(Photos: FCA) We’re sure you need no introduction to the Dodge Grand Caravan. Built more or less the same since the current model was introduced in 2008, it’s been a steady seller for FCA, even though they have another minivan that they would you rather investigate, the Chrysler Pacifica. In fact, it’s a strange case, the Grand Caravan…with the introduction of the Pacifica, you would’ve expected FCA to take the model name around back and put two between the eyes, but instead, that hasn’t happened. With minimal updates, the Grand Caravan sells, and sells very well. In fact, it has routinely outshone the Pacifica on sales ever since the new kid showed up.
Without question, the Grand Caravan’s price has a part to play. Using Dodge’s online builder, I went ballistic with a Grand Caravan, with every possible checkable option, and only came up to $33,425. Considering that you can get started in a base-model for under $27,000, that’s not bad. By comparison, a base Pacifica starts out at $29,795 and goes up to around $48,000 if you go wild with the options. But is that the only reason? The Pacifica is a fairly new name, with the only other version being that bloated land-whale from the mid-2000s that Lohnes is very familiar with. The Caravan name goes back to the days of Lee Iacocca, Savior of Chrysler (the first time) and cues up images of rolling cubes with Pentastar badges freaking everywhere. The name might not be glamorous, but there’s hope.
But there might be another thing: the technological difference. Among the packages I added to the Pacifica I “built”, there was the $1,995 Uconnect Theater with Wireless Streaming package, the $495 Electronic Vehicle Tracking System, and the 20-speaker Harman Kardon sound group that set me back $695. It should also be noted that I refused to apply the $995 Advanced SafetyTec group, which offers rain-sensitive windshield wipers, a 360-degree camera, and every last one of the latest and greatest in the world of “safety devices” for non-drivers, including lane departure warning, brake assist, park assist and so on and so forth. Compared, the Grand Caravan offered up the $995 Driver Convenience Group, which offered up window shades for the left and right windows, auto temperature control, heated seats and wheel, ambient lighting, and more, and the single DVD player that came with wireless headphones, a USB charge port, screen and all, again for $995. Simple, easy, done. That was it. No “let the car do it for me” safety aids.
This brings up a thought: is there such a thing as too much technology in a car? Is all of this new tech that has really started to flow into the market in the last five years really worth the cost? The Grand Caravan seems to have a good balance of what I’d want versus what the Pacifica’s team thinks I need. And this could be applied to any vehicle…SUVs, sedans and for the love of all that is holy, trucks. If I have to see the Ford ad where the teenager lets the truck back up the boat into the launch to show his dad what’s up again, I’ll puke. What say you, readers?
There damned sure is too much tech today! It’d be nice if we emphisized driving the freakin’ car to people rather than all the toys, whether they are supposed to be “driver aids” or not.
Radio and heating controls aren’t “natural “ or “handy” to use, you have to take your eyes off the road to look at what your doing leads to “distracted “ driving.
the problem with high tech technology is that people blindly come to rely on it,to the exclusion of common sense—-how many stories have you heard that involves some nimrod driving into a lake because their gps told them too?–rain detecting wipers? really? can you not tell it’s raining yourself?–turn off the damn phone,check your mirrors,turn down the mega watt stereo,and drive the damn car!!
Saw a guy sitting in traffic with no hands on wheel next to me and then took off with no hands on wheel???
It was a new Lincoln with no worry who’s driving hands free driving !!
Honestly? The more tech stuff in it, the more to not only break but become stupidly obsolete in very little time indeed.
I wish radios would go back to standard, easily replaced sizes, and the controls for all of the silly options could be either made entirely separate or have a very tightly controlled API so that you could actually upgrade as appropriate.
Otherwise you’ll end up with a four year old car with an obsolete 30pin iphone jack in it, and a pile of regrets.
We rented a new Pacifica last month for a trip to FL and some of the new tech like rear view camera, auto sliding door and auto rear lift gate was a nice feature to have in a van. Granted I would never buy a new vehicle with all the bells and whistles that are featured today. Just more problems down the road.
My wife has to have ALL the high tech stuff on her loaded cars but never even attempts to learn how to use any of it. Go figure.
Just drive the damn car. Too many distractions. Leave all the touch screens out of it. You have to take your eyes off the road to use it. How many accidents has it caused. It would be nice if they could block out cell phone use for the driver as well. Next time your at a light check around you and see how many are on the phone. Scary stuff.
My wife drives a Durango with U-Connect. It is irritating and mostly unused. I\’ll be in the market for a new vehicle in the next couple of years and I\’m looking for an unconnected vehicle.
I want to be able to feel a knob or button in yhe dark with my eyes on the road. Try feeling a touch screen.
I prefer driving my six-speed stick shift Jeep.
My wife drives a Durango with U-Connect. It is irritating and mostly unused. I’ll be in the market for a new vehicle in the next couple of years and I’m looking for an unconnected vehicle.
I want to be able to feel a knob or button in yhe dark with my eyes on the road. Try feeling a touch screen.
I prefer driving my six-speed stick shift Jeep.
I think all the extra stuff may be good for people who lease cars, otherwise it\’s screaming high cost of maintenance.
I love minivans for the space but also because I don\’t get tickets anymore. I have 2 Grand Caravan a 2008 and a 2017 and my only problem is that people don\’t like to be passed by minivans, but they have power with a 3.8L
I would never consider purchasing a Pacifica.
All this high tech serves to makes people stupider and more lazy. Good excuses for lawmakers and insurance companies to make human drivers illegal. The day will come. Wait and see
In my experience wives like the tech. My wife wants to trade in her ultra reliable 2012 Odyssey on a new, lose 50% of resale value, dubiously reliability, Pacifica. She would never consider a Caravan. Fleet, Government (mandated US only), and folks not wanting to roll the dice on a KIA keep Caravan sales high. FCA should sell a dirt cheap utility/panel variant and really clean up. I’ll only buy a Pacifica if I can get that MM EcoDiesel in it.
We have had a steady stream of Chrysler minivans ever since the kids showed up. Currently have a Pacifica. I can tell you that some of the “improvements” are very nice – more front knee and legroom, better seating, the kick to open doors and tailgate are all cool.
The lane guidance and start/stop at a traffic light stuff is absolutely infuriating – I have to remember to turn on the “defeat” buttons for those so called features each time I get into the car.
The user interface for the U-connect, radio, and HVAC is probably the only thing that could be worse than the safety nanny crap. I have a hard time believing that any engineer or designer could let something that obviously bad escape the building. NOTHING is intuitive – NOTHING is in a rational location or grouped with similar features – and NOTHING is readily visible. You literally cannot make changes without staring at the screen and poking around to find the right thing. As problematic as the Ford Synch system on my truck has been, the difference in ease of use is absolutely profound.
Technology can be nice but reliability is and will always be number one for me.