2005 Dodge Caravan

Just over two decades ago, Chrysler rolled out its first minivan—and, my, how things have changed. Since the introduction of this innovative, segment-busting design, the company has sold more than 10 million units, and inspired numerous imitators. Many of these "me too" vehicles actually improved on Chrysler's concept, so it comes as no surprise that for 2005, Dodge refined and upgraded the Caravan design in order to stay competitive in this now crowded category.


For those who recall the early Caravan, one big bugaboo was removing the rear seats to create a cargo area where the passengers would normally sit. While the storage capacity of the boxy Caravan made the low-profile station wagons of yesteryear seem puny by comparison, getting those seats out the rear hatch was an easy way to pull a muscle. It was enough to make you want to either put your load of lumber on the roof, or leave the seats in the driveway and never touch them again.


Other weaknesses of the primeval Caravans were an anemic engine, vague handling and a Spartan interior—traits that would make a Checker cab seem quick, agile and plush by comparison. Still, the Caravan had an endearing, practical quality that succeeded in spite of its flaws, and almost single-handedly restored Chrysler to its Big Three status, long before Daimler took over the corporate reins.


In marked contrast to those early versions of the Caravan, the 2005 model is an utterly different vehicle. Imitating its imitators, a clever new "Stow 'n Go" fold-flat seating arrangement makes converting the passenger area into a cargo bed like a simple task of folding towels. The seats are still fairly heavy, but you don't have to lift them off the floor anymore. With the seats raised, the wells provide covered storage space.


When in family-shuttle mode, with spacious seating for seven, there's 15.3 cubic feet of luggage space behind the third-row seat. When it's time to make a trip to the hardware store, stowing the second- and third-row seats will open up 147 cubes of available cargo space. And on the even longer Grand SXT, which opens up to 167.9 cubes, we found sufficient room to fit a nine-foot longboard, along with enough gear for a week-long surfin' safari.