Caravans Moving Out Into The Sun

The word caravan in the English language can be used to describe a large variety of vehicles. In North America, it was previously used to mean a covered wagon, but now denotes any covered truck or van. In England, a caravan is considered to be a vehicle you can live in or tow behind your vehicle, like a camper or recreational vehicle. Any of these descriptions could be used fittingly to describe Dodge’s offering in the minivan sector; the Grand Caravan. While you can’t necessarily live in it comfortably on a long term basis and you probably wouldn’t want to, it is definitely much more than a simple covered wagon.

Released in the midst of the minivan boom back in the mid-eighties, the Grand Caravan is one of Dodge’s bestselling models, and has been holding steadily so for over thirty years. While, in recent years, minivans by other manufacturers have changed dramatically, or simply disappeared from their lineup, the Grand Caravan has remained tried and true. As people have seemingly ditched the humble minivan in favor of massive SUVs that don’t possess half the comfort and spaciousness, Dodge remains committed to simply making theirs even better.

Truthfully, not much in terms of the exterior has changed in the past thirty years. Given a solid and dependable design during its initial design process, Dodge has clearly decided not to mess with perfection and has added only subtle changes to keep the Grand Caravan current. With a choice of eight colors, five different wheel designs, and six different trim levels, this minivan is prepped and ready to make your custom vehicle dreams come true. All power doors and heated mirrors provide added convenience and eliminate the need for hands on scraping and opening when your hands are already full.

With a 3.6L V6 engine that harnesses the power of nearly three hundred horses, getting somewhere fast is not going to be a problem with the Grand Caravan. Averaging nearly 25 miles to the gallon, and possessing revolutionary flex fuel capability, there is no need to pause your family vacations or errand running for fill-ups. There is very little worry associated with the drive behind the wheel of this vehicle, as it features load-leveling that can sense the amount of weight in the car and adjusts the suspension to provide maximum control and handling. Your life may not ever be less chaotic, but your ride doesn’t have to be the same.

Given that most minivan drivers have a family that they’re trying to safely and comfortably transport, safety is going to be a serious concern. These concerns are also at the top of the minds of the designers at Dodge, as they’ve filled the Grand Caravan with the latest and greatest in safety features. Reinforced with a steel safety frame and equipped with crumple zones to absorb the impact in the event of an accident, peace of mind is easily attained. Optional additions like a backup camera and all of the newer safety features can be added as drivers increase their trim level, but standard features like a panoramic observation mirror can let you see the entire car without having to take your eyes off the road.

Having a family also means having an accumulation of stuff, and more often than not, no space to store it, but that concern is out the window with the Grand Caravan. With 143 cubic feet of space from the front row back, and easily stowed seats, this minivan has all the room your family needs. When the seats aren’t stowed in the floorboards, there is the added space of floor bins to keep the clutter at bay. When those little league games are going into the late hours of the night and seating at the field is at a premium, simply activate the reversible third row seats and have a family tailgate session while still rooting for the home team!

With optional DVD systems, wireless headphones, and even a remote control, there will be no doubt that your family can be kept entertained during traffic jams, trips to and from school, and when the fighting just won’t stop. Dodge remains committed to producing quality vehicles that keep drivers happy, and the Grand Caravan is designed to keep mom happy. You know how it goes, if Mom isn’t happy, nobody’s happy.