‘I don’t even have kids and I want an Odyssey.’
Many new parents don’t want to be seen as those people with a minivan. For millennial and Gen Z parents, the vehicle screams “soccer parent,” and for a lot of buyers, that’s reason enough to avoid it—even when they’ve got multiple kids, a trunk full of sports equipment, and a stroller.
They’ll cram into a three-row SUV instead, dealing with tight room and not enough storage, all to avoid driving what feels like the ultimate symbol of suburban parenthood.
But one Honda salesman (who has a family of his own) insists that losing out on cool points is so worth the tradeoff.
In a video, a Honda salesman (@cars_n_stuff3) shares his “unpopular opinion.”
“Buy the minivan,” he says in the TikTok, standing next to a red Honda Odyssey EXL.
“OK, to all of you cool moms and dads out there that think you’re not ready for a minivan because you don’t wanna look like a soccer mom or a soccer dad or anything like that, take it from somebody that knows,” he continues.
And he does know. With eleven years of car sales under his belt, three kids (including twins in car seats), a dog, and a wife, he’s lived the exact life his customers are navigating and owns an Odyssey himself.
His pitch is straightforward: Stop worrying about image and start thinking about practicality. Here’s why he says the minivan wins:
But his most compelling argument comes from personal experience. He recounts a six-hour road trip to the Smoky Mountains during Thanksgiving week with his wife, three kids, and dog. It was his first long trip with the whole crew, and the timing couldn’t have been worse—the area was packed, the roads were twisty mountain curves in the dark, and the family had to stop constantly for diaper changes, snacks, and letting the dog out.
“By the time we got there, it was actually nighttime,” he says.
“And if you’ve ever been to the Great Smoky Mountains, the roads are no joke. You’re going up and down mountains, and they’re extremely curvy roads,” he adds.
The Odyssey handled it all. The auto high beam headlights adjusted around bends as other cars approached. There was plenty of power through the twists. The dog had space to lie down in the back. And despite driving the entire way, he says it was “a very pleasant ride.”
“I’m not sure that I would have wanted to do that ride on many vehicles other than a Honda Odyssey, in the very least a minivan,” he says.
He closes with a final point: Minivans hold their value. The resale market is strong because they’re versatile. Families need them, and once you’re done with yours, they make great first cars for teenagers. Safe, spacious, and not the kind of vehicle that invites trouble.
“Don’t be afraid of it,” he says. “Once you own one for a while, you are not going to regret it.”
The timing couldn’t be better for a minivan renaissance. Last year, minivan sales surged 21 percent in the U.S. to 393,812 units, according to Yahoo Finance, while overall vehicle sales rose only two percent. That growth pushed minivans to a 2.4% market share, the highest since 2019.
“For buyers who need a true three-row vehicle, minivans continue to offer some of the best bang for your buck in terms of size, fuel efficiency, and cost,” said Edmunds director of insights Ivan Drury.
The demographic driving this shift is older millennials and younger Gen X parents who need space for growing families. Honda reports the Odyssey is now the top-selling minivan among millennials. But it’s not just soccer moms anymore; men around 40 are increasingly drawn to models kitted out with off-road tires and overlanding gear.
Price plays a role, too. Budget-friendly options like the Chrysler Voyager and Kia Carnival start at around $40,000, more than $10,000 below the average new-car price. Honda’s Odyssey averaged $43,300 last year, well under the national average. Compare that to three-row SUVs with similar cargo space, and the value proposition becomes clear.
The Chrysler Pacifica led the segment with 110,006 units sold, while the Toyota Sienna jumped 35% to 101,486 units. Even the aging Honda Odyssey (now eight years into its current generation) posted its best sales year since 2019, with 88,462 units moved.
“I don’t even have kids and I want an Odyssey,” a top comment read.
“I like how you say everything about the van except the price,” a person said.
“12 years and plenty of road trips in odyssey. loved it,” another wrote.
Motor1 reached out to @cars_n_stuff3 for comment via TikTok direct message and comment. We will update this story if he responds.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motor1.com?
– The Motor1.com Team