Slugging It Out for the Minivan TitleRoad Test SummaryStereo EvaluationSecond OpinionsConsumer Commentary
If you're good, everyone wants a piece of you. In minivans, Chrysler has traditionally been the brand to beat. Having invented the minivan in 1983, it got an early start on its competition. Now, 17 years later, it has sold eight million minivans in 70 countries worldwide. Last year, a banner year for global minivans sales with 1.6 million units sold, DaimlerChrysler accounted for 40 percent of those sales.
However, each year, the competition, most notably Ford, GM, Honda and Toyota, has become stronger, and these companies have vied for the minivan title. In recent years, those upstarts have had the champ on the ropes, knees wobbling and ready to fall.
It looked like two decades of success and subsequent indulgent living had caught up to the title holder. DaimlerChrysler, however, wasn't about to let go of its sales crown so easily. Down, but by no means out, the automaker set about rebuilding its reputation. At the 2000 Detroit auto show, it revealed a redesigned fleet of minivans with unique features, new styling and more powerful engines. It seemed the champ was off the ropes and had put together a solid flurry of body shots to repel the challengers.
A prominent member of this new fleet is the 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan. It's available in basic SE, Sport, EX and ES trims, and we recently tested the more upscale ES version. The ES comes loaded with an array of standard features, including four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, three-zone automatic climate control, tinted glass, dual power sliding side doors, power eight-way driver seat, leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel, cruise control, power front windows and rear vents, power door locks, dual front airbags, HomeLink and remote keyless entry. Add to that cushy mix a set of optional leather bucket seats (heated in front), a four-disc in-dash CD changer, a power-open and -close liftgate, traction control, auto-illuminating headlamps, auto-dimming mirrors, touring suspension, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and chromed aluminum wheels, and you have an opulent minivan-cum-limousine that certainly looks like it's ready to reclaim its champion status.
The experience starts with impressive power and handling characteristics. The optional 215-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 generates a gutsy 245 foot-pounds of torque (at 4,000 rpm), which does a super job of moving the minivan in the city and on the highway. Our independent performance testing showed the 3.8-liter-equipped Grand Caravan moves from 0 to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds, which is 0.4 seconds faster than our tests of the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Though the Cruiser is hardly a speedster, we think the numbers show the Grand Caravan is hardly your average sluggish minivan, either. And, unlike some of its noisier competition (Honda Odyssey and Mazda MPV, for example), the Grand Caravan moves along in relative quiet.
Dodge says it spent a lot of resources to reduce noise levels inside the Grand Caravan, so that it would be less a family transport and more a "portable livingroom." To accomplish this, the company added thicker sound absorption materials in the floor, headliner and dash as well as extra gaskets between the door handles and outside. Also, the manufacturer says it redesigned the front struts, control arms, engine mounts and roof rack to reduce noise and shake. It also claims rear suspension attachments on the body structure are eight times stiffer than last year's models', further reducing road noise.
Most of our editors feel that the attempts at reduced noise work rather well. The Grand Caravan, while not as quiet as a livingroom, does allow less wind and road noise to permeate its cabin than other minivans like the Honda Odyssey and Ford Windstar. However, this may be all for naught when you load it full of your kids and their pals. Unfortunately, a "cone of silence" for the driver seat is not on the option list.
Our test vehicle was equipped with an optional touring suspension, 17-inch wheels and touring tires. Combined with a 20-percent increase in body rigidity and the stiffer suspension attachments mentioned above, the Grand Caravan provides a wonderfully smooth ride.
Dodge tried to enhance the Grand Caravan's driving experience further by adding an AutoStick transmission (part of the Quick Order package), but it is our opinion that this is of little use on a minivan. AutoStick allows the driver to make shifts manually via a toggle switch mounted on the gear lever. We figure if a driver wants to make aggressive manual shifts, even to pass on the freeway, he is probably going to be driving something other than a minivan. A sequential-shift automatic makes sense on a sport sedan or wagon, but seems a bit silly on a minivan — everyone knows they're slow and cumbersome, so why pretend otherwise?
