Used 2020 Dodge Grand Caravan

The Dodge Grand Caravan is an old-school classic that continues to sell well in a category full of newer and more sophisticated minivans like the Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona, Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica.

How does this Dodge remain such a strong seller? Its low price. The Grand Caravan is one of the few new minivans that starts at less than $30,000, which makes it a great choice for budget-conscious families. While it’s not equipped with Apple CarPlay or active safety features like forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning or automatic emergency braking, the Grand Caravan impresses with its proven design, powerful V6 engine and handy Stow ’n Go seats that fold and disappear into storage wells within the van’s floorboard. What’s more, this 7-seat Dodge minivan gets 25 mpg on the highway, making it an economical road-trip machine with impressive range provided by the 20-gallon fuel tank.

Despite the Grand Caravan’s inherent goodness, the new Chrysler Voyager deserves a close look this year. It’s a de-contented version of the newer and more modern Chrysler Pacifica, and it slightly undercuts the Grand Caravan in starting price. Also, the Voyager has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard; neither is available in the Grand Caravan.

Minivans are about ferrying family and friends to school, the beach, the grocery store, guitar lessons, wherever daily life takes you. And in this role the Dodge Grand Caravan shines. While it’s not sporting in any way, this front-wheel-drive Dodge minivan is a quiet and stable people-hauler with abundant interior room and a comfortable ride.

Also positive: The Grand Caravan has more than ample passing power. The 3.6-liter V6, which sends 283 horsepower to the wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission, gets full credit. It makes merging onto the freeway easy, and then settles into a relaxed low-rpm gait. While this Dodge doesn’t have modern features like blind-spot monitoring, a 360-degree camera or adaptive cruise control, we can’t forget the Caravan’s appealingly low price. If you really must have a healthy dose of modern tech in your minivan, Chrysler makes it available (for a cost) in the newer Pacifica.

Equipped with either a 2-seat middle-row bench or a pair of optional Stow ’n Go bucket seats, the Dodge Grand Caravan is available exclusively as a 7-seater in a world in which many other minivans can seat eight. Seating is in a 2-2-3 configuration, with a 60/40-split rear bench that folds into the floor.

This Dodge minivan’s simple cloth interior is big on functionality, and leather seating surfaces are standard on the top Grand Caravan, the SXT. Notable interior elements include the optional Stow n’ Go 2nd-row seats, standard cruise control and 3-zone air conditioning. Even the base model, the SE, has a 6.5-inch touch screen and a 6-speaker stereo, and the mid-range SEL Plus benefits from an upgraded interior fabric. Overall occupant space is good, and the interior colors are limited to black or gray.

Many folks buy minivans based on capabilities and price, not on style. Case in point: the 2020 Dodge Grand Caravan. Conservatively styled and far plainer than its Pacifica and Voyager siblings, the Grand Caravan continues to sell well as a people-moving box adorned with the familiar cross-hair grille. Tinted glass aids privacy while improving the look of this family hauler, which rides on 17-inch wheels.

The SE and SE Plus models have manual-sliding side doors and a manual tailgate, while those on the SXT are power-operated. The Blacktop Package, optional on the SE Plus and SXT, adds a hint of aggression with black wheels and other dark styling elements.

STOW ’N GO SEATS
Not new, we know, but these clever seats are still great. The SE Plus and the SXT versions of the 2020 Dodge Grand Caravan are equipped with these middle-row bucket seats that fold out of sight and into in-floor storage bins. The 60/40-split rear bench does the same.

3.6-LITER V6 ENGINE
This Pentastar V6 is a proven player in multiple Chrysler vehicles (even the big Ram ProMaster), and it’s totally at home in the Grand Caravan. It returns 25 mpg on the highway, and it also endows this van with a respectable tow rating of 3,600 pounds.

The 2020 Grand Caravan minivan comes in three models: the SE, SE Plus and SXT, all equipped with the 3.6-liter V6 engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission. The least expensive Dodge minivan, the SE, is a basic machine, fitted with a urethane steering wheel, manually adjustable cloth seats and stamped-steel wheels with covers.

On the other hand, this base Caravan also has 3-zone climate control, a tilt steering wheel, cruise control and a 6.5-inch touch-screen unit with a CD/DVD player that has a hard drive for storing music. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, we’re sorry to report, are not available.

Most Grand Caravan options are included in packages or groups. All 2020 models are available with the Single-DVD Entertainment Group, which includes a 2nd-row DVD player with a fold-down screen and wireless headphones, plus a 115-volt auxiliary outlet and a remote USB port.

The Driver’s Convenience Group, available only on the SXT, includes many small niceties like automatic 3-zone climate control, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a rear overhead console, an overhead storage bin and illuminated vanity mirrors. Another option package worth considering is the Uconnect Handsfree Group (standard on the SE Plus and SXT), which brings Uconnect voice commands and Sirius XM satellite radio to the base SE Grand Caravan.

We are impressed with the Dodge Grand Caravan’s 3.6-liter V6, which is assembled in Trenton, Michigan, and produces 283 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque on regular unleaded gasoline. This Pentastar powerplant is a good blend of power and economy, aided in its role by a 6-speed automatic transmission that shifts smoothly and doesn’t continually hunt for the correct gear.

The Pentastar V6 is E85-compatible, which means it can run on any ethanol/gasoline fuel blend that ranges from 51- to 83-percent ethanol. Because E85 has less energy per gallon than gasoline, drivers who fill up their Grand Caravan with it will see reduced mpg. Note the actual figures below.

3.6-liter V6
283 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm
260 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/25 mpg (gasoline), 12/18 mpg (E85)