2008 Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Caravan
CARLSBERG, CALIF.–Those who know the Volkswagen Microbus, Toyota LiteAce or Fiat Multipla might challenge Chrysler's claim to the invention of the minivan.
But nobody doubts Chrysler capitalized on the concept better than anyone.
It has owned the segment ever since the original T115 rolled off the assembly line in Windsor in 1983 – as they continue to do today.
The fifth-generation, more-or-less all-new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country hit showroom floors this fall, starting at $26,495.
For the first time in a long while, only one body style is offered, what would be the long-wheelbase variant if there were still a short-wheelbase model.
No one expects to be driven to paroxysms of delight over the styling of a minivan. A box is a box is a box, and probably should be a box.
Montreal-raised Ralph Gilles, the auto maker's vice-president for Jeep and truck design, noted that a van is all about functionality, and the firm has striven to improve that.
The "tumblehome" – curvature of the body sides – has been reduced. The sides are more perpendicular to the road, meaning your head is less threatened with getting bonked as you step in.
Revised front ends emphasize brand differentiation between the Dodge and Chrysler versions, and are fine-tuned for better aerodynamics, resulting in less fuel-burning drag and wind noise.
Ditto tighter wheel-to-fender well clearances and new side-view mirrors.
Even what Gilles referred to as the little "flick" – a ridge running from the roof down beside the vertically stacked taillights – helps on the aero front. Make that the aero back.
The base engine on Grand Caravan is the venerable 175 hp 3.3-litre V6, which qualifies as a flex-fuel vehicle, meaning it can run on up to 85 per cent ethanol.
It comes with a four-speed automatic.
Optional is a 197-horse 3.8-litre V6, driving a new six-speed automatic that's unique in the minivan segment.
The Chrysler Town & Country Touring also uses the 3.8 L six-speed, while the range-topping Town & Country Limited has a new 251 hp 4.0-litre V6, derived from the 3.5 V6 used in various other Chrysler products. The 4.0 motor is also teamed with the six-speed autobox.
Four-wheel drive was dropped from the old minivans a couple of years ago, and the new floorpan plus the new twist-beam rear suspension rules it out for the latest one.
Chrysler struck marketing gold with its Stow 'n Go seating, whereby the second and/or third rows of seats fold flat into the floor.
The bins into which the seats fit occupy space the four-wheel-drive gubbins needed.
The '08 vans introduce a Swivel 'n Go option, wherein the middle row captain's chairs can be swung 180 degrees to face the third row.
A small table can be erected between them; the kids can play card games all the way to Florida.
Want meaningful conversation with someone? Swivel one seat, leave the other facing forward, and you have an almost-love seat configuration.
If you don't get Stow 'n Go or Swivel 'n Go (you can have neither, but you can't have both – at least not yet), you still get the bins in the floor, for hidden storage.
Safety is key for a family vehicle, and Chrysler has checked almost all the boxes here, including directional stability control, traction control and tire pressure monitoring system.
You also get four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and emergency brake assist.
(The Mercedes-Chrysler union has ended in divorce, but Chrysler got to keep some of the marital assets).
Should all that fail, there are three-point belts in all seats, with pretensioners and force-limiters for mom and dad.
There are also airbags all over the place, including all-row side curtain bags in all models.
A big black mark, though, for failure to include anti-whiplash head restraints. Steve Jakubiec, a lead engineer on the project, said Chrysler's design keeps the head restraint close to the head, which is good, and that they meet all crash standards.
To a degree, then, the blame must be shared by government regulators: it's clear that head restraint standards fall well short of what is affordably available.
If a $20,000 Kia Rondo has them, no one has any excuse.
While I've got the whip out, another 10 lashes for even offering remote start, let alone making it standard on certain models.
Sure, some insensitive stupid customers who don't care about the damage these things do to their engines, their wallets or the environment love it because their tender tushies don't have to be cold for maybe 30 seconds. Well, boo hoo.
Chrysler, like all car makers, goes to great lengths to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Then it tosses it all away by offering remote starters.
And the industry wonders why people get cynical about car makers.
Keeping the kiddies from slaughtering each other is a big part of minivan driving, and Chrysler has pulled out all the stops here.
A variety of sound systems is on offer, culminating in the MyGIG system with a 20-gig hard drive to store your – more likely, your kids' – favourite tunes.
How about a killer video system that lets each row of passengers listen to or watch their own channel? More choice, less fighting. And no fewer than 13 drink holders.
Evaluating a whole range of vehicles in a single day isn't easy. The best you can do is get first impressions. And the impressions are mostly good with the new Caravan/Town & Country.
The ride is smooth, quiet and solid. Steering is easy, yet reasonably precise. Cornering, while hardly sports-car-like, is competent.
It's reassuring to know you have all that chassis electronics underneath to bail you out should things get out of hand.
Performance is more than adequate for the intended purpose, and the new six-speed automatic shifts very nicely.
The base Grand Caravan, dubbed the SE Canada Value Package, starts at $26,495, and is unique to Canada. Also in the starting lineup:
Air-con, power windows and locks with remote, AM/FM/CD/MP3 four-speaker sound system, seven seats with rollout middle bench and fold-into-floor third row, side curtain bags for all three rows and a drop-down "mom's watching!'' mirror for the rear two rows.
The one-up Grand Caravan SE Stow 'n Go ($28,795) offers the fold-into-floor feature for the second row as well.
The other key feature is YES Essentials upholstery and floor mats, which is really trick.
You can damp-wipe Sharpie ink and mustard off this fabric, and parents know what this means.
It also means that any excuse for leather in a minivan has been eliminated.
The Grand Caravan SXT ($30,495) dudes it up with a bunch of mostly avoidable stuff and the damnable remote starter.
The Town & Country Touring ($35,995) has a boatload of luxury goodies – power sliding side doors and tailgate, three-zone a/c temperature control – most of which is optional on Grand Caravan.
The Limited model ($42,895) adds leather, the 4.0-litre engine, MyGIG, a nine-speak Infinity surround sound audio system, and a host of luxury tidbits like rear window shades and upscale trim.
Chrysler laid on both a Toyota Sienna and a Honda Odyssey for back-to-back comparisons. These two suggest that the Japanese are still ahead on interior trim quality.
Chrysler recently upped the interior ante on its big sedans; a similar program should be in the works for the minivans, if it isn't already.
It's better than it was, just not at the top level yet.
And the mighty Odyssey engine is still the best in the field.
But for choice, features, functionality and value, the Chrysler minivan still rules.
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