And, if the Grand Caravan is being used for towing, maximum torque can be achieved by simply switching off the overdrive (using a button also located on the gear lever).
While we found the powertrain a joy, we weren't overly enamored with the Grand Caravan's steering. We found it wonderful for one-finger steering in the mall parking lot, but it's a little too light and a tad overboosted, which makes us feel uncomfortably separated from the road. Once again, despite the pugilistic metaphor with which this piece began, it's important to remember that this is a minivan and primarily a vehicle designed to move many people in comfort.
As a luxurious people-mover, the Grand Caravan has its merits. The tall, leather-clad bucket seats are extremely comfortable, with sturdy side bolsters that follow the contours of your back from the lumbar-supported bottom to the top. The second-row seats were equally comfortable, though they lack fore and aft adjustments. In the back row, passengers are still treated to an expansive seat surface, but the bolstering doesn't coddle it as much as it does in the front seats. However, the third-row seats do recline, which is a rare feature in minivans. The optional front seat heaters were a welcome addition during a frigid February. And the rest of the aforementioned internal luxuries prove that Chrysler is serious about feature content.
We found the Grand Caravan's center instrument console one of the most elegant and functional on the market. The high-quality interior materials are attractive, simply labeled, straightforward and durable looking — there's no chintzy plastic switchgear that wouldn't stand up to the hard use by you and your peanut butter-covered clan.
Speaking of switchgear, the current trend in minivan design is to reduce the amount of physical input required from the driver and occupants as much as possible. Power windows, locks, seats and mirrors have been available for some time. As has keyless entry. Now power sliding side doors are popular. The Grand Caravan has two of these, which can be operated via the key fob to save even more energy. There are also interior switches — on the B-pillars and the overhead console. However, the automatic sliding doors can't be activated by just pulling on the interior or exterior handle (annoying if you don't have the key fob handy). That said, a nice touch is that the doors can be operated manually without any switches — simply pull on the handle and close, the ol' fashioned way. In other minivans, such as the Honda Odyssey, if you pull on the handle, you have to wait a seemingly interminable length of time for the automatic doors to shut.
The Dodge's climate control is automatic and can be set to monitor three zones (driver, front passenger and rear occupants), removing the burden of fiddling with temperature settings. Additionally, Dodge (and Chrysler) is the first to offer a power-up and -down liftgate: just press a button inside the van or on the key fob and, after a few seconds of beeping noises (as if a dump truck were backing up), the rear gate opens and closes. Nifty idea, and we could see how it would be useful to somebody of small stature. But most of the time, we found ourselves using the power liftgate to show off to friends rather than taking advantage of any supposed usefulness. Most of our editors note that they wouldn't order the power liftgate if they were buying a Grand Caravan. A couple of additions they'd rather see offered are electronic parking assist, as is available on the Windstar, and stability control, which is optional on the Toyota Sienna, for example.
One of the biggest knocks against the Grand Caravan has been its lack of a stowable third-row seat. Its closest competitor, the Odyssey, has a third-row seat that folds flat into the floor. DaimlerChrysler responds by saying the storage bin for the seat creates a resonance chamber that increases cabin noise and also necessitates placing the spare tire in an inconvenient location. Also, say the Dodge minivan designers, a stow-and-go third-row seat means you can't have recline on those seats, and it would negate the ability to offer all-wheel drive in their products because the recessed seat storage bin would intrude into the undercarriage area where the all-wheel-drive mechanism is housed.
