Slow-selling minivans ripe for discounts

0 Comments | USA TODAY, October, 2006 | by Sharon Silke Carty

DETROIT -- Minivan shoppers are being offered more rebates and other incentives this fall as automakers attempt to stanch the flow of customers looking for alternatives to the family haulers. Minivan sales are down 12.4% for the first nine months of the year compared with the same time last year, and one industry watcher predicts sales could fail to top 1 million for the year for the first time since 1992.

"Basically, minivans aren't as popular anymore," says Alex Rosten, an analyst for car-shopping website Edmunds.com. Former minivan buyers are increasingly moving to crossovers -- vehicles that have the same utility as SUVs but are built on car platforms for smoother rides and better fuel efficiency. "Those who need seven-passenger capacity are moving to crossovers. They...