MOTOR MOUTH
4WD vs. AWD: Here’s what you need to know.
Overview Luxurious minivan with mass appeal
Pros Uconnect system, flexibility/space, overall comfort
Cons Rearward visibility, spotty fit and finish
Value for money Good What would I change? Keep the Dodge derivative in the lineup beyond 2016 Lee Iacocca’s decision to build the original minivan rather than a mid-size pickup truck was nothing short of a stroke of genius — it changed the automotive landscape and saved Chrysler’s bacon when it was launched in 1984.
True, the original was rough around the edges, but subsequent generations, along with the addition of the Grand Caravan in 1987 morphed it into a tried and true performer that can be ordered with as much or as little equipment as required. The constant in all of this is the versatility the Grand Caravan brings to the road.
In this regard little has changed over the years. However, a true innovation arrived in the form of Dodge’s Stow ’n Go seating. Aside from the fact there’s no heavy lifting, it is the seat comfort that continues to defy logic. To fit into the under-floor bins the seat’s components were downsized — everything including the padding. The Crew’s leather seats proved to be surprisingly comfortable, given the tradeoff.
The Grand’s power-sliding side doors and power tailgate gave access to an unprecedented level of flexibility — it went from seven-seat people carrier to cargo van in minutes and it did so without the usual mucking about. According to Dodge there are 81 different seating configurations. One is fishing — tilt the third backwards and it gives somewhere to sit while waiting for a nibble. With all seats in place there are two large storage bins ahead of the middle row seats, a deep well behind the third row seat and 935 litres of storage space. Stow the third row, which is a simple task, and the cargo capacity jumps to 2,359L. Move the front seats fully forward (the only concession to the ease of transformation), lower the middle captain’s seats and the space blossoms to 4,072L. My first apartment had less room!
What goes unsaid is when the need to go back to the passenger format arrives, the seats are aboard and not gathering dust in the garage.
The rest of the cabin is equally well thought through. In particular it’s Dodge’s Uconnect infotainment system and optional navigation. It is, without question, the easiest to use regardless of manufacturer — so easy I flipped between the various infotainment, phone and navigation functions without having to think about it first. The 6.5-inch touch screen also displays the backup camera. It proved to be invaluable — the rearward sightlines are not the best and it’s a long way from the driver’s vantage point to the back bumper.
In terms of the drive, the 2015 Grand Caravan Crew is a very distant relative to the original. Many owners of those early mules still have nightmares about the spotty reliability — namely the wonky transmissions and dreadful engines. Today, it’s Chrysler’s 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 and a six-speed manumatic that provides the pickup. The engine delivers 283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to bring a rewarding turn of speed regardless of the Crew’s load. Acceleration testing pegged the run from rest to 100 kilometres an hour at 8.4 seconds and it returned a six-second run between 80 and 120 km/h. Remarkably it did this while returning surprising fuel economy — a test average of 12.1 litres per 100 kilometres surprised me given the lessthan-aerodynamic form and large V6 engine. For those into economy, there is an Eco button that softens the throttle and forces the transmission to upshift early. It saw very little use during my test.
The touring suspension is on the soft side, which introduces some body roll, but given the fact it has to cover such a broad range of conditions — from just the driver to cushioning the contents of a small apartment — the comfort and overall driving dynamics remain class-leading. Some knock the suspension for becoming harsh on a rutted road — perhaps in Detroit, but I had no complaints. The plus proved to be understeer was minimal, thanks to the P225/65R17 Yokohama tires. Likewise, the vagueness that defines the steering in most minivans was absent. The turn-in is crisp and the on-centre feel reassuring. The combination eliminated the usual minivan wander at highway speeds. More surprising was the fact it remained remarkably stable when blasted by a crosswind.
The Dodge Caravan has ruled the minivan roost since the day it was introduced so many moons ago. Now in its fifth generation, it continues to lead the way. While many manufacturers have tried to keep up with Chrysler’s innovation, not one has succeeded. What surprised me about the Grand Caravan Crew Plus was the fact it brought just about everything the Chrysler Town & Country offers, but for significantly less money. This makes Chrysler’s decision to stop building the Dodge Grand Caravan in 2016 incomprehensible. Consider this: Sales of the GC were up 10.8% in 2014 for a total of 51,759 units. That represents 57.7% of the total minivan market!