If you want to make full use of the Grand Caravan's cargo area, you must detach and haul the third-row seat out of the vehicle and then stow it somewhere safe and dry. Of course, when you have need for those seats again, you must reverse the procedure. Admittedly, this is a pain. However, the mechanisms Dodge designed for its removable seats are the best on the market. They are intuitive and ergonomically sound. Also, Dodge split the third-row seat 50/50 and placed rollers on the bottom of each seat to make them lighter and easier to shuttle around. Unless you expect to regularly have need for a full cargo area and also a third-row seat, the lack of a stowable third-row seat shouldn't be too much of a problem. However, some of our editors feel that the lack of such a seat is an oversight that will cost Dodge market share and negates the company's claim that the Grand Caravan is the "best minivan ever."
Another common criticism of the Dodge minivan is its less than optimal ratings in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests. While Ford and Honda minivan products boast about their five-star NHTSA safety ratings, Dodge and Chrysler have never managed to equal their scores. In response, DaimlerChrysler says expressing those results with one number can be misleading because the tests involve four impact areas: front driver and passenger impact and side impact on the front and rear seats. It should be noted that both Honda and Ford have received top scores in all four areas.
In 2000, Dodge Caravan scored four stars in both frontal tests and five stars in both side tests. To improve safety, Dodge performed updates and refined the new model. The brake rotors have been beefed up, and the calipers are 20 percent larger. Electronic Variable Brake Proportioning has also been added to ensure better brake distribution between the front and rear stoppers. The headlights have been enlarged 50 percent, increasing brightness by 80 percent. Forty pounds of metal has been added to the underbody, center pillar and sliding doors to strengthen the body structure. And softer, energy-absorbing material has been added to the interior trim surfaces to lessen the impact of a crash on cabin occupants. Although U.S. crash tests have yet to be conducted (NHTSA's results are due in May of 2001), DaimlerChrysler expects the new design to rate higher than previous models.
Cargo capacity is also a premier consideration for any minivan. Dodge has equipped the Grand Caravan with an abundance of storage nooks and crannies for the wide assortment of paraphernalia that accompanies most families. There's a tilt-out CD and coin storage unit at the base of the center instrument stack, a lockable storage drawer under the front passenger seat, plentiful cubbies on all doors (with lids in the rear), eight sturdy cupholders and a removable center console with integrated powerpoints. This last feature is slick: It docks in a bracket on the floor and can be moved to sit either between the front or middle seats. When the console is removed, a rubber liner turns the bracket into a handy tray. The console has a spacious lidded compartment for loose items and a separate section, with a powerpoint, that neatly houses cellular phones.
In back, the third-row seats have handy grocery bag hooks so your shopping doesn't roll all over the floor, which we understand is bad for peaches, pears and other soft produce. Or you can purchase the optional pop-up cargo organizer with stiff sides designed to hold grocery bags and other loose cargo. It can be also be fixed at mid-level to create a two-level storage space. The Grand Caravan can be converted from a seven-seater to a two-seater (with a maximum of 167.9 cubic feet of cargo area) with a myriad of seating configurations in between.
In addition to all its other attributes, the Dodge Grand Caravan (and its cousin, the Chrysler Town & Country) are the some of the best-looking minivans on the road. DaimlerChrysler has imbued its new minivan lineup with numerous sporty styling cues, many borrowed from its own sport-utility and sedan models. The roof and beltline rise from nose to rear to create a wedge-like shape and give the impression of speed even while standing still. Also, the 17-inch chromed aluminum wheels on our tester said lady's man more than family man.
We enjoyed driving the Dodge Grand Caravan more than any other minivan currently on the market. It represents a solid effort to regain and retain the minivan sales crown. However, we wonder if it's improved quite enough. The lack of a stowable third-row seat, navigation system, stability control and parking assist sensors are serious omissions to us. In addition, while DaimlerChrysler quality has improved in recent years (a trend we expect will continue), and Dodge offers an impressive warranty package, the Caravan's reliability history is poor. Also, the Grand Caravan isn't cheap. At nearly $35,000, it's at the top of the minivan price range. We'd excuse the relatively high price if the Dodge included all the features we'd like, but it doesn't.
