Good pickup and passing, lots of power, visibility and handling excellent,roomy, great for my kids and all there activities.

COMPUTER, diagnostic on codes ie. service engine soon light are to vague and cover too wide a range of subjects, although not serious can be very irritating. Cold weather where I live (ie. -40degrees celsius) really mess up the bells and whistles, door locks keep locking and all lights on dash keep blinking.Thank goodness the headlights were changed in 2001 you can run with high beam and no one will look twice at you. The service people are the worst problem so do not buy from this dealership (Fort St. John B.C. Canada) unless you are prepared for alot of headaches.

I have had some lemons in my time and I can say heartily that Dodge put out an excellent vehicle in 1997. All of my problems were minor by my standards.

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Have driven a 1999 Ford Aerostar for only a week but the visibility and turning radius are not comparable to my Caravan, alhtough there is better storage space in the Aerostar the fuel mileage was considerably more.

- QUIETEST MINIVAN EVER!!!
- Comfortable ride
- roomy
- Great handling
- smooth ride
- very good value

- 3.3L V6 engine is a little underpowered for my tastes. Still better than the 3.0L V6 on my '97, but I'd recommend the 3.8L engine if you like power

I'm surprised at only a 2.4 overall rating for the Dodge Caravan. I owned a 1997 model with 63K before buying a 2001 Caravan just recently and have had a completely positive experience and no problems. After reading many of these reviews people are rating their 1989 and 1991 Caravans with 200K+ miles on them, then only giving 1 star in each category. Not quite a fair comparison to '00/'01 Odysseys and Sinennas. Wish the 2001 Dodge Caravan had it's own section, which would make it a fairer comparison.

Even though I do not have many miles on my van (just over 200), this 2001 Caravan seems to be a winner. You'll have to test drive one to see just how quiet it is. This was a major reason for purchasing a 2001 Caravan vs. an Odyssey. Fortunately I got to test drive an Odyssey before making a purchase decision to see how noisy it really was with the fold-away seat. If I hadn't, and realized I didn't like the Odyssey nearly as much as I thought I would, I would have been disappointed after buying the Odyssey. I think Dodge is doing the right thing by not making a fold-away seat which introduces tons of noise, but instead making a split rear bench seat so 1) it can recline and 2) you can remove one side and leave the other in if you want to.

I'd recommend a 2001 Dodge Caravan to anyone. Test drive them all and you'll see the difference. I plan to have my 2001 Caravan for a long, long time.

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- 2001 Honda Odyssey was way noisier, even worse than my '97 Caravan. Plus for me, on the Odyssey, I could not adjust the tilt/seat to a comfortable position AND see the tops of the gauges at the same time. Plus Honda dealers charge list price and add things like "rust protection" for $200 and you have to wait 2 months for your vehicle, yet Odyssey buyers think this is a great thing. Go figure...

The short wheel base Voyageur van has an excellent, solid, comfortable ride. The seats are more than comfortable for 7 hour drives, both in ront and in the rear. We have the second row bench which is at a good height for adults. Although we only have a 150hp engine with 3.3Ls it seems to be enough to haul a full load and climb the Jasper Highway to the Columbia Icefields in the Rockies. Gas mileage has been surprising good and so far no complaints about service. We have ABS which have served us well this winter and keyless entry which we wouldn't be without. Never really used the theft deterrant system because it was dealer, not factory issued and they didn't really know how it worked (had the van brought from another dealer).

We have had some problems with the brakes. At about 34,000k the rotars started to rust. Dealer suggested we might have to have them replaced. I don't think so. Drove Hondas for years. Never had a rotar deteriorateat 34K. Anyway they were scraped instead. I started to get the pulsating again about 50K. Rotars no doubt. This is a lease. I am not replacing them. I am also hearing a dull but meaningful moaning sound coming from the back end over the sound of the engine. It is almost an after sound. Anyway this happened after the motor for the interior air fan stayed on and continued to stay on for at least 30 seconds, periodically (5 days) and then ceased. It likes to keep me in suspense. I have also had lots of problems with my horn. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. All seemingly minor things but .... will have to buy a new van because lease is due in July. Dodge or no Dodge this is the question. I like the new 5 year 100,000k powertrain warranty but does this really mean there won't be any serious tranmission problems ? I don't know. Anyone who has a Dodge or Plymouth van tells me the same thing. The Trans goes and then its time to replace it. Love the ride but I can't stand the thought of finally deciding to buy again and buying a headache. The back row of seats (the bench) is a real pain to take in and out. We keep ours in the garage because we have a dog to carry about, but when you need the extra seats you have to heave ho 100lbs of seat. You would think every van manufacturer would have the tumble down seats. I also find the contrls too far to reach but I understand that the new 2001 console has been brought forward and is higher therefore easier to use. Tires are not great for "real" winter driving. Here in the near north of Canada I bought and drove for three years with good snow radials, a must. The Goodyear all season radials are just not good enough for the snow we get here.

