If you’ve been hanging around these parts for long, you’ve heard my paeans to the much-maligned minivan. It’s purely an image thing – nearly everybody admits they’re versatile, roomy, comfortable, easy to drive – but most folks buy one with the enthusiasm of a wretch climbing a gallows.
It’s the ultimate statement that one has put the things of youth aside and joined the adult world, with its manifold responsibilities. In a word, it’s so PRACTICAL.
The very young and unencumbered favor sport coupes, of course, while those with a few more miles on them have stampeded toward the sport-utility vehicle (SUV), for its with-it, all-conquering appeal. (Never mind that Utility and Practicality are virtual synonyms.)
The one strong argument the average suburbanite can make in favor of an SUV is its all-weather capability, although more and more cars and car-like “crossovers” now have that bragging point, too. They exact a price, though, in terms of comfort, thirst and – with a few conspicuous exceptions – limited hauling flexibility.
I’m here to let you in on a little secret that even the minivan mogul, DaimlerChrysler, seems to hold rather closely: You can get a minivan with all-wheel drive. It was like pulling teeth to get one to test, and they sure don’t play it up. Why? Perhaps because there’s more money to be made from their crop of SUVs.
Too bad – the concept is a marriage made on high, given the new-found 4WD-awareness of the American driving public.
The only drawback is price. Because they don’t sell many, DaimlerChrysler exacts a considerable premium for its AWD minivans. In the Dodge line (less expensive than the gussied-up Chrysler Town & Country variants), a Grand Caravan Sport with the usual front-wheel drive and 3.3-liter V-6 engine, 4-speed automatic, starts at $24,275. The AWD version, albeit with a standard 3.8-liter V-6, starts at $29,695, a pretty stiff bite, although still well within the range of what people pay for SUVs. (All-wheel drive is not offered on the short-wheelbase price-leader Caravan, which starts at $19,160, with a pitiful 4-cylinder engine and three-speed automatic transmission.)
Grand Caravans come in four series – Sport, ES, EX and SE. Only the Sport and top-of-the-line ES can be fitted with AWD. The test subject was a 2001 Sport version. It comes with a good load of equipment, three-zone air conditioning, automatic transmission, antilock brakes, keyless entry, heated mirrors, load leveling and height control, the usual array of power assists, cruise control, overhead console, alloy wheels, sunscreen glass, heated outside mirrors and lots of little extras . . . nonetheless leaving the opportunity spend a few thou more gamboling through the options list (see below).
The skirted set will love the ease of entry. Unlike SUVs, minivans are pretty much a plunk your bucket in the bucket deal, not requiring an awkward, sometimes revelatory, climb. Curiously enough, once ensconced, you feel as if you’re sitting high, one of the oft-stated attractions of the SUV. Must be the pronounced forward slope combined with the huge windshield.
One of the first things I discovered about the Grand Caravan was an aspect I came to hate. The parking brake is of the step-on variety. Even for a big lug with fairly long arms, the release was an unpleasant stretch away, buried under the left side of the dash. Such an ergonomic gaffe boggles the mind, given how well executed the vehicle is overall. I’m a little chary of the step-to-release style, but it would be far preferable to this torture test.
The 3.8-liter engine has been tweaked for more power and torque this year, delivering 215 hp and 245 foot-pounds – still on regular unleaded. Being of the old overhead valve style, it has good low-end response for a perky launch feel. It also runs to its 5,600 redline with the enthusiasm associated with overhead-cam setups.
The 4-speed automatic transmission is a paragon of swift, smoo tio changing. Unfortunately, disengaging overdrive entails dragging the column shifter down to 3 – an electrical switch is far preferable. And you will want to lose overdrive around town – the GC is geared very high (35 mph per 1,000 engine turns in overdrive), so much so that even second gear doesn’t offer a great deal of retardation on a modest grade. This was almost a show-stopper for me – the GC felt as if it were running away in third or fourth even without throttle pressure. I wish they’d at least offer a stouter final drive ratio as an option, recognizing that it would hurt gas mileage a bit.
As it is, this two-ton, not very aerodynamic machine gets 17 mpg city, 23 highway according to the EPA. My overall tally was 19.7, driving not very conservatively.
Ride quality, irrespective of the surface, was very good. Filtering of harshness was especially noteworthy, and both roll and pitch were very well controlled. The relationship between springs and shocks was ideal. Steering effort was appropriate, with a good sense of the road and a determined adherence to the course I set on freeways.
The instruments were legible and well-shielded, with idiot lights located in an eyebrow over the main cluster.
Braking was satisfactory. Discs front and rear give a good, linear pedal feel and stopping distances were comforting. The antilock hummed and did its thing unobtrusively but effectively.
The stereo controls were a bit small, but the unit performed very well. The mast antenna gave FM reception a boost into the high-normal range.
Clever touches abound. You can get power sliding doors on either side, their motors uniquely placed inside the doors. They can be actuated from inside the vehicle or with the remote. The one on the tester passed the finger-surrogate test, reversing when encountering a small resistance. I tried the manual door on a modest grade and it was fairly easy to close against gravity. The optional center console has a power tap inside for road warrior appliances, and the whole shebang can be pulled out and placed between the second row of seats.
A power liftgate is worth having just for the cool factor. DC says the AWD minivan can tow up to 1,500 pounds, although, with seats removed, it holds enough stuff for a long weekend expedition – 146 cubic feet. Two suggestions for the interior designers: Let those nifty power flip-out rear windows be closed automatically when the driver locks the vehicle with the remote. It’s far too easy to forget they’re open. If there’s a perceived safety issue, make that feature owner-programmable. And while it’s good to have the power window controls on a vertical panel in front of the armrest, put some soft material on it for those of us who like to splay our legs on long drives.
In National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests, a 2001 Grand Caravan earned four stars for occupant protection in a frontal barrier crash at 35 mph, and five stars (the top rati ng) for side-impact protection. In the more rigorous tests done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the same vehicle received an overall rating of poor, the lowest score. Analyzing its 40-mph offset frontal barrier crash films, the institute found the dummy driver’s head hit the steering wheel despite the air bag, and fuel leaked from the gas tank.
The press fleet folks found a few goodies to add to the already loaded tester: side air bags, $390; center removable console, $195; “Inferno red” pearlcoat paint, $200; bucket seats, $870; power driver’s seat, $370; power liftgate, $400; roof rack, $250 and a stereo upgrade, $225. Final price, with freight, was $33,650.
Edmunds, the research outfit, says its survey of actual transactions indicates that you should be able to get one for about $2,500 below sticker. Payments at the asking price would be $682, assuming 20 percent down, 10 percent financing and 48 coupons.
“The Gannett News Service”
