Take A Seat
. . . to accommodate the family; leave it behind to make room for business.
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Who says you can’t have your commercial van and apeople-mover, too? That’s the concept some minivanmanufacturers had in mind when they designed family-friendlyminivans with removable rear seats. This marriage-carriage trendeconomizes on transportation costs by serving two purposes: Onweekdays, you leave the seats in your garage so there’s plentyof cargo room for business needs; on weekends, you just pop theseats back in for family trips.
Of the 15 minivans you’ll find in dealerships, only a fewoffer removable seats. Double-duty 2001 vans include the DodgeCaravan at $19,160 (all prices street) and the $24,430 ChryslerTown & Country. The split benches come standard in the CaravanSport package and fold independently so you can remove and storeone or both of them.
The $20,675 Mazda MPV’s center seats can be removed byfolding them flat and pulling them forward. These seats can alsoslide apart to become captain’s chairs or slide together toform a bench. The MPV’s third-row bench stays in the van butcan be folded into a floor well. Honda’s $23,900 Odyssey offersa similar seating system. Nissan’s $22,439 Quest GXE model isequipped with back seats that unload for garage storage.
Jill Amadio has reported on the automotive industry for 23years as an editor and consultant.
Who says you can’t have your commercial van and apeople-mover, too? That’s the concept some minivanmanufacturers had in mind when they designed family-friendlyminivans with removable rear seats. This marriage-carriage trendeconomizes on transportation costs by serving two purposes: Onweekdays, you leave the seats in your garage so there’s plentyof cargo room for business needs; on weekends, you just pop theseats back in for family trips.
Of the 15 minivans you’ll find in dealerships, only a fewoffer removable seats. Double-duty 2001 vans include the DodgeCaravan at $19,160 (all prices street) and the $24,430 ChryslerTown & Country. The split benches come standard in the CaravanSport package and fold independently so you can remove and storeone or both of them.
The $20,675 Mazda MPV’s center seats can be removed byfolding them flat and pulling them forward. These seats can alsoslide apart to become captain’s chairs or slide together toform a bench. The MPV’s third-row bench stays in the van butcan be folded into a floor well. Honda’s $23,900 Odyssey offersa similar seating system. Nissan’s $22,439 Quest GXE model isequipped with back seats that unload for garage storage.
Jill Amadio has reported on the automotive industry for 23years as an editor and consultant.
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