Despite the reputation of SUV's, the Caravan has plenty of room and comfort for a traveling family of four. The 2004 Midnight Blue Pearl Coated Dodge Caravan offered everything we wanted while on vacation last week. I was a little put off about traveling in a minivan instead of an SUV at first, but then the charm of this Huck Finn minivan too over. Going on vacation with the family? Take Huckleberry. With its spacey room and easygoing drivability it's a breeze on the road. The impressive 4-cylinder, 4-speed automatic transmission made it from the flatlands of Southern Illinois through the mountains of Tennessee, a dip in Georgia and finally the wonderful world of Disney in Orlando, Florida.
My driving experience:
The majority of the distance traveling was done by night where the Caravan handled as well as any other sedan on the open road. While some of the bumpy roads where construction was being done evoked a few muted kicks, which didn’t hamper the conversation, overall the highway ride was extremely smooth and quiet. The ride quality was good with the Caravan actually feeling better when completely loaded offering a firm, SUV like ride.
Approximately 70 percent of my driving was done on the highway. The front-wheel drive Caravan feels agile in normal driving. However in hard cornering, it want runs wide as extra attention is needed when navigating the steering wheel going through the sloppy mountains of Tennessee. It threaded the slopes and maneuvered safely and securely, but fairly slowly. In general the steering is predictable and reliable with the appropriate amount of power needed to maneuver the road.
This Caravan comes with a 2.4-liter inline 4-cylinder with 150 horsepower and 167 lb-ft of torque. The 4-cylinder engine accelerates well climbing the mountain roads with ease. The fuel economy was good, as the engine seemed to average approximately about 20 to 26 mpg's on regular fuel with city driving using a tad more gas than straight highway driving. The Antilock brakes, are average, and appeared to lose some of their effectiveness after repeated stops when driving around Atlanta, Georgia. Overall it stopped reasonably well on wet and dry pavement. Fortunately, the 215/70R15 tires handled well on the road without any noted problems.
How it feels on the inside:
There is adequate legroom and plenty of head and shoulder room. I experienced a commanding view of the road when looking forward but the headrests slightly block outward vision. The soft gray cloth front seats give good support except for the lower back after approximately 5 to 6 hours of continuous driving.
Most of the controls are close to the driver and are easy to use and decipher. The white-faced gauges, tachometer and trip computer provided all the information I needed on the road. The tilt steering wheel and cruise control really came in handy on the highway. Our Caravan effective climate control system kept the vehicle cool without using the rear air-conditioning. The Caravan seemed to have more cup holders than we actually needed and plenty of storage space, plus a power point for plugging in 12-volt accessories. The Caravan's entertainment system, which featured an AM/FM radio and 6-disc CD changer, provided hours of non-stop continuous enjoyment.
The family friendly rear provides an excellent amount of space for the kids offering generous space in all directions fitting a child safety seat, booster seat with lots of room left over in the second row. The middle seat has ample room and could fit two adults comfortably. The third row was used primarily for our cooler, treats, and baby bag.
Cargo access is convenient. No need for us to remove the middle seat, the Caravan offers adequate cargo room behind the third row with easy access using the power liftgate. Amenities in the cargo area include a low, flat floor with carpeting, and a compact spare, under the cargo floor.
On the whole, the Caravan has been purposely designed to be stylish yet discreetly impressive. As with many other minivan manufactures, particularly Mercury Villager, the GMC Safari the overall look is basically the same. What you get with the Caravan is a family friendly car that's discreet enough for both parents by passing some of the gilts and glamour that’s not needed for a family affair.
No need for a government crash-test:
There are a number of high quality passive safety features here. The Caravan has dual air bags and adjustable upper anchors on the front safety belts. Our child's car seat and booster seat fit easily securing adequately when mounted. Despite this vehicles history regarding its reliability, all safety features met our needs during our vacation with no accidents or injuries.
My only concern was a 2001 article in Better Homes & Gardens reporting the Dodge Caravan did not get an acceptable rating on its safety test in 2001. However after the 2002 and future models after that including the 2004 received an acceptable rating. Currently the 2004 Dodge Caravan has a four-star frontal crash test rating for both driver and front passenger. Beyond its crashworthiness and occupant protection features, the design allows a family to easily fit child seats plus the middle seat comes out. This feature is especially attractive for transporting bulky items.
Final thoughts:
Bottom line I was pleasantly impressed with the 2004 Dodge Caravan and highly recommend it as a rental for extended trips and driving. The Caravan is all about family. It was nice to drive and ride in, offering good transportation for the family on a budget. I can't speak for this vehicles resale value but admit I wouldn't mind renting on our next family trip to the Ozarks. The roominess, and kid friendly styling plus peppy can-do personality make the Caravan fun to drive on the open road.
If you are planning a summer vacation with the family or have an opportunity to test-drive it against others in its class, it is impressive, but not in an overbearing way. Driving through the mountains of Tennessee made me reflect on the pioneering spirit that helped build this country. More than a bit of the spirit went into building the Dodge Caravan, good job!
Like Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, we had an adventurous vacation in our rented Caravan.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 189 a week
Condition: Used Model Year: 2004 Model and Options: regular-length SE model
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