- minivan
- Jerome, ID
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- autoshopper.com
- minivan gasoline silver automatic
2009 dodge grand caravan review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Family hauler gets more safety features. introductionthe dodge grand caravan is still fresh from a complete redesign for 2008, and for 2009 the grand caravan gets more safety features. the grand caravan is all about transporting people comfortably and safely, while keeping them entertained. Its designers focused on interior creature comforts, and they succeeded. As part of that focus, dodge has made its stow 'n go seating standard. Stow 'n go has bins behind the first row that can be used to fold the second-row seats into the floor. It's more about comfort and safety than carlike precision. Electronic stability control is standard, and the grand caravan has performed well in government crash tests. The handling is a bit cumbersome, not surprising given the grand caravan's size. It doesn't go around corners as well as the honda odyssey and nissan quest do. It leans in hard turns, so drivers will have to be careful not to upset whatever activities are going on in back. three v6 engines are available, including a 4. 0-liter 250-horsepower v6 added for 2008. We found the base 3. 3-liter engine can struggle with freeway on-ramps. The 3. 8-liter engine is acceptable, though we prefer the 4. 0-liter v6 introduced for 2008. The top engines from toyota, nissan and honda offer more power and response. but a minivan isn't about speed and handling. The grand caravan's unique cargo and entertainment features give it a competitive advantage in the minivan class. Seating is two-two-three, with stow 'n go (second- and third-row seats fold flat, into the floor) standard. Options exclusive to the se start with quick order package 24g 1770) with tri-zone manual climate controls (including rear controls), tachometer, trip computer, outside-temperature indicator, compass, and alloy wheels. The tri-zone manual climate controls are offered separately in a climate group 995). The popular equipment group 1495) adds power-adjustable pedals, power-sliding rear doors, and a power rear liftgate. Uconnect tunes 725) comes with a 30-gigabyte hard-drive radio, six-disc cd changer, two additional speakers, and a usb connection. An entertainment group 1395) includes a rear dvd entertainment system with a single nine-inch screen and sirius satellite radio. A roof rack is also offered 250). grand caravan sxt 27,825) uses a 197-hp 3. 8-liter overhead-valve v6 with a six-speed transaxle. Sxt equipment includes three-zone manual climate control with rear-seat controls, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, eight-way power driver's seat with lumbar adjustment, power-adjustable pedals, power sliding rear doors, sirius satellite radio, trip computer, compass, outside-temperature indicator, universal garage door opener, illuminated visor mirrors, 115-volt power outlet, fog lights, roof rack, overhead storage, pinpoint led lighting, and alloy wheels. The 250-hp 4. 0-liter v6 630) is optional. Other sxt options include quick order package 28l 2365) with leather upholstery, heated first and second-row seats, power passenger seat, power rear liftgate, vehicle information center, additional interior lights, rechargeable/removable flashlight, bright bodyside moldings, sport suspension, and p225/65r17 tires. The premium group 1995) includes tri-zone automatic climate controls (including rear controls), third-row power-folding seat, nine-speaker 506-watt infinity audio system, uconnect phone wireless link, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and rain-sensing wipers. The security group 1425) adds rear-obstacle detection, dodge's new rear cross path and blind spot monitoring systems, uconnect phone, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and automatic headlights. The family value group 695) includes a removable center console, sunshades for second and third row, and remote engine starting. The sxt entertainment group 2 2200) comes with a rear dvd entertainment system with two nine-inch rear screens, a six-disc cd changer, usb connection, uconnect tunes, and a rearview camera. Uconnect tunes 675) is available as a standalone option. Uconnect gps 1300) includes uconnect tunes, plus a navigation system with voice activation and real-time traffic, rearview camera, six-disc cd changer, sirius satellite radio, uconnect phone, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. With rear dvd entertainment, customers can order sirius backseat tv 495). Front side airbags are not available. Optional safety features include a rearview camera, rear obstacle detection, and the new rear cross path and blind spot monitoring systems. A description of the overall shape of this newest generation of the dodge grand caravan wouldn't sound too much different from a description of the 1982 model. People don't buy minivans so others will look and say, 'that's the new minivan. Some styling!' the dodge grand caravan is boxy, but it's attractive in an suv kind of way. The hood is less fairly flat, and it bears character lines. The grille is very upright, making the dodge crosshair grille look like that of a dodge truck, especially in chrome. The short wheelbase caravan was dropped with the 2008 redesign. All of them are now grand. the grand caravan is the second largest minivan on the market, smaller than only the nissan quest. These comparisons are relatively unimportant, however, because the other minivans are within an inch or two of the grand caravan in both wheelbase and overall length. The grand caravan is a big vehicle, with a 202. 5-inch overall length and a 121. 2-inch wheelbase. interiorthe dodge grand caravan leads the minivan field when it comes to interior convenience, capability and versatility. Chrysler has been working to give its minivans a competitive advantage in these areas for a long time, and they haven't been afraid to be creative. the interior materials are lackluster, however. Hollow hard plastic dominates the dash and door panels. Everything fits together well, but it doesn't make for a luxurious look and feel. We quite liked the look and feel. The black vinyl trim and satin aluminum-look plastic didn't look rich, but nor was it ugly. We like this feature. we had six 10-year-old soccer players test the grand caravan's video player during a 90-minute drive to the game, and they liked it. The dvd was a snap to play, which is important because some of them, even those in much more expensive vehicles, are not easy to use. The screen drops down from the ceiling and the viewing begins. It comes with wireless headphones. It has jacks to plug in video game systems. It's available with sirius backseat tv, which comes with three kid-friendly channels: disney channel, cartoon network, and nickelodeon. When the dvd screen is deployed, the driver loses.
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