Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Video highlights of this vehicle

This month we assigned the Dodge Grand Caravan to a newly married member of our staff. Accordingly, he wondered if perhaps his colleagues intended this assignment as a somewhat premature hint at filling the rear seats with little children — but after some convincing, he cautiously agreed to accept the challenge.

Our staff member had never driven a minivan before; and, as he considered himself quite a ways from the stage in life in which he might require one, he decided to approach his analysis by imagining himself as the target driver for this vehicle: Parent-Driver of a large young family.

The very first day he drove the car, he found himself in an ideal situation to let his imagination run free: virtually stationary traffic on the 405 Freeway during a torrential rainstorm.

The rains hit quite suddenly, and his first issue was with the windshield wipers — he couldn't figure out how to turn them on.

As the storm intensified, he felt he should put on his headlights — but even when he found the controls, he was confused by the various options.

Next, as the windows began to steam up, our driver was confounded by the incredible number of buttons and controls that made up the climate control system. And even when he finally figured out which setting to choose, the system took an unacceptably long time to warm up and stop blowing cold.

He imagined what it would feel like to have children in the back while all this was going on:

"I wouldn't be able to take time to concentrate on all of these choices with a car full of kids," he wrote in his notes. "There are eight buttons on the steering wheel alone! Isn't this car supposed to be designed for ferrying groups of children without hassle?"

As the traffic began to ease, and the Grand Caravan was able to pick up speed, the contents of a gym bag spilled out under his feet. The Grand Caravan's flat floor has no islands or barriers between the driver's side and the passenger side. "Now, how would that work with babies' bottles and toys?" he asked, getting increasingly into the role. Of course, the trade-off of the flat floor (an identifying feature of all minivans) is that parents can more easily walk about the cabin to tend to unhappy toddlers. It's inevitable that toys will be dropped on the floor now and then, but some minivans do a better job than the DGC of providing storage areas to corral them.

This was the first rain in weeks in the Los Angeles area, so the road was particularly slick, but despite the warning from last month's checkup, the Dodge's brakes were responsive and smooth. In fact, every element of the car felt particularly solid and safe — all the way through to the finest details and accessories. And, despite his frustrations, our driver did feel comfortably protected and shielded from the raging winds, which were leaving other vehicles of similar height rocking side to side rather dramatically.

As our driver relaxed, he realized how much he enjoyed the height and comfort of the driver seat and began to appreciate the incredible interior space.

"Looking in the rearview mirror, it seemed to be a long way to the back windshield. Yet, when I parked at my destination, I noticed that the Caravan was not that much longer than most other cars.

"On closer examination, I realized that a particularly short hood achieves this; this short hood also makes it easier to judge the van's dimensions during difficult maneuvers. However, the overall feel is still that of a wide boat — with an overly busy and confusing dashboard. I couldn't even work out how to set the radio stations, and I never got the air conditioning figured out, either."

But his biggest surprise?

"Over the month, I received three separate compliments on the car from the valet attendants. Maybe it was because of how smoothly the van negotiated the horrendous speed bumps along each level. Or maybe those electric sliding doors looked ever so cool as I opened them to fetch my jacket and briefcase out of the back."

This was our last month with our Grand Caravan, as its two-year lease has come to an end. Soon, we'll be publishing a wrap-up of our experiences, and we'd like to hear from our readers. If you're the owner of a 2001-2003 Dodge or Chrysler minivan, please e-mail us the details of your ownership experience — good, bad or otherwise.

Current Odometer: 37,339
Best Fuel Economy: 14.6 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 14.2 mpg
Running Average (over life of vehicle): 17.8 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None