Why are some cars and not others referred to as "people carriers"? All cars carry people. Talk about snobbery!
--
L\'escargot.
|
|
no idea where the term came from, probably some overpaid advetising exec somewhere but to describe it as 'snobbery' seems most odd - feeling inadequate today L'escargot?
|
I thought it was a reaction to the american term - MiniVan - for the same vehicle type.
they're vans that carry people, rather than vans that carry freight / work tools etc,
|
|
"Shooting brake" was a better term. It meant some additional people could be carried in the back in slightly greater discomfort, and at the expense of what would otherwise have been boot space.
|
|
ive just bought the latest wassname complete with dickie seat ;-)
|
|
People carrier sounds classier than van with seats and windows, which is basically what the things are.
|
|
The original species of the breed were so devoid of any other quality, i.e. driving pleasure, style, performance, desirability etc. , that their only quality, that of conveying large families, stuck.
|
|
|
|
........... feeling inadequate today L'escargot?
No. I'm feeling quite smug really. I've got a FWD 4x2 hatchback people and luggage carrier!
--
L\'escargot.
|
No. I'm feeling quite smug really. I've got a FWD 4x2 hatchback people and luggage carrier!
Clearly a very compromised car then.
(Only joking off course)
|
|
I use the phrase "people carriers" but only to refer to Ford Galaxy, Kia Sedona etc. (Something that was built specifically to carry 7 or 8 people in comfort). Although most hatchbacks can carry 4 or 5 people in comfort, their people-carrying ability isn't the reason people buy them. Before the Scenic came along, people-carriers were called MPVs, but once you start applying that name to 5-seater vehicles, another name has to be applied to the Sedona/Galaxy sector to differentiate.
|
You hear the term midi and mini MPV as well.
Mini-MPV = Kia Carens, Honda Stream etc
Midi-MPV = Scenic, C-Max, Zafira, Picasso etc
MPV or "full size" MPV = The original people carrier class = Espace, Galaxy etc.
I always wondered why people bought them until I had kids myself. Fabulous things.
Cheers
DP
--
04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
|
"I always wondered why people bought them until i had kids,myself, fabulous things"
is that Mpv's or kids are wonderful things, in my experience one spoils the other-
out of interest do you have a mini, a midi,an mpv or a grande mpv??
whatever you have, you'll find you need something bigger when going away and the wife packs the kitchen sink as well -as say this with experience with a 6 and 3 yr old and a normal espace
|
|
I know exactly what you mean wotspur - Our family has now expanded to 6 and I think we might have to swap our C8 for a Caravelle or an Expert Teepee thingy that HJ was keen on (they're certainly a lot cheaper than a Caravelle, but then the T5 is a nice machine).
|
I had the same problem once, 3 little ones(all in car seats), SWMBO, a week away and a Metro.
Luggage included a travel cot, moses basket, stroller, baby seat etc etc etc.
SWMBO comes out with a suitcase full of essentials. "That'll fit somewhere" she says, I say, "no problems, dear, you just pop it in whilst I put the kids in."
10 minutes later all the essentials had disappeared upstairs ...
We now travel light, six of us, one small rucksack each. Makes life so much easier. Particularly if you don't need to check the bags in at the airport.
|
|
|
|
|
