By minivan standards, the Grand Caravan is relatively quiet. Dodge has worked to reduce wind noise by adding underhood padding, using better gaskets between the outside mirrors and the body and around outside and inside door handles. Roof rack crossbows were designed in a wind tunnel to reduce wind noise. It has paid off, though there is still some wind noise.

Handling for most minivan owners is how well the vehicle maneuvers in a parking lot and tracks down the highway rather than how fast it can slalom through a series of cones. So we tested it in parking lots and discovered that it had a small enough turning radius to get into parking spaces easily. However, with the front corners of the van blocked by the cowl, it wasn't always easy to tell where the front really was. It was easy to tell where the rear was, on the other hand, but the height of the windows blocked the view of cars or other low objects. This is typical of most minivans, and something that one must learn to live with.

The Grand Caravan delivers strong power when equipped with the 3.8-liter V6. That's useful for merging onto a crowded, fast-moving freeway, for quickly accelerating away from intersections, and for passing on two-lane roads. This engine is rated at 215 horsepower, but more importantly, can generate 245 pound-feet of torque. We recommended it for anyone regularly carrying a heavy load of passengers or towing a trailer. An optional towing package is available with the 3.8-liter engine that raises its trailer towing rating to a 3500 pounds. The big engine is also required to get all-wheel drive.

When equipped with the 3.3-liter V6, the Grand Caravan has enough power to climb hills without breathing hard, and merging onto the freeway doesn't give you visions of your life insurance salesman.

The optional AutoStick transmission is useful for skilled drivers, particularly for shifting between third and fourth in traffic. You need to be going 20-25 mph to downshift into second gear without an abrupt downshift. First gear is occasionally useful in very low-speed situations.

Highway ride, considering the rather basic nature of its underpinnings, is supple and well controlled. The rack-and-pinion steering offers precise response and feedback through the steering wheel, nice on winding roads. The Grand Caravan tracks true on the interstate. It may not have sports car-like cornering limits and the bias is toward understeer, but within its performance envelope, it is super.

Heavy-duty disc brake rotors offer good feel, performance and durability. Brakes are discs in front, drums at the rear, with ABS standard. Four-wheel disc brakes are available and should be more resistant to brake fade, the tendency of the brakes to lose performance when heated in mountain passes.