Minivans have always been the most practical way to get your family across town or across the country.

But they've recently evolved far beyond the basic box-on-wheels we once knew to become rolling theaters and living rooms.

The best minivans drive very much alike, provide all of the same comprehensive safety equipment and have backseats that fold flat into the floor. They also deliver about the same fuel efficiency.

That means the choice really comes down to what you want most: overall quality and performance, the most up-to-date comfort and convenience features or a low price.

Do you want the most refined, most stylish minivan? It's the Honda Odyssey. The minivan with the latest, greatest amenities? Look no further than the Dodge Grand Caravan. The best value without sacrificing comfort or safety? Go for the Kia Sedona and you can save thousands.

With minivan sales suffering because of gas prices and the economy, you can expect to pay less than the sticker prices we quote below. Here's where to find all of the rebates and cut-rate loans currently available.

Honda Odyssey

Odyssey has been widely regarded as the best minivan for years now, and with good reason.

It's roomy, efficient and offers superb power and handling. It's also the best-looking minivan around, a combination of minimalist detailing and sharp, crisp lines.

Inside, there are the good-looking materials that keep Honda a cut above the competition. The interior delicately toes the line between luxury appointments and the durability required of surfaces kids can despoil with all manner of food, drink and general crud. The Odyssey also has a well-deserved reputation for one of the most functional and well-designed instrument panels around.

Honda's famous for engines, too, and the Odyssey's 3.5-liter V6 continues to be the best in any minivan. The system that shuts down some of the cylinders when they aren't needed to save fuel has been improved; it sometimes runs on just three cylinders. Combine that with the seamless standard five-speed automatic transmission and enjoy 17 m.p.g. in the city and 25 m.p.g. on the highway.

We recommend the EX-L version, with satellite navigation and nicely designed DVD entertainment system for the rear seats, at $37,575. This package also includes a rearview camera -- a feature we wouldn't do without -- that really removes the guesswork from reversing such a big box.

Yes, we're concerned about a minivan price that's breathing on $40,000. And there's no doubt the Odyssey costs markedly more than Dodge's Grand Caravan and lacks the Grand's versatile seating options.

But the Honda is a high-quality piece with rewarding driving behavior that pays down that price premium day after day. And, of course, Honda resale values are legendary, so chances are you'll get a lot of the Odyssey's price premium back come trade-in time.

Dodge Grand Caravan

The Caravan has some amazing features you won't find on its competitors.

There's a soft LED "glow ring" around the headliner to provide soft ambient lighting, a backseat TV system from Sirius satellite radio that streams three channels of youngster-oriented television and the novel Swivel 'N Go seating that allows the second row bucket seats to turn rearward to face the third row seats, creating an interactive passenger section complete with a folding table. A special fabric treatment called YES Essentials repels stains and odors, and works as advertised.

The new styling is a little blocky, but in a chic sort of way. It's not exactly daring, but the shape quietly endears itself by being clean and simple without being boring.

Dodge minivans offer more options than a Chinese restaurant, so the best thing to do is pick the version you like best and select, a la carte, the features that suit your family's needs.

The sticker price for a Grand Caravan with our choice of options is about $1,000 less than last year.

Start with the Grand Caravan SXT and the L option package and pay an extra $630 to get the 4-liter V6 and standard six-speed automatic transmission. You'll get a more-than-respectable 17 miles per gallon in the city and 25 m.p.g. on the highway -- welcome upgrades of 1 m.p.g. in the city and 2 m.p.g. on the highway compared with last year.

Once you've got that, at a price of $30,960 -- the SXT L includes leather seats, no less -- you can add the dual-screen DVD entertainment package for $2,200 that also nets the wonderful backup camera. But you must add $495 if you want the Sirius TV service.

The only other major choice to consider is Swivel 'N Go for $495. If that doesn't suit your needs, specify the excellent Stow 'N Go that allows the second-row seats to fold into the floor, just like the third-row seat.

Get all those features and you've got a minivan that's as much limousine as everyday hauler for $33,665, including destination charges.

Want all of this in a little more luxurious package? The Chrysler Town & Country is an upscale version of the Caravan.

Kia Sedona

The Sedona is a great buy.

A top-of-the-line Sedona EX starts at just $27,290. Totally loaded, you're out of the showroom at $32,390, including the destination charge.

That's just a few hundred bucks less than the Grand Caravan (which has many more features, admittedly) but an enormous $5,000 less than the Honda Odyssey.

Apart from name recognition, you're giving up virtually nothing.

The Sedona is truly cavernous inside -- about the same as the Odyssey, a little smaller than the gigundo Grand Caravan -- and the Sedona has standard antilock brakes, full-coverage side air bags, traction control and stability control, just like its pricier competitors.

All Sedonas use a gutsy 3.8-liter V6 and refined five-speed automatic transmission that deliver 16 m.p.g. city and 23 m.p.g. highway -- just a couple m.p.g. less than the Dodge and Honda.

Start with a top-of-the-line Sedona EX and add the Premium Entertainment Package to get, among other features, the rear-seat DVD system. Select that, and you must also opt for the $1,000 Power Package that opens the side doors and liftgate automatically and the $2,400 Luxury Package that includes leather seats, a backup warning system -- no full-fledged backup camera -- and plenty of other comfort items.

Want to save even more? If your family doesn't yearn for built-in entertainment, you can pick either the Power Package or Luxury Package individually, getting the price under 30 grand.

As the lack of backup camera proves, the Sedona isn't the minivan with the mostest. But it's a fine choice if you can survive without the numerous features and somewhat superior refinement of the Dodge and Honda.

If a Kia dealership isn't handy and you're closer to a Hyundai showroom, everything pretty much applies to Hyundai's Entourage. It's mechanically identical to the Sedona, with a few cosmetic differences (mostly a different grille) and similar pricing.

By Bill Visnic

Interest.com Contributing Editor