However, even if DaimlerChrysler's new minis don't prove to be the best of the breed, it has at least set a new standard in terms of driving dynamics to which all contenders will have to aspire and, bottom line, that's good for consumers.
However, each year, the competition, most notably Ford, GM, Honda and Toyota, has become stronger, and these companies have vied for the minivan title. In recent years, those upstarts have had the champ on the ropes, knees wobbling and ready to fall.
It looked like two decades of success and subsequent indulgent living had caught up to the title holder. DaimlerChrysler, however, wasn't about to let go of its sales crown so easily. Down, but by no means out, the automaker set about rebuilding its reputation. At the 2000 Detroit auto show, it revealed a redesigned fleet of minivans with unique features, new styling and more powerful engines. It seemed the champ was off the ropes and had put together a solid flurry of body shots to repel the challengers.
A prominent member of this new fleet is the 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan. It's available in basic SE, Sport, EX and ES trims, and we recently tested the more upscale ES version. The ES comes loaded with an array of standard features, including four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, three-zone automatic climate control, tinted glass, dual power sliding side doors, power eight-way driver seat, leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel, cruise control, power front windows and rear vents, power door locks, dual front airbags, HomeLink and remote keyless entry. Add to that cushy mix a set of optional leather bucket seats (heated in front), a four-disc in-dash CD changer, a power-open and -close liftgate, traction control, auto-illuminating headlamps, auto-dimming mirrors, touring suspension, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and chromed aluminum wheels, and you have an opulent minivan-cum-limousine that certainly looks like it's ready to reclaim its champion status.
The experience starts with impressive power and handling characteristics. The optional 215-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 generates a gutsy 245 foot-pounds of torque (at 4,000 rpm), which does a super job of moving the minivan in the city and on the highway. Our independent performance testing showed the 3.8-liter-equipped Grand Caravan moves from 0 to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds, which is 0.4 seconds faster than our tests of the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Though the Cruiser is hardly a speedster, we think the numbers show the Grand Caravan is hardly your average sluggish minivan, either. And, unlike some of its noisier competition (Honda Odyssey and Mazda MPV, for example), the Grand Caravan moves along in relative quiet.
Dodge says it spent a lot of resources to reduce noise levels inside the Grand Caravan, so that it would be less a family transport and more a "portable livingroom." To accomplish this, the company added thicker sound absorption materials in the floor, headliner and dash as well as extra gaskets between the door handles and outside. Also, the manufacturer says it redesigned the front struts, control arms, engine mounts and roof rack to reduce noise and shake. It also claims rear suspension attachments on the body structure are eight times stiffer than last year's models', further reducing road noise.
Most of our editors feel that the attempts at reduced noise work rather well. The Grand Caravan, while not as quiet as a livingroom, does allow less wind and road noise to permeate its cabin than other minivans like the Honda Odyssey and Ford Windstar. However, this may be all for naught when you load it full of your kids and their pals. Unfortunately, a "cone of silence" for the driver seat is not on the option list.
Our test vehicle was equipped with an optional touring suspension, 17-inch wheels and touring tires. Combined with a 20-percent increase in body rigidity and the stiffer suspension attachments mentioned above, the Grand Caravan provides a wonderfully smooth ride.
Dodge tried to enhance the Grand Caravan's driving experience further by adding an AutoStick transmission (part of the Quick Order package), but it is our opinion that this is of little use on a minivan. AutoStick allows the driver to make shifts manually via a toggle switch mounted on the gear lever. We figure if a driver wants to make aggressive manual shifts, even to pass on the freeway, he is probably going to be driving something other than a minivan. A sequential-shift automatic makes sense on a sport sedan or wagon, but seems a bit silly on a minivan — everyone knows they're slow and cumbersome, so why pretend otherwise?
