Back in May (the last time I drove this van) the Jacquot family used it to haul all our crap out to a triathlon in the Valley of the Dirt People where it was very dusty, very sunny and miserably hot. Here we discovered the effectiveness of the DGC's cooling system and the poor heat durability of its rear bumper cover. That was a pivotal day for me and for the van.
With a new baby and the need to carry much baby and triathlon accouterment, I had to acknowledge that the stigma of driving a minivan had been overcome by its utility. And the van showed some of its greatest strengths and greatest weaknesses yet.
Well, it's six months later now and the van has seen many adventures since then. So when I jumped behind the wheel last Friday to head out for another weekend of racing in the dirt I was eager to see how the old girl has held up. The news, as you have read here, isn't great. Perhaps most noticeable is the quality of the van's interior. The rattle factor has increased about three fold since my last experience. And there's no shortage of plastic bits which simply aren't fastened together as they should be.
And, as Niebuhr says, the rear shocks are filled with fish oil which offers little damping at any speed.
Still, short of a Honda Element or Mazda5, I'm hard pressed to find a vehicle that can haul three people, two bikes and a ton of stuff as easily and efficiently as this van. And really, neither of those Japanese rivals comes anywhere near matching the vast expanse of real estate available in the DGC.
And then there's this: My wallet, which rivals George Costanza's at times, fits perfectly in the center console. And I love it when things fit perfectly.
Josh Jacquot, Senior road test editor
the_big_al says:
05:51 PM, 10/ 6/08
so how's that new rear bumper cover holding up??
ahightower says:
07:41 PM, 10/ 6/08
I'm all in favor of driving whatever you want and not having to justify your decision to anyone else. If you only have one kid and like minivan overkill, that's fine with me. But pretty much any station wagon with a bike rack would handle that stuff, drive better, use less gas, and of course look much cooler.
But of course there is much to be said for fitting in all inside, not exposed to the elements. And without really trying to be efficent, just toss it in, there's always room.
firstwagon says:
08:44 PM, 10/ 6/08
As much as I like wagons, I have to admit you can't beat a minivan.
I'm borrowing my Mom's 2001 Caravan this week while I replace a leaky water pump on my Legacy wagon and and I'm reminded how great a vehicle it is when you're looking for practicality and comfort. It has literally twice the interior volume of the Legacy but gets about the same mileage.
The 3.3 is reasonably quiet, smooth and has a nice useful powerband. The Subaru becomes a 2 seater unless I want to remove the 2 car seats all the time but not the minivan. Leave the seats in and still have room for 2 to 3 more.
I can load a squiming kid into the seat without having to worry about dinging the door of the car next to me thanks to those wonderful sliding doors.
So glad I not a shallow image obsessed person. I get to drive whatever I want!!
dragonflight says:
08:45 PM, 10/ 6/08
"Still, short of a Honda Element or Mazda5, I'm hard pressed to find a vehicle that can haul three people, two bikes and a ton of stuff as easily and efficiently as this van."
How about you compare it to cars of the same class, you know, like the Sienna or Odyssey. It's not like they're more reliable, more efficient, or more fun to drive or anything. Oh, and they *must* be smaller, because they're foreign.
dvsutton says:
04:18 AM, 10/ 7/08
I would compare the Dodge Caravan with my wifes Honda Odyssey. But unfortunatley, The Honda is in the shop for more transmission problems. It already has had its trans rebuilt twice in the last 20k miles. It rattles more than any Dodge product I have ever been in. In addition to the rattles, sliding door falling off its tracks, oil leaks, stalling, and arrogant service personal thinking this just happens to everyone and I should take it. Wy can't Honda fix its transmissions to go farther than 30k miles? I should note that I can't trade it due to the negetive equity. So I'll take the Dodge any day of the week over the Honda no matter how much you dis it.
blankfocus says:
05:41 AM, 10/ 7/08
is that a carbon fiber wallet? cool. i'm sorry, were we talking about a van?
edubya says:
05:44 AM, 10/ 7/08
The problem is that stories like dvsutton's are the exception. Edmunds' DGC is the rule.
dougtheeng says:
05:56 AM, 10/ 7/08
lol dvsutton has the same post every time.
anyways, I've been watching the DGCs for the warped bumper cover, and it must not get that hot here in Southern Ontario, even in the summer.
misterfusion says:
09:06 AM, 10/ 7/08
Nice Kevin & Bean reference, Josh. ;)
adavis2493 says:
07:18 PM, 10/ 7/08
The more this van is pictured, the more i like it. I am sick of the bland Sienna and the popular Odyssey (I don't think I spelled that right). In red, it seems like something the all-American Family would drive.
Plastic? So what, vans are meant to be for people with kids. Would you rather have a child vomiting finely stitched leather, or plastic. Frankly, I would prefer the plastic.
cwc1 says:
08:08 PM, 10/ 7/08
Problem Hondas are the exception and problem Chryslers are the rule? Sounds like a case of perception trumping reality, whether or not it's actually true.
My point is that it's not an absolute. Once a bias sets in, little things or even a major problem tend to be excused on the preferred item, and those same issues tend to condemn the non-preferred item.
firstwagon says:
12:39 PM, 10/ 8/08
good point
The comment about the bumper cover above is a good example.
hondacura4 says:
08:10 AM, 10/10/08
"Plastic? So what, vans are meant to be for people with kids. Would you rather have a child vomiting finely stitched leather, or plastic. Frankly, I would prefer the plastic."
Adavis2493, its not that the van has plastic, as my Odyssey has plastic. More importantly, its the fact the GCs material quality, initial perceived quality, and build quality overall are well behind the Sienna and Odyssey.
We have 5 children (all under 10), a 2005 Odyssey Touring and couldn't be more satisfied with the purchase. Sit in the Odyssey and then sit in the Grand Caravan, huge difference. For $40K Id easily buy another Odyssey Touring or the appliance like Sienna before I would even consider the Grand Caravan.
Overall the GC is a great package if you can get over its lack of quality. I just refuse to spend my hard earned money on something that isn't well built.
Even with Chrysler's ongoing money issues one would think that they would raise their quality control standards and at least match the material quality of other competitive manufacturers. Chrysler, please take a note from GM as they have raised their quality/material standards significantly.