MAKE WAY FOR MINIVAN
Dodge Grand Caravan delivers family-mover promise
The Dodge Grand Caravan has not changed much from the 2012 model year, though it remains one of the most familyfriendly vehicles out there and a perennial favorite in the pared down minivan category.
The Grand Caravan comes in four trims: SXT, SE, Crew and R/T. All offer the roomy spaces and convenient storage units that make the minivan so accommodating for families, and moving people and things simply. The most impressive thing for me is the ease with which the Grand Caravan goes from a seven-passenger people mover to an all-seats-folded-down mode, where items from the hardware store could be stacked.
Exterior looks for the Grand Caravan are what you would expect, bulky, somewhat boxy in shape and riding a bit taller than an SUV. Truth is, to offer the big interior spaces inside, the Grand Caravan must reach far and wide to accommodate, which it does inside the cabin.
One thing you will love about the Grand Caravan is the easy step-in height, hardly any effort at all to slide into the front or rear seating areas. The power-sliding doors on my Crew tester made entry and exit quick and effortless.
At a base price of $28,595 my Crew tester featured plenty of power for windows, mirrors, door locks, seat adjustments (eightway), and pedal adjustments. It doesn’t take long to get comfortable and in the right position to manage driving such a large vehicle.
My tester had the Driver Convenience package ($895) with heated first- and second-row seats and steering wheel, UConnect voice command and Bluetooth streaming audio. It does take a bit of time to heat up the minivan in the cold months, and the heated seats are a huge plus in convenience.
Steering wheel-mounted audio controls allow the driver to keep eyes on the road, while the 6.5-inch touchscreen display is big and easy to see.
The best feature in the Grand Caravan is the Stow ’n Go second- and third-row seating, which makes beefy, comfortable, full-size seats disappear completely into the floor as independent seats or if all are put away a, huge storage space.
The second-row seats slide back-and-forth to allow for adjustments in legroom for the rear passengers. Massive storage bins in the floor in front of the seats can accommodate anything a family might be looking to get out of the way. This is where the seats disappear when you release the lever on the floor and the seat tumbles effortlessly into the cubby.
The brilliance of the Grand Caravan is still in its ability to haul and meet family needs. The optional power liftgate is part of the Crew Package upgrade and it is an essential for a minivan family and parents wishing for that extra hand in the parking lot. The package also includes a rear backup camera, Stow ‘n Place Roof Rack, a rechargeable safety light, remote start and security alarm.
The Grand Caravan features a 3.6-liter V6 24-valve VVT engine (283 horsepower) mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Acceleration is more than adequate for this bulky van as well as a slight adjustment period to braking distance. The Grand Caravan’s Envi- ronmental Protection Agency’s mileage rating is 17/25 miles per gallon city/highway.
Riding in the Grand Caravan is a pleasure, from minimal cabin noise and great visibility to reasonable handling on all road conditions. Surprisingly, I found little body roll when turning the van and most maneuvers were done with ease, given the size of this vehicle.
On the safety side, the Grand Caravan has standard antilock brakes, an electronic stability system, traction control, dual front airbags, dual side-impact airbags for the front seats and side curtain airbags for all three rows.
Child-safety seats have plenty of options for any configuration of rear-facing, forward-facing and/or booster seats. The second-row captain’s chairs each have their own set of Latch anchors.
The Dodge Grand Caravan is all it claims.