2002 Dodge Grand Caravan OVERVIEW

Since the introduction of the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager in November 1983, more than 8.5 million-including the Chrysler Town & Country-have been produced. Imitators have been many, trying either to outflank or outdo the original, but the Dodge Caravan, and the long-wheelbase Grand Caravan tested here, remains the king of minivans. While the Chrysler Voyager starts at $19,800 and the Town & Country Limited has a base price of $38,000, the Dodge Caravan and Grand Caravan stake out the middle ground, offering the most popular options at an affordable price. Dodge Grand Caravan's popularity comes from its family friendly attributes: an ability to carry mom and dad and half the little league team while delivering a smooth car-like ride and reasonable fuel mileage, and offering the features and flexibility America wants. That's not a paid commercial, just the reason they sell so darn many of them. In fact, 350,000 of them: The Dodge Caravan accounted for just shy of a quarter of all minivans sold last year. Of course, with the competition in hot pursuit, DaimlerChrysler can't rest on its laurels. So the 2001 Dodge Caravan (as well as the Chrysler Voyager and Town & Country) are new from the ground up. There's a new look, more interior room and a host of features, including optional dual sliding doors and a power liftgate.