I'll never drive anything else!

My husband and I "upgraded" from a 4-door Dodge Stratus to a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan. While the Stratus was great, I found myself wanting more room. We were planning a driving trip to South Dakota (from California) and we love to camp, and with 2 kids the Stratus wasn't going to cut it. We visited our friendly Dodge dealer, where we had purchased our Stratus, and looked at several vans. Before the Stratus, I drove a Dodge Shadow for 10 years and loved it's reliability. We loved the way the Grand Caravan looked right away! It is very attractive, nothing flashy or super odd - you know those vans you look at and wonder if they are trying to imitate a box or a spaceship? We chose a 2000 Grand Caravan, which was 2 years old and a rental return. The dealership has their own car rental service right there and supplied all maintenance records on a printout for us.

FEATURES: We have 2 big seats with arm rests in the front. The second seat has 2 built-in child-safety seats that we love! We did have to use a baby seat until the little one was a year old, but now they both use the 5-point harnesses - you flip out a little seat that is invisible and there they are! They are very secure, and sit up a little higher than the regular seats. The back seat is full-width. It is so easy to move and remove these back seats! There are 6 cup holders - 2 in the front, 2 in the middle and 2 in the back - there are also 2 rectangular juice box holders in the back. 2 big cargo compartments in the back seat that we use for snacks, toys, etc. There is also a drawer under the front passenger seat where I keep a first-aid kit and extra snacks. Power outlets both in the front and back of the van. We also have a cargo rack.

AROUND TOWN: This van is made for driving around town! I feel like it's my second home. I am 5'4" and my hubby is 5'10" and we both find the seat exceedingly comfortable. All controls are visible and easily reached. The steering wheel is easily adjustable, and we do use this feature. The seat is plenty wide, so I believe someone much larger than me would still be comfy. I have full view with the rearview mirror - I have attached an extra "kids" mirror so I can see the kids in the back seat. I don't feel like I'm driving a van - it handles just like a car. The only drawback is the child-safety seats are a bear to clean! There are lots of nooks and crannies to catch cracker crumbs and sticky candy.

LONG DISTANCE: This van was a dream! Lots of room for us and our cargo, and with 2 small kids we have a lot of cargo, believe me. The back hatch opens up fully, which gave us some protection from the rain when we we unloading luggage at the hotels. The ride was exceedingly comfortable, and the van handled well in all kinds of conditions.


SERVICE: I get reasonable gas mileage - 16.5 around town and 18-20 (18 with cargo rack full) on the freeway. I have never had to add any fluids other than windshield washer fluid between oil changes at my dealership - this van is trouble-free. I have almost 60,000 miles on this van and have had regular service every 3,000 miles.
The engine light will come on if I don't reattached the fuel cap firmly enough after refueling, but all you have to do is reattach it.

We have already decided that our next van will also be a Dodge Grand Caravan. It's perfect, and there is no reason to look at anything else!