Chrysler is the first automaker that comes to mind as the most likely casualty of the car industry collapse. But the company probably is not first to mind for most as a technology innovator -- and its stalwart but stodgy minivans may not be considered the pinnacle of tech.
Yet the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT we recently tested (sticker $37,880) is loaded with top-shelf in-cabin tech that makes any trip more comfortable, convenient and entertaining whether it's across town or cross-country.
Video: In-car video has been saving the sanity of traveling families for over a decade, and the technology is now available in vehicles other than minivans and SUVs. But Chrysler's approach to rear-seat entertainment goes beyond the simple screen-and-DVD-player system and is one of the best of any auto manufacturer hands-down.
That it's the only one that can receive Sirius Backseat TV puts it in a class of it own, but what makes the system really stand out is its flexibility and features. The Dual Screen DVD Entertainment System option on our test car came with 8-inch monitors that drop down from the headliner in front of the second- and third-row seats so that passengers in the middle and way-back can watch individual programs and listen to audio on the two pairs of wireless headphones that come with the system.
But passengers aren't limited to only what's in the DVD player in the center stack that's also part of the RES or even Sirius Backseat TV (which still only has three channels). They can also tune in AM, FM and Sirius radio stations, listen to a CD spinning in the in-dash head unit or select the device connected as auxiliary audio source, such as an iPod. The only audio source off-limits to rear-seat occupants is the one selected by the driver or front-seat passenger via the head unit, although those in the front can watch a DVD or satellite TV when the vehicle is stopped and the parking brake is engaged. And if that's not enough entertainment options, there are also two sets of RCA audio/video aux inputs just aft of the driver's-side sliding door for plugging in a portable media player or videogame console.
Even with all of this ability and features, the system is intuitive to operate using the remote -- meaning I rarely had to intervene to tell my 10-year-old how to operate it.
Audio: The audio system also offers plenty of options: CD, satellite and terrestrial radio, an auxiliary input for plugging in a portable media player, a USB port for loading digital tunes via a flash drive and iPod integration with the addition of a proprietary cable and plug. The latter is only possible by paying $1,995 for the Premium Group option, which also includes a 506-watt/nine-speaker Infinity sound system, among other amenities.
iPod functions are straightfoward, with the familiar iPod menu interface of artist, album, song, etc. And the head unit's touch-screen makes finding music on an iPod relatively quick and easy. If you have lots of artists on your iPod and want to go from, say, ABBA to Zebra, a feature called List Jump allows punching in the name using a pop-up alphanumeric keyboard. But in our test car the feature didn't work, and hitting the "A-Z" button to access List Jump caused distortion to come from the front speakers.
Speaking of which, the quality of the audio system was mediocre, with distorted midbass on most of my test tracks, poor staging and negligible imaging and an overall dull sound. Bass from the 8-inch subwoofer way in the back of the vehicle was disconnected from the sound in front, although it provides plenty of low-end punch for those in the rear seat -- and would be a perfect perch for teens when the sound is faded all the way to the rear.
If you don't want to spring for the Premium Group option package to get iPod integration and "premium" sound, the rear-entertainment system option includes a hard-disk drive built into the head unit that music files can be loaded onto. Tunes can be ripped from either CDs or from a USB drive and organized in an iPod-like file structure. You can also load on digital pictures to use as a screensaver for the head unit's display.
Bluetooth: Chrysler's uconnect Bluetooth hands-free phone system, which is also part of the Premium Group option, is one of the easiest Bluetooth systems I've used and its voice-activation feature works better than those in cars costing twice as much. My only real gripe with the system is that it doesn't use steering-wheel controls, but instead has a button on the radio (or, in some vehicles, on the rear-view mirror). With a true "hands-free" phone system you should never have to remove your hands from the steering wheel or your eyes from the road.
Convenience: Another thing that sets the '09 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT apart from other family haulers is its long list of available covenience features: remote start, adjustable pedals, power-folding third-row seats, integrated child booster seats, storage bins integrated into the floor in front of the third-row seats, manual sunscreens for the side windows next to the second and third-row seats, Swivel'n Go second-row seats with a stowable table that fits between the second and third row, a backup camera and ParkSense rear parking sensors with audible warnings and visual indicators above the back glass.
It's also the first Chrysler vehicle I've tested with the company's new Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) with Rear Cross Path (RCP) detection. While BSM worked great -- and even warned me about being too close to the pillars of my carport while backing out by flashing an indicator in the side mirror and sounding a warning -- the RCP didn't kick in when I tested it by blindly backing out of a perpendicular parking spot into oncoming traffic. In fact, the ParkSense alerted me to cars behind me but RCP never did. (We'll be conducting a comprehensive test of RCP and other new safety technologies soon on our sister site Edmunds.com.)
Conclusion: The minivan has been maligned as a bland descesdent of the family stationwagon almost since Chrysler first created the category with the Town & Country over 25 years ago. And while the minivan is quickly losing ground to more modern variations like the Ford Flex and a slew of crossovers that give families the convenience and conveyance of a full-size SUV with less of the cost and guilt associated with driving a gas-guzzler, the '09 Dodge Caravan SXT is still a formidable people-mover -- and is absolute top in terms of tech.
We'll see whether Chrysler is equally adept at surviving despite its underdog status.
IL Tech Ratings (10 is best): 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
Video: 9
Audio: 6
iPod Integration: 8
Bluetooth: 9
Ergonomics: 8
Overall Average Score: 8
cwc1 says:
06:20 PM, 02/25/09
Great review. I've found that being a passenger in a minivan with all those features can be preferable to driving one. Not that they drive badly or anything; I just think other vehicles are more fun to drive. It's kind of like how riding in the back of a limousine is cool, but I wouldn't think maneuvering one of those things is exactly fun.
Also, no one should feel guilty for driving a vehicle that uses a lot of fuel if they accept the responsibility of paying for it and don't expect handouts from the government and don't vilify oil companies (they're the ones after all who find and refine the fuel, at great cost). The whole "guilt" thing has been been propagandized to death over the last few years for the purpose of indoctrination.