The trouble with test driving a 1995 Plymouth Grand Voyager SE mini-van is that we’ve already had to opportunity to drive its successor coming out in April.
It becomes obvious the ’95 is not as quiet, not as roomy, not as comfortable, not as powerful and not as stylish as the ’96.
Unlike the 1996 Chrysler mini-vans, it doesn’t have a driver-side slide-open door; it doesn’t have a special latch system that keeps the doors from sliding closed when you are parked on an incline; it doesn’t have a catch basin below the windshield wipers to keep water from running back up the windshield; it doesn’t have a defroster to keep the wipers from icing up or snowing over; and it doesn’t have touring suspension or 16-inch tires to grab the road like a magnet.
About the only thing the 1995 has going for it is a price tag that’s going to be more in reach of consumers than the 1996 remake, which will no doubt carry a hefty increase-at least $1,000-to take into account all the changes, upgrades and innovations.
The van we tested starts at $19,595 with a 3.3-liter, V-6 (18 m.p.g. city/23 highway), 4-speed automatic and dual air bags as standard. The van included $4,000 in options from air conditioning to power locks to anti-lock brakes to power windows to remote keyless entry and luggage rack.
