Boston.com's view

Let’s just say it:

The minivan is no longer chic.

Lots of men have shied away from it from since its introduction in 1983, though its meteoric rise in sales through the following 15 years showed what the auto industry has long known: Women likely make the final decisions when it comes time to buy the family car.

But then came the mid-1990s, and even soccer moms grew weary of the minivan’s pedestrian image, clearing the way for the SUV to become the vehicle of choice.

In some ways, this was regrettable because today the minivan is better than ever, as evidenced by three in particular: Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, and the vans that started it all, the Chrysler/Dodge (Plymouth rest in peace) vans. So it was great timing, in the midst of a winter school vacation, to get into a Dodge Grand Caravan Sport AWD, as in all-wheel drive. The minivan has come a long way.

No longer is it the stiff, upright box of old. No longer does it feel like a box with seats set on steel braces, a la the school bus, for hauling people like shipped goods. Comfort and convenience abound in today’s minivans, from elaborate entertainment systems to multizone climate controls to power sliding doors and power rear hatches.

Add to this all-wheel drive, as Dodge has done, and you have a rig that will do what many SUVs will do (except plow snow or haul big boats), and will do it in just as much comfort and, in some cases, with lots more interior space.

The Grand Caravan has dual sliding side doors (powered as an option), and a powered up-and-down rear lift gate. Remember trying to lift a big gate by hand while clutching two bags of groceries? In addition, if you want to use the doors or gate manually, the handles have been lowered so even your kids can reach them.

Because it’s a hauler of both people and their gear or groceries – all in varying amounts, depending on family size and interests – the Dodge comes in either a short or long wheelbase version and with three options for engines: a 150-horsepower four-cylinder; a 180-horsepower V-6; and, as tested, a 3.8 liter, 215 horsepower V-6.

The latter was so powerful that while hauling a car filled with kids and a week’s worth of ski gear that I became convinced the midsize engine would be plenty unless you haul lots of kids and gear.

Even winding through a snowstorm on the way to northern New Hampshire, plowing through four inches of unplowed snow on Interstate 93, it surged strongly and almost silently forward. The all-wheel drive took a bit of getting used to as, at first, it felt like you needed to keep correcting for its machinations. But once the car was left to its own stability and spin corrections, it handled very well in the snow, with only minor touches of the wheel.

The four-speed automatic shifted up before I would like in some instances (and would not let me get close to redline in any gear), and refused to downshift when I wanted to add low-gear power to aid in m y steering efforts. The latter I found annoying, though I suspect most people would be quite happy to let their vehicle do all the work. Inside, the Grand Caravan was cavernous. Great shoulder room from the front captain’s chairs, the matching captain’s chairs in the second row, and the third-row bench seat. You can walk cleanly from front to rear up the spine of the Grand Caravan. It also comes with a nifty, removable powered console that can be plugged in between either the front or middle pair of seats.

Audio and climate controls, low at center dash, were large and easy to use, and I particularly liked the driver’s door button control to open the rear vent windows.

Three big vents high at center dash rushed fanned warm air throughout the front section of the van while zoned rear climate control kept passengers in the far back toasty.

And even with seven passengers, there is ample room behind the third row of seats to pile sleeping bags, groceries, and suitcases. Nee more room for gear and not as much for people? The rear seat slides out on rollers. In addition, there’s a compartmentalized pop-up rear cargo bin that also works in conjunction with grocery net hooks.

For safety, the doors of the new van are braced for impact, pillars have been strengthened, dual-stage front air bags and optional front side bags protect those folks, and low-anchored child-seat tethers and anchors in the middle and rear seats let you anchor child seats to the body of the van, rather than just to the seats.

Vans may not be chic these days, but if they keep improving in this manner, and as SUVs develop at least some aura of political incorrectness, they may well be ready for a quality comeback.

Nice touch:

The web bag that stretches between the two front seats. Holds all odd manner of gear.

Annoyance:

The multibutton control for the functions of the rear windshield wiper.