2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Review and Prices
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Price: $26,500 - $37,000
MPG: 17 / 25 /
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2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Buying Advice
The 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan is the best minivan for you if you want a comfortable seven-passenger vehicle that offers a full complement of the latest in connectivity, convenience, and entertainment.
The 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan should continue with only minor changes at most following a major update for model-year 2011. The update included freshened exterior styling, a handsomely recast interior, and a new 3.6-liter V-6 engine. It should help the 2012 Grand Caravan remain competitive with the 2012 Honda Odyssey and 2012 Toyota Sienna, both of which received full next-generation redesigns for 2011. The 2012 Grand Caravan traces its basic design to model-year 2008, when Chrysler debuted the fifth generation of the original American minivan. The concept dates to model-year 1984, and a cultural revolution that put millions of families in big boxes on wheels. Many buyers of course migrated to SUVs, and later to car-based crossover SUVs. But the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan and its corporate cousin, the 2012 Chrysler Town & Country, will remain available for minivan loyalists who still appreciate what is arguably the ideal mode of family transportation.
Should you wait for the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan or buy the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan? Buy the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The 2012 Grand Caravan should carry over largely unchanged beyond possible new exterior colors and perhaps a minor juggling of feature content among options packages or trim levels to reflect market demand. Otherwise, the 2011 Grand Caravan already has the look, powertrain, and equipment that’ll see this minivan through to its next full redesign, likely in model-year 2014.
2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Changes back to top
Styling: The 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan isn’t likely to change cosmetically after receiving a freshening for model-year 2011. It’ll retain a rectangular profile that not particularly stylish but helps maximize interior space. The 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan’s appearance will also likely continue to differ only modestly from its near twin, the slightly more upscale Chrysler Town & Country. The Grand Caravan will probably retain its large Dodge crosshair grille design with vertical-stack LED tail lamps at the rear as its most distinguishing visual elements.
The 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan exterior and interior dimensions won’t change and it’ll again feature seven-passenger seating and a fairly attractive and functional interior upgraded for 2011 with a new instrument panel, dashboard, and steering wheel, along with higher-quality materials. It will continue with sliding side doors (with power windows) that make ingress and egress in crowded parking lots easier. A large rear liftgate will again facilitate cargo loading and unloading; the rear doors and liftgate should again be optionally power-operated for added convenience.
The 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan model lineup will likely continue in four available trim levels, each successively including additional features. It should again consist of the base Grand Caravan Express, the midline Mainstreet edition, and top-line Crew trim level. It’ll also feature the sportier 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan R/T.
Mechanical: The 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan will continue to share its basic structure, powertrain, and virtually all components with the Chrysler Town & Country. There will still be more similarities than differences between the two models, though Dodge will continue to position Grand Caravan as slightly sportier in style and substance than its Chrysler counterpart, which is traditionally marketed as more luxury oriented. Yet a third version of the same basic minivan has been available as the Volkswagen Routan and will likely continue for model-year 2012.
The 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan will again use the automaker’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine that debuted in the redesigned 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and is finding its way into 13 separate Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep models. In the 2012 Grand Caravan (and 2012 Town & Country), the engine will likely remain at 283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. That stands a good chance of continuing as the highest power rating in the minivan segment. By comparison, the 2012 Honda Odyssey likely will continue with a 248-horsepower V-6 while the 2012 Toyota Sienna returns with a 265-horsepower V-6. A six-speed automatic should remain the 2012 Grand Caravan’s only transmission and will again include a driver-selectable “economizer” mode that changes its shift points to improve fuel economy.
The 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan will remain front-wheel drive, a layout that joins the engine and transmission at the front of the vehicle. This promotes efficient interior packaging and places more weight over the drive wheels, which helps maintain traction on wet roads and in snow. All-wheel drive (AWD) to further improve foul weather performance is apt to remain out of the 2012 Grand Caravan picture, leaving the 2012 Sienna as the only minivan to offer AWD. Virtually all crossover SUVs -- most of which are based on front-drive platforms like minivans and are also popular family vehicles -- offer AWD as standard or optional equipment.
Features: As before, the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan should continue to offer a long list of novel and practical features. Primary among these will be the company’s innovative Stow ‘n Go seating configuration in which the third-row bench seat and second row captain’s chairs fold flat into the floor for flexible and expansive cargo-carrying abilities. When the second row seats are in their upright position they leave dual covered storage bins in the floor, which can be handy for keeping items like cameras and purses out of sight when the vehicle is parked. Also likely to continue will be a one-touch flip-down feature on second-row seats for easier access into the rearmost row, and a power folding option for the third-row seat.
As in the past the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan should continue to offer a variety of entertainment and connectivity features. These will likely include Chrysler’s Uconnect system that combines voice-activated navigation with a premium audio system that incorporates USB/iPod and Bluetooth interfaces and a hard drive for digital media storage. Also expect to see an optional dual-screen DVD entertainment system that will probably again offer a choice of two separate in-vehicle subscription-based satellite TV systems: Sirius Backseat TV with three kid-oriented channels and FLO-TV, which includes multiple sports, news, and entertainment channels.