And, if the Grand Caravan is being used for towing, maximum torque can be achieved by simply switching off the overdrive (using a button also located on the gear lever).
While we found the powertrain a joy, we weren't overly enamored with the Grand Caravan's steering. We found it wonderful for one-finger steering in the mall parking lot, but it's a little too light and a tad overboosted, which makes us feel uncomfortably separated from the road. Once again, despite the pugilistic metaphor with which this piece began, it's important to remember that this is a minivan and primarily a vehicle designed to move many people in comfort.
As a luxurious people-mover, the Grand Caravan has its merits. The tall, leather-clad bucket seats are extremely comfortable, with sturdy side bolsters that follow the contours of your back from the lumbar-supported bottom to the top. The second-row seats were equally comfortable, though they lack fore and aft adjustments. In the back row, passengers are still treated to an expansive seat surface, but the bolstering doesn't coddle it as much as it does in the front seats. However, the third-row seats do recline, which is a rare feature in minivans. The optional front seat heaters were a welcome addition during a frigid February. And the rest of the aforementioned internal luxuries prove that Chrysler is serious about feature content.
We found the Grand Caravan's center instrument console one of the most elegant and functional on the market. The high-quality interior materials are attractive, simply labeled, straightforward and durable looking — there's no chintzy plastic switchgear that wouldn't stand up to the hard use by you and your peanut butter-covered clan.
Speaking of switchgear, the current trend in minivan design is to reduce the amount of physical input required from the driver and occupants as much as possible. Power windows, locks, seats and mirrors have been available for some time. As has keyless entry. Now power sliding side doors are popular. The Grand Caravan has two of these, which can be operated via the key fob to save even more energy. There are also interior switches — on the B-pillars and the overhead console. However, the automatic sliding doors can't be activated by just pulling on the interior or exterior handle (annoying if you don't have the key fob handy). That said, a nice touch is that the doors can be operated manually without any switches — simply pull on the handle and close, the ol' fashioned way. In other minivans, such as the Honda Odyssey, if you pull on the handle, you have to wait a seemingly interminable length of time for the automatic doors to shut.
The Dodge's climate control is automatic and can be set to monitor three zones (driver, front passenger and rear occupants), removing the burden of fiddling with temperature settings. Additionally, Dodge (and Chrysler) is the first to offer a power-up and -down liftgate: just press a button inside the van or on the key fob and, after a few seconds of beeping noises (as if a dump truck were backing up), the rear gate opens and closes. Nifty idea, and we could see how it would be useful to somebody of small stature. But most of the time, we found ourselves using the power liftgate to show off to friends rather than taking advantage of any supposed usefulness. Most of our editors note that they wouldn't order the power liftgate if they were buying a Grand Caravan. A couple of additions they'd rather see offered are electronic parking assist, as is available on the Windstar, and stability control, which is optional on the Toyota Sienna, for example.
One of the biggest knocks against the Grand Caravan has been its lack of a stowable third-row seat. Its closest competitor, the Odyssey, has a third-row seat that folds flat into the floor. DaimlerChrysler responds by saying the storage bin for the seat creates a resonance chamber that increases cabin noise and also necessitates placing the spare tire in an inconvenient location. Also, say the Dodge minivan designers, a stow-and-go third-row seat means you can't have recline on those seats, and it would negate the ability to offer all-wheel drive in their products because the recessed seat storage bin would intrude into the undercarriage area where the all-wheel-drive mechanism is housed.
If you want to make full use of the Grand Caravan's cargo area, you must detach and haul the third-row seat out of the vehicle and then stow it somewhere safe and dry. Of course, when you have need for those seats again, you must reverse the procedure. Admittedly, this is a pain. However, the mechanisms Dodge designed for its removable seats are the best on the market. They are intuitive and ergonomically sound. Also, Dodge split the third-row seat 50/50 and placed rollers on the bottom of each seat to make them lighter and easier to shuttle around. Unless you expect to regularly have need for a full cargo area and also a third-row seat, the lack of a stowable third-row seat shouldn't be too much of a problem. However, some of our editors feel that the lack of such a seat is an oversight that will cost Dodge market share and negates the company's claim that the Grand Caravan is the "best minivan ever."
