Used 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan Consumer Reviews
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A lot of shopping
Robert H., 04/07/2016
updated 04/10/2019
2016 Dodge Grand Caravan SE 4dr Minivan (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
77 of 80 people found this review helpful
I did a lot of shopping for this van and am well pleased. I got a great deal on the price [better than the websites suggested would be an excellent deal] and the dealership was one of the best I have ever dealt with. I realize you get what you pay for, and so many of the "convenience" items are missing from my van [power seats, power side doors and liftgate, dvd, etc.] but I decided I did not need them and they would only be something more to eventually break if I kept the van for a lengthy time. I am totally impressed with the bluetooth and satellite radio function, and the seats are tremendously comfortable. My biggest reason for purchasing Dodge was the price break and the stow and go seating. I have the room of a regular size pickup truck bed behind the front seats with all the seats folded into the floor and the seats are easily used or stowed in minutes. I can now take the bicycles on long trips with them being safely stored inside the van. The 283hp is plenty and it will accelerate to highway speed very easily. Obviously a minivan will always look like a minivan, but the Dodge does have a certain rugged look about it with the black grill and crossbars. As an update after one year, I must say that I have had no problems with the minivan. Fuel milage is better than expected and acceleration is very good. The "economy" button that controls the shifting is very useful and helps fuel milage tremendously, and I only turn it off when in heavy traffic or I need quick acceleration. Another update: After 30,000 miles I have had absolutely no issues. I change the oil myself [every 5000 miles] with the owner manual's recommended oil [Pennzoil] and an oil filter from the dealer is surprisingly cheap [less than $10], so I have saved a lot in maintenance. Tire rotation every 10,000 miles. 3 year update: 62,000 miles and no problems. Regular maintenance and new tires. Original brakes are still in very good condition.
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Great Value & Practical Buy
Kevin Haskins, 04/10/2016
updated 10/13/2022
2016 Dodge Grand Caravan American Value Package 4dr Minivan (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
82 of 88 people found this review helpful
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 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 of timing belts, and otherwise just normal upkeep. We bought a used one 3-years ago (2005 model) with 90,000 miles on it because we needed a vehicle in a hurry. I only changed the 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 in 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 wasn't 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 for 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 I'll 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, has low road noise and I think the front seats are the best I've 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 don't know how it rates vs. the Japanese or S. Korean rivals because I didn't 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 don't have 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 been easily overcome by that price delta. Resale value.... it doesn't hold up as good as the Honda or Toyota. But I'd 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 I'd 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 don't see how resale value matters. - 1 Year Update - No change in the above review after 1-year & 13,000 miles of ownership. I've changed the oil and rotated the tires. - 1.5 Year Update No change in the above review. We now have 23,000 miles of ownership and it is going strong. Update 2020: No change in the above review. My wife has put a few beauty marks on it and we are at 57,000 miles now and have swapped out the original tires. I did a tranny service on it at 50,000 miles (only because it was cheap for me to swap fluid/filter - cost like $45) but it continues to be a great buy. Update 2022: No further changes to notate. We are at 70,000 miles now and I've replaced the OEM battery, and other than that wiper blades, oil, and I added a new transmission pan with a drain plug so that I can swap fluid frequently. I added a 2" receiver so that I can tow our little teardrop camper but otherwise she is as reliable as day one. I am thinking about a coolant swap, and changing the plugs isn't a trivial job on the Pentastar. I have another year or two before I need to undertake that.
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25 mpg Highway??????
John W., 09/01/2016
updated 09/05/2017
2016 Dodge Grand Caravan SE 4dr Minivan (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
16 of 16 people found this review helpful
I just drove by myself from GA to AZ. 1918 miles in economy mode and got at worst 28.5 mpg at best 32.2 mpg for an average 29.5 mpg. I'm blown' away!!! The driver seat is too high for my 6'2" body, and the arm rest is 4" too low to be of any use. It's a Dodge so I have no expectations of it being reliable.I like the fact that I can build a bed in the back and still have the all the seats when I get to my destination. I have a bad back and had no problems even without lumbar support. 8/30/17 I just made the trip again and got 29 mpg average. The transmission has started to slip! This is sooner than expected, it's a dodge! I will have to service the transmission soon so it will last longer.
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Great Deal on new DGC R/T in rare options package.
