2009 Dodge Grand Caravan 4dr Wgn SE

Introduction

But a minivan isn't about speed and handling.

The Grand Caravan is all about transporting people comfortably and safely, while keeping them entertained.

The Grand Caravan's suspension delivers a nice, smooth ride, though it can sometimes wallow.

Three V6 engines are available, including a 4.0-liter 250-horsepower V6 added for 2008.

You can get Swivel 'n Go seating with second-row chairs that swivel to the rear and a table that pops up between those buckets and the third-row bench. As part of that focus, Dodge has made its Stow 'n Go seating standard. Electronic stability control is standard, and the Grand Caravan has performed well in government crash tests. Families will like it, especially because those entertainment features will make for peaceful family trips. It doesn't go around corners as well as the Honda Odyssey and Nissan Quest do. It leans in hard turns, so drivers will have to be careful not to upset whatever activities are going on in back. It's more about comfort and safety than carlike precision. Its designers focused on interior creature comforts, and they succeeded. Or you can fold down all the seats, and haul a stack of plywood or a load of hay. Stow 'n Go has bins behind the first row that can be used to fold the second-row seats into the floor. The 3.8-liter engine is acceptable, though we prefer the 4.0-liter V6 introduced for 2008. The Dodge Grand Caravan is still fresh from a complete redesign for 2008, and for 2009 the Grand Caravan gets more safety features. The Grand Caravan's unique cargo and entertainment features give it a competitive advantage in the minivan class. The handling is a bit cumbersome, not surprising given the Grand Caravan's size. The top engines from Toyota, Nissan and Honda offer more power and response. We found the base 3.3-liter engine can struggle with freeway on-ramps. When the seats are up, the bins can accommodate toys, games and other cargo. You can download you music to a hard-drive radio. You can get a video system with one or two rear screens, wireless headphones, and remote control. You can plug in your laptop. You can press buttons on the ceiling and watch in awe, or amusement, as the side doors and liftgate flip open and closed.

Walkaround

Dodge now offers only the long-wheelbase Grand Caravan.

Sixteen-inch wheels are standard.

The Grand Caravan is the second largest minivan on the market, smaller than only the Nissan Quest. A description of the overall shape of this newest generation of the Dodge Grand Caravan wouldn't sound too much different from a description of the 1982 model. A minivan is not a stone that lends itself to sculpture. All of them are now Grand. Just the thing to encourage that pokey driver in front of you to get out of the way. People don't buy minivans so others will look and say, 'That's the new minivan. Some styling!'

The Dodge Grand Caravan is boxy, but it's attractive in an SUV kind of way. The Grand Caravan is a big vehicle, with a 202.5-inch overall length and a 121.2-inch wheelbase. The grille is very upright, making the Dodge crosshair grille look like that of a Dodge truck, especially in chrome. The hood is less fairly flat, and it bears character lines. The short wheelbase Caravan was dropped with the 2008 redesign. These comparisons are relatively unimportant, however, because the other minivans are within an inch or two of the Grand Caravan in both wheelbase and overall length. They're boring looking, but the optional five-spoke 17s look better.

Driving Impression

(A Trailer Tow Package includes self-leveling shock absorbers.) In other words, it's not an independent rear suspension.

During our test drives of SXT models with the 3.8-liter and 4.0-liter engines we found that 3.8-liter offers more useable power than the 3.3, but we'd recommend the 4.0.

Handling, on the other hand, isn't impressive.

Our SE had the smallest of the three engines, the 3.3-liter V6 making 175 horsepower at 5000 rpm and 205 pound-feet of torque at 4000 rpm.

Suspension-wise, the Grand Caravan has rear coil springs and a twist-beam rear axle with a track bar.

The 3.3-liter engine comes with a four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive.

The brakes are plenty big, though a braking test conducted by Car and Driver magazine suggested the Grand Caravan doesn't offer the shortest braking distances.

The new Rear Cross Path system is activated when the van is in reverse.

The SXT offers higher performance with its 3.8-liter V6 making 197 horsepower or the aluminum overhead-cam 4.0-liter V6 making a big 250 hp.

Theoretically, a manual mode allows smoother transitions because the driver can choose when he or she wants to shift.

