2009 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT

The “Stow ‘N Go” allows the captain’s chair to fold upon itself, and disappear into the Grand Caravan’s floor—an easily executed maneuver.

I hauled all kinds of cargo the week I drove the Grand Caravan. Newspapers from the printer for distribution at the post office, boxes of patriotic materials for the 4th of July celebration and parade for my wife’s chapter of The Daughters of the American Revolution parade float. But the most important cargo was the grandchildren that I took to a Texas Rangers baseball game.

I want to just mention a few of the safety features found on the Dodge Caravan that helped contribute to the government’s Four-Star rating for front and side crashes.

Enhanced crush zone – Designed with strengthened front rails and an enhanced crush zone between the front bumper and the windshield.
Safety cage – High-strength steel is employed to form a protective shell safety range around the cabin occupants.Integrated child seat – The available booster seat to perfectly fill the gap between the child seat and three-point seat belt.
Standard side-curtain airbags.
Standard antilock brake system.
Tire pressure monitoring system.
Rain-sensing wipers.
Blind spot detection system – While traveling in forward gears, this system activates an audible warning to drivers that another vehicle is beside them.

Caravan instrument panel (Courtesy of Chrysler Dodge Media)

The Grand Caravan I drove also had the Rear Cross Path System that warns the driver of traffic moving toward the vehicle with an illumination icon in the side mirror and an audible chime.

The base price for the Grand Caravan, which gets 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg in the country, is $28,325. The 4.0-liter V6 SOHC engine provides plenty of vitality for the 6-speed automatic 62TE transmission.

But my SXT Caravan was loaded with all kinds of features. The Electronic Vehicle Information Center with the new Evic System allowed me to receive 128 distinct and programmable functions. Unconnect phone is a voice activated communication system that allows you to talk on the Bluetooth-compatible phone virtually hands free. Steering wheel-mounted control allows an easy interface with volume, radio channel selection, CDs and DVDs. Sirius satellite radio is the facilitator of this great communication center.

The 9-inch video screen entertained the grandkids from the time we left the crowded parking lot until we arrived home. Halo lights provided lighting that was not invasive to the kids, yet allowed me to check their activities in the back area.

The Dodge Caravan comes with a 36,000-mile basic warranty, but with a lifetime limited warranty, plus a 3-year or 36,000 mile 24-hour road side assistance policy.

These added features brings the price to around $40,000. But no price is set in stone anymore. Dealers want to sell their vehicles to reduce their inventory, so price negotiation is a lively sport.