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Chrysler ekes out additional 2 mpg on 2009 minivans

With moms now actually reading EPA fuel economy figures on the window sticker before trying out the dozen cup holders found in most modern minivans, Chrysler went back to the engineering lab and knocked out a few more miles per gallon for its 2009 minivan offerings. Bragging that no other minivan offers better fuel economy than the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, the automaker is boasting EPA figures of 17 city / 25 highway for the minivans when equipped with the automaker's 4.0L six-cylinder engine and minivan-first 6-speed automatic. Considering that the original 1984 Chrysler Town and Country achieved 18 city / 21 highway with a 2.6L four-cylinder and three-speed transmission, we've clearly come a long way. To squeeze out the extra miles per gallon, Chrysler tweaked the large 4.0L V6 engine and then changed the ratios on the transmission. With a higher ratio first gear, and smaller steps between the new ratios, the minivans are quicker off the line and the engine doesn't loose as much speed between shifts. The result is a fuel economy improvement of about 8 percent or about 2 mpg. Now, if the engineers could just do something about that minivan stigma...
posted : 9/23/2008 @10:24:39 PM
Things that never were nor ever should be, Part II: the Dodge Caravan "CarCamel"

You need something to carry a car, but you don't want just any old pickup truck or SUV because anybody could do that. And since you do have that vintage Dodge Caravan lying around... why not grab the chainsaw and make something really special? Allow us to officially introduce the Car Camel. Apparently plying the highways of Ontario, Canada, it's a shortened minivan with a car hauler stuck to its backside. It ain't pretty, and it probably ain't too fast, but we have to admit that it is pretty neat... if you're into that kind of thing. Have a look at the gallery of images below, but if any of you get the idea to make a Car Koala... please, don't
posted : 9/13/2008 @5:07:32 AM
Dodge Caravan "hybrid"

An eagle-eyed reader has spotted a hybrid Dodge Caravan in the Chicago, Illinois area. Don't get your panties in a bunch, though, as this hybrid is not the sort consumers have come to know and love as of late. This Caravan has no electrical propulsion system, but rather two front ends. Before Honda and Toyota forever tied the hybrid term to gasoline-electric drivetrains, it was used to describe vehicles constructed out of various donor parts, such as this one. After all, no one has yet marketed a better name for dual front fascia automobiles. Now obviously this Caravan looks nothing like the one in which your mom carpooled you to soccer practice. Especially since hers probably had a rear end. However, that might be where the differences end, at least from what we can tell. Besides the obvious exterior alterations, there are no hints at what other tricks the minivan might have up its sleeve. It makes for a pretty clever advertisement for an alignment shop though. Nothing quite screams we're good at getting the wheels straight more than a vehicle equipped with two steering racks. Not to mention the fact that the paint happens to be the color of the Incredible Hulk. Although, as far as utility goes, we can't image it would make a good shop runner since chopping off the rear hatch looks to have significantly reduced available cargo space. Be sure and check out the lime green Dodge Caravan that couldn't help but catch a reader's eye in the gallery below and judge for yourself.
posted : 6/16/2008 @9:30:54 PM

2008 Grand Caravan gets mostly good crash results

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has smashed up a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan and the results are mostly good.

In front crash tests, the newly redesigned minivan gets all green Gs, the highest rating the Institute gives and in side crashes, the Dodge's multiple airbags helped it get all Gs except in the "structure/safety cage" category, where it got the next lower Acceptable rating. The IIHS Web site doesn't have any explanation for that slightly lower rating.

The Caravan got an overall rating of Marginal in the rear crash protection test, though. For more info on what that means, the IIHS goes into detail here.

posted : 6/1/2008 @12:04:55 PM
Future Classic: 1984 Chrysler Minivans

Think of what the automotive landscape looked like nigh on 25 years ago. Mentioning "family car" in 1983 would have conjured a station wagon. Some of us dig wagons, while others think we're daft because of the stigma they still carry. There's no denying that a wagon is an excellent way to transport kids and stuff, but those beasts of yesteryear often led to yearnings for an alternative. We all remember getting carsick while sitting in the rear-facing third row torture chamber, cut off from the rest of the family and their future-looking vantage point. The tailgunner position was a great way to test out new hand gestures on following motorists, though.

When the Chrysler minivans were revealed to the world in 1983 as 1984 models, they were a revelation. The Caravan and Voyager were not the first vans based on compact chassis, but they were such a successful combination of the elements that sales took off and imitators sprang up only after Chrysler had firmly established its status as the segment trendsetter.
posted : 5/10/2008 @6:55:25 PM
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