Another common criticism of the Dodge minivan is its less than optimal ratings in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests. While Ford and Honda minivan products boast about their five-star NHTSA safety ratings, Dodge and Chrysler have never managed to equal their scores. In response, DaimlerChrysler says expressing those results with one number can be misleading because the tests involve four impact areas: front driver and passenger impact and side impact on the front and rear seats. It should be noted that both Honda and Ford have received top scores in all four areas.
In 2000, Dodge Caravan scored four stars in both frontal tests and five stars in both side tests. To improve safety, Dodge performed updates and refined the new model. The brake rotors have been beefed up, and the calipers are 20 percent larger. Electronic Variable Brake Proportioning has also been added to ensure better brake distribution between the front and rear stoppers. The headlights have been enlarged 50 percent, increasing brightness by 80 percent. Forty pounds of metal has been added to the underbody, center pillar and sliding doors to strengthen the body structure. And softer, energy-absorbing material has been added to the interior trim surfaces to lessen the impact of a crash on cabin occupants. Although U.S. crash tests have yet to be conducted (NHTSA's results are due in May of 2001), DaimlerChrysler expects the new design to rate higher than previous models.
Cargo capacity is also a premier consideration for any minivan. Dodge has equipped the Grand Caravan with an abundance of storage nooks and crannies for the wide assortment of paraphernalia that accompanies most families. There's a tilt-out CD and coin storage unit at the base of the center instrument stack, a lockable storage drawer under the front passenger seat, plentiful cubbies on all doors (with lids in the rear), eight sturdy cupholders and a removable center console with integrated powerpoints. This last feature is slick: It docks in a bracket on the floor and can be moved to sit either between the front or middle seats. When the console is removed, a rubber liner turns the bracket into a handy tray. The console has a spacious lidded compartment for loose items and a separate section, with a powerpoint, that neatly houses cellular phones.
In back, the third-row seats have handy grocery bag hooks so your shopping doesn't roll all over the floor, which we understand is bad for peaches, pears and other soft produce. Or you can purchase the optional pop-up cargo organizer with stiff sides designed to hold grocery bags and other loose cargo. It can be also be fixed at mid-level to create a two-level storage space. The Grand Caravan can be converted from a seven-seater to a two-seater (with a maximum of 167.9 cubic feet of cargo area) with a myriad of seating configurations in between.
In addition to all its other attributes, the Dodge Grand Caravan (and its cousin, the Chrysler Town & Country) are the some of the best-looking minivans on the road. DaimlerChrysler has imbued its new minivan lineup with numerous sporty styling cues, many borrowed from its own sport-utility and sedan models. The roof and beltline rise from nose to rear to create a wedge-like shape and give the impression of speed even while standing still. Also, the 17-inch chromed aluminum wheels on our tester said lady's man more than family man.
We enjoyed driving the Dodge Grand Caravan more than any other minivan currently on the market. It represents a solid effort to regain and retain the minivan sales crown. However, we wonder if it's improved quite enough. The lack of a stowable third-row seat, navigation system, stability control and parking assist sensors are serious omissions to us. In addition, while DaimlerChrysler quality has improved in recent years (a trend we expect will continue), and Dodge offers an impressive warranty package, the Caravan's reliability history is poor. Also, the Grand Caravan isn't cheap. At nearly $35,000, it's at the top of the minivan price range. We'd excuse the relatively high price if the Dodge included all the features we'd like, but it doesn't.
However, even if DaimlerChrysler's new minis don't prove to be the best of the breed, it has at least set a new standard in terms of driving dynamics to which all contenders will have to aspire and, bottom line, that's good for consumers.
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