Minivans have been beloved by soccer moms and dads for generations, but nowadays they have become much more popular to all types of people because everyone is realizing they are so convenient. Most minivans seat seven people, they have plenty of storage space, and they’ve been keeping up with the times, so they have all the modern entertainment and safety tech. What it really comes down to is if you’re loyal to a brand, and if not, what are you looking for?
Some things are a deal breaker. Maybe a car doesn’t have that one feature that just needs to be in the car. Well, minivans like the all-new Chrysler Pacifica and the Dodge Grand Caravan have plenty of features, and share a few too. We thought it would be interesting to see how both of these minivans from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles stack up. To make it even more interesting, we’re going to compare the nicest trims — the Dodge Grand Caravan R/T and the Chrysler Pacifica Limited.
2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited
Chrysler outdid themselves when they designed the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica and the Pacifica Limited has all of the bells and whistles. Only introduced to dealerships this spring, the Chrysler Pacifica is the newest minivan model to hit American roads. The Pacifica is a strong contender for the “best-in-class” minivan title with its perfect blend of style, practicality, and luxury. Even though it’s new, it’s already won awards, like Ward’s Automotives’ 10 Best Interiors List for 2016.
2016 Dodge Grand Caravan R/T
Yes, the R/T. How else can the Dodge Grand Caravan compete unless we bring out the model built with Road/Track (R/T) DNA? The Grand Caravan has been a strong option in the minivan market for a long time, and although on the outside it doesn’t seem to have changed by much, inside is a wonderland for a large family. Stow ‘n Go seating, maximum interior and cargo space, and its affordable price make the Grand Caravan the perfect rival to the Pacifica this year.
Engine
2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited
The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica has a 3.6L V6 24-Valve VVT engine under the hood with an engine oil cooler. The cooler helps to ensure high quality performance from the engine. “VVT” stands for “Variable Valve Timing”, a process used in cars these days to increase performance, fuel economy, and reduce emissions. Combine the two together, and you have 287-horsepower minivan with a fuel economy of 17 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.
2016 Dodge Grand Caravan R/T
Wouldn’t you know the 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan has the exact same engine? Talk about a contender. The Dodge Grand Caravan has a 6-speed automatic 62TE transmission with AutoStick, a driver-interactive transaxle shifter that provides clutchless manual shifting. This brings the horsepower to 283-hp, with a fuel economy of 17 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway.
Safety and Security
Both minivans have all the safety and security features a car full of family would want, but they each have some different features. The Pacifica has an advanced multistage front airbag system with supplemental side curtains in the front and all rows, and a driver’s knee airbag, blind spot and cross path detection, LATCH ready child seating, ParkSense Front and Rear Park Assist with Stop, a ParkView Rear Backup Camera, and many additional safety tech features are available add-ons..
The Grand Caravan has active head restraints, an advanced multistage front airbag system with a driver’s knee airbag, and supplemental side curtains in the front and all rows, electronic stability control, a ParkView Rear Back-up Camera, and several extra optional safety features are available as well.
Technology, Exterior and Interior
The technology in these two minivans is up-to-date, but there are instances where the two stand apart. Without repetition, there are many luxury components and devices that one would like in a minivan, especially when family is involved, that are missing from one minivan or the other. Moreover, some of these features are boasted about in multimedia and on the brand website, but when it comes to looking at the specs, they’re simply options.
A similarity between both vehicles is the Stow ‘n’ Go seating that is a standard feature. Stow ‘n Go seating not only makes the subtraction or addition of seats more convenient, but it opens up storage space by several cubic feet.
Convenience Features, Style and Design
| Feature | Pacifica Limited | Grand Caravan R/T |
| Exterior | ||
| Automatic Headlamps | Yes | Yes |
| Heated Exterior Mirrors | Yes | Yes |
| Mirrors with Turn Signals | Yes | — |
| Rear Window Wiper/Washer | Yes | Yes |
| Variable Intermittent Windshield Wipers | Yes | — |
| Headlamps | Halogen | Halogen |
| Auto Adjust in Reverse Mirrors | Yes | — |
| Driver’s Auto-Dimming Ext Mirror | Yes | — |
| Hands-free Liftgate | Yes | — |
| Hands-free sliding doors | Yes | — |
| Tail Lamps | LED | Halogen |
| Fog Lamps | LED | Halogen |
| Rims | 18” | 17” |
| Wheels | BSW All-Season Tires | BSW All-Season Tires |
| Interior | ||
| Seating Capacity | 7 | 7 |
| 2nd/3rd-row stow ‘n go seats | Yes | Yes |
| Driver Seat Memory | Yes | — |
| Material | Leather | Leather |
| Adjustable seating | 8-way driver with 4-way lumbar, 8-way passenger | 8-way driver with 2-way lumbar |
| Third row fold/split | Yes | — |
| Ventilated Front seats | Yes | — |
| Auto A/C Control | Yes | Yes |
| Driver Information Display | Yes | Yes |
| Heated Front Seats | Yes | — |
| Heated Steering Wheel | Yes | — |
| Keyless enter-n-go | Yes | — |
| Rear Heater | Yes | — |
| Remote Keyless Entry | Yes | With Immobilizer |
| Remote Start System | Yes | — |
| Second and Third Row Window Shades | Yes | — |
| Second Row storage bins | Yes | — |
| Stow ‘n Vac | Yes | — |
| Sunscreen Glass | Yes | Yes |
| Sentry Key Theft Deterrent | Yes | — |
| Leather Wrapping | — | Steering Wheel and Gear Shift Knob |
| Instrument Panel | Yes | Yes |
Technology
There’s clearly a difference between exterior and interior between these two minivans. Of course no two are built the same. Let’s see how their technology stacks up.
| Feature | Pacifica Limited | Grand Caravan R/T |
| Sirius XM Radio | 1-year | 1-year |
| Audio System | 13 Alpine Speaker System; 20 Harman Kardon option | 9 Amplified speakers with subwoofer |
| Touchscreen | 8.4” | 6.5” |
| Noise Control System | Yes | — |
| GPS | Yes | Option |
| Auto-Dimming mirror with microphone | Yes | — |
| HD Radio | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth Voice Command | Yes | Option |
| Uconnect | 8.4 NAV and Access | Option |
| Theatre Package | Option | Option |
| Blu-Ray/DVD player | Option | Option |
| Wireless Headphones | Option | Option |
Price and Warranty
The Chrysler Pacifica Limited has an MSRP of $42,495 and the Dodge Grand Caravan R/T is a more affordable choice with an MSRP of $32.495.
The warranties for both Dodge and Chrysler minivans is the same. Both minivans are backed by a basic limited warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles, a powertrain limited warranty for 5 years or 60,000 miles, and rust-through coverage for 5 years or 100,000 miles. Dodge also offers roadside assistance for 5 years or 100,000 miles as well.