Love my Plymouth but unless I can be assured that the worst of Chysler's transmission problems are over I can't see buying one any time soon just to get a bigger engine (180hp, 3.3L if I was to replace what I have now).
Going for Japanese reliability despite what Phil Edmonston has to say about the MPV. Drive it !

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Had a 1996 Plymouth van, base model, 3 speed 3.0L engine, very underpowered. Had to have power locks and doors, it did not. Have always driven Honda Civics and we have an Accord. Excellent cars !
Have been test driving 20001 Mazda MPV. Seems like a very underated vehicle. So the engine is smaller (160 hp, 2.5 L) but it really is a terrific ride and the options for the money... well I don't think we can go wrong.

- THE QUIETEST MINIVAN EVER! (2001 model redesign)
- BEST PRICE (after $2500 cash rebates and dealer drop down to invoice)
- smooth ride
- great handling
- comfortable seats
- great layout of controls
- lots of innovative features

- I'm tall, and on the passenger front seat with the rear air my head comes too close to the roof just above the seatbelt where there is a protrusion in the roof
- 180 HP 3.3L engine is a little weaker than I thought it would be. Still not too bad, but if you can find either an EX (3.8L std.) or a Sport/ES with the 3.8-L/215 HP engine, get that -- you won't be sorry

Before purchasing this 2001 Grand Caravan Sport we owned a '97 base Caravan. My dad owned the '97 until 27000 miles and then thought I would like a van for my family in 1999 (1 child, one on the way), and even though I was reluctant at first, I must admit he was right. The van is wonderful for putting kids in and out of car seats -- don't have to stoop like in a sedan. I also like the van because of the high riding height on the road compared to a sedan. Plus we have had no problems at all with the van. After reading other reviews on this site, apparently people with lemons are finding this website. Our '97 has been problem free since my dad sold it to us and even though out of warranty -- no problems at all. Now for the 2001 model review...

This 2001 Caravan redesign is AWESOME! It is so quiet, making it worth a lot more than any other van out there. Take one for a test drive and you'll see. We looked at many vans for the last couple months, Odyssey, MPV; Grand Caravan Sport, EX, ES; and finally decided on a Grand Caravan. We would have bought the EX (no rebates, lower pricing) IF we didn't get such a good deal on a loaded Sport. We found a 2001 Grand Sport with lower pricing (made before the Feb 2001 price increase), and the dealer gave us invoice pricing, saving us over $2400 off the sticker. Then we got a $2500 cash rebate. Sticker was $29,760 ($29,980 with Feb. 2001 price increases), and we got it for $24,659. Add to that the fact that this dealer and every other wanted to give us only $7000 for our '97 van. I put my car out on my property for $10,500 and sold it the first day for $9700. Plus the dealer we bought from allowed us to act like this van was a trade, saving us over $600 in taxes. You can see why we are pleased about the price. We almost bought an EX model and would have had we not found this Sport equipped exactly the way we wanted (mostly -- read on).

As stated above, go with the 3.8 engine if you want more power. For $300 it is worth the price (EX comes standard with 3.8L). 3.3 is not that bad, and probably accelerates better than I think it does -- since the van is so quiet it doesn't seem like you are accelerating that fast, so is probably better than I think it is.

The right power sliding door is great. We have a 2-1/2 year old as well as a 10 month old. In our garage I can open the right sliding door, where our 2 year old's seat is, and he can climb in by himself, buckle himself in, and I can close the door with the keyless entry while on the other side of the car. At the same time I can be putting the 10 month old in her seat on the driver side of the van, saving time and energy.

A couple days ago I spent half a day driving around to half a dozen stores with both kids and the double stroller. Many reviewers (such as at Edmunds.com) don't think the power liftgate is that big a deal (also standard on the EX but not on our Sport); but after putting kids in and out of the van all day, it would have been nice to open the liftgate automatically to put the stroller away, and even more importantly, close it automatically. After opening/closing it a dozen times, it got tiring; and I'm a pretty big guy! Smaller women will appreciate the power liftgate, especially when they go shopping all over town or if they tote around kids. Opening is basically by itself, but closing the liftgate makes the power liftgate worth it.

The EX is probably the best value vs. a Sport or ES, with 3.8L engine and power liftgate, two things I would recommend but you can live without. We saved about $1200 with our Sport vs. an EX, plus we have other options an EX does not have, like fog lamps and touring suspension, so we went for the Sport and are very happy. The 3.3L engine will give better gas milage vs. the 3.8L anyway.

