Topic: 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT

[Solstice2006]

Little late to the party.

Congrats on the van.  Currently on my second, still miss the Odyssey over the Entourage.  Neither van had a tow package.  The only thing Honda does is add the wiring, hitch, and ATF cooler.  I tow around 2500 lbs with gear about 250km-350km,  6-8 times a year.  Have the tranny fluid checked at every oil change.  Never did get around to getting a cooler, probably never will. 

To bad your in Winnipeg.  Expect to upgrade to a hybrid or travel trailer in 2 years and replace our 06 Coleman Cheyenne camper.

[tooscoops]

Here is a picture I just took of the van.  We had our new Blizzaks installed today.  Didn't come a moment too soon.  We had a little snow the last few days which made driving around on the 3-season Firestones sketchy AF.  Dealer also installed our Command Start.  3 Presses of the Lock Button on the factory fob sends the signal, and it works like a charm.

i had wondered about the remote start... didn't want to say anything, but assumed they wouldn't be putting in the chrysler one like you had initially thought. not a big deal as those 3x lock ones work great. i tend to use those ones as a preference and the fact that they cost us a bit less is a bonus!

good work on the winters. i find the vans with good rubber and get through most anything. all the weight is over those front wheels, so you do get some decent traction

[johngenx]

"Command Start" brand of remote starts is good.  Their on-board relays are good and they don't fry other things when they go bad.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

We took the van on a small road-trip this weekend.  350km round trip. 

My wife surprised me with a stay at Inverness Falls Resort (basically intimate cabins located in a provincial park) for a few nights for my birthday.  We did NOT take the kids, as it was a couples trip.

It afforded me a chance to take our van on a good highway trip, which is something I hadn't yet had a chance to do.  Impressions about the van in a roadtrip situation were mixed:

-Average fuel economy for the trip was 10.5L/100kms.  This was with the cruise control set at 105km/h for 90% of the trip, with about 10% of winding, hilly roads.
-Interior comfort was excellent.  Lots of room to spread out, excellent visibility, good armrests, comfortable seats.
-Wind/Road noise, however, was not great.  It was on the loud side.  Certainly louder than our Altima, although nowhere near as bad as my Ranger was.  This isn't a premium van, and you can definitely tell when it comes to wind/road noise, and rattles/shakes.
-Driving dynamics on the flat, straight Manitoba highway were excellent.  The van is heavy, so it didn't get pushed around a lot by the wind.  It was a nice highway cruiser.  At 105km/h the engine settled down in 6th gear at about 1500rpm.  The highway was flat, and we were lightly loaded, so gear hunting was non-existant.
- Once we got to the winding roads in the park, however, I missed my Altima.  The Altima was not a sports car, but it was definitely more fun to hustle than this van is.  The van does not like to be driven aggressively.  It is definitely a vehicle to settle down in and drive at a comfortable pace.

SO, to summarize.  For a two person weekend trip, I definitely miss our Altima.  Fuel economy in the car was significantly better than in the van, and it was more fun to drive in the windies.  Although that being said, the infotainment (having BT) in the van is definitely a plus over the Altima.  I got a very important phonecall on our way out that I was glad I was able to answer handsfree, and controlling my spotify playlist on my phone from the steering wheel is a huge plus, too.

HOWEVER - and this is a big one, I may have preferred the car for a 2 person trip, but soon as we load up the kids and take THEM on a road trip, the van will come into its own, with the DVD system, ample power points and TONS of storage capacity.

TLDR:  The van was comfortable, a little greedy, and boring to drive.

[tortoise]

So basically what you expected.

Thanks for the update.

[Solstice2006]

Have to agree GBA.  When it's just 1 or 2 of us, 90% of the time it's the car.  With all 4 of us, if it's less than 30km, the car usually gets taken, if over 30km, we take the van. 

But of all the vans I have driven, including the leather seats on the Mazda5, I find the seat cushions on the Grand Caravan the least forgiving.  But at least the Grand Caravan, gets a little better fuel economy than the Entourage.  Have to say the Odyssey was the best.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

So basically what you expected.

Thanks for the update.

Yes, quite.  Except for the less than stellar fuel economy, it's an excellent highway cruiser.

And when I say 'loud wind and road noise', I mean by today's standards.  By 90's mainstream car standards, it's a vault.

