Dodge Grand Caravan

The Dodge Caravan is a minivan designed and distributed by Chrysler Group LLC, released originally in 1984. It was produced to primarily target families, and is sold under Chrysler’s Dodge brand. Since 2008, it has been sold under the Grand Caravan name. The Dodge Grand Caravan received a 7.5 rating from U.S. News, and ranked a pedestrian 4^th out of 6 total minivans. While it offers the lowest starting price in its class, critics have a hard time recommending it for any other reason.

Performance

The Grand Caravan gets up and down reviews from critics for its performance, and received a mediocre 7.4 rating from U.S. News. It comes with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that generates 283 horsepower, and is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The EPA estimates that the  Grand Caravan gets 17 mpg for city driving and 25 mpg for highway driving. The engine is responsive, but is not smooth, and vibrations can be felt when accelerating quickly. Some reviewers say the Grand Caravan has too stiff a ride for a minivan, and has too much body lean in its turns.

Interior

Unfortunately for the Dodge Grand Caravan, the interior is not much better than the performance. U.S. News gives the interior a measly 7.2 rating, and many critics complain that the seats are not comfortable. The standard features are fairly sparse, which helps contribute to its low base price. This makes the Grand Caravan appealing to budget-minded buyers. That is not to say additional features are not available, however. The Grand Caravan AVP has a stereo with an auxiliary input jack, dual zone climate control, power windows and doors, and remote keyless entry. Optional features include multiple USB ports, a rearview camera, Bluetooth, and a rear-seat entertainment system. The Grand Caravan offers 33 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. This increases to 83.3 cubic feet when the third row is folded down, and 143.8 cubic feet when both back rows are folded down.

Pros/Cons

The biggest advantage the Dodge Grand Caravan has over its competitors is the fact that its base price is very cheap. This is because it lacks features and a strong performance, however. Critics have complained that the engine is not as powerful as it needs to be, and that the ride is rough at times. Gas mileage is also low for its class, which is significant considering the unimpressive performance. The transmission gets positive reviews, but the turning radius is far too large, even for a van. Inside, the Grand Caravan loses points for having uncomfortable seats, and because it was built with cheaper material than other competitors. It does have strong cargo carrying abilities, but reviewers have complained about some of the optional tech features, saying they can be difficult to use.

Other Features

The Dodge website lists the base price for the Grand Caravan at $19 995. According to U.S. News, buyers can expect to pay on average somewhere between $20 000 and $29 500. While the Grand Caravan is not the safest minivan available, it does earn excellent scores from both U.S. crash-test agencies, and earned a 9.4 safety rating from U.S. News. It comes with all the base standard features, but buyers have the option of adding automatic headlights, blind-spot monitors, a rearview camera, and parking sensors. Additional features include a USB port for 3G dongles, which turns the Grand Caravan into a WiFi hotspot. Buyers can also choose to add a Blu-Ray DVD entertainment system in the back, which is perfect for keeping young children entertained on lengthy trips.