Can you say minivan? I knew you could! They may be truck-based, but otherwise they fit. No-fun, practical, dime-a-dozen vehicles that (even if they came AWD) would not fare well in Moab.
There are several car-based minivans out there. In fact, are there any that aren't? I can't think of one. The Toyota Sienna and Lexus RX300 ride on extended Camry platforms. The Toyota Highlander is basically a larger RX300 underneath the sheetmetal, so the minivan/SUV gene pool starts getting muddy. The Honda Pilot is based on the Odyssey, and the Odyssey rides on an extended Accord platform, etc. etc.
I think if I had to pick a minivan to pick on right now, I'd go with the Ford Freestyle because it's a very half-hearted attempt to sell what is still a Windstar.
Picking a good antithesis for the VX is very subjective. Do you pick something as totally different from a VX in as many ways as possible? Or something similar (or masquerading as similar) that is 180 degrees opposite in philosophy and just aimed in another direction entirely?
A good antithesis for the VX may be something along the lines of a Buick Rendezvous. The Rendezvous is an attempt to merge the minivan with the SUV, and it is basically for people who need a minivan but hate minivans. The MDX and Pilot borrow some from the Odyssey and so on, but the Rendezvous probably has more parts lifted directly from minivans than any other wannabe SUV. Word is that they handle horribly, with lots of body roll, have no road feel, and lots of understeer. The interior materials are lackluster and the seats aren't comfortable. The leather you can get in it as an option is low-grade. It is at best a very average pseudo-SUV, and in this age of crossover cute-utes, it's a bit of an ugly duckling. It is a blood-brother to the Pontiac Aztek, which doesn't help it any. You expect a certain something in a Buick and it falls short, whereas the VX exceeded expectations. You can get it in AWD, but that's not quite the same as 4WD, and it's not even fit for light off-road duty. I think there's a huge contrast in just the image between Buicks and Isuzus, too. Buicks conjure up Park Avenues, Regals... luxury cars that float down the road and are driven pretty much by old folks. Think Isuzu and you think of Amigo, Rodeo, Trooper, VehiCROSS. Rugged vehicles for active people who are young at heart. Very different.
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