2000 Dodge Grand Caravan Review, Prices, Photos

2000 Dodge Grand Caravan Review, Prices, Photos

2000 Dodge Grand Caravan Review, Prices, Photos

2000 Dodge Grand Caravan (continued)

Walkaround

Our Grand Caravan ES test model represents the top of the Caravan line. With a base price of $29,405, the ES comes with a level of standard equipment normally associated with a luxury car, including: overhead console with trip computer, front and rear floor mats, power speed-sensitive locks, speed control, front-seat cargo net, illuminated visor vanity mirrors, leather-wrapped steering wheel, keyless entry and eight-way power driver’s seat.

Our test model came equipped with a $320 Value Plus ES Group package that includes rear air conditioning and heating, seven-passenger seating with quad bucket seats, security alarm. It also came with a $200 inferno red tinted pearl coat paint job; a $20 smoker’s group (ash tray and lighter); and a $125 seating package with child seat. Along with the $590 destination charge, these options boosted the total price to $30,660. (Some of the items listed include common discounts.)

Interior Features

With sliding doors on both sides of the Caravan, getting in and out is a breeze. Once you’ve had two sliding doors, you’ll never go back to one, whether you’re moving toddlers, teens or tools. You’ll love the speed and convenience of loading cargo from the driver’s side. Head and legroom are more than generous, in both the front bucket seats and the second-row seats.

Clearance between the second-row seats, and between the passenger’s side seat and the sliding door, is sufficient for most people. And although Dodge says the Grand Caravan’s rear bench can seat three, one of them would have to be a child.

The Grand Caravan ES is extremely spacious – particularly after the seats are removed. Removing the seats is easy. The center-row bucket seats can be unlatched and removed via the sliding side doors, while a solid yank on a lever pops the third-row bench seat up onto a set of wheels, allowing it to be rolled backwards and removed via the tailgate. However, it’s still a two-person job as those seats are heavy. For smaller loads, the seat backs can also be folded down — affording enough room for the proverbial sheet of plywood.

Cargo space is no longer the only consideration when buying minivans, but it’s still an important one. So here are some numbers: The wheelbase of the Grand Caravan (119.3 inches) is 6 inches longer than that of the Caravan (113.3 inches). Besides providing more space, that means the Grand Caravan is more stable at high speeds and in cross winds. But it also means that it’s less maneuverable than the smaller Caravan. The Grand Caravan is also longer: 199.6 inches, compared to 186.3 for the Caravan. Grand Caravan ES offers 168.4 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats removed. By comparison, the GM stable of minivans (the Chevy Venture, Oldsmobile Silhouette and Pontiac Montana) hold 156 cubic feet; the Honda Odyssey EX holds 141.1 cubic feet; and Volkswagen’s EuroVan holds 187 cu. ft.

2000 Dodge Grand Caravan Review, Prices, Photos