Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Great Value & Practical Buy - 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Kevin Haskins - November 14 - 12:37 am

  We have owned two Caravans before this one so we are familiar with the line. I had one of the originals as a company car in 1986. We bought a base model Caravan in 1999 when starting our family. It was then a great value in a new vehicle and we drove it up until 3-years ago when the cost of fixing it was greater than the value of the vehicle. That was the 4-cylinder model with a 3-spd tranny and we put about 175,000 miles on it before its useful life ended (14-years). During that time we replaced one transmission, a couple timing belts and otherwise just normal upkeep. We bought a used one 3-years ago that was a 2005 with 90,000 miles on it because we needed a vehicle in a hurry. I only changed oil, tires and brakes on that one but the engine light started coming on (rich fuel mixture) and the transmission started doing its goofiness at about 120,000 miles. So... with the big rebates on the 2016 I took it in and exchanged it for the base model 2016. I had bought it for $5500 and got $1200 on the trade so $1433/year to drive wasnt bad. Base models sure have changed in 17-years. I feel like the base model vehicle has everything I wanted and at $16,971 after rebates, I feel it has very good value over the estimated 15-year lifespan of the vehicle. The fuel economy is actually worse than our 4-cylinder but not enough to sour me on the engine. The storage and the stow-n-go seats really make for maximum usable space and capacity. Obviously our reliability experience is minimal since we have only owned it a month. I do know that the quality differences between manufacturers have greatly narrowed. Where the Japanese machines used to have commanding quality advantages the differences are much less now. I also like to buy models that are mature and this vehicle certainly qualifies in that this is the 8th year without meaningful platform changes on the model. If you look at the reported defects/service visits on one of the online resources it shows that Dodge has improved dramatically from the earlier model years (2008, 2009) in terms of initial quality. The maintenance requirements are also drastically lower compared to older vehicles. You change the oil, tires and brakes and there is no more timing belt. The transmission is sealed and pushes out the first service to 120,000 miles, plugs @ 100,000. I think Ill preempt those numbers slightly but overall that decreases the cost of driving. Everyone who rides in it comments on how nice it is but that is the case with most new vehicles. It is a minivan, not a Porsche so I set my expectations accordingly. It drives well for extended trips, low road noise and I think the front seats are the best Ive ever seen in a vehicle. They are exceptionally comfortable. The transmission is a 6-spd which is a dramatic difference from the older vehicles. I dont know how it rates vs. the Japanese or S. Korean rivals because I didnt drive them but it strikes me as a perfectly acceptable driving experience for a minivan. I own Hyundai and a Chevy as other vehicles so I dont have a brand loyalty other than I buy mainly for value. The Dodge was $9,000 less than the nearest competitor that I could buy. Whatever flaws it may or may not have are easily overcome by that price delta. Resale value.... it doesnt hold up as good as the Honda or Toyota. But Id focus on the cost to drive, not absolute resale value. Look at the delta in price rather and consider sales tax, insurance and financing cost in the equation. If you plan to turn a vehicle over every 3-years then Id do the math using data from current model vehicles that are on the market and compare buying one vs. the other. If you buy and hold a vehicle I dont see how resale value matters.

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  Sa far so good - 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By John Kowal - September 11 - 2:43 am

  Lots of cargo space. Love black package. Great engine Poor transmission shifting, vibrations and hard shifting from drive to patk or to reverse

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  Great value - 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Wayne Leonard - July 11 - 2:52 am

  I have owned 7 new caravan/ Town and country minivans,never had a problem.

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  Had so called "better" Sienna and Odyssey... - 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By matt florczyk - February 8 - 4:31 pm

  The most car for your $!!!, I had both Sienna and Odyssey, and the front seats are for very small people, another question: who needs a build in vacuum cleaner when most garages have a shop-vac just in front of the car. If one have to own something else then Chrysler product I still recommend Toyota Sienna without the leather interior. But if looking for fastest (0-60 in 7.2 seconds) and still the best in the minivan class Dodge AVP/SE Plus with option 29Q is the best value for your $ !!! I wonder if the Gentlemen writing bad story about Dodge front seats ever sit in one...???

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  Bias Review - 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Will - April 24 - 11:20 am

  Generally, I trust Edmunds for good reviews. I do, however, feel that Edmunds bias towards the Dodge Grand Caravan. We looked at the Odyssey, Sienna, and Kia Sedona. The odyssey at the price we purchased the fully loaded model R/T DGC blows the odyssey out of the water. The Sienna is a goofy, heavy, unattractive minivan with expensive models. The Sedonas second-row​ captains chairs cant be removed, so it is sort of comical that they bash and go after the DGC for its outdated or design, when it has amazing cargo space, and very handy stowngo features. I have a hard time trusting Edmunds anymore.