Page 12 · Richmond Review
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Friday, August 22, 2014
Welcome to the driver’s seat
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Mom’s taxi now closer to a family limo than a seven-seat van from limo status. How many of today’s NHL The loaded 2014 Grand stars made those very Caravan SXT version I early morning trips to junior drove recently certainly practice in a minivan? could lay claims to be Of course, we will never much more than mom’s know for sure but you can taxi. Premium cloth bet the answer is in the seats were inviting and 100s, judging by the tens of supportive but the rear thousands of kids, enrolled seating is perhaps the in hockey, soccer and countMinivans are more interesting for less other activities, who utilitarian but it’s those with aforemenhave been transported for the past 30 years in these also true to say that tioned early morning people movers, pioneered today’s iterations are drive duties. The stow’n’go seats are Chrysler. no longer glorified ingenious, turning the Virtually every auto maker vans with seats. Caravan quickly with has a version though in the flick of a wrist from recent years, with the exKeith Morgan a seven-seater into . . . plosion of sport utility and . dare I say . . . a van if crossover vehicles there desired. Power sliding doors and liftgate has been a trend away from the vehicle complete the convenience package. dubbed ‘mom’s taxi’ in the popular An area where the Caravan has made media. At first, that was an affectiongiant leaps is right upfront. The oneate moniker but of late, it’s come to piece instrument panel is easy on the be a disparaging term for these very eye and easy to operate. An optional efficient family carriers now described as “super” centre console builds on the multi-purpose vehicles. functionality, providing a lot of storage. No, they’re not leading edge in looks for Stepping outside there’s an interesting the most part but surely that’s not why innovation called the Stow ‘n Place roof people still buy them in goodly numbers. rack system, which enables the stowing Minivans are utilitarian but it’s also true of the roof bows into the side rails to say that today’s iterations are no when not in use. There is an obvious longer glorified vans with seats. They cosmetic improvement but that would come close to driving like sedans and be a frivolous consideration. The ability the higher end models are a step away
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to stow the roof bows a reduction in aerodynamic drag, wind buffeting and thus better overall efficiency. Under the hood is the truly tried and tested Pentastar 3.6-litre V6, matched to a six-speed automatic transmission. This power combination pumps out 283 horsepower but still remains frugal when it comes to fuel economy – 12.2/7.9 L/100 kms. Driving in town with such a large vehicle is not so much of challenge as you might expect. The excellent vision provided by large windows helps when parking in those tight supermarket spots. Stop/go traffic on Highway One was not fun and certainly spoiled the fuel
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economy promise. That said, once rolling on the freeway, the Caravan hits its stride and return to sipping gas rather than gulping. The basic Caravan is anything but basic in its equipment tally and starts at $27,995. The tester was loaded to the gunwales with every bell and whistle and came in at $43,580. Take out the basic for the test drive then start adding the features you want until you run up against budget wall. ‘Mom’s taxi’ is going to be around for a while yet and that’s good news for sports oriented families and maybe even the National Hockey League. keith.morgan@drivewaybc.ca
Question of the Week Do you think crossover and sport utility vehicles will ever completely replace the minivan – or mom’s taxi as it is often dubbed? Go to DrivewayCanada.ca to submit your answer. QUESTION
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Safety Tip: With summer plans often including more time on the road, make sure you assess your tires before a road trip. Check them regularly for air pressure, tread depth, and always replace tires with bulges, cuts, or cracks.
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