Dodge Caravan Discontinued After 36 Years

1978 NYB

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Dodge Grand Caravan discontinued after 36 years

Dodge Grand Caravan discontinued after 36 years

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Really hate to hear this. I still drive a 1st generation minivan...factory turbocharged. Just completed a 5 speed swap a couple months ago, most people are intrigued by it.
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Sad, but not surprising. I still say that Fiat bought Chrysler for one reason: the Dodge Truck. What was the first thing they did after purchasing? Changed the name to Ram. Now it's its own division; no need for the others to remain. Oh, Jeep is in the mix too - excellent!

Plymouth is gone, Chrysler is down to what?, two models for sale, and now Dodge has the Challenger, Charge, and Durango. Anyone see a large future here for Ma Mopar? I don't.
 
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The Caravan has been rumoured to be on the chopping block for the past few years.
Pretty much the majority of new Caravans on the road are fleet vehicles.
I know since we service them at my work.
As long as Dodge kept making them,fleet companies kept ordering them.
I can count on one finger a civilian 2019 Caravan that visits my work..
Nothing sexy about the mini-vans--or SUV'S or CUV's for that matter anyways.

You can be nostalgic about the mini-van but just to remind you it killed off the station wagon,LOL!!!
Wagons ARE sexy!!!
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Seems like a stupid decision. On the plus side, this could boost Chrysler Pacifica numbers and possibly help save the "Chrysler" name, now down to two models. Maybe not though, due to the much higher purchase price, or should I say bi-weekly lease agreement price.
 
I read an article about the Mopar mini Van's and Mopar said they were going to resurrect the Voyager so Mopar would have an ultra inexpensive mini van in the mix.

Ram and Chargers are the current bread winners for Mopar. Jeep comes in 3rd. Challengers are down 23% in sales.
 
In the '80s and '90s I/we always wanted a Grand Caravan; test drove a number of them. I wanted the larger V6 and the extra leg-room for 7 people. We wanted to pull our Coleman Tent Trailer with one, and have the capacity to carry a few more people. When we moved to Downieville in '87, we bought a RamCharger instead; needed the 4WD. When we moved to Bakersfield we could not afford a new car; traded the RC for a Fifth Avenue instead. It pulled the trailer quite well, and quite comfortably. That led to the Cordoba and then....

In '96 we wanted to buy new again, but the Grand Caravans were still out of pour price range. A salesman at Crown Dodge of Ventura tried to get us into a regular Caravan, but I told him that according to the literature, the 3.0 V6 was not rated for towing. I told him if we were to buy a vehicle that couldn't tow our trailer, I would buy a car. (We had an argument. He kept insisting that the 3.0 would tow the trailer; I told him that since the literature said not to, I wan't going to challenge the warranty by doing it anyway.) We bought a Stratus instead; that's where the Cordoba entered the picture; it towed the trailer very well!

In '99 we bought a used '93 B250 Van Conversion. Best vehicle I've ever owned!!! Never did own a Minivan. Rented one a number of times after I sold the van and before I bought the Durango.
 
I have never been a fan of minivans, so no sympathies here...

I thought the caravan was long gone anyway, replaced by the Pacifica/badge engineered?

I lament the decrease in sedan production though. European and Japanese makes still sell tons of sedans, coupes, wagons, and verts. Why can't America make 'em?
 
I have never been a fan of minivans, so no sympathies here...

I thought the caravan was long gone anyway, replaced by the Pacifica/badge engineered?

I lament the decrease in sedan production though. European and Japanese makes still sell tons of sedans, coupes, wagons, and verts. Why can't America make 'em?

I used to think the same about MVs. I mocked them every time I could. Then I rode in my daughter's, 7 people plus beach stuff and 27 MPGs at 80 MPH. I was hooked. I rent them whenever I need a rental, a pick up us my second choice .

I plan on owning one in the next few years ...
 
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