I was surprised that I like driving this minivan! Who knew?
family traveler, mother of three, an avid and frequent traveler, total type-a mom, mother of twins, concerned about safety
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AUG
26
2007
I'd always vowed I would never be a minivan mom, but the only other semi-affordable options were oversized SUVs in which it's hard or impossible to get a kid into the last row of seating.
When shopping for a minivan, I wasn't particularly excited about any model. After all, they're all minivans. How hot does it get? So I searched for a model that was more affordable so I could get a newish used minivan. The Dodge Caravan kept popping up as high in customer satisfaction.
So the first time I test-drove one, I was a bit surprised. It was actually very comfortable, and even a little fun to drive. I won't win any street drag races, but I don't really need to. I found one with the optional built-in DVD player, and that is a must-have.
Long drives went from big scream and whine fests to peaceful and quiet outings. I am even able to get my 4-year-old to listen better by threatening to take away the TV.
I've tripped out my minivan a bit, and I've added Sirius satellite radio and a Garmin GPS system. This has turned my Dodge caravan into the ultimate travel mobile. I would highly recommend getting these as options or adding them yourself.
The gas mileage isn't as good as a compact car, but it isn't too bad. The gas tank is also quite large, which makes it easy for busy moms. I also like that the low-gas warning comes on quite early -- with three gallons left in the tank. I'm notorious for driving up to empty, so this helps remind me to gas up.
The only real negatives are the space in the back hatch, which is very tight although it is tall. Once you put even an umbrella stroller in, it's tough to get groceries in without just stacking bags on top of one another and hoping they don't spill out when you open the back at home.
It's also a real pain to get a child into the back row, even with captain's chairs in the middle row. If your child needs help getting a seat belt on, expect to be leaning over the middle seats (and babies in them) to stretch to reach. If you have rear-facing seats in the mddle row, it's even more difficult. I've had to climb from the front seat into the aisle between the middle row to reach the back seat.
Dodge Caravan - 2005 is recommended by typeamom
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