cars news 10: 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan First Drive: Not Dead Yet!

Most of us presumed that the arrival of Chrysler’s shiny, new, high-tech Pacifica minivan would deal a death blow to Dodge’s Grand Caravan. After all, these days most dealers sell both brands, so why bother rebadging a Dodge? Well, it turns out that A) the new Pacifica is a bit too fancy to play at a mid-$20s price point, B) thanks to a flexible manufacturing system and skilled workforce, the old and new minivans can easily be built alongside each other, and C) the old van still makes a reasonably convincing argument for itself with available second- and third-row Stow ’n Go seating and almost the same Pentastar V-6. (Lower compression and the lack of variable intake-valve lift drop the Dodge’s output 4 hp and 2 lb-ft.) So Dodge’s minivan is, in the immortal words of Monty Python, “not dead yet.” It’ll likely get clubbed in the head and tossed on the cart long before the Pacifica is due for a refresh, but for 2017 and maybe a bit beyond, it’s very much alive and is getting some trim series and standard features rejiggering.

In an interesting pricing move, Dodge increased the 2016 Grand Caravan pricing by $1,000 very late in the model year, perhaps to minimize the apparent price rise of the 2017 model. As for the model realignment, an entry-level American Value Package model that’s been offered for the past few years is gone, leaving the SE model as the base offering with more standard equipment but also an opening price that increases by another $1,400 to $25,990. (The AVP started 2016 at $23,590.) A $2,700 SE Plus package adds more of the most popular optional gear (second-row Stow ’n Go seats, Uconnect, aluminum wheels, and power second- and third-row windows—those third-row vent windows are not available on the Pacifica). The SXT is next up, and it includes everything that was standard on the 2016 SXT Plus and adds remote start and a security alarm for $31,390 (up $1,100). The sporty R/T range-topper changes its name to GT to align it with other Dodge offerings and opens at $34,390, which now includes the convenience package content as standard equipment (a former $995 upcharge for heated wheel and seats, auto-dimming mirror, Uconnect streaming audio, sunshades, USB ports, etc.).

Obviously those top two Grand Caravan offerings overlap the bottom of the Pacifica price scale (it starts at $29,590). By opting for the Dodge, buyers will get more package content and a sportier look and feel with the GT. That sportiness is mostly styling, however. Trim that is chrome on other models gets blacked-out, the headlamp surrounds are black, and the grille surround is body color. As far as actual performance and handling capability are concerned, all Pacifica variants get wider tires (235/65R17s on the base model versus the Grand Caravan GT’s 225/65R17s, and the Pacifica offers more aggressive 18s and 20s). Our first Pacifica Limited test car handled rings around our last GT-matching Grand Caravan R/T, stopping from 60 mph 10 feet shorter at 122 feet, providing 0.81g stick on the skidpad to the Dodge’s 0.70 g, and—with the help of its nine-speed automatic and multilink rear suspension—circulating our figure-eight course in 27.3 seconds to the Dodge’s 29.2.

Taking a spin in both the 2017 Grand Caravan GT and a 2017 Pacifica, the biggest first impression you get is that the older van is noisier inside. At least the engine sounds coming in are of high quality and serve to augment the sporty visuals. The body structural integrity feels a generation old, but that’s more of a compliment to the Pacifica than a major ding on the Caravan, which is still pretty stout. And although they can’t match the big numbers the Pacifica’s dubs managed, at least the Dodge’s Pirelli P Zero Neros hang on without audible protest. The ride quality on some of the most scabrous road surfaces suffers by comparison, due largely to the limitations of the Dodge’s rear leaf-sprung suspension. And on some tight, twisting stretches, it’s clear that having nine gear ratios to choose between improves the odds of selecting one that’s optimal for corner exits. On the other hand, some buyers might not be ready to sign on for long-term ownership of a nine-speed automatic, given some of the teething problems that have plagued earlier applications such as the Jeep Cherokee, and for these folks, the comfort of a tried-and-true six-speed could understandably increase the appeal of the Dodge. Just know that such a decision will cost you at the pump, where the Pacifica trumps the Grand Caravan by 1 mpg in the city and 3 mpg on the highway.

Chrysler invented the modern minivan and has long been a center of minivan excellence, and if the Pacifica is the best one on the market, then its predecessor isn’t that far back in the pack. Having said that, if you can afford a Pacifica, buy one. If you can’t, by all means look long and hard at an SE or SXT. But at current pricing, I’d be arguing pretty hard with Eric Idle’s Dead Collector character to bop the SXT and GT on the head and take them to the mass grave now.

2017 Dodge Grand Caravan
BASE PRICE	$25,990-$34,390
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, FWD, 7-pass, 4-door van
ENGINE	3.6L/283-hp/260-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6
TRANSMISSION	6-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT	4,500 lb (mfr)
WHEELBASE	121.2 in
LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT	203.7 x 78.7 x 69.0 in
0-60 MPH	7.9 sec (MT est)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	17/25/20 mpg
ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY	198/135 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.98 lb/mile
ON SALE IN U.S.	Fall, 2016