2001 Dodge Caravan: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

America's perennial best-selling minivan is redesigned for 2001 with new styling and features, including an available power liftgate. Caravan offers regular-length and extended-length Grand models. All seat seven and have two sliding side doors. Caravan again shares its design with the similarly revamped Chrysler Town & Country and Voyager.

Front-wheel drive is standard. All-wheel drive is available on Grand Caravans. Regular-length models use a 4-cyl engine or a 180-hp 3.3-liter V6. Grands get the 3.3 V6 or a 215-hp 3.8 V6. All use automatic transmission, and the Grand ES model is available with Chrysler's AutoStick feature, which facilitates manual shifting. ABS is standard on all but the base regular-length model. Front side airbags are optional.

Grands offer power operation for both side doors, regular-length models for the right door only. A minivan exclusive shared with Voyager and Town & Country allows the side doors to be closed or opened by hand during the powered phase. The Grand's optional power liftgate is a minivan first and is shared with Town & Country. The new center console with internal power outlet can be placed between front or 2nd-row seats. And a new rear parcel shelf has floor- and mid-height mounting positions and popup storage dividers. The 3rd-row seats don't fold into the floor, but there's a 50-50 split 3rd-row bench available. Each portion weighs 55 lbs and can be removed, reclined, or folded flat. A rear-seat video entertainment system and a navigation system are dealer-installed options.

COMPETITION

Though the competition has heated up, we feel that the new Dodge Caravan is still one of the best minivans you can buy. It offers all of the creature comforts in a pleasing package at a fair price. Our other Best Buy is the Honda Odyssey. It's a little bit smaller than the Dodge, but more sporty to drive, and it has a super-convenient flip-and-fold-away rear seat.

Trailing at a close second are the Recommended Chevy Venture, Ford Windstar, and Toyota Sienna. Though these vans are comparably priced and offer loads of neat features, we feel they can't match the road manners of our two Best Buys. Also garnering Recommended ratings are the Chrysler Town & Country and Chrysler Voyager. Though they are mechanically similar to the class-leading Caravan, they don't offer the breadth of model choices.