In Praise of the Sliding Door

If you've been paying attention to some of the mainstream automotive press over the last year or so, a few observers have been proclaiming that the minivan is on its way out of the garage and into the scrap heap. While those prognostications will undoubtedly not come to pass -- it is true that minivan sales (as a segment) are slowing -- don't count the minivan out yet.

One minivan feature that has frequently been the object of ridicule is the now ubiquitous sliding minivan door (like the one shown on this 2007 Chevrolet Uplander, pictured), which has been a minivan staple since it was introduced by Chrysler in 1983. Some manufacturers have conspicuously avoided using the sliding door in their new large crossover vehicles (see the GMC Acadia and Ford Fairlane Concept), undoubtedly because they didn't want those vehicles to be mistaken for a minivan.

Being the practical sort, I've often wondered where this disdain comes from. Function and usability tend to win out over style and aesthetics on my list, and the sliding door seems a better solution for a large people-mover than conventional doors are. Why? Here are a few of my reasons:

• Ease of Entry
  Ever tried to shepherd two small children and a car seat into a vehicle with conventional doors? It can be done, but try the same experience with a sliding door-equipped minivan and see how much easier and faster the process becomes. There's a reason why minivans with sliding doors are vehicles of choice for those with special access needs.
• Ease of Exit
  Conversely, getting out of a minivan equipped with sliding doors is much easier than even the largest of SUVs. If you travel often with young children or the elderly, the vast expanse of exit space afforded by a sliding door makes it easy on short legs and arthritic knees.
• Parking Flexibility
  Here's the biggie in my book. Have you ever tried squeezing a vehicle into a miniscule space at a crowded parking garage, only to find that you couldn't exit the vehicle because there wasn't enough space to open any door more than 5 inches? Enter the sliding door, which allows your passengers (and the driver, if you don't mind stepping into the back seat) to exit the vehicle without banging the car door into the vehicle parked next to you. Compact minivans with sliding doors (like the Mazda5) are popular in crowded European and Japanese cities for exactly that reason.

Have any thoughts of your own to add in praise of the sliding door? Click on the comments link below.
^{photo: © Colin Hefferon}