The Chrysler family of vehicles is going through a lot of changes right now.
A big change for Dodge that was recently brought to light is the elimination of its Grand Caravan minivan after the 2015 model year. The Chrysler Town and Country minivan will continue on but the Dodge Grand Caravan won’t. I got a chance to drive a 2014 Grand Caravan, and I'm back with a full report.

LOOKS
The Grand Caravan is what it always has been: a minivan -- and it looks like one.

So no, it’s not sexy. Other minivans have updated their styles to be a bit more eye-catching, but that’s not the case here.

But on the plus side, chances are you can pack your entire brood into the seating for seven.

Plus the seating is very much adjustable so you can get a ton of storage room if you put down the back seats and push up the middle row. If you don’t go for the automated option, it’s a bit tricky getting the seats in and out of their locations manually at first, but you quickly get used to it.

The interior is well-designed overall, but it’s not the best overall setup I’ve seen in a minivan in terms of leg room and seat comfort. Even the driver will have some leg room issues if they are tall, as I found out myself. And if you compare the quality of materials in this vehicle vs. some of the other minivan options, you’re going to be a little disappointed.

Back on the plus side, there’s tons of storage space and drink holders, another must for travel times.

ENGINE, HANDLING

The 3.6-liter V6 engine produces 283 horsepower, and gets you moving well for a vehicle of this size. It’s not exactly nimble but you can definitely call it responsive.

Still, while the overall ride in the Grand Caravan is impressive, at times it lacks what you can get from other competitors in terms of reduced engine and road noise and other factors that make a drive more enjoyable.

For those who will be towing a boat or anything else behind their Grand Caravan, the maximum is 3,600 pounds -- a solid number.

MPG
During my time in the Grand Caravan, I got about 23 mpg (official numbers are 18/26/21). So with a full tank (20 gallons) you can go well past 400 miles between fill-ups. These are very respectable numbers.

TECH, SAFETY FEATURES
The 2014 Grand Caravan features an option for Bluetooth connectivity and it’s very simple to connect your smartphone for integrating your phone calls/streaming audio into the vehicle.

If you opt for the UConnect system, it comes with satellite radio (a 1-year subscription) plus a helpful navigation system.

Controls for the music volume and station/track changes are conveniently located in the rear of the steering wheel for easy access and allow you to keep your focus on the road. Voice commands are another useful safety tool.

One option that is a big help in minivans is rear-seat entertainment. My test vehicle had two screens for viewing DVDs, a nice feature if you have kids in the back and want to keep them occupied on long trips. The DVD player is Blu-ray compatible.

PRICE
The 2014 Grand Caravan SXT starts at $26,795), and with all the features i had on my test vehicle it came in at $32,475). The most base version of the Grand Caravan can be yours for just over $20K, which is part of the reason it still leads minivans in terms of overall sales. And since this vehicle is going away, there are likely to be some deals to be made on it, so those who want a minivan but are budget-conscious may have a hand to play here.

BOTTOM LINE
It was a strong 30-year run for the Dodge Grand Caravan, and it still offers a lot to like and has affordable pricing. But it’s time has come to an end. The move to focusing on the Town and Country minivan starting with the 2016 model year is a wise one by Chrysler, and may lead to some even stronger sales on the Grand Caravan in its final two years.

While Chrysler does risk losing customers to Honda, Toyota and others who offer minivans with this strategy change, there’s a good chance many folks who would have been Grand Caravan buyers will now become Town and Country buyers, especially those looking to stay with an American brand.