Am I insane for thinking about keeping a minivan over a Boxster ?!

[SvenskaPoika]

Here's the deal:

I need to get rid of one car. I'm a single parent with one child and I own a 1998 Boxster, 2005 Toyota Sienna and 2013 VW Passat TDI (diesel).

The new VW Passat is a daily commuter car, which gets nearly 50 mpg.
The Toyota Sienna is my hauler for large cargo (e.g., home depot runs, etc.)
The Boxster is my social life toy.

The least practical is obviously the Boxster, but my heart wants to keep it even if I miss being able to haul tons of crap in the damn minivan.

Anyone with similar dilemmas in the past?

[particlewave]

The only problem that I see is that there may be something wrong with your brain pan if you are seriously considering getting rid of the Porsche.

[matthew]

Keep the boxster...

did you know you can rent a truck at Home depot for about $20 if you need to haul something.

[litespeedp]

My deal was trading in a normal Honda sedan as a down on my new to me Boxster S and keeping forever my Jeep Wrangler for hauling stuff etc.Both vehicles could not be farther apart in the universe but are the best that they can be! Long road trip to a city with bad traffic and I'm renting from Hertz.

[Ghostrider 310]

Social joy and bold life experiences are not free. I owned three boats, each equally incredible in life experience and resources drained. If the Porsche does not compromise your child's future and you love the life experiences associated with it, keep driving it and don't look back, if it needs a repair consider it the same as purchasing travel at club med. Your life happiness translates to your child and you both deserve joy.

[Dragonwind]

Minivan (aka Momvan) = Castration on wheels

[SvenskaPoika]

Yeah, it's like driving a living room couch down the road, but it's practical. Hell, I can fit a couch in the damn thing.

Thanks for the reminder on being able to rent Home Depot trucks. I'll dump the minivan and if it gets too bad I'll find an old F-150.

[stephen wilson]

I guess it depends on how much you still ove on the Boxster. If it's a minimal amount, selling it doesn't gain you much.

[jb92563]

OMG are you serious?....bite your tongue!!!

Sell the damn Toyota truck, get a trailer hitch on the VW and a small cheap trailer to Haul stuff.

Everyone in the US seems to think they need a Pickup...however that is what trailers were invented for, before the truck advertising took hold.

I use my Wrangler with a small trailer to haul everything. I was even wondering lately if I could get a car trailer for it so I can haul the Boxster to the Track.

Trailers are the solution. Cheap investment, require no extra insurance usually, little licensing fees(very little), barely any maintenance, and last virtually forever.

I use an small single boat/watercraft trailer that you can pick up for under $400 second hand.

[SeanZ4]

You've got to find a balance. For many many years I've driven F-150 trucks as daily drivers but have always had a roadster in the garage. I have a bmw boxer motorcycle also... that's the one that seems to suffer from lack of use. I'd keep it if it's not too much of a burden on you!

[Mark_T]

Is your daily commute so long that the Passat's mileage is a big consideration? Would not keeping the sporter and the hauler give you the best combination?

My other vehicle is a Mazda B4000 and I'd be lost without my truck. The mileage I get from it is adequate that I could use it for work if I wanted to, but it's the downtown parking that's expensive, and that's the same no matter what you're driving, which is why I usually take the bus to work.

[thstone]

Let's see;

• Passat
• Sienna
• Boxster

Seriously, how hard can this be?

[Allen K. Littlefield]

I have a Grand Caravan for work and home project hauling and the Boxster for the pure joy of driving and going out special. I need BOTH! I used to have three cars but now only the two. Your personal joy in life is as important as both of you and your child and your child alone. If you think you can balance it out keep both the Boxster and one of the others. The advice given about renting a truck or van or getting a small trailer is sound advice. Let us know what you settle on.

AKL

[Skrapmot]

If feel you, just traded in my Infiniti FX45 for a 2012 Toyota Sienna, sold my wife's old 1991 Miata, sold my project 1976 911s of 15 years (ouch) all in the last couple months, but with 2 young kids, a van is fair easier and practical on the daily routine and those camping trips with the Weber, cooler, and tent in the back.
Thank the Lord I have my little commuter Boxster to keep me sane, if you got room in the garage, and it runs good, I say keep it, drive it to work once or twice a week. Parenting is hard enough, don't deny yourself every little thing for the sake of practicality.

[Idaho Red Rocket 3]

Get a small utility trailer to replace the minivan. The VW should be able to pull it when you need to haul stuff. No insurance needed for the trailer.

[nefarious986]

Dont think the passat has any towing capacity. Regardless of what happens to the Boxster, I would ask myself if I do enough hauling to justify keeping another car and paying monthly insurance.

[Bruce Wayne]

no ! sell the boxster and keep the minivan..

1. there's probably some hot performance and tech chatter on the minivan forums
2. your offspring will find it soo much cooler having a pop that drives a minivan rather than a porsche.

seriously, do we all have to visit and slap you upside the head on this decision ?

the trailer option is a good one. i run two cars as well a range rover with a tow hitch and the boxster, the ranger rover has 4 big comfy seats, fold the seats down and can get an engine block in the back and with a previous RR regularly towed a 38ft sports cruiser with twin diesels. you can literally tow a house with one.

as for how much a passat can tow.. check here Towing Capacity******** though check with your local regs on max tow weights allowed for the vehicle weight.

[cas951]

If you're hanging on to the minivan just for hauling I would get rid of it. You have to think of how many times you needed this for hauling in the last year. Is it once, twice etc.... Even if you did use it to haul did you really need it and could have used the VW instead?

Funny thing is I still have my minivan and all of my kids are already adults and have their own careers and family. But I love using the minivan for long road trips or visiting grandkids which I do often. I also have lots of family visits from out of state.

[bar10dah]

Originally Posted by SvenskaPoika

Am I insane for thinking about keeping a minivan over a Boxster ?!

You're not insane for keeping the minivan over the Boxster. You're insane for asking such a silly question.

It comes down to your ability to balance YOUR wants and needs...

[Skrapmot]

I would not have gotten the Passat, but a new Sienna SE, for commuting and child duty, and kept the Boxster. The Siennas get pretty good gas mileage and resale is much higher, insurance lower.
Passat is too tight for kids, all the stuff , hauling little friends to pizza , etc.