Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Video highlights of this vehicle

While this month saw the Dodge Grand Caravan in the hands of Consumer Advice Editor Philip Reed, the van was frequently used by other staff members for its intended purpose: hauling things around.

First, the van was employed to transport the Edmunds.com's Most Wanted trophies to a gala awards banquet in Long Beach, Calif. Phil removed three of the seats and stowed them at his house. It was his first experience removing the seats, and he found it exceptionally easy to take them out of the van. However, transporting the seats to a safe storage spot proved much harder because of their substantial weight and ungainly shape.

"The designers apparently knew this would be a problem," he wrote in the logbook, "because they installed a carrying handle on the two mid-row seats. This is somewhat helpful, as are the small wheels underneath them. If you're on a smooth surface (a garage floor, for example) you could roll them into a corner. However, since I had to go up steps, it didn't help much."

Reinstalling the seats proved a little tricky at first, Phil reported. By the second time around, he got the hang of it. "If I owned the van and did this several times a year, I think I could get it lined up and in place without a struggle," he noted. "However, you are forced to crawl inside and scrunch into awkward positions to accomplish the task."

Road Test Editor Liz Kim also used the van for hauling stuff as she left the nest and moved into her own place. "I snagged the Grand Caravan for my big move. But first things first; I had to remove three of the seats so that I could load my stuff. Couldn't go at it alone, though; I had to enlist the help of my old pal Christian Wardlaw, because I could barely lift the seats off the ground, let alone hold them laterally. I'm not too independent-minded to admit my weaknesses. With the two rear bench seats and one of the second-row captain's chairs removed, the Grand Caravan handily swallowed all my earthly belongings.

"The move was completed within four trips back and forth from my former abode. My bookcases, mountainous piles of clothes and 14 boxes of books, configured in various ways, were engulfed in the vast chamber of the Caravan. Plus, it could carry a large plastic dolly, something that could definitely not fit in a sedan.

"With my arms full of cardboard boxes, I appreciated the power liftgate, which meant that I didn't have to put my stuff on the wet grass to close the thing. Furthermore, the power gates came in handy during security checks on the way into work; as of late, we've had to show our IDs, wait for the security guard to look with his dentist's mirror underneath the car and open up the cargo area to make sure that we aren't terrorists. All the guards were impressed with the cargo door that opens automatically.

"All in all, I was really glad to have access to the DGC; I wouldn't have wanted to take charge of the monstrous long-term GMC Sierra that used to be the de facto moving van for the editorial staff. For people who have a lot of stuff to carry around, but still need a reasonably sized and easy-to-drive vehicle, nothing beats a minivan."

Moving on to other topics, Phil noted that with two boys and many domestic duties (not to mention trips to the lumberyard for weekend projects), he fits the target market for the Grand Caravan. The Dodge was a big hit with his family, especially his 15-year-old jazz musician son who was continually slinging his horn into the back and loading up the CD changer.

Phil especially appreciated the van as a daily commuting vehicle. He carpools with a friend and during the early morning pickup, the automatic doors worked overtime as they rolled back to allow easy access for loading up — and later retrieving — briefcases, laptops and tennis bags. He invited his carpool partner to work her side of the climate controls herself and soon she was comfortable tweaking the temperature levels and cranking up the heated seats on cold mornings.

Another feature that Phil came to like was the removable center storage bin with its two doors — one that opens forward providing a plastic holster, with rubber grippers, for a cell phone. There's even a power outlet inside the storage unit so the recharging cord doesn't annoyingly string across the front seat. However, at one point the plastic holster popped out of place and Phil was baffled about how to reattach it. He finally removed the entire storage unit and set it on a desk for examination.

"Once I saw how to reinstall the plastic dingus, it was no problem," he wrote, worrying that he was overemphasizing a small problem. "But it had me fooled for 10 minutes, and the owner's manual was little help. However, it gave me a chance to take out and reinstall the storage unit, which proved to be very easy. And unlike the seats, it's light and easy to move around."

On the open road, the DGC delivers exceptionally smooth power. As Contributing Editor Erin Riches noted in September, there is a hesitation on downshifts, but otherwise Phil felt that the transmission shifted smoothly, and the engine always seemed to have adequate torque. "Most commuters, and around-town drivers, would find the power to be surprisingly good," Phil wrote. "And the handling for a large vehicle is decent, providing both a comfortable ride and a sure-footed feeling of maneuverability."

In one instance, however, Phil noted a sudden, rough downshift that produced a strong bump as the tranny settled into first. "By itself it wasn't much," he wrote. "But I just hope this isn't a sign of developing trouble."

There were two other minor problems noted during a month of continual use. At times, while parallel parking, there was an occasional hum through the steering column. It could have come from the power steering unit or the tires scrubbing across the pavement. Also noted was an intermittent ticking from the steering assembly as if there was a little play in the unit. We will look into these issues at the next scheduled service.

While the van has some critics on staff, Phil is not one of them. His only concerns are long-term reliability and the high price we paid for this loaded ES. While the Honda Odyssey is stickered lower than this van, that coveted model is marked up and hard to find. If you have a patriotic leaning — and who doesn't feel such stirrings these days — buy the Grand Caravan and save your money on financing.

Current Odometer: 22,320
Best Fuel Economy: 19.9 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.7 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 18.6 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: Occasional buzzing/vibration in the steering column while parking