So I began asking around. There were some people who loved their rear-entry minivans. They said they were the best for parking. They didn�t need any extra room (on the sides of the van) to get in/out. But here�s the thing: They must park in a lot of parking lots.
I'm a city girl, and therefore I park on the street quite often. How can I operate independently with a rear-entry van, if a car parks behind me? I�m stuck. The ramp can�t deploy. So�uncannily - opposite from the people I had spoken to - rear-entry would be horrible for my parking options. I ended up buying a 2006 side-entry minivan, and not once have I regretted my decision.
I also found out another selling point, if you care about your own mortal life, and that is that side-entry vehicles are more structurally sound. Turns out - when they install a rear-entry ramp the rear of the vehicle has to be cut out, potentially making the van�s body weaker. And the fact that you also get to sit closer to the front of the vehicle in a side-entry minivan, and also have a smoother ride (you�re not seat belted over the real axel) is just gravy.
When comparing, I also had a practical concern: Wanting to keep all the rear seating in the back. Being able to keep all that seating is really nice. For everything from being able to be a sober cab and toting drunk wedding guests home to being able to carry your groceries home on your own, you�ll be glad you have those seats.
And for my friend Madonna Long, a paraplegic from Nevada, she wasn�t sure which to get either, but she eventually chose side-entry for two big reasons, safety, �A simple consideration of the logistics (supported by crash tests of both types of vehicles side entry and rear entry) suggests that the MV-1 is the safer vehicle of the two because of the side entry,� and self-respect.
�Disabled consumers who use mobility products are not luggage and do not want to enter from the rear, and prefer side-entry for taxi or personal vehicles.� She is totally right. A lot of people in chairs have unfortunately experienced really awful experiences when riding (being loaded) into a rear-entry vehicle. Kristina Rhoades, another para, knows just what I mean.
�A couple months back my husband and I traveled to NYC,� she says, �to attend a special fundraiser.� �We were among very esteemed guests and dressed our best. We had to call ahead for an �accessible� taxi and after waiting way too long, one showed up that was a rear-loader. I had to be pushed up into what was like the trunk of this minivan in a small, dirty space, complete with NYC street grime and the spare tire as an armrest. Not to mention that I was right in the crumple zone AND I felt completely separate from my party. It was definitely not cool on many levels.�
It�s up to you at the end of the day, but in my mind the decision is clear. Better street parking options, undeniable safety, and a more dignified way of entering the vehicle, it�s hard to see why they still make rear-entry vehicles.
Which do you think? Is side-entry or rear-entry better? Why?