Childish Demands Being three and a half (don't ever forget the half!), my opinion of these minivans is the only one that should matter to anyone, since, after all, I am the center of the universe and my personal happiness and contentment are paramount. Frankly, they all seemed the same to me, except for the Dodge Caravan. It was the only one I rode in that has a built-in child seat. Seeing as how I'm now a Big Girl (I've been out of diapers for some time), I really appreciate getting out of my old food-caked removable baby car seat and sliding into that built-in Big Girl number in the Caravan. Now that Dodge has added a reclining feature to the seatback, it's really comfortable for long, long naps. Mom and Dad really seem to like that. Plus, the seat has plenty of nooks and crannies where you can jam fistfuls of spit-soaked Gummi Bears to snack on later.-Denise Karr
ConclusionMinivan owners are a pragmatic bunch. Unlike sport coupe and SUV buyers, they aren't looking for something to project a lifestyle image. Instead, they want an affordable, reliable, flexible, safe, multipurpose tool: a Swiss Army knife-with a Craftsman guarantee and a Wal-Mart discount-on wheels. Luxury-car ride, sport-sedan steering feel, environmental friendliness, and myriad features are all nice but not top priorities. Our editors easily stepped into the role of potential minivan buyers: A pair already own minivans, while one or two more might soon be in the market for a people-mover, if you get our drift. With the help of our spouses, children, and in one case, pet, we thoroughly debated the merits of each and came to a virtually unanimous agreement.
Affordability and flexibility are the leading attributes of the Chevrolet Venture. Its once-unique right-side power sliding door is a boon to harried parents. However, the Venture falls behind the pack in ride quality, chassis stiffness, and overall refinement.
Alluring was the Toyota Sienna XLE's silky and potent powerplant, well-controlled ride, and sumptuous leather interior. But its people- and cargo-carrying capacity fall notably behind the others, while its pricetag races far beyond. Those with small families who rarely take driving vacations might be well served to pay the extra to get Toyota's reputation for quality and reliability. Still, its svelte size and lofty price caused us to rank it third, slightly behind the Grand Caravan.
Introduced in '95 as a '96 model, the Dodge Grand Caravan set lofty new standards of minivan function, convenience, and comfort. Since that time, it topped all comers in Motor Trend minivan comparisons. Until now.
Meet the new leader of the minivan pack: the '99 Honda Odyssey. Honda has elevated the already towering marks set by the Grand Caravan. The Honda matches or surpasses the Dodge's functional features and tosses in a surprisingly smooth ride, remarkably stiff, quiet chassis, and Honda's stellar reputation for quality and reliability. Best of all to those writing the monthly payment checks, the Odyssey has a lower window sticker. The new No. 1: the '99 Honda Odyssey.
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