Day One - Part Two

Starting mileage - 2340 miles. Full tank of gas. We'll see how far a tank gets me, and what the mileage turns out to be. DH gave me a "magic number" that he'd be willing to seriously consider getting this van (loves the "green" dual-fuel feature). I have to say, so far, I am enjoying the van. Right now, it's really the differences between riding in a tiny sedan (I have an Infiniti G20) with 2 car seats (including the ginormous one), and having this great big van, where we all have plenty of legroom and headroom - my Infiniti, though I LOVE it, does not have any room to spare. At 5'11", and DH at 6'3" (and MiniMe already 49 inches or more), it's tough to take long drives. My head scrapes the ceiling, with the seat reclined a bit, and my legs have no wiggle room But this VAN was built for tall people. There is at LEAST 4 inches to spare before the ceiling (with me fully upright), and PLENTY of legroom for all. I do have a 1996 Dodge Neon, and the large, roomy interior (even in the backseat, where I have been known to put 3 tall adults) was a huge plus. The Dodge Grand Caravan does not disappoint. Makes the Neon seem cramped.

My arthritic knees love the van, too. No crouching down into a tiny car - I barely bend my knees to get into the van - I slide right in, and there is no stress or pain.

So far, it's the difference between a tiny sedan, and a roomy van. Hardly a fair comparison. I am really glad I get a few days to check it out - there is NO WAY I would be able to make a truly educated decision without all this time, given the fact that I am not used to driving a van. But even compared to others I HAVE driven, this is exceptionally roomy. I need to trade with my sister that has a Honda Odyssey, to see what the differences are.

DH drove it tonight when he got home from work, and was really impressed with the safety features - rear camera for seeing what's behind your wheels when in reverse, automatic sliding doors, the cargo door beeps when opening or closing, to warn you to get out of the way, etc.

The features list goes on and on. Oh, and it handles well. More on that tomorrow!