We've tested Dodge's two new safety systems for 2009. All of these engines run on 87 octane Regular gas, a nice advantage over engines that demand more-expensive Premium. But we found little need or occasion to use it, because minivan driving occasions demand less sporty performance. Chrysler invented the manual mode about 10 years ago, and it's good to have. Despite being less sophisticated than other minivans, the ride is good. Electronic stability control is standard, and it activates fairly early, minimizing wheelspin and reducing the chance of a spin. For the way we drove it during our week, which we believe is the way most Grand Caravan owners drive, it offered enough acceleration and speed, though it struggled to merge with freeway traffic. Holding a gear in hilly terrain or sluggish traffic or in tight quarters is sometimes advantageous. However, with more miles and more demands, we might change our tune. In any case, we found the four-speed automatic worked well and did not hunt for gears. It does, however, detect vehicles up to 20 meters away, and is programmed to recognize the speed of oncoming vehicles and alert the driver only if they are traveling at a speed that could lead to an accident (in other words, stationary and very slow moving vehicles probably won't register). It leans a lot in turns and takes awhile to react to changes of direction. It uses radar sensors to detect vehicles crossing behind the Grand Caravan and warns the driver with lights in the side mirrors and that same chime. It works well and is especially useful in crowded parking lots. It's still important to look before you change lanes. Minivans tend to generate pages of notes on the interior but little driving impressions. Our four-speed had Dodge's AutoStick manual shift capability, controlled by reaching toward the center stack and notching the shift lever from side to side. Our SE didn't bounce or strike any notes of discomfort, during three hours with six kids in the back, and more hours driving alone over freeway and city streets. The 3.3-liter can be fueled with E85, an ethanol mix. The 3.8-liter and 4.0-liter engines use a six-speed transaxle, compared to the four-speed in the 3.3-liter. The 4.0-liter engine is close in power to the best engines offered by Honda, Nissan, and Toyota. The Dodge Grand Caravan is a transporting machine, not a driving one. The Grand Caravan is large and it handles like a large vehicle. The Honda Odyssey and Nissan Quest are more carlike on the road. The main thing is, on the road, it's safe and stable. The new Blind Spot Monitoring system uses radar sensors to detect vehicles in the van's blind spots and warns the driver with lights in the side mirrors or a driver-selectable chime that sounds like the seat belt chime. The only demerit is a bit of wallow at speed. The six-speed transmission that comes with the larger V6s can sometimes hunt for gears, but it helps both of these larger engines get decent fuel economy. The system won't detect small objects, like pedestrians, so it's still important to proceed slowly. Theoretically, more speeds than four is better, but it depends on the programming; in some cases, more speeds means more snatches or rough spots. These engines only get one less mile per gallon than the 3.3-liter, so they should be seriously considered. We found it shifted smoothly and wasn't overworked by our suburban demands. We found it worked well, but like similar systems offered by other manufacturers it can sometimes give false readings. We like this system.

Interior

A leather-wrapped shift lever sticks out just to the left of the center stack, an efficient location.

Fifteen hundred dollars is a lot to spend for the convenience of not having to physically slide your minivan's side doors (there are two of them, by the way), or lift the liftgate, but it might be worth it, maybe especially the liftgate.

Our Grand Caravan SE came with stain-resistant fabric for the seats, designed for the soccer-mom lifestyle.

Stow 'n Go works superbly well.

The center console is removable, which is good; but when it's fully attached it feels loose.

The dual-DVD entertainment system is even more impressive.

The Grand Caravan is designed well for hauling youngsters with some thoughtful features.

The Grand Caravan's second-row bucket seats slide rearward to ease access to the third row, so there's less fighting and yelling about stepped-on feet.

The interior materials are lackluster, however.

The overall interior volume in the Grand Caravan isn't class-leading, the competition offers more legroom, but all of these minivans are big inside and the Grand Caravan is comfortable for kids.

The sloped A-pillars allow good visibility, but the longer hood in the redesigned Grand Caravan means the driver sits back a bit farther from the front bumper, so it's harder to gauge when parking.

The Swivel 'n Go seating option is another great development from Chrysler.

Up front, the instrumentation is good, black on light gray lettering, with big divisions so you can read each 5 mph.

We had six 10-year-old soccer players test the Grand Caravan's video player during a 90-minute drive to the game, and they liked it.