Even though our 2001 Grand Caravan only has 200 miles on it, I can tell we are going to like this van. We are planning a couple long trips this summer (one about 3000 miles round trip), and are glad we bought now instead of waiting a year like we thought we might do. The seats are more comfortable. The quad bucket seats are nice. Just check out the Dodge site and take their internet "tour" to get the low down on the features of this vehicle.

The reduced noise level in the van is something my wife and I both LOVE about this van. If you like to have a conversation with the people you ride with, you'll want to buy a 2001 Caravan. If you ride with your mother-in-law, go get an Odyssey.

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Test drove 2001 Honda Odyssey which was NOISY in comparison (worse than my 97 Caravan); plus for me, the instrument panel was blocked in the Odyssey by the steering wheel which I couldn't seem to adjust the tilt/seat to avoid; Dodge dealer gave me invoice pricing (-$2400) PLUS had $2500 rebate; Honda wanted to charge list price, plus add some $200 "protection package" for rust or something, plus had to wait 2 months for one I wanted; Odyssey buyers think this is great for some reason...

None

There is no power when you hit the gas, gas mileage poor, air conditioning very poor and tires that came on the vehicle had sidewall ratings under the weight of the vehicle on the front end.

First and last Dodge van that I will waste my hard earned dollars on. Vehicle is two years old and has 23,000 miles on it and has depreciated from $18,000 to $8,800.

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95 Ford Aerostar. This was a good van

None still looking (had it for 5 years)

everything from looks to ride, gas, paint job, function, it's a van...

DONT BUY WON I WORN YOU

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None

can haul lots of stuff, cold AC (when it's working)

this box is far too small to list these, but i'll try. we've had repairs on transmission, brakes, brakes, and brakes, AC, water pump, radiator, bearings, suspension; roof paint is flaking away; suspicious "scrunching" suspension noises will not go away;

P-O-S (as in, Piece Of S#$%); this was our first new car--what a sad experience! will NEVER buy another Dodge. will NEVER let friends, family members buy another Dodge.

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--

visibility, comfort, handles great, versatility,
definetely hip and cool! decent gas mileage, comfortable all around!

poor gear shift,nosiy rear air conditioner!that's all

I love it! it's roomie,it rides smoothly, it handles like a dream, very good visibility.The only thing i do not like its all the noise the rear air conditioner flows makes, other than that, it's all good! 10+
Minivan is a family car! Big misconception, is a single man's dream
Girls love it!

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Much more lighter and manegeable than other minivans!

-3.3L V6 has a lot of power IF it is maintained properly
-Freezing cold A/C
-Roomy

-Little rattles here and there (My wife can't hear them)
-Rear sparkplugs are hard to get to
-Engineering defects that can be fixed or avoided.

I have worked on and been around Dodge Caravans since the beginning of the model. I have always liked them and found them decently reliable compared to virtually all of its competition. Check the reviews for any vehicle and you will find transmission problems and head problems and everything in between. But my Caravan has 120,000 miles on it and it still runs strong and shifts perfectly. I know that the belt tensioner is going to give out soon, it happens every sixty thousand miles. For people to think that every car is going to last for 300,000 miles with no problems at all is just plain foolish. Or even 100,000 miles. The only cars that do that are Mercedes 300D Turbodiesels. Talk to anyone who works on a variety of cars and is not biased such as your friend Ed who worships GM's or Ralph who will only ever drive a Ford. You may find out more than you want to know. You may end up riding a bike. :)

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Previous car was a 1991 Mercury Sable LS loaded and worth all of 100 bucks when it was towed away. I wish I hadn't found the wiring problems in it so it would have caught fire so I could have collected the insurance money.

Comfortable ride. The rear seats are easy to remove. Fit and finish seems good. The van is the best looking on the market.

The unbelievable number of problems this vehicle has with such low mileage makes me wary of it's reliability.

I have not been very impressed with this mini-van. I've had it about a year, and with just over 34k, it has the following problems; The transmission has to be overhauled, the right side sliding door rattles as if it's not closed tightly, The shocks and struts are shot, the driver's side dash air vents are broken and the brakes pulsate. It also has no power as compared to my 95 caravan with the same 3.8 V6 engine. The rear door as well as the right side sliding door won't unlock about 25% of the time. The headlights are a joke! I swear I could see better with a couple of flashlights taped to the fenders! In short, my overall impression is not very good. I planned on keeping this vehicle for another 2 years and trading for a newer one but, unless Dodge can get all of these problems worked out, it will be for another brand!

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My first mini-van was a 1995 Caravan, which I traded for this 1998. It had about 80k when it was traded. I had it only about 18 mos., but had no problems with it at all. It had far more power than the 1998 I have now.