The truckers and manly-men of the world might not want to believe it, but the minivan is a serious workhorse. As soon as the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan landed in my driveway, I put the all-new minivan to work.

The Grand Caravan has been one of Dodge’s major contributions to the automotive world for the past decade or so. Leading the minivan market isn’t as easy a task as it sounds however, and the completely redesigned Grand Caravan is a much-needed revitalization for one of the best in the class.

The first thing I required of the Grand Caravan was to haul five adults out for a night on the town. The new instrument panel is backlit in green, and has been restyled to resemble that of Dodge’s sedan lineup with satin-silver accents and deep-set gauges. Thanks to dual powered sliding doors, ample legroom in both rows of seats and a redesigned body that has been widened at the roofline for additional headroom, hauling passengers was a breeze. When the sun went down, the optional “halo” ceiling lights provided show-car ambience that impressed my passengers. The available heated front-row seats kept the driver and front passenger comfortable when temperatures dipped, while three-zone climate control directed heat to the rear of the cabin. One downside to the redesign: the fan and heat controls don’t work well together, and it’s easy to make the Grand Caravan too hot or too cold. If you can’t master the HVAC system, your best bet is to distract your passengers with the available two-channel DVD player system that can show different programs on different screens, the 115-volt power outlet for the second-row seats, and the in-dash six-gigabyte music storage system.

The very next day, it was time to move a sofa and an eight-foot bookshelf. The Grand Caravan jumped almost happily to the task. The Stow ‘n Go folding second-row seats collapse easily into the floor, and the third-row bench folds into a well in the cargo area. It’s a process that takes less than five minutes and leaves a flat-floored, 144-cubic foot cargo area. The Stow ‘n Go seats are convenient enough to be purchase decision-makers all on their own–the system really works, and works well. Also available are Swivel ‘n Go second-row seats, which can turn 180 degrees to face the rear, creating a small meeting space in the back of the Grand Caravan. The available power rear liftgate even makes loading easier; there’s no need to wrestle with the door while holding up one end of a leather sofa. The long bookshelf fit inside the Grand Caravan, flat on the floor.

I wasn’t done with Dodge’s all-new minivan yet. After helping one person move, I flipped the seats back up to gather up a crew to help yet another relocating friend, this time shifting an entire apartment. For this task, the 2008 Grand Caravan was accompanied by two other minivans–2007 and 1998 model Grand Caravans, to be exact. The prowess of Dodge’s minivans is clearly well known.

Of the three vans, the 2008 model was packed with the heaviest load. The 197-horsepower, 3.8 liter OHV engine under the hood had no problems hauling the extra load, and it’s the workhorse of the bunch. A more efficient, 175-horse, 3.3 liter E85-capable V6 and a snarling 240-horse 4.0 liter V6 are also available. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard with the 3.8 and 4.0 engines, the first to be available in a minivan.

Weighted down as it was with books, the 2008 Grand Caravan offered a reasonable freeway ride. As with many minivans, up-and-down motions at the rear are poorly controlled when the Grand Caravan is loaded, thanks mainly to a twist-beam rear axle, but the rest of the time the 2008 Grand Caravan offers a smooth, only slightly ponderous ride. It’s also quiet on the road; the only thing I could hear at 70mph was the clunking of our cargo. It feels like a beast of burden, but not like a work truck. Anti-lock brakes are standard.

For its last trick, I took the Grand Caravan shopping. At the mall, the boxy new look stands out from the minivan herd. Thanks to the widened upper section, the Grand Caravan is much more squared off than before. A high beltline and prominent hood also set it apart, and it looks like a brick compared to the softly-curved previous model. That said, it looks more modern as well; the new face and character lines are in keeping with Dodge’s current family look. In fact, it looks somewhat ungainly, but then minivans aren’t about winning beauty contests, they’re about tackling urban errands and tasks, and the 2008 Grand Caravan does so very adeptly.

It won’t carry a queen-sized mattress (that’s what the roof rack is for) but the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan can and will do just about anything else you care to ask of it. Call it a “mom taxi” if you want; there’s a reason that these versatile vehicles in general, and the Grand Caravan in particular, are still popular out in the ‘burbs. The Grand Caravan SXT stickers for $26,885. My tester featured heated front and second-row seats, a rear backup camera, the halo lighting kit, a DVD entertainment system and SIRIUS satellite radio and stickered for $31,830.

Specifications:

All specs are for the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT

Length: 202.5 in.

Width: 78.7 in.

Height: 68.9 in.

Wheelbase: 121.2 in.

Curb weight: 4483 lb.

Cargo space: 32.3 cu.ft. (all seats up); 83.0 cu.ft (third row folded); 144.3 cu.ft. (all seats folded)

Base price: $26,895

Price as tested: $31,830

Engine: 3.8 liter OHV V6

Drivetrain: six-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive

Horsepower: 197 @ 5000

Torque: 230 @ 4000

Fuel capacity: 20.0 gal.

Est. mileage: 16/23