The Chrysler minivans offer safe power passenger sliding doors and a power-operated rear liftgate, unique to the Chrysler vans at this time. It will reverse in either direction on even the slightest contact with an object. Imagine the convenience of this power door in a rainy grocery parking lot. The Chrysler minis are America's best-selling vans, and they are more than adequate.

But if safety and convenience top your list, then you want to buy the leader among minivans-the Honda Odyssey. The Odyssey tops virtually every list as the best minivan made. I wouldn't disagree. It has all the expected features and trumps other minivans with a unique flip-and- fold-away third row seat.

Since minivans are family haulers, pile on as many safety features as are available. You want anti-lock brakes, traction control or all-wheel drive, side air bags or head curtains. If it's offered, buy it. An average driver will be in an accident once every 10 years. How well that driver and the precious occupants fare will be determined in no small part by the safety of the vehicle involved. Reward manufacturers who make safety a priority.

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EAST OF I-75 HOMESTEADER

If John T. Malloy had written "Drive for Success," chances are trucks wouldn't have rated a chapter. Yesterday's trucks didn't deserve one. They were dreadful work vehicles, with banged-up pickup beds stained with manure and seats with springs protruding from the pounding passengers were given. Bib coveralls with four wheels.

It's a different story today. It's possible to spend $55,000 on a Lincoln Blackwood pickup truck that offers an interior worthy of any luxury sedan. Cadillac has a truck. Cadillac?

But to make a statement, there are two trucks worth your consideration: the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Harley-Davidson Ford F-150. Oh, boy, are they fun.

Let's begin with the Lightning, the easy choice if performance is important. The Lightning is the sole Muscle Truck being offered today. Under its hood is a supercharged V8 that rockets this full-size pickup from 0-to-60 in sports car time. There are very, very few vehicles of any kind that can keep pace with a Lightning. And it's a truck!

The Lightning is the product of a Ford division called SVT, Special Vehicle Team. These creative folks take regular Ford products-a Mustang, Focus, F-150-and modify them for all-out performance considerations. They rework everything-engine, brakes, suspension-to assure a balanced performance vehicle.

The Lightning is their most pleasant offering. It comes with an automatic transmission and is very easy to drive slowly, unlike some other performance models. But press the accelerator and you'll hear a rising whine as the supercharger forces more compressed air-fuel into the engine. In about seven seconds, you're well beyond any legal speed on any highway with posted limits in America.

The Ford F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in America. Period. Has been for 12 years now. And the Lightning is the ultimate Ford F-150.

But after driving the Harley-Davidson Ford F-150 special edition, my affection has shifted. The Harley truck-only in black and festooned with Harley details large and small-doesn't have the performance emphasis of the Lightning. It emphasizes comfort and uniqueness. It's a luxury truck, in fact, that coddles the few who can afford it and find it appealing. Yet it has the same utility as any truck.

No truck I've tested has had the "curb appeal" of the Harley-Davidson model. It drew admiring comments everywhere it stopped. And it seems to have inspired the pricier Lincoln Blackwood. You want to turn heads? Take the Harley and save $20,000.

PENTHOUSE-DWELLING PATRON OF THE ARTS

A successful life has its rewards. Feeling good about yourself and your accomplishments is all well and good, but it's okay to let the world in on your story. You can do that with the one vehicle brand that stands tallest among successful people-Mercedes-Benz.

Now, there are numerous truly impressive luxury cars. Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Cadillac, Lincoln, Jaguar, BMW, Audi. All excellent. There is not a one, however, that conveys the instant status of a Mercedes-Benz.

Malloy might understand that a Mercedes-Benz-white, black or silver-is the navy-blue suit of cars, albeit the finest navy blue suit money can buy. It will wear well on you no matter the destination of your journeys.

But which Mercedes-Benz model? There are many, including a new small C-series coupe selling for under $30,000. Still, let's move you to where you belong, the head of the class. You want an S-series.