IFCAR Comparison: Economy Vans

Car Comparison: Dodge Caravan vs. Mazda 5

Here's a comparison that I've been waiting for, the short-wheelbase, 4-cylinder version of the Dodge Caravan vs. the Mazda 5. Minivan vs. "space wagon". Most US buyers shun the short-wheelbase Caravan, especially the 4-cylinder. I'm told it's big in Canada. It's kept as a low-price loss-leader, but good luck finding one on the lot here. The Mazda 5 (Mazda5) is kind of a marketing experiment for Mazda. Past "space wagons", including the long-wheelbase "Colt Vista" made by Mitsubishi, haven't been too successful here, but they are popular throughout most of the rest of the world.

In the comparison linked below, by the Instatute for Consumer Automotive Research (never heard of them before today), the Mazda 5 was rated as the better car, but the Caravan was rated as the better minivan. The real-world prices of the two vehicles were within a few dollars of each other.

The ICAR comparison is in line with my impressions from inspecting these two models first hand. I haven't driven them, but I did sit in them. The Mazda is just too small for full minivan duties. For both vehicles, the combination of over-worked 4-cylinder engine plus 4-speed automatic transmission results in real-world fuel economy that is not much better than full-sized minivans such as the Dodge Grand Caravan and Honda Odyssey. In the Mazda 5, this can be partially rectified by getting a 5-speed manual transmission, the only "minivan" that can be ordered that way in the US. The Caravan can be ordered with a V-6, and in fact, most are. With the 3.3 liter V-6, the Caravan performs well, and there's very little real-world penalty in fuel economy.

According to Allpar.com, when the DaimlerChrysler minivans are redesigned for the 2008 model year, the short-wheelbase version will be dropped. IMHO that would be a mistake. GM has already dropped its short minivan. The Toyota Sienna and Nissan Quest have grown to full-size. The market is wide open for a vehicle that has three rows but is shorter than the 200 inch extended length van.

Dodge already has the pieces necessary to turn the short-wheelbase Caravan into a standout. The 2.4 liter "world" 4-cylinder engine provides 172 horsepower and 165 lb./ft. of torque, a 22 hp. bump over the current engine. Combined with a DC's new 6-speed automatic transmission, this should give a real-world gain of almost 2 seconds 0-60 and about 2-3 mpg. As I understand it, the EPA is about to apply CAFE fleet fuel economy standards to trucks. The Dodge Ram and Durango are gas hogs. It wouldn't hurt to have a minivan that gets 22-29 mpg to offset the hogs' low mpg.

IFCAR Comparison: Economy Vans