Minivans man up to tap into male market

BY JEFF TAYLOR For Sun-Times Media October 19, 2011 10:03AM

Dodge Grand Caravan R/T

Updated: October 19, 2011 10:09AM

“Macho, macho van — I’ve got to be a macho van!” Manufacturers of today’s minivans are trying to get consumers, specifically men, to hum a different tune when it comes to minivans.

I admit – I have an aversion to minivans. For me, they just don’t offer the driving experience that I’m seeking. There’s nothing sleek or sexy about them, performance is measured in passenger- or cargo-carrying ability, not to mention first impressions for a first date.

However, as a family vehicle and transporter, you can’t beat a minivan; they are the ultimate utility vehicle. With the blurring of SUVs toward CUVs and wagons being passed off as CUVs, automakers are seizing the opportunity to “man up” and craft a new image for minivans.

Chrysler long has been recognized as the leader in the minivan movement, so it stands to reason that it would also try to lead the charge to tap into a new market. This is accomplished by the R/T sport treatment to a Dodge Grand Caravan.

The R/T interior comes in black leather with sport seats, a top-of-the-line stereo with a kickin’ subwoofer (a man has to have tunes) and subdued trim accents to sport it up. The R/T makeover continues on the outside where Dodge deleted the luggage rack, added beefier tires on alloy rims, toned down the chrome, stiffened up the suspension and dropped the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 under the hood for some oomph.

So how’s it work? Well it’s still a minivan but you can legitimately say you own a Dodge R/T and you didn’t have to add a flame paint job, shag carpeting or a rear bubble window to give it some flair. Pricing starts at just less than $31,000.

The Chrysler Town and Country minivan pulls out all the luxury cues. The exterior chrome is upgraded as are the standard alloy wheels and the ride is super cushy. The T/C doesn’t have cheap-looking wood trim, but it too receives the 3.6 liter V-6 and six-speed automatic. The interior has more chrome pieces, lots of lighting, soft seats and trims, wood accents and the Stow ’N Go seats in the second row. If you get all the goodies you’ll climb to the low $40,000 range.

The last Chrysler minivan is actually a VW named the Routan (easy for you to say). This is the best-looking Chrysler van with a VeeDub nose grafted on. Think of this one as a combination of the R/T (minus suspension) and Town and Country, with a different interior color palette, even better materials, but with same powertrain.

The Honda Odyssey just looks cool, especially in black. Its sharp body creases, rear window treatment and shovel nose lean more toward CUV than van. The alloy wheels are attractive and the interior is premo with soft textures, tech features and comfy seats. You just don’t want to get the inside dirty. Pricing for a base model is just less than $28,000.

The Mazda 5 is a personal favorite. It is the smallest of the vans, but its sharp sliding rear doors, handsome styling and trim packaging remove it slightly from the minivan herd. The lighter weight and sport-tuned suspension make this van somewhat enjoyable to drive, especially the versions that come with a manual transmission. It will seat six and you can get a nicely equipped model for less than $24,000.

So will these “macho vans” cause guys to turn in their sports cars? Probably not, but they may make giving up the keys easier.

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