2007 Dodge Caravan review, image gallery, prices and more info...

The Dodge Grand Caravan and the shorter Caravan are family friendly vehicles offering the features and flexibility most buyers want. Smooth riding and responsive, most come with a powerful V6 engine that delivers strong acceleration for merging onto hectic freeways. Anti-lock brakes and side-impact airbags are available. And there's a model for every budget.

Models with power sliding doors on both sides add convenience when moving passengers. They're particularly useful when you find yourself herding children while carrying two armloads of gear. 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 passengers usually are in a hurry. Pulling on the outside lever opens the power door manually, with just slightly more effort than opening a regular manual door.

The 3.8-liter V6 in the Grand Caravan SXT delivers strong power. This big V6 employs a traditional pushrod overhead-valve design rather than the more contemporary overhead-cam setup found on many imports. Dodge is advertising lower horsepower and torque numbers for this engine this year, but it's only the numbers that have changed. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) recently revised its test procedures for determining horsepower and torque, and nearly everyone's figures are coming out smaller. Numbers for the Caravan's four-cylinder were affected only slightly and for the 3.3-liter V6 not at all, but the 3.8-liter is now rated 205 horsepower and 240 pound-feet instead of the 215 horsepower and 245 pound-feet advertised last year. What's important to remember is that the engine itself is as strong as ever, even though its strength is now measured more conservatively.