2003 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport review from North America
"I'm glad I got it"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Nothing really serious. The rear brakes may need to be replaced as well as the tires. It's just the normal wear and tear that has gone wrong.
General comments?
I bought this van new at the end of 2003, it was a left over. Before this van I had a mini station wagon, a Ford Escort (forgot the year), which was my first brand new car and it was good. Before that car I drove nothing but lemons that I kept buying at auctions because I was broke.
Anyway, one day in the station wagon I had an accident and it got totaled because an old man made a turn when he was not supposed, and I had no time to avoid it. I was not seriously injured, I just got very stiff. In a way it was good that I had the accident because I was forming a group and I needed a something like a minivan. That's when I bought the Dodge Grand Caravan. I got the sport model.
This is now my 2nd vehicle I bought brand new, and this has also been a good car except it's bad on gas because I do a lot of stop and go driving, and I live in Long Island New York, so there are not too many highways and no main interstates. The driving I do with the group is mostly local.
There is not much headroom and legroom except for the front. It is probably roomy for kids, but I run a small adult outing group with disabilities, which is no more than 7 people most of the time, but I only drive adults. At this point I could use a full size van, but that would require more money on payments and even more on gas. However nobody gets super cramped, it's just not so roomy that's all.
It has been a good van overall. It also has rear heat and air conditioning, which is very important in my group.
I wish I could find a way to keep my van clean, but it always gets dirty because of the group. Does anybody know if the new Caravans are bigger and more roomy? Because if yes, I may look into it because I want to try to avoid buying a full size van. The most people I haul in the van is 7. But this van is still acceptable. I would hold on to it longer if I really need to.
Recommended reviews
| Great car and design, but shabby workmanship |
|
| Unreliable |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 2003 |
| Year of manufacture | 2003 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2009 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.3? Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 88620 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Escort |
| Date of Entry | 19th April, 2009 |