By Cars.com Staff
Cars.com National September 1, 2009Vehicle Overview
The Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country twins are the last remaining minivans offered by an American automaker. The minivan-originator, the Grand Caravan, is offered in two trim levels, SE and SXT, with a long list of interior, exterior and mechanical options.
New for 2010
There are no significant changes for 2010.
Exterior
The Grand Caravan was redesigned for 2008, and it retains the traditional, box-ish van appearance. There is an optional roof rack.
- Standard body-colored handles, front/rear bumpers and moldings; optional body-colored mirrors
- Standard heated/foldaway mirrors
- Standard 16-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers
- Optional 16-inch aluminum wheels
- Optional 17-inch aluminum wheels
- Optional dual power-sliding doors
- Optional power liftgate
Interior
The Grand Caravan's maximum seating capacity is seven, which is probably the only truly comfortable, workable number even in vans and SUVs with eight positions. Having succeeded in the past thanks in part to the strength of its Stow 'n Go second-row seats — which fold into the floor — Dodge also brings you optional Swivel 'n Go: second-row captain's chairs that rotate 180 degrees to face the third row. The Grand Caravan offers power-folding 60/40-split third-row seats with one-touch operation, up and down. Dodge has integrated dual child seats in the second-row bench, and there's an optional integrated booster for larger kids offered with Swivel 'n Go. Neither is available with Stow 'n Go seating.
There are more storage nooks, pockets and bins than ever, including a dual glove compartment. The floor console between the front seats has removable, dishwasher-safe cupholders. An optional console has many sliding drawers that can open individually or together, including from the backseat.
The seats come in two configurations: Standard Stow 'n Go second-row captain's chairs and a 60/40-split manual-fold third row, or Swivel 'n Go second-row captain's chairs that can turn to face the manual-fold third row. A power-folding third row is optional.
- Standard Stow 'n Go second-row captain's chairs
- Standard power locks, mirrors and windows in the front and sliding side doors
- Standard dual glove boxes
- Standard stain-resistant cloth seats with optional leather
- Optional leather-wrapped shifter knob and steering wheel with audio controls
- Optional Swivel 'n Go seating
- Optional 9-inch overhead TV monitors for the second and third rows (third-row monitor swivels)
- Optional hands-free communication system and remote start
- Optional voice-activated navigation and/or audio system (including touch-screen, voice commands, 30GB hard drive and navigation radio)
Under the Hood
The Grand Caravan comes with three available V-6 engines. The standard 3.3-liter V-6 comes with a four-speed automatic transmission, while the larger engines come with a six-speed automatic.
All models get a revised braking system that reduces noise vibration and the harshness of the braking system.
- Standard 175-horsepower, 3.3-liter V-6 with 205 pounds-feet of torque
- Optional 197-hp, 3.8-liter V-6 with 230 pounds-feet of torque
- Optional 251-hp, 4.0-liter V-6 with 259 pounds-feet of torque
- Standard four-speed automatic transmission with 3.3-liter
- Six-speed automatic transmission standard with larger V-6 engines
Safety
The Grand Caravan offers two rare safety features for the minivan segment. One is a blind spot warning system that notifies drivers of passing vehicles using icons in the side mirrors and a driver-selected audible chime. The other is a rear cross-path warning system that alerts the driver to oncoming traffic while backing out of a parking space.
- Standard side curtain airbags for all three rows of seats
- Standard antilock brakes
- Standard electronic stability system and traction control
- Standard Smart Key that immobilizes the engine in an attempted theft
- Optional parking assist and rear backup camera
- Optional rain-sensing wipers
Additional Reviews
Cars.com Expert Reviews
| David Thomas | Cars.com National | August 16, 2010 |
| Bill Jackson | Cars.com National | December 30, 2009 |
| Cars.com Staff | Cars.com National | September 1, 2009 |
Affiliate Reviews
| Courtney Messenbaugh | Mother Proof | October 8, 2010 |
| G. Chambers Williams III | Star-Telegram.com | April 22, 2010 |
| Tom Strongman | KansasCity.com | April 2, 2010 |
People Who Viewed This Car Also Viewed
Closest Dealers Listing this Car
Featured Services for the Dodge Grand Caravan
- Sell your current car quickly and easily on Cars.com.
