It just occurred to me that there was something missing at the GM Collection event that I attended last week -- where were the minivans?

Jeff James, the Guide to Minivans at About Minivans, has set himself the ambitious task of cataloging the 2007 minivan field for us, and posting articles manufacturer-by-manufacturer.

Minivans are a little out of fashion right now, but I predict a real resurgence is on the way. Take a look at my review of the 2006 Mazda5 Touring on Jeff's site. Here's a vehicle that can comfortably carry six passengers, gets 22 mpg city/27 highway, and can still fit in a compact parking space. Better still, it starts under $19,000. For parents who have tired of the bloated Toyota Sienna, Dodge Caravan and Nissan Quest, smaller minivans may fit the bill. And it's not bad-looking, either -- check out this gallery of 2006 Mazda5 Touring photos, and you'll see what I mean.

The car in the adjacent photo is Suzuki's concept vehicle from last year's LA Auto Show, which gives you an idea of one direction that the minivan might take. I certainly hope so -- nothing I'd like better than a cool minivan.

Photo © Jason Fogelson