Price as tested
STS,762
Base price
S16944
Type
7 pass.. 2 door qainiesan
Lausout
Transverse
wheel drive
° Enypine
3.0 Toe Ve,
muli-point EEE
®* Horsepower
142 @ S000 rpin.
© Transmission
3 speed autonnitie (4 spd. op
flonal)
¢ Vires
PIO8 TOR all-season SBR
Carb weight
1.493 he 3.291 Ibs.
Wheelbase
2.850 mm/)i2.2 in,
Length
4.470 mm 175.9 in,
Width
4.770 mi /69.6 in.
Height
1.680 mm66.0 in.
* Towing
1130 ky.72500 thy,
* Carga space
(7 pass.) 377 1/13.3 cu.ft.
(5 pass.) 1611 1/56.9 cu.ft.
* Fuel econamy
avg. 10.91/100 km, 27 mpg.
® Warranty
Basic I yr/20,000 km
Powertrain 7 yrs/ 115,000 km

front) cngine front

SOHC . 2 ow

DODGE CARAVAN

All-wheel drive highlights ’91 Caravan

THE 199! Dodge Caravan
and Plymouth Voyager have
been restyled and updated
for the first time since their
introduction seven years
ago.

Major changes include a more
“driver-friendly’’ interior, slecker
appearance, 15 per cent more
window glass, optional four-wheel
anti-lock brakes, and the addition
of a new all-wheel-drive modet. A
driver's side airbag will also be
available.

In my opinion, Chrysler made a
wise choice by not making any
radical changes to the original
“magic wagon" design. Since
their introduction in 1984, the
Caravan and Voyager have been
the most popular mini-van with
consumers even though many
other mini-vans have come on the
market.

Other van manufacturers have
yet to duplicate the Caravan’s
unique combination of simplicity,
practicality, fuel efficiency and
affordability.

For 1991, Chrysler has concen-
trated their efforts on improving
the Caravan's weak areas. The in-
terior was subject to. criticism
because some comtrols were hard
to see and the appearance was
starting to look diated.

Headlamp and window wiper
controls are now just a finger
reach away from the steering
wheel. Heater and radio conirols
are closer to the driver, and a sty-
lish, new centre console contains
two cupholders and storage tray.

There is also a new, lockable
glove box. Three-point safety belts
have been added for outboard,
rear passengers.

Base Caravans hase five pas-
senger seating, Iwo front buckets
and a middle three-seat bench. SE

and LE models get seven pussen-
ger seating, two front buckets,
two-seat middle bench, and
three-seat rear bench.

A new arrangement, two front
buckets, twa middle buckets, and
arear bench is also available.

All rear benches have a folding
seatback and an adjustable track,
and both middle and rear benches
are easily removable to increase
cargo space. A handy convertuble
option is also available.

The Caravan’s front-end styling
is sleeker und more rounded,
while at the rear, the Window is
larger for better visibility. The
basic dimensions remain unchang-
ed: iu regulur wheelbase model
(2,850 mm), and a long wheelbase
model (3,030 mm) called the
Grand Caravan.

With only 100 horsepower, the
standard 2.5 litre four cylinder
engine is not always up to the task
of pulling the Caravan's 1,493 ke
(3,291 Ibs.) curb weight, especially
if there is a full loud on board.
For anything other than light,
around-town use, £ would
recommend the larger, 142 horse-
power, 3.0 litre V6 engine.

Surprisingly, its fuel economy is
not significantly worse than the
fourbanger.

A new 150 horsepower 3.3 litre
V6 engine is abo available this
vear, standard in the top-of-the-
line models. Last year’s tur-
bocharged 2.5 litre four cylinder is
no longer available.

A three-speed automatic
transmission ois now | standard
equipment on base models, and an
electronically-controlled — four-
speed automatic is optional on
most models, and standard on the
AWD Caravan.

The all-wheel-drive model uses a
full time four-wheel-drive system
that normally directs most of the

Greg
Wilson

TEST DRIVE

engine’s power to the front
wheels. Hf the front wheels lose
traction, power is temporarily
diverted to the rear wheels.

AWD Caravans are 471 Ibs, to
668 Ibs. heavier than the front-
wheel-drive models and their
average fuel economy suffers by
about [0 per cent.

The manufacturer's suggested
retail price of the base Caravan
with a four cylinder engine is
$16,944, My test vehicle, a regular
wheelbase Caravan SE, with op-
tional 3.0 litre V6 engine and
seven-passenger seating came to
$18,762 including freight charges.

The improvements to the Cara-
van have been worthwhile, and
fortunately, have not detracted
trons the original design's basic
concept. In its new form, Po think
the Caravan and Voyager will
probably have another seven yeitrs

< lite ahead of them.

The Caravan and Voyager is
sold focally at Jubilee Chrysler in
North Vancouver. Phone 980-
8501.

Friday. December 28, 1990 - North Shore News - 15

SPORTING A sleeker, rounder front end and a much nicer interi-
or, the 1991 Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager has been im-
proved from the original magic-wagon, thankfully, without spoil-

ing it. Vehicles courtesy Jubilee Chrysler.

NEWS photos Neil Lucente