Cars.com Faceoff: Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Nissan Quest

While most requests we hear from families involve wanting a car that has all the capabilities of a minivan but isn’t actually a minivan, there are still minivan shoppers out there. Cars.com’s Joe Wiesenfelder and Mike Hanley took on three popular models, including the newly redesigned Dodge Grand Caravan and slightly tweaked Honda Odyssey. Can the Nissan hold its own against such tough competition? Check out the Faceoff to find out.

Cars.comparison: Family Workhorses

Comments

So why did you put a top of the line Honda againt a mid level Caravan and then talk about how much nicer the Honda is? I think it is articles just like this that (almost all) carmags and reveiws perpetuate the "false" assumption that ALL foreign cars are superior to domestic/american cars. It simply is not true anymore. (late 70's early 80's.....yes)

This is cars.com, not Edmunds or Motor Trend. What did you expect, an apples to apples comparison? I'm surprised cars.com actually got their hands on three vans.

While we do comparisons when we have the availability, all three of these minivans are the top trim level available, all have different levels of options attached I agree, but I don't know of any automotive magazine or site that can get vehicles with identical options. And we've previously tested the Grand Caravan with leather so we're aware of the quality comparisons there.

Again, since this is a complaint we hear a lot I'll say once again: These are the TOP trim levels available for each model!

Norelah is right. As soon as you read the title of comparison tests on car sites or magazines you automatically know they will choose Honda or Toyota over anything else in the test group. Makes for boring reading and makes me all the more "anti-import".

L,

Have you considered the fact that Honda and Toyota tend to make better vehicles? I for the most part trust the automotive experts.

No, I don't think they make better vehicles. I think American cars are just as good as any import.

And what makes them experts? Because they test drive a whole bunch of cars and then write down their opinions of them? That makes them an expert? It makes them opinionated, they don't know what anyone else would like/prefer, they know what they like/prefer. If the magazines suddenly ran articles saying the Yugo was the best most reliable car in the world, you would go buy one? I read the articles and take note of their opinion - then I go check out the vehicle and make my own opinion. If I like a vehicle I don't care if it has the worst reviews in the world, if I like it, I buy it.

One can "think" American cars are just as good as any "import", but the reality is they are not. Better made cars sell more.

Refrain from making any more ignorant statements and you won't get dope-slapped again.

Who "dope" slapped me? I didn't get "dope" slapped. You call my statements ignorant then use a phrase like "dope" slapped?

It is not a reality that import cars are better made than American. It is yours and many other people's perception that import cars are better than American cars.

Tell you what, you go out and purchase three brand new American cars, one from Ford, one from Dodge and one from GM and drive all three of them until they get to 200K miles. Then you write down the entire experience with all three, including all regular maintenance logs, every time you fill up with gas and any unscheduled service that you have done. If after that you come to me and say you don't think American cars are as good as an import, then I'll buy your OPINION that American cars aren't as good as imports.