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.
