All In The Details: 1995 Mercury Sable Wagon vs 1990 Dodge Caravan C/V

Good morning! Our final Showdown of the year is also the first under our new experimental “make it, take it” rules, which means yesterday’s winner comes back to face a new challenger, and today it’s a bit of a format war as our stalwart Mercury wagon squares off against its natural competitor, the minivan.

I honestly had no idea how you all were going to vote yesterday. The two cars weren’t really comparable, so instead it came down to a question of use: Are you looking for a cheap beater, or for a nice clean weekender? The Stanza is too nice to subject to the grind of daily use, and Taurus/Sable wagons are a dime a dozen, even now. In the end, you focused on the “Shitbox” aspect of the name of the game, and gave a landslide win to the Mercury.

Quite a few of you felt the Stanza was overpriced for what it is, as well, and I don’t really know what to tell you about that. There are more cars considered “classics” available these days than ever before, as the reliable and well-built vehicles of the 1980s and 90s age into the market, which should make them less expensive – but nostalgia always drives up prices, even for a dull little Nissan sedan that is – as of tomorrow – forty years old. (Ouch.)

When the minivan arrived on the scene in the mid-1980s, it quickly took over the station wagon’s place as the preferred family hauler. But even from the beginning, Chrysler and the other pioneers never forgot the “van” part of the formula, and offered their new “garageable vans” in bare-steel, no-window versions just like the big vans. They made a great alternative to a small pickup truck, for tradespeople who wanted more weather protection and security.

Chrysler kept making a cargo version of its venerable Caravan until its first major redesign in the mid-90s, but Caravan C/Vs, as they’re known, are becoming a rare sight these days. Let’s see if you prefer it to the Mercury wagon you already know.

1995 Mercury Sable GS Wagon – $2,400

Engine/drivetrain: 3.0 or 3.8 liter overhead valve V6, four-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Cape Coral, FL

Odometer reading: 113,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives great

I have a specific memory of the Mercury Sable – well, two, actually. The first is that when my mother went looking for her very own first car in 1987, she had her heart set on an Audi 5000, but my dad, penny-pincher that he could sometimes be, insisted that she test-drive a Sable as well. She bought the Audi. The other memory is of driving a first date home in hers after she ended up in no condition to drive, or walk or talk, for that matter. Not a bad car to drive at all, as it turns out – but no, there was no second date.

It annoys me that there is no underhood photo of this car in the ad; the Taurus and Sable were available with either the 3.0 liter “Vulcan” v6, or the “Essex” 3.8 liter. No badges on the exterior tell the tale; you have to pop the hood and look. Neither one is perfect – the Vulcan is a little low on power and the Essex had some head gasket issues, but they’re both generally reliable, as is the AXOD four-speed automatic that’s mandatory with either. And because Ford built a zillion of these, mechanical parts are available anywhere, and will be for a long time to come.

A bigger problem with this particular Sable is that corner of the rear bumper that’s ripped off. Ten years ago, every self-service junkyard in the country would have been brimming with Taurus and Sable wagons, and you probably could have even found one in this light blue to match. Now, the pickings are probably quite a bit slimmer.

Still, for the price, it’s not a bad used car at all. It’s comfy, reliable, and practical – and it has not only a way-back seat, but a light bar across the front! And I can’t think of another station wagon that checks both of those boxes. If you can, please let me know in the comments.

1990 Dodge Caravan C/V – $2,200

Engine/drivetrain: 3.0 liter overhead cam V6, three-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Gastonia, NC

Odometer reading: 160,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives great

Minivans were heralded as the ultimate family vehicle, but practicality for hauling stuff was baked right into the concept from the beginning: hauling a 4×8 sheet of plywood flat on the floor, like a full-sized pickup, was one of Chrysler’s original design requirements. And that was with the standard short-wheelbase version; this long-wheelbase “Grand” version has even more room for work.

This ad is short on photos as well; we only get four, and none of the inside or under the hood. But Dodge wanted to brag about the availability of a six-cylinder engine in the Caravan, so it added a little chrome “V6” badge to the front fender. The six in question is Mitsubishi’s 3.0 liter 6G72, a tough and reliable engine whose reputation is only sullied by a tendency to burn oil at higher mileage. Passenger Grand Caravans had Chrysler’s new and troublesome Ultradrive four-speed automatic, but the C/V stuck with the simple and stout Torqueflite three-speed. I also discovered, while researching these vans, that the C/V was available with the V6 and a five-speed manual. I bet they sold about five of them. It runs and drives well, but the seller says some new steering tie-rod ends wouldn’t go amiss.

Another feature unique to the Caravan C/V is the availability of barn doors in the rear instead of a hatchback-style tailgate. This makes loading and unloading easier for some things, and it eliminates the possibility of the tailgate falling down when those gas cylinders wear out like they always do. It still has a single sliding door on the passenger side; dual sliding doors wouldn’t arrive on the Caravan until the third generation.

It looks great outside, but it was owned by a mobile auto detailing business; a clean car is just good advertising. It’s rust-free, too. I wish we could see inside, but I can see through the windows that it has the typical gray vinyl seats that most cargo vans have. The only information we get about the interior’s condition is that it needs one window regulator replaced – manual crank windows, I’m sure.

Either one of these would make a fine stuff-hauler for weekend projects, without the hassles of an open pickup bed. And they’re both simple and common mechanically, so you can keep them running for a good long while yet. The Sable is more luxurious, but if the Caravan is as clean inside as it is outside, its condition could offset the Sable’s grubbiness. So which one will it be – the family wagon, or the handyman’s van?

(Image credits: sellers)