We liked the UConnect systems, as well. Among them is the convex 'conversation mirror,' which might also be called the 'looking at your kids while you're yelling at them without having to turn around mirror. Best of all, if you have kids that can get along (at least for a while), they can play games on road trips. Both come with a hard-drive radio with 30 gigabytes of storage space to hold music and picture files. Both rear rows are big enough for adults. Chrysler has been working to give its minivans a competitive advantage in these areas for a long time, and they haven't been afraid to be creative. Dodge has outdone itself in this area. Don't get your foot caught on the seatbelt or you might end up face-down on the rear bench. Everything fits together well, but it doesn't make for a luxurious look and feel. Everything is controlled by you. For a fairly simple invention, it's a masterpiece. Front-seat occupants will never be lacking for a place to put stuff of all sizes and shapes. Hollow hard plastic dominates the dash and door panels. In just a minute or so, and without having to refer to the manual, we dropped the second- and third-row seats flat into the floor. It comes with second-row seats that rotate 180 degrees and a stowable table that fits between the second and third rows. It comes with wireless headphones. It has jacks to plug in video game systems. It makes you look cool to your kids, too. It's available with Sirius Backseat TV, which comes with three kid-friendly channels: Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon. Minivan owners tend to have full, busy lives, and small conveniences like having the power tailgate raise as you walk up with your arms full can be worth a million bucks. Or they flop forward with one lever. Other information includes distance to empty (about 400 miles on a tank of gas), compass, outside temperature, and estimated time to destination. Otherwise you have to lean forward, reach around the wiper stalk, and fumble for it, which isn't a whole lot safer. Our option package included a digital information display (it showed an average of 19.1 miles per gallon for one week of city and highway driving), but the button to change the information is in a terrible position, most easily (but treacherously) reached by your left hand through the three-spoke leather steering wheel. Plug in the DVD, press Play, and you have a miracle: It works. Plus, video can be shown on the front touchscreen (which comes with both UConnect Tunes and UConnect GPS) when the vehicle is in Park, for viewing by the driver and front-seat passenger. Songs can be ripped from CDs, and music and pictures can also be downloaded from thumb drives via a standard USB port. The automatic transmission offers a manual-shift feature allowing the driver more control. The black vinyl trim and satin aluminum-look plastic didn't look rich, but nor was it ugly. The buttons are located on the headliner between the front seats, and using them imparts a wonderful sense of power. The Dodge Grand Caravan leads the minivan field when it comes to interior convenience, capability and versatility. The driver and front-seat passenger can each drink four drinks at once (or store empties). The DVD was a snap to play, which is important because some of them, even those in much more expensive vehicles, are not easy to use. The hard drive is a great way to have ready access to your music collection without toting around a bunch of CDs. The screen drops down from the ceiling and the viewing begins. The seats are easy to turn (once you figure them out), and the table stows away easy enough. There isn't much need for manual shifting with this relaxed cruiser of a vehicle, but the sturdy, well-placed lever may encourage this in certain situations. These fabrics can be easy to clean, however, dog hair still has a way of sticking into them, so those who haul canines are probably better off with leather. UConnect GPS adds a navigation system with voice activation and real-time traffic provided by Sirius. We converted the Grand Caravan from soccer bus to cargo van in 60 seconds, and easily carted the couch home. We like this feature. We lost count of all the storage cubbies and cupholders. We put them away manually, though a power option is available for the third-row bench. We quite liked the look and feel. We unloaded the kids, then stopped at the furniture store to pick up a long leather couch. We're talking bins under the second-row seats, compartments in the floor, and an umbrella holder. When the DVD screen is deployed, the driver loses some visibility in the rearview mirror so more attention needs to be paid to the side mirrors. With the two-screen system, third-row passengers can watch one thing and second-row passengers can watch (or play) another. Yet options quickly add to the price. You will want the available LED pinpoint lighting for back there, for your children to read by so they don't fight or bug you while you're driving. Your assault vehicle awaits your command.

Summary

Sam Moses filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com from the Columbia River Gorge, with correspondent Kirk Bell contributing from Chicago. Flexible seating, lots of storage space, good lighting, and impressive entertainment options can upgrade your lifestyle, at least while underway. In terms of versatility, the Stow 'n Go seats that disappear into the floor for carrying cargo are hard to beat. It's inside where the Grand Caravan leaps high hurdles. The 3.3-liter V6 with 175 horsepower is fine, while the optional 3.8-liter and 4.0-liter engines make more power with almost the same fuel mileage. The Dodge Grand Caravan offers unmatched versatility. The ride is smooth, but handling is decidedly minivan.