Also likely to continue as a dealer-installed option will be a device that turns the vehicle into a rolling WiFi hot spot to connect laptop computers, iPads, and other devices to the Internet, albeit requiring a paid data plan. Other noteworthy options will likely include a heated steering wheel to keep the driver’s hands warm in winter, and a large center storage console with ambient blue-green lighting to make finding items easier at night.
As befits a family oriented vehicle, expect the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan’s assortment of safety features to remain plentiful. They’ll likely include standard front-, front-side, and head-curtain airbags that protect outboard riders’ heads in across all three rows of seats in side-impact crashes, along with a knee-height airbag for the driver. Antilock brakes will no doubt remain standard to help the vehicle stop straight and securely, with traction control continuing to provide better grip upon takeoff, and electronic stability control on hand to help prevent the van from fishtailing in severe or sudden handling maneuvers.
A rearview camera will likely remain optional for safer and easier parking, along with a blind spot monitoring system to warn the driver of vehicles he or she might not otherwise see when changing lanes on the highway or backing out of a parking space or garage.
2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Prices back to top
Dodge won’t announce 2012 Grand Caravan prices until shortly before the minivan goes on sale, but they’ll need to be reasonable to remain competitive in what is a relatively narrow but feisty market segment.
Expect the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Express base model to be priced from around $26,500, with the top-line 2012 Grand Caravan Crew model starting around $37,000. In between would be the 2012 Grand Caravan Mainstreet model and the sporty 2012 Grand Caravan R/T. (Bae-price estimate in this review include the manufacturer’s destination fee; Dodge’s fee for the Grand Caravan was running roughly $820.)
2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Fuel Economy back to top
EPA gas-mileage estimates for 2012 models were not released in time for this review, but expect the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan fuel-economy ratings to remain 17/25 mpg city/highway, which is competitive, but probably won’t be class leading.
2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Release Date back to top
The 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan should go on sale in September 2010.
What's next for the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan back to top
The Dodge Grand Caravan is likely to receive its next major revision in model-year 2014. However, the company’s corporate controller, Italy’s Fiat Group, is rushing to revise or replace a flurry of Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep models as quickly and efficiently as possible. It’s also expanding its Fiat and Alfa Romeo brands into the U.S. market. So the precise timing of the next-generation Grand Caravan may be in flux.
Regardless of the timing, don’t expect Fiat/Chrysler management to reinvent the minivan in the process. We’ll likely see revamped styling with perhaps a slightly sleeker roofline at the rear to help make the vehicle look more like a contemporary crossover SUV. Comfort and convenience features should remain plentiful, with flexible seating and a full assortment of entertainment options offered. Expect even more in the way of connectivity with mobile phones and other portable devices, including a new configurable touchscreen array for operating various vehicle systems. A base-model version of a coming Dodge Grand Caravan could come powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine for the sake of improved fuel economy, and a hybrid-powered model could well be part of a future product scenario.
It’s possible that the next-generation minivan design could yield just one version and that would likely be the Dodge Grand Caravan. The fate of the Chrysler Town & Country could depend on whether management decides to take Chrysler further upscale and determines a minivan no longer fits the brand’s luxury-minded image.
Chrysler/Fiat may decide to invest resources into developing a new seven-passenger crossover SUV – perhaps an upscale version of the redesigned and Grand Cherokee-based 2011 Dodge Durango – to replace the Town & Country. We’d like to think the Chrysler brand could retain what’s been one of its mainstays over the last quarter-century, not only for the sake of heritage, but also for the admirable and efficient manner in which a minivan transports passengers in comfort and keeps them engaged and entertained along the way.
2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Competition back to top
Honda Odyssey: The segment leading Odyssey was redesigned for model-year 2011 with distinctive – at least for a minivan -- styling that includes a crisply angled “lightning bolt” beltline. While its 3.5-liter V-6 isn’t the quickest in this class, it’s been the most economical at an estimated 19/28 mpg with the available six-speed automatic transmission. The van’s ride and handling remain first-rate, with a roomy, comfortable, and well-designed interior. Odyssey won’t see another redesign until 2015 at the earliest. Base prices run from around $29,500 to nearly $45,000.
Toyota Sienna: Also benefitting from a major makeover for 2011, Sienna comes with a choice of an adequate 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine or a peppier 3.5-liter V6. Rated fuel economy differs little either way at 19/24 mpg and 18/24 mpg, respectively. The Sienna SE model attempts to enliven the driving experience with a sport suspension and larger wheels and tires. A factory installed power operated Auto Access Seat extends out and down to the curb to accommodate the infirm or elderly. All-wheel-drive is optional and is class exclusive. Sienna’s base-price range is around $30,000-$42,000. It’s likely to stay in its basic form until model-year 2014 or 2015, though a gas-electric hybrid Sienna model could be added to the line for 2012.
Kia Sedona: The value-oriented entry in the minivan market, the Sedona comes powered by a V-6 engine that for 2011 was rated at 271 horsepower and 18/25 mpg. The oldest vehicle in the segment, Sedona isn’t as sophisticated in terms of style or performance as the Odyssey. And it offers fewer fanciful features than the Grand Caravan. But this seven-seater from South Korea’s Ka performs its basic tasks well enough and can be just the ticket for budget-sensitive buyers. Base prices run from about $26,000-$30,500. Sedona’s future is cloudy, and some reports suggest it’ll be dropped from Kia’s lineup after model-year 2013.