I agree us women are so much better at driving than men give us credit for (Not man hating just blame the media for this). But having said that everything is easier in a van. My current one has 150k on the clock all done by me.
During that length of time you get to know exactly how long, wide and the turning circle. Also vans have mirrors that actually work rather than be a design consideration and sitting higher gives a commanding field of view.
