The Automobile Association of America (AAA) announced its 2001 Top Car Awards list Dec. 20 at the Washington Auto Show in Washington, D.C., and the all-new 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan drove home with top honors in the minivan category, finishing ahead of numerous competitors including Honda Odyssey, Ford Windstar, Toyota Sienna, Pontiac Montana, Oldsmobile Silhouette and Chevrolet Venture. "Our AAA Top Car Awards were established to help consumers make wise decisions when shopping for a new vehicle," said David Van Sickle, AAA director of automotive and consumer information and editor of AAA's 2001 New Car & Truck Buying Guide. "Our selections hinge on which vehicles offer the greatest combination of performance, safety, design, quality and value. For the minivan category, the 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan finished first in its class." Testing for AAA's New Car & Truck Buying Guide is comprehensive. AAA experts test vehicles under everyday driving conditions. For each review, vehicles are evaluated in 20 different categories including safety, features, comfort and convenience, acceleration and braking, and ride and handling. "Dodge Caravan is the world's best-selling minivan and has been since we introduced the minivan 17 years ago," said Jim Julow, vice president, Dodge Global Brand Center. "We are extremely honored that AAA, one of the country's most trusted and prestigious motorist organizations, has recognized our all-new 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan as a Top Car. This marks the second year in a row that AAA has given the nod to Dodge Caravan." DaimlerChrysler sells approximately 600,000 Dodge and Chrysler minivans worldwide every year and is closing in on the sale of its nine millionth minivan. Dodge sells nearly 350,000 Caravans a year and commands nearly 24 percent of the minivan segment -- the highest of any nameplate. Dodge Caravan and Dodge Grand Caravan are manufactured in St. Louis, Missouri and Windsor, Ontario.