That the Punisher had a van in his early comics (the only ones that I read) probably influenced this strange infatuation that I have with these vehicles that are more associated with suburban soccer moms than a young man. However, I found them to be ideal as I could take groups of friends places with my parents' minivan while I was in high school. Meanwhile, the spacious interior was much more comfortable for make-out sessions (in the rare occasions that might occur) than the cramped cars and trucks that my peers preferred.
After I had a family of my own, the practicality of the minivan was unmatched by any other vehicle. The sliding side doors made it less likely that my children would carelessly damage cars parked next to us while also providing a much wider opening for getting to car seats and diaper bags. Meanwhile, removable (or the even better folding) seats allowed us to use the minivan to transport all sorts of things, making our multiple moves that much easier.
Certainly, the Pilot has most of that (although not the sliding doors) and more--especially the all-wheel drive and more powerful engine. I've certainly grown to appreciate the SUV in the past couple of years. Still, even now there are times that I think that having a minivan would be more helpful.
That said, I don't want to give up my Prius, either.