In terms of passenger room and cargo space, minivans are king. When you add
comfort and family-friendly features to the list, the Dodge Grand Caravan reigns
supreme. Plenty of room and easy-to-use Latch anchors mean installing child-
safety seats is easy.
For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.
September was another strong month of car sales, making the automotive industry one of the sole bright spots of the economic recovery. With most major carmakers reporting, sales are up 13% year-over-year with 1.118 million vehicles sold, according to Automotive News.
That gain is healthy, especially considering that the average vehicle transaction price has also increased to $32,243 as compared to August’s $32,181, according to CNW Marketing Research. Total incentives and discounts weren’t appreciably higher as compared with last month, either. In fact, the only major seller to see significant incentive increases for the month was the 2012-13 Ford Focus, which has up to $2,000 cash-back offers currently. The Focus was up an astounding 91.4% year-over-year, which made it the 12th best-selling vehicle for the month.
The 1994 Honda Accord and 1998 Honda Civic were the most-stolen vehicles in 2011, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The most-stolen list is compiled by data submitted to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center from law enforcement agencies.
While the top two look similar to 2010’s most-stolen list, NICB reports a new trend of late-model vehicle thefts. Newer cars typically are harder to steal because of higher-tech anti-theft devices.
On Monday, Cars.com will unveil its latest Shootout, the Ultimate Minivan Challenge. We pit six recently redesigned and updated minivans against each other in a series of tests.
We can’t reveal the final results here, but we will let you in on which car won out in gas mileage: the 2011 Honda Odyssey. It shouldn’t be a surprise, as the Odyssey has the best EPA ratings of 19/28 mpg city/highway. But in real-world driving — mostly highway — it returned 25.9 mpg. The Volkswagen Routan, which is EPA-rated at 17/25 mpg, came in second, returning 25.1 mpg.
Check back Monday to see the results from rest of the field, which comprised the Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Nissan Quest and Toyota Sienna.
Chrysler has added a few cash-back incentives to its new 2011 model lineup, including more cash on the hood for high-output V-8 Ram trucks. More importantly, this time around Chrysler is offering some attractive lease deals. However, most of the cash incentives on the 2010 models are gone with the lone exception of the 2010 Dodge Challenger, which has $2,000 cash back.
The 2011 Dodge Nitro gets another $500 tacked onto its cash-back plan, which now totals $3,000. There’s another $1,000 added on the Caliber, so buyers can get up to $2,500 cash back on that model. Most of the redesigned models like the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango and the Chrysler minivans don’t have any cash incentives, but they do have fairly attractive financing deals.
If you want to get a better deal on one of Chrysler’s newer models, there are lease deals to be had such as $199 a month for the Dodge Avenger or Chrysler 200 or $359 a month for the new 2011 Dodge Charger R/T.
Most of the incentives below expire Feb. 28.
The most important thing Dodge has changed to its upcoming Grand Caravan is the interior. It is all new and in line with the other recent Dodge models we’ve seen, like the Journey. However, the company is highlighting the performance of the new V-6 engine and a thoroughly revised suspension, touting it as “a minivan with the driving dynamics of a performance sedan.”
See, that’s where people just throw their hands up.
Chrysler Group is recalling 26,397 vehicles across six nameplates due to potential engine fires, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The models affected include the 2010 Chrysler 300 and Sebring; the 2010 Dodge Charger, Challenger, Avenger and Journey; and the 2011 Ram 1500 light-duty pickup truck.
In the affected vehicles the power-steering pressure hose may separate under pressure and leak power-steering fluid onto the hot engine components. This may result in an engine fire.
Chrysler will inspect and replace the power-steering pressure hose free of charge. The recall is already underway. For additional information, owners can call Chrysler at 800-853-1403 or NHTSA's hot line at 888-327-4236.
Speaking of 2010 models, this week’s podcast features three 2010s, and perhaps after you take a listen you’ll want to see if there are any Labor Day deals on them. Or maybe you won’t. Listen to editors Mike Hanley, Kelsey Mays and David Thomas offer their unvarnished impressions.
You can download the podcast now via iTunes here or get an MP3 version here.
We’ve also fixed a glitch that prevented downloading via iTunes on your iPhone.
2010|Lexus|GX 460
2010|Nissan|Sentra
2010|Dodge|Grand Caravan
The 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan can be summed up with one simple phrase: Form follows function. This big box is all about maximizing room for cargo or kiddies, and it’s a trick the Chrysler Group knows best, with its patented Stow ‘n Go seating system. However, Dodge may have taken the form-function philosophy a little too far considering the model’s crude interior appointments, says Cars.com senior editor David Thomas. Still, is the Grand Caravan’s attractive price enough to keep up with the new Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey? Continue reading to find out.
2010 Dodge Grand Caravan Review
2010|Dodge|Grand Caravan
Chrysler is recalling 6,686 minivans equipped with optional Class 3 receiver hitches. When loaded to the maximum capacity, the hitch can fracture or bend where it meets the hitch muffler strap, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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