[Solstice2006]

So basically what you expected.

Thanks for the update.

Yes, quite.  Except for the less than stellar fuel economy, it's an excellent highway cruiser.

And when I say 'loud wind and road noise', I mean by today's standards.  By 90's mainstream car standards, it's a vault.

My Entourage and Odyssey are like that as well. 

[dirtyjeffer]

And when I say 'loud wind and road noise', I mean by today's standards.  By 90's mainstream car standards, it's a vault.

kind of tough to fault the vehicle for that though...it's a borderline brick...it's going to have some wind noise...the car has a slippery shape to it, so the wind noise would be less obvious.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

And when I say 'loud wind and road noise', I mean by today's standards.  By 90's mainstream car standards, it's a vault.

kind of tough to fault the vehicle for that though...it's a borderline brick...it's going to have some wind noise...the car has a slippery shape to it, so the wind noise would be less obvious.

Yes, although some extra door seals go a long way.  That is something that differentiates premium vehicles from their mainstream brethren.  Think Lincoln vs Ford.  The Lincoln with have triple door seals, while the Ford will only have double.  That extra seal goes a long way towards attenuating sound. 

I imagine the Chrysler Town and Country would be a quieter ride than a Grand Caravan.  Better door seals, more insulation, etc.

One thing I will say is that the firewall is exceptionally well insulated.  You can hardly hear the Pentastar in any condition other than acceleration.

[draghon]

TLDR:  The van was comfortable, a little greedy, and boring to drive.

To be expected of any van. Hopefully it provides you with years of "boring" trouble free driving.

[dirtyjeffer]

And when I say 'loud wind and road noise', I mean by today's standards.  By 90's mainstream car standards, it's a vault.

kind of tough to fault the vehicle for that though...it's a borderline brick...it's going to have some wind noise...the car has a slippery shape to it, so the wind noise would be less obvious.

Yes, although some extra door seals go a long way.  That is something that differentiates premium vehicles from their mainstream brethren.  Think Lincoln vs Ford.  The Lincoln with have triple door seals, while the Ford will only have double.  That extra seal goes a long way towards attenuating sound. 

I imagine the Chrysler Town and Country would be a quieter ride than a Grand Caravan.  Better door seals, more insulation, etc.

One thing I will say is that the firewall is exceptionally well insulated.  You can hardly hear the Pentastar in any condition other than acceleration.

yes, some vehicles will add extra insulation measures (either material, thicker glass, extra seals, etc)...but you can only do so much with a rectangle...all things being equal, the car will always be quieter due to its shape (cuts through the air much better).

[tooscoops]

i think the t&c uses the same seals actually... no real NVH difference with the vans from FCA...

[Great_Big_Abyss]

i think the t&c uses the same seals actually... no real NVH difference with the vans from FCA...

Oh.  Then what's the point?  What does the T&C have that, say a Grand Caravan R/T doesn't?

[Solstice2006]

i think the t&c uses the same seals actually... no real NVH difference with the vans from FCA...

Oh.  Then what's the point?  What does the T&C have that, say a Grand Caravan R/T doesn't?

a Chrysler badge!

[Seafoam]

Your mileage should improve when the colder weather ends.

[Bubba]

We took the van on a small road-trip this weekend.  350km round trip. 

My wife surprised me with a stay at Inverness Falls Resort (basically intimate cabins located in a provincial park) for a few nights for my birthday.  We did NOT take the kids, as it was a couples trip.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

We took the van on a small road-trip this weekend.  350km round trip. 

My wife surprised me with a stay at Inverness Falls Resort (basically intimate cabins located in a provincial park) for a few nights for my birthday.  We did NOT take the kids, as it was a couples trip.

LOL.

I love it when SHE suggests these little trips, and I just get taken along for the ride, so to speak!

[Rupert]

   I used to get 16 Miles per C gallon. When towing the trailer in summer. Without the trailer about 23 MPG was the measure. This with the older 3.8 Litre 6 speed auto that was available when the current shape came out in 2008. Still going strong but brakes have been the worst of any vehicle that I have had...back ones. Make sure that the guide pins are lubricated at every service (make sure) and inside surfaces of brake discs are checked (make sure). Other than this...a fine vehicle on which everything still works...even the recall parts that the dealership never has the replacements for.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

6 month UPDATE POSTED in original post.