Car Connection Review

2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN STYLING | [7 out of 10]
MotherProof: "it's not exactly warm and inviting"

Motor Trend: "actually looks mean looming up in a rear view mirror"

Car and Driver: "boxy styling doesn't do anything for the mom-mobile reputation"

TheCarConnection.com editors say there's no mistaking the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan for anything other than a Dodge. Not every reviewer finds the new styling to be appealing, though.

Motor Trend attributes its front-end appearance to the influence of "Dodge's 'masculine' Charger and Magnum" and goes on to describe it as having a "broad shouldered...handsome, expensive presence...[it] actually looks mean looming up in a rear view mirror." Even Kelley Blue Book cannot refrain from calling its styling "masculine." ConsumerGuide says it has "fresh styling," while Edmunds deems it "unpretentious." CNet claims it "doesn't break any new ground," though, and Autoblog comments, "the last time we saw sheet metal this flat and unadorned was on a UPS truck."

Cars.com likes the newer, blocky shape of the minivan from Dodge; 2009's version "really hit the mark with the new styling. It didn't go overboard trying to make it look like something other than a minivan."

MotherProof says the inside of the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan is "rather space-shuttley with its boxy, line-y interior design." The review also notes, "This square theme abounds in other Dodge models; it's not exactly warm and inviting."

Conclusion: For being the quintessential "soccer mom" vehicle, the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan is easy on the eye, but still leaves something to be desired.



2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN PERFORMANCE | [8 out of 10]

Car and Driver: "brake-pedal feel is superb."

Automedia: "it operates so smoothly that gear changes are barely noticed"

Consumer Reports: "The 3.8- and 4.0-liter engines are a bit noisy and not very fuel efficient"

The 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan rides well in all forms and has surprising handling, but the 4.0-liter V-6 is the clear winner here. The sport-tuned suspension on SXT models and upgraded brakes throughout the model lineup will help improve overall performance.

Kelley Blue Book says that "for an additional $630 and no sacrifice in EPA fuel economy figures," you can get the more powerful 4.0-liter V-6, which serves "up 251 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque," Motor Trend notes. CNet reports, "The EPA rates the Grand Caravan with the 4-liter V-6 at 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. We averaged around 17 mpg overall, with our mileage dipping well below 16 in the city." Consumer Reports observes, "The 3.8- and 4.0-liter engines are a bit noisy and not very fuel efficient," but Car and Driver calls this version of the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan a "strong performer."

Kelley Blue Book points out the midline 197-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-6 has much more ferocity, showing "no problem transporting the medium-size loads to which we subjected it." It comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, a first in the minivan class; Automedia says of the new gearbox, "it operates so smoothly that gear changes are barely noticed." In driving this version, Autoblog finds nothing special about its power: "While it drove alright for a vehicle that weighs around 4,300 pounds, it's no tire-smoker, that's for sure," they report.

Cars.com points out that the smaller 3.3-liter is only offered with a four-speed automatic, too. The gear selector itself "looks like a center-console shifter but is located high on the dashboard, to the right of the gauges," they note, to make it easier for drivers to select gears manually. This engine/transmission combination is good for 24 mpg on the highway, not much more than the next-largest engine. It is flex-fuel compatible, though.

Autoblog calls the Dodge Grand Caravan a "smooth rider," and Car and Driver notes, "brake-pedal feel is superb." Automedia agrees: "Ride quality in a Dodge Grand Caravan SXT is outstanding, at least on smooth pavement." They also observe that it has "more confident handling than before, with especially positive steering."

Conclusion: The 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan does its job well, but unless you opt for the bigger engine, don't expect a sporty driving experience.



2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN COMFORT AND QUALITY | [8 out of 10]

Car and Driver: "a masterpiece of accommodating design"

Motor Trend: "convenient LED reading lamps dot the cabin"

ConsumerGuide: "possibly the quietest minivans"

Washington Post: "improved over the previous Dodge Caravan in ergonomic design"

Although its interior materials aren't the best, the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan has a wide range of seating options, and most give riders plenty of room. Interior design is another strong point; however, the Grand Caravan fails to wow up close.