Paul C., 02/06/2017
updated 02/21/2024
2016 Dodge Grand Caravan R/T 4dr Minivan (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
31 of 33 people found this review helpful
Found a new 2016 Black R/T with no integrated dvd system (not needed as kids are grown and have their on PED's) but with a roof rack and the tow hitch pkg., basically what was looking for compared to the Sienna and Odyssey. Looked at the Sienna XLE and SE as that was the comparable trim I wanted. But got my new R/T for about $8K (after mfg. Rebates and dealer discounts) off the window sticker of $35K+ MSRP . The Sienna SE and XLE's MSRP was way over $37K+ and the final price after rebates and discounts would have been around $32K - $33K at best. The only major thing lacking in the R/T compared to the XLE/SE was a moon roof. But for a $5K - $6K savings can live with it. My brother in-law has the 2015 Odyssey, but never really cared for its radical exterior and looks or the interior dash layout and Honda no longer offers roof racks, even on their high end trim models. For various other reasons never considered the Nissan or KIA minivans. The DGC is dated but its body lines and design looks more conventional and clean. Its form and function meets my needs, especially the Stow N Go 2nd and 3rd row seats for cargo conversion and utility that other minivans other than Chrysler's Pacifica lacks. A Pacifica with the trim & options I wanted would have cost around mid $30's plus it's a bit smaller compared to the DGC. The Sienna's 2nd row tiny middle seat would have been useless to me and why pay for something that will never be used. It's also my personal rolling jukebox on wheels as downloaded over 9,000 songs on the 430N radio with Garmin navigation and premium audio with 9 speakers and 500 watts subwoofer. It's a minivan not a sports car so my expectations for how it drives and handle are realistic. My 2007 Mazda 6 with the V6 provides that experience. The R/T trim in Black Pearl with its black accents for the wheels and headlights makes it stand out a bit, looks like a minivan that Darth Vader or Batman would drive. Also found some red colored Dodge, R/T, and Mopar decals on-line to enhance its looks and make it more unique and personalized. UPDATE as of 8/19/2021 Still satisfied with my 2016 DGC as it drives and handles well, no issues, black pearl paint still shines. The check engine light stayed on few weeks ago for about 30 miles then went away, think it was due to some bad gasoline. The MPG is OK (about 14 to17 for local / mixed, 27- 28 on Interstate for long road trips) but could be better. Doesn't get much use as it's our 3rd vehicle for weekend and road trips, the 2020 covid really reduced travel desires. Currently only about 13,800 miles after almost 5 years of ownership, the DGC will serve as my "Old Man" vehicle when my Mazda 6 is conveyed to my kids. Maxed out at over 9,000 downloaded songs on its 430N radio. Updates for the Garmin Navigation system should be free or at least much cheaper considering how much that option cost. The DGC tows a 3,500 lbs. loaded small RV travel trailer OK on the flats and Interstates but struggles a bit on the upgrades and hills, it is at its tow limits. Towing will reduce MPG by about 40% to 50% dependent upon traffic and road conditions. So for my planned future trips to the NP's and mountains out west, 2+ years ago got a used 2008 Ford F-150 crew cab P/U truck with the 5.4 V8 engine. Unless circumstances change, foresee keeping the DGC for about 20 more years until I plan to stop driving altogether, doubt it will ever reach 100K miles total use. 2/20/2024 UPDATE My only complaint with the DGC so far is that it had a minor oil leak at around 19K miles. This was fixed for a $100 deductible through the local Chrysler dealer as I had purchased the lifetime warranty thru FCA shortly after buying the vehicle new. Vehicle is still underused as total miles is only 20.360 miles as of 2/20/2024 for a 2016 that was bought new end of August 2016.
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Bias Review
Will, 05/15/2016
updated 11/17/2017
2016 Dodge Grand Caravan R/T 4dr Minivan (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
52 of 57 people found this review helpful
Updated review. The van has its drawbacks after driving for 12,000+ miles, but they are far from saying do not consider it at all for the last year in production for 2017. The turning radius makes for very difficult parking in tight, crowded parking lots, the infotainment system does not automatically reconnect with your phone once back in the vehicle after turning off. Dodge won’t update the navigation system without purchasing an update which is outrageous. Center interior plastic separating second and third row is too flimsy for my confidence. Getting in and out of the third row of the van is a pain for any sized individual. Flipping the second row seats up only makes for a more difficult situation. Upper storage seems useless without DVD installed. The sliding doors are slow and need to be lubed from time to time. Because of the vans bulky size the tires seem to need refilling quite often. Generally, I trust Edmunds for good reviews. I do, however, feel that Edmunds bias towards the Dodge Grand Caravan. I 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 Sedona's second-row captains chairs can't 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 stown'go features.
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