Dodge Grand Caravan reviews

2011 Dodge Grand Caravan Interior Features

Dodge Caravan's interior is comfortable and convenient. Both Caravan and Grand Caravan can accommodate seven passengers in a 2/2/3 arrangement.

The seats in our Grand Caravan SXT were nicely finished in light-colored leather. The material is soft and appears to be durable. The seat bottoms are nicely finished on all sides; we mention this because some manufacturers don't finish the inboard side panels, which leaves an unattractive, unfinished look that you don't notice until after you've bought the vehicle. Faux carbon fiber trim added a touch of high-tech to the cabin.

The seats in the Grand Caravan seemed more bucket-like than those of the similar Chrysler Town & Country, and not as comfortable. The Dodge has a manually adjustable lumbar support, however, and the seatbacks seem to have more side bolstering than in the T&C. The power seat adjusters have exposed screws on them that do not feel aesthetically pleasing. The seating position is higher than that of a sedan, which enables drivers to see over traffic. But you don't have to climb up into the seats, as you do in SUVs.

The Stow 'n Go seating system, standard on Grand Caravan SXT and optional on Grand Caravan SE, is the best seating setup on the market. The second and third rows of seats fold flat into the floor leaving a perfectly flat platform for cargo. Folding and unfolding the seats is a quick three-step process. Pull one strap to drop the seatback, then pull two other straps to tuck it into the floor. This leaves a perfectly flat platform. Very few seats fold perfectly flat and no one else (except Chrysler) has a second row that does this. The system is also flexible. The third row is split 60/40 and either or both of the second-row captain's chairs can be stowed. So, for example, you could stow the right one-third of the third-row bench and the right-hand second-row seat for loading something long, while still leaving seating for yourself and three or four passengers. Alas, the front passenger seat does not fold down, so you may want to secure that kayak to the roof rack.

The second-row seats move fore and aft to optimize legroom for rear passengers. Getting into the third row is a little awkward, but easier than in most SUVs. Once back there, the third-row seating is comfortable, though the seat bottoms are steeply raked.

Grand Caravan SE and both Caravan models come standard with the traditional seating setup instead of the new Stow 'n Go system, so the seats must be removed to turn them into effective cargo haulers. We found the second-row bucket seats and third-row split bench easy to remove, however. All or any one of the four seats can be popped out and rolled away in three quick steps, providing a wide variety of seating and cargo configurations. Reinstalling them takes a little more practice, as you need to learn how to line them up before snapping them into place. Each seat is heavy enough that care should be exercised when lifting it off the garage floor; you may want help. Most of the time what you'll do is leave the seats in the van but fold the seatbacks down to form a continuous load floor for large items.

The low floor makes getting in and out through the side doors easy. Caesar the 160-pound mastiff requires a ramp to get into an SUV, but he stepped easily and without hesitation through the rear and side doors of our Grand Caravan. Likewise, the low load height makes loading cargo easier, and the Grand Caravan can carry more stuff and bigger items than any SUV. There's a fair amount of cargo space behind the third row. When the seats are in place for passengers, there are wells behind the third-row seats that are perfect for groceries. A pair of cargo nets can be suspended from hooks, providing well-designed bags to keep your melons from rolling around. Another net can be secured between either the second-row or front-row captain's chairs. Hooks on the backs of the seats are useful for h