Before I get into today’s Auto Recon, I must make a disclaimer. We have had two Dodge mini vans over the years. The first one we drove into the ground until it could not driven anymore. The second we are currently using as family transportation. We find it gets us from point “A” to point “B”, comfortably.

The reputation of the Soccer Mom’s car is easily see by the two rows of back seats. The Grand Caravan won the 2009 J.D. Powers and Associates for most dependable. This and its’ long history was why we chose the Dodge Caravan for our family vehicle.

The Dodge Caravan is one of the mini vans that has defined the term mini van. The Caravan and Grand Caravan have two sister models the Plymouth Voyager and Chrysler Town & Country. The difference Voyager along with the Town and Country is interior styling. If you want something more than just a Soccer Mom’s car, the I would with the Chrysler version.

The Dodge Caravan has a long history that dates back to 1983 for the 1984 model year.  I first researched back in the late 1990′s. There I found a issue with the transmission up to model year 1997. Today, Dodge offers a Lifetime Powertrain Warranty. This shows a steady progression and benefit to the customer over the years.

2001 to 2007 represented the vehicle’s fourth generation. Now you see in the Grand a extend to the 200″ measurement from bumper to bumper. Combined with a shorter 113-inch wheelbase, the Caravan was among the easiest vans to maneuver in those tight parking spaces.

You can get a 150-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine or a 180-hp 3.3-liter V6, with a four-speed automatic transmission.

Gas mileage will range from 11 to 17 miles per gallon city. Highway goes from 16 to 24 miles per gallon. It is not the best, but if you are hauling people and other items, you can’t beat it.

Estimated cost per mile of a five year old Caravan is about 72 cents. This includes cost of the vehicle, insurance, gas, and project maintenance over its’ lifetime.

New price range is $23,000 to $27,000. A 2005 models has a wide resale  of $2,000 to $11,000 This is mostly due to the wide range of features that come on the Caravan.

The Dodge Caravan has had a long history of recalls. Before buying any vehicle , new or used, I recommend that you definitely research the recalls for that model. Maybe even go to  a website like CarLemon.com. There you can see all the bad experience that have happen that particular make and model.

Tags: Car Lemon, Dodge Caravan, JD Powers and Assoc., LIfetime Powertrain Warranty