Van. As someone who’s been called a loser once or twice for driving a Honda Odyssey, I say right on. Those who disrespect the van need a wake up call. For example, my van can be linked to Greek mythology, because like Odysseus it’s been to both Troy and Ithaca. You might also say that it’s been tempted by deadly Sirens since I drive it to fire calls. Has your car been tempted by deadly Sirens, like Odysseus and my van? I think not. Hey, I stopped trying to look cool a long time ago, and after all, why would I want to drive a BMW 750i when I can have the van? As for the idea that a man’s car represents something else, we turn to Peter Sagal, host of the quiz show Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! on NPR:
If a sports car is a symbol for the owner’s manhood, well, my manhood is capacious and large, and like Walt Whitman, contains multitudes. And, improving on Whitman, my manhood has a luggage rack. -Morning Edition 4/26/07
At least your loser minivan runs. In an effort to remain sporty and only somewhat soccer mom-ish (minus the mom part), I drive a sled that is thisclose to crapping out on a daily basis. Truth is, though, I’m not ready to sacrifice style for practicality any time soon…
Partnering with the Italians was not the smartest move the Saab folks ever made —and now you are paying the price.
Actually Saab has been owned by GM for over a decade now. That is EVEN WORSE than the Italians!
You got me there. Who knew that American cars would replace Alfas and Fiats as the world’s least reliable?