Auto News 5

I wish I could have spent more time in the Grand Caravan to fully judge the interior of this van versus the Chrysler Town & Country and the others that recently passed through our garage. But for ten grand less than the Honda Odyssey and five grand less than the Chrysler and the Toyota Sienna, this Dodge is tough to quibble with. In fact, the most glaring complaint I have about the Caravan still holds in the Town & Country: the light gray plastic on the doors is too plasticky and also is a bad choice as a color, since it is too light and will immediately look scuffed, worn, and dirty in the hands (and feet) of any family.

The Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman beg to be compared. The small crossovers are so similar in every physical measure and mechanical specification that you could imagine they were born of the same focus group, the same marketing gurus, and the same engineering team. Length, width, and height between the two are all within an inch. Each uses a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making about 180 hp. Both cars meter power to the rear wheels through electronically controlled differentials. The only place it seems our two automakers split paths was styling.

Miles to date: 21,025
Months in fleet: 8

The weather turned to crap the minute we started driving the Porsche Cayman R on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Jawbreaker-sized hail and gusty winds tried to slow us down -- but we didn't give in. That happened a few seconds later, when we realized that when wet, the island's roads are as slick as ice.