Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Video highlights of this vehicle

This month, the Dodge Grand Caravan recovered from the contusion on its right mid- and rear flanks it received six weeks ago. We never did find out who the culprit was, but we're sure that he'll get his comeuppance — in karma, at least. The DGC was uneventfully dropped off at Paintless Dent Professionals in Irvine, California on April 11th and picked up 10 days later by Road Test Coordinator Neil Chirico. The bill was a stinker — $1,126.42 — which we paid out of pocket to avoid insurance premium hikes. Now, as blemish-free as ever, it went into the possession of Associate Editor Liz Kim, who initially balked at piloting the prosaic vehicle, and criticized it for all it's worth.

She couldn't reconcile herself to this expensive car, so deficit in minivan necessities such as a rear parking sensor, an entertainment system or a disappearing third-row seat, yet replete with silly conceits, like an Autostick feature that came with the ES package; aside from a winter mode for higher gear starts and an overdrive button to maintain power during hill climbs, most minivan drivers probably don't need control over transmission shifts. For our small-handed staffer, the steering wheel-mounted stereo controls aren't that easy to access; they're located on the back of the hub rather than the side, where perfectly good real estate went wasted.

Ultimately, however, she rather enjoyed the utter anonymity that driving a white minivan offered, as well as the swell, thoughtful features that Dodge injected into the vehicle; she grew very fond of all the various storage cubbies, especially the CD case holder that organized all her jewel cases, and for pure entertainment value, you can't beat that power liftgate.

But it was during a Mother's Day family outing where she truly learned to appreciate the minivan, which held six passengers aside from herself and all their gear. Much like Proust's madeleines, it reminded her of idyllic family vacations of yore, when the Kim and Yoon gaggles scampered aboard their station wagon for a road trip from Schenectady to Niagara Falls. Back then, the adults and two little 'uns occupied the front, and the rest of the four kids sat squished and cross-legged in the rear cargo area. In retrospect, this pretty much would have amounted to a death trap had they been in a serious impact, but she fondly remembers the misguided days when safety wasn't the overwhelming concern that governed all vehicular decisions. Those were fun times.

Now, of course, everyone has her own seat and seatbelt; since there is pending legislation that would allow police officers to arrest drivers whose passengers aren't belted, Kim was adamant that all the kids sit immobilized in their own spaces. Still, it appealed to her inherent sense of clannishness to have most members of her peeps on board one vehicle, with the kids singing along to their favorite Disney tunes and falling soundly asleep in the cozy atmosphere after a raucous day in the park. "Ah, so this is the joy of minivan ownership," wistfully ruminated the perpetually single Kim. Apparently, driving the DGC for a month was as effective as her nagging mother and a tick-tocking biological clock combined.

However, there was something rotten in the state of Neverland. When several editors reported a pulsation in the brake pedal, caused by a phantom joy ride (could've been Beelzebub himself, for all we know), Kim took in the van to be serviced at Santa Monica Dodge, where a courteous service advisor took a test drive around the block and felt it, as well. The problem, as we suspected, was caused by warped rotors, which they replaced under warranty.

After she picked it up, however, she noticed that there was still a slight vibration in the pedal when it was pressed halfway at various speeds, but only once it had warmed up on the freeway. She also noticed that the airbag light was illuminating at various intervals with an accompanying "Ding!" Not good; she took it back to Santa Monica Dodge. They couldn't reproduce the vibration this time, but did seat the brakes more firmly. They checked the code, and since no repairs were needed, they reset the light, which seems to have done the trick. These services were covered under warranty; good thing, since she dropped off the van at 9 a.m. and it was only after a 6 p.m. inquiry that she found out the van wouldn't be ready until the next day. "Gee, thanks," she said ruefully. Oh well, at least the problems seem to have abated.

In conclusion, she had this to say about her month in the Dodge Grand Caravan: "I went into this vehicle thinking that it was a necessary evil. Now I understand its appeal; it was even fun piloting the Caravan, thanks to its smooth-revving V6 and the affable nature of the ride. However, I would definitely not enjoy having to lug my $30,000-plus vehicle in for service so dang often."

Current Odometer: 4,405
Best Fuel Economy: 19.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 16.5 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 17.3 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $1,126.42 (repair and paint right quarter-panel and right rear door, remove and reinstall right rear door molding, repinstripe right quarter and right rear door, right sliding door molding and right quarter molding).
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Pulsation through brake pedal caused by warped rotors, airbag light intermittently illuminating.