Are Minivans Nearing the End?

Chrysler coined the name "minivan" back in 1984 when it launched the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. Both were built on the same platform as the front-wheel-drive "K-car" Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant. Credit for the first minivan should rightfully go to Volkswagen for its Transporter, popularly known as the VW Bus.

For years Chrysler products remained at the top of minivan popularity even as the Plymouth moniker went out of existence. Chrysler stepped in with the Town & Country. That was until Honda introduced the Odyssey in 1999, followed by Toyota's Sienna and now Kia Sedona and the new Hyundai Entourage. All are seemingly superior products to the Chrysler group twins, which are no longer king of the hill.

Nowadays, few consumers seem interested in driving a minivan. For the first time in a couple of decades, sales in this segment will dip below a million units. Both Ford and General Motors have quietly gone out of the minivan business, leaving Chrysler the lone domestic brand.

It seems the rest of the automotive world is focusing on the ever-popular crossover utility vehicles that are as roomy as a minivan, look and drive better than one, have improved safety features and better gas mileage.

I recently drove a well-equipped 2007 Dodge Caravan SXT. Behind the wheel felt like a step back in time. It drove well in most circumstances; it's not as plush or comfortable as the Sienna or Odyssey but compliant nonetheless. Highway performance is very good, parking is easy, and there's a minimal amount of engine, road and wind noise.

The current body style hasn't changed much since a major redo in 1996, but Dodge has continually tweaked and restyled it yearly since then. The most significant changes came in 2005 with only minor changes in 2006 and 2007.

The feature the folks at Dodge are most proud of is Stow 'n' Go seating.
The optional seating system features second-row and third-row seats that fold flat into the floor. Chrysler says it's easy to do but I found it hard to get the hang of. Third-row operation is much easier than the second-row with 1-2-3-step directions printed on the handle strap, which kept me from messing up the folding order. Good idea.

To fold the second row, you have to move front seats forward, lift the carpet to access the lid to the storage bin, and then fiddle around with the seat alignment before the folding can take place.

There are trade-offs with Stow 'n' Go. Dodge had to eliminate the all-wheel-drive (AWD) option because the seat-storage bins take up the space required for the AWD setup. Overall, the Stow 'n' Go seating is a plus and results in more cargo area than a Chevy Suburban. Stow 'n' Go is only available on the longer Grand Caravan.

Dodge offers the Caravan and Grand Caravan, the latter with a six-inch longer wheelbase. Caravan is available as a base SE and better equipped SXT. My tester was the Grand Caravan, which is only offered in the SXT trim level. Standard features include a roof rack, fog lamps, dark glass, power windows/ mirrors/door locks/sliding door on both driver and passenger side, cruise control, tilt steering column, AM/FM/CD/cassette, front and rear air conditioning, leather trimmed front- and second-row seats and rear window defroster.

Options include the customer preferred package with power rear tailgate, heated seats, power front bucket seats, three-zone air conditioning with air filtering, and an upgraded audio speaker system.

The base engine is a 3.3-liter 170-horsepower V-6 in the SE, and the SXT gets a 3.8-liter 200-horsepower V-6. The only transmission offered is a four-speed automatic. Both engines use regular unleaded gasoline.

Safety gear includes the required front multistage airbags, driver-side inflatable knee bolster airbag, and LATCH child set anchor system. Optional side curtain airbags for all three rows are available. NHTSA awarded the Grand Caravan its highest 5-star rating for front collisions, 4 stars for front-seat occupants in side crashes, and 5 stars for rear-seat occupants.

The stricter Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded a second highest "A" acceptable rating for front crashes.

Consumer Reports reliability has remained below average and Kelly Bluebook indicates the Caravan has among the worst resale value of any vehicle, losing 60 percent of its original value in the first two years. The average vehicle loses 65 percent of its original value after the first five years.

Given its unimpressive reliability, crash test results, depreciation and superior competition we think there are better choices for less money.