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Driving Impressions

Minivans tend to generate pages of notes on the interior but little driving impressions. The Dodge Grand Caravan is a transporting machine, not a driving one. The main thing is, on the road, it's safe and stable. Electronic stability control is standard, and it activates fairly early, minimizing wheelspin and reducing the chance of a spin.

Our SE had the smallest of the three engines, the 3.3-liter V6 making 175 horsepower at 5000 rpm and 205 pound-feet of torque at 4000 rpm. For the way we drove it during our week, which we believe is the way most Grand Caravan owners drive, it offered enough acceleration and speed, though it struggled to merge with freeway traffic. The 3.3-liter can be fueled with E85, an ethanol mix.

The 3.3-liter engine comes with a four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. We found it shifted smoothly and wasn't overworked by our suburban demands. Theoretically, more speeds than four is better, but it depends on the programming; in some cases, more speeds means more snatches or rough spots. In any case, we found the four-speed automatic worked well and did not hunt for gears.

Theoretically, a manual mode allows smoother transitions because the driver can choose when he or she wants to shift. Our four-speed had Dodge's AutoStick manual shift capability, controlled by reaching toward the center stack and notching the shift lever from side to side. But we found little need or occasion to use it, because minivan driving occasions demand less sporty performance. However, with more miles and more demands, we might change our tune. Chrysler invented the manual mode about 10 years ago, and it's good to have. Holding a gear in hilly terrain or sluggish traffic or in tight quarters is sometimes advantageous.

The SXT offers higher performance with its 3.8-liter V6 making 197 horsepower or the aluminum overhead-cam 4.0-liter V6 making a big 250 hp. These engines only get one less mile per gallon than the 3.3-liter, so they should be seriously considered. All of these engines run on 87 octane Regular gas, a nice advantage over engines that demand more-expensive Premium. The 3.8-liter and 4.0-liter engines use a six-speed transaxle, compared to the four-speed in the 3.3-liter.

During our test drives of SXT models with the 3.8-liter and 4.0-liter engines we found that 3.8-liter offers more useable power than the 3.3, but we'd recommend the 4.0. The 4.0-liter engine is close in power to the best engines offered by Honda, Nissan, and Toyota. The six-speed transmission that comes with the larger V6s can sometimes hunt for gears, but it helps both of these larger engines get decent fuel economy.

Suspension-wise, the Grand Caravan has rear coil springs and a twist-beam rear axle with a track bar. (A Trailer Tow Package includes self-leveling shock absorbers.) In other words, it's not an independent rear suspension. Despite being less sophisticated than other minivans, the ride is good. Our SE didn't bounce or strike any notes of discomfort, during three hours with six kids in the back, and more hours driving alone over freeway and city streets. The only demerit is a bit of wallow at speed.

Handling, on the other hand, isn't impressive. The Grand Caravan is large and it handles like a large vehicle. It leans a lot in turns and takes awhile to react to changes of direction. The Honda Odyssey and Nissan Quest are more carlike on the road.

The brakes are plenty big, though a braking test conducted by Car and Driver magazine suggested the Grand Caravan doesn't offer the shortest braking distances.

We've tested Dodge's two new safety systems for 2009. The new Blind Spot Monitoring system uses radar sensors to detect vehicles in the van's blind spots and warns the driver with lights in the side mirrors or a driver-selectable chime that sounds like the seat belt chime. We found it worked well, but like similar systems offered by other manufacturers it can sometimes give false readings. It's still important to look before you change lanes.

The new Rear Cross Path system is activated when the van is in reverse. It uses radar sensors to detect vehicles crossing behind the Grand Caravan and warns the driver with lights in the side mirrors and that same chime. The system won't detect small objects, like pedestrians, so it's still important to proceed slowly. It does, however, detect vehicles up to 20 meters away, and is programmed to recognize the speed of oncoming vehicles and alert the driver only if they are traveling at a speed that could lead to an accident (in other words, stationary and very slow moving vehicles probably won't register). We like this system. It works well and is especially useful in crowded parking lots.

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