Autoblog

click to view more high-res images of the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT

Chrysler has had a lot of ups and downs over the years, riding the wave of one or two hot products at a time in a fight for survival. Fads at the Pentastar have come and gone, but the Auburn Hills-based automaker has had one mainstay since 1983: the minivan. Sure the VW Microbus came first, but here in the States it was Chrysler that started the minivan craze. From the minute that first Caravan rolled off the assembly line in the Reagan-era, this family-friendly minivan has been Chrysler's most important vehicle. With Ford and GM bowing out of the minivan segment altogether in recent years, the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan becomes even more important for Chrysler, as it has the ability to scoop up sales from its domestic competition to counteract the segment shrinking as a whole.

Chrysler has fought hard to remain innovative in the minivan segment with firsts like twin sliding doors, seats that fold into the floor, and now Swivel 'N Go, which allows the second-row seats to swivel around 180 degrees to face the third row. One look at the Grand Caravan's long spec sheet shows that Chrysler also threw every technology on hand into this minivan, but we wanted to see if things like satellite TV and twin DVD Screens translated into a better minivan. Hit the jump to read about the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT's stay in the Autoblog Garage. We've produced a video tour of the Grand Caravan's many features, as well.