Any V6/straight 6 sedan will be better all around. Designed for carrying people, designed to have lots of shit in the boot, decent economy for it's size, straight/V6 has plenty of torque for when it's loaded up.
Why a van/minivan/SUV? Just going to make parking harder with all the blind spots and handle/stop like shit with those undersized brakes and the excessive body weight of them. Not to mention the handling with the body that far above the wheels...station wagons are a solid choice though, it's like a sedan with a fat ass, can even add extra seats in the back section on some if you need them.
If you were in Aus, a Ford Falcon wagon with the straight 6 would be miles ahead of anything van shaped in terms of comfort, spare sparts(cheap), handling, power, people carrying ability, etc.
My 2 cents