- minivan 76,466
- 5,000 high price
- South Brunswick Township, NJ
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- autoshopper.com
2005 dodge caravan review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. The second-row and third-row seats flip down into the floor, leaving a huge, perfectly flat cargo compartment behind the front seats. No other minivan currently has second-row seats that disappear into the floor. with seating for seven, the grand caravan can carry half the little league team with room left over for their stuff. Selectively folding away the seats gives its owner great versatility in hauling a mix of passengers and cargo. No need to pull seats out and store them in the garage or to try to put stuff on top of them. And its cargo space is more accessible and more convenient than that of suvs. other new and revised features further improve the grand caravan for 2005, making it a compelling choice among a strong group of competitors that have been recently been redesigned. Also more compelling: pricing, which has been dropped by an average of $3,000. the shorter caravan models are largely unchanged and have the old seating system. Dodge added new features to the caravan for 2004, including a tire pressure monitor. Its stereo systems feature in-dash, six-disc cd changers. on the road, the dodge grand caravan and caravan offer a smooth ride and responsive handling. Most models come with a powerful v6 engine that delivers strong acceleration for merging onto hectic freeways. It comes standard with air conditioning, variable intermittent wipers, am/fm/cd stereo, and 215/70 tires on 15-inch steel wheels. caravan sxt 22,295) is the short van equipped with a 3. 3-liter v6 and a higher level of standard equipment, though it does not get stow 'n go. Sxt adds second-row bucket seats, dual-zone manual air conditioning, tilt steering, cruise control, power windows, power heated mirrors, power locks with remote keyless entry, an upgraded am/fm/cassette/cd stereo, a rear window defroster, sunscreen glass, 215/65 tires on 16-inch aluminum wheels, a tire-pressure monitor, and other niceties, plus an expanded list of options. grand caravan se 21,995) is a long-wheelbase base model, similarly equipped to the caravan se. But it's powered by the 3. 3-liter v6 engine. Along with stow 'n go, the grand caravan sxt features second-row adjustable seats, a 60/40 split third-row bench with tailgate feature, front and rear cargo nets, dual power sliding doors, fog lamps, rear heat/air-conditioning system, roof rack, eight-way power driver's seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, steering-wheel audio controls, overhead console with trip computer and compass/temperature gauge, and a new carbon weave center stack bezel. side-impact curtain airbags are optional. All-wheel drive has been dropped from the menu for 2005. Packages are available in a dizzying array of combinations. walkarounddodge caravan and grand caravan are large vehicles, but not outrageously so. Measuring just over 200 inches long and less than 5-feet, 10-inches tall, even the grand caravan will fit just about anywhere a full-size sedan will fit. Bumper to bumper, the standard caravan measures 189. 3 inches long. Grand caravan's extra 11 inches makes a big difference in the amount of cargo it can carry with all three rows of seats in place. Caravan rides on a wheelbase of 113. 0 inches, while the grand caravan stretches across a wheelbase of 119. 3 inches. grand caravan and caravan are sleek and attractive with steeply raked windshields and aggressive grilles. The tracks for the sliding side doors are cleverly camouflaged under the rear side windows for a clean appearance. The d-pillars and rear window are steeply inclined for a sporty look, and a discrete spoiler rises from the trailing edge of the roof. Flared wheel openings add strength to the appearance. Headlamps and taillamps are big, the latter wrapping around to the sides. The optional roof rack is hunkered close to the roof, stylistically less obtrusive and perhaps less likely to generate wind noise, but also offering less clearance for the thicker hooks of some tie-downs. the 2005 grand caravan models are distinguished by a new u-shaped grille with black grille bars, is a design cue shared with the new dodge magnum. The front fascia is new with a molded-in license plate pocket and new fog lamps, while the sides get new body-colored side moldings. models with power sliding doors on both sides add convenience when moving passengers. Press the button on the remote transmitter twice and the door slides open; press it twice again and it slides closed and seals. From the second-row seat, the power sliding door can be opened and closed by pressing a button; it can also be opened manually. A safety lock switch hidden on the trailing edge of the door can be engaged to prevent a child from opening the sliding door from inside. The power sliding doors can be fussy when passengers are in a hurry to get out, however, and they usually are. Pulling on the outside lever opens the power door manually, with just slightly more effort than opening a regular manual door. models with manually operated sliding doors are easy to operate, smoothly sliding open and closed with the pull of a nicely designed lever. The outside door handles are comfortable and well designed; they impart a feeling of quality in appearance and operation. All door handles should be this good, but they aren't. a power rear liftgate is available that adds convenience when picking up groceries or supplies. Press a button on the remote control and the liftgate opens or closes automatically. The material is soft and appears to be durable. Faux carbon fiber trim added a touch of high-tech to the cabin. the seats in the grand caravan seemed more bucket-like than those of the town & country and not as comfortable. There is a manually adjustable lumbar support, however, and the seatbacks seem to have more side bolstering than the t&c. Exposed screws on the power seat adjusters did not feel aesthetically pleasing. The seating position is higher than that of a sedan, which enables drivers to see over traffic. The second and third rows of seats fold flat into the floor leaving a perfectly flat platform for cargo. Folding and unfolding the seats is a quick three-step process. Pull one strap to drop the seatback, then pull two other straps to tuck it into the floor. This leaves a perfectly flat platform. Very few seats fold perfectly flat and no one else (except the chrysler town & country) has a second row that does this. The system is also flexible. The third row is split 60/40 and either or both of the second-row captain's chairs can be stowed. Grand caravan sxt and se plus models come standard with stow 'n go. the second-row seats move fore and aft to optimize legroom for rear passengers. Getting into the third row is a little awkward, but easier than in most suvs. Once back there, the third-row seating is comfortable, though the seat bottoms are steeply raked. the low floor makes getting in and out through the side doors easy. The low load height also makes loading cargo easier, and the grand caravan can carry more stuff and bigger items than any suv. There's a fair amount of cargo space behind the third row. When the seats are in place for passengers, there are wells behind the third-row seats that are perfect for groceries. Another net can be secured between either the s. Power Locks✔ Power Windows✔ Anti-lock Brakes✔ Bucket Seats✔ AM/FM✔ Air Conditioning✔ Cruise Control✔ Aluminum Wheels
5,000 South Brunswick Township, NJSouth Brunswick Township, NJ at autoshopper.com