Motor Trend likes the "convenient LED reading lamps [that] dot the cabin, and there's an available overhead 'halo' light that bathes the interior in soft blue." Motor Trend and other sources also note the newly optional "Swivel 'n Go second-row chairs [that] flip around 180 degrees." MotherProof says the new feature is "fun," but has difficulty removing the optional table that fits between the second- and third-row seats. Autoblog remarks that the third-row seat "flips backwards for tailgate seating that's more comfortable than any bare-metal pickup truck bed." Cars.com likes the Stow 'n Go second-row seats, "which fold into the floor," and Car and Driver calls them "a masterpiece of accommodating design."

"The standard second-row bench seat and a manual 60/40-split folding third row (with the bench, the same bins in the floor that would accept folded Stow 'n Go seats, were they installed, provide covered storage); Stow 'n Go second-row captain's chairs with the manual folding third row; or Swivel 'n Go rearward-facing second-row seats with the manual third row," says Cars.com about the layout of the interior and different seating options.

Most reviewers come down hard on the materials used on the dash and door panels of the Dodge; the interior "has a cheap-motel look about it, too, with plastic gestures everywhere--obvious plastic, blatant plastic," says Car and Driver, adding that the big center console is "rickety." Despite these drawbacks, Washington Post gives a positively glowing review, advising car buyers to go for the top-of-the-line Caravan SXT, calling it "luxurious ... like being in your living room or a family room." ConsumerGuide agrees, acknowledging the Grand Caravan as "possibly the quietest minivans."

Conclusion: The comfort and utility of the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan match the minivan's reputation as an all-around family car; if you're looking for top-class materials, this isn't the place, though.



2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SAFETY | [9 out of 10]

NHTSA: Five stars, frontal and side

IIHS: "Good," frontal and side; "marginal," rear

MotorWeek: "the family is protected"

Motor Trend: "brims with safety features"

With excellent crash-test ratings and the addition of a Blind Spot Monitoring System and a Rear Cross Path System, the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan will leave you hard-pressed to find a safer vehicle.

The 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan was awarded five stars for both frontal and side impacts, in addition to a rollover resistance rating of five stars, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

According to Motor Trend, the curtain airbags protect all three rows of passengers. Cars.com reports that in the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan, anti-lock brakes and an electronic stability system are both included as standard equipment, as well as front, side, and curtain airbags.

Autoblog tests a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan with the backup camera, and "using it was worse than trying to watch football on one of those 6-inch TVs sold at drug stores," they conclude. An integrated booster seat is offered in Swivel 'n Go versions, Cars.com reports. Also on the safety options list: "a sonar ParkSense audible system and the ParkView rearview camera," they add.

Conclusion: The 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan is nearly at the top of its class in terms of safety, and it offers some high-tech safety options.



2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FEATURES | [9 out of 10]

MotherProof: "the Caravan doesn't disappoint"

Kelley Blue Book: "the obvious choice for satisfying rear-seat riders"

Cars.com: "enough features to keep an eight-year-old entertained for hours"

The 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan has all the features you expect in a minivan--and many more, including in-car satellite TV. Autoblog lists "a removable, cordless, rechargeable flashlight in the cargo area, power sliding doors and rear hatch, adjustable pedals and overhead LED reading lights for all three rows of seating."

Sirius Backseat TV is one of the best features on the Dodge Grand Caravan. With this option, you get the three most popular kids channels (Nickelodeon, Disney, and Cartoon Network) free for the first year on two separate overhead LCD screens, each of which can broadcast a different channel. Cars.com describes it in mild terms as a "new way to keep the kids entertained."

For the adults up front there's an available MyGIG entertainment option that stores up to 20 gigabytes of music and video, which can be uploaded via anything with USB capability. "MyGIG lets you access music by artist, song, album, genre, and year, among others," CNet says. "It's a full-featured music player, and we found that it worked very well."

Last but not least, the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan can be equipped with Bluetooth wireless capability. There's also an available navigation system that offers Sirius's Travel Link service, which pipes information on traffic, weather, movie listings, and sports scores into the car's screen. The Washington Post calls it a "navigation, telecommunications, and an audiovisual entertainment system that will ignite your senses more than a stay in a $1,000-a-night room in the MGM Grand Detroit Hotel and Casino."

Conclusion: There is no shortage of great features for the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan, but most of them are optional.