Review: 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Dodge, Reviews

Chrysler Tries Harder To Compete With All-New Competition

2011 Dodge Grand Caravan – Click above for high-res image gallery

Among the most famous advertising slogans of all time is the Avis classic: “We try harder.” Conceived of in the early ’60s, when Avis was the number two rental car company behind Hertz, the tagline made a virtue out of second place. With its mid-lifecycle refresh of its minivan line, including both the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country, Chrysler is making a similar case.

But wait a minute here, isn’t Chrysler the long-time industry leader in minivans? Well, that depends. The Honda Odyssey took the minivan sales crown in 2008 and 2009, while the Town & Country triumphed last year. Honda would contend that’s only because its rival sells so many minivans to fleets, while Chrysler might point out that if you add sales of its nearly identical Grand Caravan to the numbers, it’s the minivan leader by a Reagan-esque landslide.

No matter which side of this argument you’re inclined to believe, the fact remains that Chrysler no longer has a lock on minivan mindshare. In fact, among a certain slice of the status-conscious, import-loving populace, Chrysler minivans don’t even rate second – more like a distant third or even fourth, behind the Odyssey, the recently redesigned Toyota Sienna and the brand-new Nissan Quest.

Chrysler finally seems to have adjusted to this reality, making some major upgrades to its minivan lineup for 2011, including a complete overhaul of the engine, suspension and interior. After a week behind the wheel, we can enthusiastically endorse the new engine and suspension, and we liked the new interior a lot. The end result might not be quite as polished as the all-new models from its three main competitors, but the Grand Caravan has been changed dramatically since its 2007 debut, receiving as close to a complete overhaul as you’ll see in this business without starting from scratch.

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