washingtonpost.com's view

SUMMERTIME, and the driving ain’t easy — particularly if you’rerunning around the country in a family sedan.

I don’t care who makes the sedan, or how much you’ve paid for it.Throw in several kids and a few hundred pounds of luggage, and you’vegot trouble.

The territorial fights that can break out in the rear seat of a caron a long trip almost make the evening news’ litany of violent excessesa welcome diversion.

Here’s a peace offering: buy, borrow or rent a van. Better still, forthose of you who want space without losing sedan road feel, get yourhands on one of Chrysler Motors’ 1987-model “stretch” minivans — thePlymouth Grand Voyager or the almost identical Dodge Grand Caravan.

The “Grand” models are 14.6 inches longer than the original Chryslerminis introduced in 1983 as 1984 models. The extra length was obtainedby stretching the wheelbase seven inches and by tacking on another 7.6inches of body behind the rear wheels.

The stretch job gives Grand-mini passengers better leg and elbow roomthan Chrysler’s smaller minis do. Quarrelsome types have more space towork out differences — or to establish inviolable borders if peacetalks fail.

Also, Chrysler and its Japanese partner, Mitsubishi, have come upwith a new engine to match the Grand-minis’ bigger size — athree-liter, electronically fuel-injected V-6.

That optional powerplant won’t turn your people-hauler into a racer.But the new V-6 is a darn sight better than the wimpy, whiny, 2.6-liter,four-cylinder Mitsubishi motor it replaces; and it has substantiallymore oomph than the noble but undernourished 2.2-liter, four-cylinderengine used as standard equipment in the Chrysler minivan series.

Complaints: Minor but irritating tackiness in the test model, a GrandVoyager. C’mon, Chrysler. Why go through all the trouble of puttingtogether a good machine like this only to forget such basics as speakercovers fitted properly atop the dash and matched-up interior plasticseams?

Ah, and why spend all that time on a fancy wood-grain center consoleif you’re going to do a less-than-excellent job of positioning thespeedometer and other gauges?

Praise: An overall excellent long-distance runner, easily one of thebest minivans on the market. I’d rank the front-wheel-drive Grand-minisecond to Ford’s rear-wheel-drive Aerostar, which has a prettier body,better visibility and better road feel.

The Grand-mini gets my vote over GM’s Chevrolet Astro, which hasridiculously cramped front leg room.

The Japanese and Germans? In the minivan category, they don’t evencome close to Chrysler and Ford.

Sound system: AM/FM stereo radio and cassette, Chrysler midlineversion in the test Grand Voyager. Decent.

Some particulars: With its bigger optional engine, the Grand-mini canpull up to 2,750 pounds, 1,750 more than the Chrysler minis equippedwith the 2.2-liter, four-cylinder engines. Cargo space in the Grand-minimodel is a healthy 15 0 cubic feet with the back seats removed.

Ride, acceleration, handling: All excellent. But keep in mind thatthis is a van, however small. You can really swing the rear end out onthis one if you try to corner too hard. Pack your family and leave yourrace-track instincts at home.

Mileage: About 22 to the gallon (optional 20-gallon tank, 440-milerange), combined city-highway, running with five occupants and airconditioner operating most of the time.

Price: $17,872 as tested, including $4,826 in options such as powerwindows and the 3-liter V-6; and $465 in destination charges. Dealer’sinvoice price on the tested model is $15,742.18. Base-model price is$12,561. Dealer’s invoice price on the base model is $11,153.68.Bargaining will be difficult on this one: Chrysler is selling ’em almostas fast as it can make ’em.