DALLAS – As the resolutely uncool minivan putters into its 20th year on American roads, it rarely goes unnoticed.

“Soccer buses,” some sneer. “Mom-mobiles,” others say dismissively. “Kid crates,” still others charge.

Once embraced by 30-something baby boomers as a hot alternative to station wagons, minivans today have little cachet in a world smitten with SUVs, crossovers and other more stylish people-movers.

“Nobody bought minivans for their style 20 years ago, and people have a lot more choices today,” noted Wes Brown, an analyst for industry consultant Iceology in Los Angeles.

But don’t look for minivans to follow wood-trimmed station wagons into automotive extinction any time soon, despite a 30 percent drop in sales over the last three years, industry analysts say. The “box on wheels” that the former Chrysler Corp. invented and rode to economic salvation in the 1980s is likely to soldier steadily on.

In the last two years, Nissan, Toyota, Ford, General Motors and the Chrysler Group have invested billions in new or substantially upgraded minivans, the largest infusion of cash that the segment has received, some analysts say.

One reason for the big investments: Over the last few years, minivans have begun quietly attracting a new group of older buyers who are drawn to the vans’ smooth ride, space, seating for six or seven, car-like handling and ease of entry.

When the Terraza – Buick’s first minivan – arrives at dealerships this fall, it will be available with a device to lift someone out of a wheelchair and into the vehicle. It will also have a “scooter hoist” in the back.

The Terraza and Chevrolet Uplander will be part of a new family of GM minivans to be called “crossover sports vans.” The vehicles have been heavily restyled and given a more truck-like appearance, with longer hoods and bigger tires and wheels.

Nissan also is taking a more daring approach with its new Quest minivan, adding some swoop to the exterior and a “high-end office furniture” look to the interior, said Brian O’Malley, senior manager of the Quest line.

No matter what they are called or how they are styled, though, the minivans will still be aimed at the segment’s relatively new “bimodal” mix of young and older buyers, industry officials say.

As diverse as they may seem, the two groups are joined by some common needs, automakers say – not the least of which is the ease of entry and exit.

“Our buyers are about evenly split between young and older, but the fundamental need for a minivan is the same between the groups,” said Ann Fandozzi, Chrysler Group director of family vehicles, which includes minivans. “If you provide an easy step in for a child, it works for an older person as well.”

Normally, the exterior dimensions of a vehicle are roughly established before designers go to work on the inside. But with the minivan, the interior was the initial focus and remains the most important part.

“Minivan buyers today don’t even pay attention to the exterior,” said Eric McCloskey, a salesman at Prestige Ford in Garland, Texas.

“I’ve never had anyone say “I don’t like those wheels’ or “I want a different color on the lower panel.’ It just doesn’t matter.”

Today, the typical minivan weighs about 4,000 pounds – comparable to a large sedan – and can sometimes squeeze more than 20 miles per gallon from its V6 engine in highway driving.

It’s loaded with features: multiple cup holders, side airbags, DVD players, automatic sliding doors, seating for six or seven and storage space everywhere.

Minivans range in price from $20,615 for an entry-level Kia Sedona to $40,915 for a loaded Chrysler Town & Country.

In many instances, dealers say, those prices can be pushed lower because of the competition for minivan buyers.

But some dealers wonder if features and a competitive price will be enough.

Iceology projects that the minivan segment will drop to 1 million in sales by the end of the decade, but it should remain relatively stable, Brown said.

George Pipas, a Ford analyst, agrees – with reservations.

“Our view is the minivan segment will continue to decline,” said Pipas, Ford sales analysis manager. “I don’t think it will disappear, but it won’t look like a growth segment again. The SUV basically put the kibosh on the growth of the minivan and a serious dent in the popularity of the minivan as a family vehicle.”

News.