Test Drive: 1991 Plymouth Voyager

The minivan segment may be shrinking as crossovers explode in popularity, but the Dodge Caravan is still one of the best-selling vehicles in Canada.

Giving credit where credit is due, the Caravan, along with its twin the Plymouth Voyager, created the minivan segment more than 30 years ago.

With Chrysler launching an all-new minivan, the Pacifica, this year, we thought we'd look back 25 years to the launch of the second-generation Plymouth Voyager, which, just like the Pacifica today, was built in Windsor, Ont.

The biggest difference for 1991 was the addition of a V6 engine, with Graeme Fletcher noting the 3.3-litre "produces a healthy 150 horsepower and 180 lb.-ft. of torque," a far cry from the Pacifica's 3.6-litre V6 that which makes 287 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque.

Another area the 1991 Voyager differs greatly from the upcoming Pacifica is price.

While much has been made of the Pacifica's base price of $43,995, the Voyager Graeme tested priced out at $25,576 in 1991—equal to $39,643 today when adjusting for inflation.

Considering the features today versus those in 1991, a $4,400 price difference isn't outrageous.

All told, Graeme called the restyled Voyager "the minivan by which all others must be judged."

This segment originally appeared on Episode 12 of Motoring 1991.