Dodge Grand Caravan

This minivan has its origins with the Caravan, which is now out of production and was the first minivan produced in America right before the dodge Durango. It, like its nameplate variant, the Town and Country, offers versatility, space, and good value for the money (especially for those with large families). The Grand Caravan faces stiff competition from import minivans, but it has kept up by offering features such as "stow-n-go" seating and sliding doors on the driver's side. The main drawback to the Grand Caravan is its underpowered engine; older models have further reliability issues.

The current generation of the Dodge Grand Caravan seats up to seven people, and is offered in C/V, Express, Main Street, Crew, and R/T trim levels. The C/V is for commercial use and is appropriately appointed. The Express is the base passenger model, the Main Street adds power windows in the second and rear rows, the Crew trim offers 17" wheels, power doors, auto climate control, additional storage, power seating and pedals, a touch screen display and audio system. The R/T comes with a performance suspension, leather seating and a premium audio system.

Options for the Caravan include a power tailgate, towing package, running boards, backup sensors, sunshades, Bluetooth compatibility, iPod dock, dual entertainment system and heated seats. Moving the vehicle down the road is a 3.6L V6 that produces 283hp. Power gets to the wheels via a 6-speed automatic gearbox; despite the high horsepower, the Grand Caravan is slower to get to 60mph than the Odyssey or the Sienna.

Passenger comfort in the Grand Caravan is a mixed bag. Taller drivers may find scant leg room, and second-row passengers find the seats tilted toward the rear, and the third row is best suited to children or smaller passengers. Potential buyers should be aware of the reliability issues that have plagued Dodge's minivans for years; despite the many improvements that have recently been made, the Dodge Caravan is still not the best choice.

For 2011, notable changes included aggressive styling, and a new Pentastar V6 that offers increased power and efficiency. The interior got a remodel, with better materials and an upgraded cabin design. Road-handling was vastly improved with a new suspension.