Ha. My wife LOL'd as I read your post to her. What you observe is distracted driving. We have a Mazda 5 and it's a challenge to stay between the lines with all the spilling, throwing, and general mayhem in the back 2 rows. The Mazda5 won it's class in One Lap of America. Three abreast in a lowered A6 wagon was more fun as long as the kids were occupied. Inevitably though the boys would start mixing it up even with their little sister in the middle. You got to keep them
separated. My ideal family car would be a modestly stretched AWD sports sedan. Club seating in back. Height adjustable suspension. Sound proof privacy screen behind front row. Durable upholstery in rear to be cleaned with a hose.

 

The closest thing to a minivan I'd consider is the hypothetical Porsche Cajun to be based on the Q5.

Minivans are kinda disappearing anyway due to the increase popularity of "crossovers", no?

 

I never had a family because I refuse to drive a minivan. Now, I find myself old and alone-just my 911, 328i and me.

 

In everything, I believe you need the right tool for the job. Boring commute to work--911. Track day, 911. Camping trip with my son--SUV. But hands down, take my family of 5 on a trip longer than 3 hours and I will take our Honda Odyssey every time. Anyone with kids who disagrees has never tried one. Widescreen TV, DVD, A/C outlet to charge their gameboys, Input for game console, XM radio in the front for adults, heated seats, leather captains chairs, and the ability to pack enough luggage for a week.

 

Duke can't totally disagree but after your 3rd mini van you may change your mind. After my 3rd I went the Escalade route: AWD, heated AND air conditioned seats up front, heated seats in the back, Voice activated, 6 disc DVD changer, game boy, 400 HP, power everything, (Except the rear seats, not sure why they stopped there). Room for 7 plus hockey and soccer gear! Plus I think it kinda looks cool next to the 911!

Notice I didn't mention anything about gas milage though!

 

MB or Lexus may be able to pull off a minivan, not BMW or Porsche. By the time a family is picking a minivan, they either have a limited budget and have to choose one very practical car or have figured out that each car can have it's special purpose. So I can see why a luxury minivan can be a tough sell. Anyone that's really image conscientious will insist on a luxury brand but will never drive a minivan.

Our first family car was a GL450. Cool but the kids always went nuts in minivans we rented on vacation. The ability to walk from the second to third row and not worrying about big heavy doors slamming shut are key factors. Now we have a loaded VW Routan. Plus driving a car you don't care about is a luxury in itself.

 

and MB actually sold a few...

and nooo this is not a photoshop

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t_drive_review