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Dodge Caravan minivan restructured in short, long variations
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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Can a minivan, that economical box on wheels which epitomizes suburbia's commuting crowd, function like an easy-to-use family sedan?
A minivan can, if it's the new Caravan by Dodge.
This striking design, in short and long variations, still looks like a minivan, despite some curvy corners and liberal expanses of window glass.
Like all the other minivans, this one can carry up to seven people or, with the two rear tiers of seats removed, a mess of cargo.
Unlike others, Caravan also performs sedan tricks.
For instance, backseat riders can reach their seats from either rear sliding side door because there's one on the left side now that matches the one on the right. When combined with the two front hinged doors, that means there are four in all for passengers, which turns this minivan into a 4-door model, just like a sedan.
Also, riders won't have to hike a leg up or get a lift just to climb aboard because the floor of this minivan seems lower than the rest -- it's so low, in fact, that you can simply step aboard like you would step into a sedan.
From the driver's vantage, Caravan's wide and tall new windshield increases visibility outward, and those deep side windows further enhance the views for passengers so you end up feeling like you're peering out of a nice sedan, not some boxy van.
Further, the driver's seat, when coupled to the redesigned instrument panel, sporty steering wheel, tactile steering lever and other tools, positions the person who maneuvers Caravan in such a comfortable manner that you'd think you're guiding a far smaller vehicle.
And mechanical hardware hidden within Caravan makes this thing steer, ride and stop like a refined car.
On a recent romp across Maryland's Eastern Shore in a short-wheelbase Caravan Sport, I had to keep reminding myself that this was a minivan, not some comfortable sedan that I steered.
At times, it even felt like a little sportsmobile.
On Pennsylvania Avenue in the crush of commuters at our nation's capital, Caravan crossed lanes to weave between sluggish traffic as easily as would a 2-seat roadster.
On an up-ramp to the 7.7-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge, my Caravan with its V6 horsepower surged out of a toll gate like a precision touring machine.
On the Beltway girding Washington, Caravan zipped along so smoothly and quietly that I found myself having to rein it closely to avoid the net of so many speed traps.
Clearly, the uncommon ride quality and ease of handling for this new Caravan did not match my mental image of driving a boring minivan.
According to designers, that's the big idea: Keep the favored minivan features, but forgo the hassles.
After polling minivan owners to figure out which features of the original minivan concept should change to make it more functional, design teams went to work on the new generation of models that for 1996 wear the labels of Plymouth, Chrysler and Dodge.
Results of these efforts may astound you.
New Caravan measures more than before, but it seems smaller, thanks to a hunky low stance and curvy shell.
Caravan's design team applied to the minivan Chrysler's cab-forward sedan architecture to increase cabin size.
The platform's sill was lowered by 1.5 inches, which makes step-up entry more comparable to a sedan, then the floor was sloped up rearward so back seats stand higher than those in front to improve rider views.
It's three inches wider outside, with as much as nine extra inches of width within to create more space for people and gear. And Caravan's far longer now, with a cute short wheelbase model as the economy alternative and longer ones for those who want even more space.
Caravan's design also adds so many comfort features.
That fourth door, a sliding version positioned immediately behind the driver's hinged door, heads the list of innovations to make this minivan more easy to use.
Also, the third-row bench, which is optional in base Caravan and standard on longer Grand Caravan models, rolls on floor tracks and, with the flick of a switch, unlocks for easy removal, should you wish to create more cargo space.
An array of cleverly concealed storage compartments show up in unusual places -- like below seats -- and there are as many as 14 different cupholders positioned throughout Caravan's cabin, including revolutionary ratchet-locking front holders that grip any size of cup or can.
Caravan comes with so many selections.
In addition to choices of regular and long wheelbase, there are options of four engines and two automatic transmissions, seating systems for five or seven and a total of six trims -- three for Caravan and three for the longer Grand Caravan.
To complicate decisions, two optional decor packages, ES and Sport, provide unique exterior trim elements including fog lamps and cast aluminum wheels, plus interior extras like a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Base Caravan and Caravan SE pack Chrysler's twin-cam 2.4-liter in-line 4-cylinder engine which delivers 150 hp.
Longer Grand Caravan SE and LE begin with the first of three V6 engines, a 3.0-liter with 150 hp rating.
A 3.3-liter V6, pumping 158 hp, appears in Caravan LE and Grand Caravan LE but becomes an alternative for SE.
Ultimate power flows from an optional 166-hp 3.8-liter V6 for Caravan LE and all-wheel-drive Grand Caravan LE.
All carry significant safety content, including dual airbags, power rack and pinion steering and power-assisted 4-wheel anti-lock brakes.
The most remarkable of all new features, perhaps, may be Dodge's pricing strategy for these new minivans.
A base unit lists at $17,135, and most other models wear tags which meet or beat comparable 1995 Caravans. That makes Caravan a decisive value for 1996.
1996 DODGE CARAVAN
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1996 DODGE CARAVAN Specs |
| Description: |
Compact minivan |
| Model Options: |
Compact minivan |
| Wheelbase: |
Regular: 113.3 inches
Grand: 119.3 inches |
| Overall Length: |
Regular: 186.3 inches
Grand: 199.6 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.4-L I-4 16v
SOHC 3.0-L V6 12v
OHV 3.3-L V6 12v
OHV 3.8-L V6 12v
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| Transmission: |
2.4/3.0-L: Auto/3/4
3.3/3.8-L: Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front, AWD |
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
2.4-L: 20/25 mpg
3.0-L: 20/25 mpg
3.3-L: 18/23 mpg
3.8-L: 17/22 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 17,135 to $ 27,000 |
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