Battle for Seven Seat Supremacy: The Dodge Grand Caravan vs Chrysler Town & Country
Dodge Grand Caravan
Engine: 3.6L
Horsepower: 283
Fuel Economy: 17 City / 25 Hwy
MSRP: Starting at $21,195
Inside the 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan:
The 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan stands out as a premier vehicle in the crowded minivan class. The Grand Caravan is available in 4 trim options, including the base AVP (American Value Package), SE, SXT, and R/T. The base package rings in at an affordable price of $21,195 and even the fully-loaded R/T is still under $30,000. The standard fare among all trim options is the 3.6L, 283 horsepower V6 engine with 3,600 pounds of towing capacity. Dodge coined the term minivan in 1984 with the Dodge Caravan and has continued to be an industry leader ever since. While the 2015 model remains fairly unchanged compared to the previous year, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The Grand Caravan has seating for seven passengers and enough technology to make sure all of them stay entertained no matter how long the trip. Upgrade options include dual flip-down 9-inch screens with independent DVD entertainment centers and an Infinity 9-speaker audio system. The infotainment center is one of the best on the market with a 6.5 inch touchscreen option with an internal hard drive, Garmin GPS, and SiriusXM Travel Link. The Stow ‘n Go feature makes seating configuration changes simple and easy while allowing for maximum storage capacity. Also, the rear 60/40 bench seat completely flips around to turn the tailgate into seating for three. Watching the kids’ soccer games will never be the same again.
Chrysler Town & Country
Engine: 3.6L
Horsepower: 283
Fuel Economy: 17 City / 25 Hwy
MSRP: Starting at $29,995
Inside the 2015 Chrysler Town & Country:
The 2015 Chrysler Town & Country is available in 5 trim options starting with the LX base model. Upgraded trim packages include the Touring, S, Touring-L, and Limited Platinum. Starting price on the Town & Country is slightly higher at $29,995. However, the LX base model comes with a slew of features you wouldn’t expect to come standard on vehicles, including a rearview camera, satellite radio, 2nd-row video screen, and DVD player, and a leather interior. When looking at the engine, it is clear the Town & Country is manufactured under the same umbrella company as the Grand Caravan, with the specs being the same in terms of horsepower, engine type, and fuel economy.
The Town & Country is a luxury minivan with features that will make you forget this is a family-style vehicle. The new 2015 model includes the addition of the LX trim package, to make the purchase price more affordable. Available options to consider include the automatic 3-zone climate control system, a third-row video screen with an independent DVD player, and a 40GB hard drive to hold audio and video files. The safety features in the Town and Country are what set this vehicle apart from the rest with front, side, overhead, and knee impact airbags. Included in all trim levels is the Stow ‘n Go seating which allows the 2nd and 3rd rows to be completely folded down. This allows for 143.8 cubic feet of cargo room to haul just about anything a growing family could need.
Chrysler has used the Test of Ownership slogan in their recent Town & Country commercials. This takes focus away from the typical simulated tests that vehicles go through, and instead focuses on everyday life scenarios that owners could face.
Our Pick for Winner:
Base Model: Chrysler Town & Country
The Town & Country is almost an extension of the Dodge Grand Caravan and picks up where it leaves off. The base LX model of the T&C is more comparable to the R/T, or highest level of trim on the Grand Caravan. With that, comes the additional $10K price point that the T&C has. When looking at base models, the T&C is a luxurious version of the Grand Caravan.
Upgrades: Dodge Grand Caravan
In 2015, Chrysler attempted to make the Town & Country more affordable with the addition of the LX trim package. However, it is still a $30,000 vehicle. The base model on the Grand Caravan allows for a much lower price point and lets consumers add the features they like for an additional charge.
Overall Winner:
Dodge Grand Caravan
There aren’t many features on the T&C that aren’t upgrade options on the Grand Caravan. Although not as luxurious, the Grand Caravan has a stylish exterior and more customizable interior. These two vehicles are neck and neck in terms of available features and the Grand Caravan edges out the competition by ringing in at a significantly lower price point.
