The minivan has indeed become the American family’s favorite. Its practicality and versatility made this type of vehicle great plus the fact that there has been another one just added to the minivan family, the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan.
The minivan segment has proven itself to be strong enough to withstand swirling rumors that it is already collapsing under the threat of crossover utilities. As for the facts, one in every 15 new vehicles sold in the U.S. is a minivan and about 40 percent of which are sold by either Chrysler or Dodge. Since, 1993, Americans have consistently purchased about 1 million minivans each year.
One might have seen pictures already of this new minivan from Dodge and has shrunk in horror. Truth is, both the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan and 2008 Chrysler Town & Country are much better-looking up close.” The styling change from the old jellybean shape to the current, more chiseled look is intended to translate the low-roof look of the Dodge Magnum and Chrysler 300 into a minivan", says Dave Smith, manager of vehicle synthesis for the Chrysler Group.
Two trim levels are offered for this vehicle: base SE and midlevel SXT. Basically, the Chrysler Town & Country has all the same features the Caravan has except that it has an upscale, top-of-the-line Limited version which includes many of the SXT’s options as standard equipment.
The new minivan comes with more standard safety features than the previous version making it a much safer minivan. For the new one, side curtain airbags for all three rows, stability control and traction control are all standard. For its safety options, it has an integrated child-booster seat, a rear parking camera and rear parking sensors.
Flex-fuel (gasoline or an E85 blend), 175-horsepower 3.3-liter V6 are standard for the vehicle and has distinguished comfort features like keyless entry, fold-away outside mirrors and a flip-down kiddie mirror in addition to the safety features mentioned earlier.
With the addition of a 197-hp 3.8-liter V6, power driver seat and pedals, power outside mirrors and rear air-conditioning, Dodge expects most people will opt for this version of the Caravan. The SXT also has more available options than the SE. For example, there’s a new 251-hp, all-aluminum 4.0-liter V6. The 3.8- and 4.0-liter V6s are hooked up to a new six-speed automatic transmission, while the 3.3-liter V6 gets a four-speed.
As an overall, the new minivan has just been basically stretched 2.5 inches in length and 1.9 inches for its wheelbase. It also has a more rigid body structure and a recalibrated suspension for better handling.
The MSRP for a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SE is just over $22,000, including destination, $1,950 lower than the previous model but includes more features.
