Word is that GM will soon do away with its minivan line-up, just as Ford plans to do. The General has never really been able to pull off a proper minivan, and now is a good time (but so was five years ago) to just quit the segment, with the new line of big crossovers (Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave) coming to market. No one would even notice those snout-nosed beasts leaving the room.  

I think it's a shame that the minivan is disappearing into automotive history.  I've always appreciated the minivan for its basic purpose: hauling the maximum amount of people and cargo in as economical a package as possible.  The minivans I've driven always handled better than comparable SUVs and these new "crossovers."  And they were usually at least 1,000 lbs lighter, so they got better gas mileage with smaller engines.
In a memorable edition of Grassroots Motorsports Magazine (March 2003), a Honda Odyssey was pitted against a classic Porsche 356 and Jaguar E-type, in a test to see how far basic transportation has come since the 60s.  I remember how the editors had hoped the minivan might be able to keep up with the classic sports cars.  The Honda ended up destroying the old Porsche and Jag on the test track!  

Sign of the times, people are demanding fuel efficient and stylish cross over’s. I think this is generally a good thing.  Too bad for the minivan however, it did serve its purpose. I think most people saw this coming, especially when they started phasing out sliding doors. Interesting to see how these crossovers will accommodate space and comfort.