Minivans have become an essential purchase for many families with the safe and comfortable ability to fit up to eight passengers without limiting legroom or cargo space.
The Dodge Grand Caravan has been in production since the 1980s and is a popular option in the minivan world but just how many seats does the Dodge Grand Caravan have?
Across three decades, the Dodge Grand Caravan has had seven seats across three rows, but the 1985 Grand Caravan SE trim level did have an additional seat in the middle bench creating enough seating for eight passengers.
However, this seating option never reappeared in later models of the Dodge Grand Caravan.
The market for minivans and SUVs that can seat eight passengers is becoming increasingly in demand as families get larger and people are looking for vehicles that can transport not only passengers but all the cargo that comes with them.
Making sure there is enough room in your vehicle for car seats, luggage, prams, shopping or even bicycles is an important selling point and the lack of space can often be a deal-breaker for many families.
The Dodge Grand Caravan has always had a running theme when it comes to seating with two front row bucket seats, a two-person bench seat/ bucket seats, and a third-row bench seat for 3 passengers meaning you can comfortably fit seven passengers.
As we have previously said, there was one appearance of eight seats back in 1985 when a third seat was added to the second row.
If you are wanting a Grand Caravan with enough seating for eight passengers then the 1985 Grand Caravan SE trim configured an additional seat in the middle row with a 60/40 split bench to accommodate a three-person bench seat.
The Dodge Caravan has 3 trims:
The standard features in most newer model Dodge Caravans include premium cloth interior and remote engine start as well as dual-zone front air conditioning. However, if you were to splash out into the high-end trims then you would also get leather-trimmed seats, three-zone automatic temperature control, and USB ports on-board.
Being able to fit all your passengers safely into your Dodge Caravan is an important sales point for most in the market for these passenger-friendly vehicles.
The height of 67.9 inches can comfortably fit even the tallest of passengers whilst the total length of 202 inches and 78 inches of width provides ample room with a roomy 33cubic feet of cargo space.
The Dodge Caravan has between 32-40 inches of legroom across all three rows and the premium seating available in every trim is a luxurious touch.
You can fold the third-row seating flat to create 83 cubic feet as well as the second row which can allow for 143.8 cubic feet of cargo space if you needed to use the room for transporting large objects instead of passengers.
The second-row seating in your Grand Caravan can fold down flat to extend your storage space whilst the Stow ‘n Go seats can fold into the floor so you don’t need to take up storage space to keep them in your vehicle.
Over the years the Grand Caravan has had several seating changes with the Stow ‘n Go being a huge bonus for this minivan.
Another impressive seating option is the Swivel n Go seats that started in 2007 so the middle row could flip around to face the third-row seats with a detachable table too. You can even flip the third-row seating behind to face the cargo when the hatch is open.
If you’re sold by the fold-away seven seats that are available across the Dodge Caravan then you may be wondering about the interior features of this budget-friendly minivan.
Unlike other minivans, you won’t find Android Auto or Apple CarPlay but there are standard Uconnect information and entertainment systems with a 6.5inch touch screen and six-speaker audio system. There are also satellite radio and Bluetooth connectivity options so you can choose your own music as well as a USB port if you prefer.
The active safety features onboard only seem to be limited to the rearview camera which disappoints some users who note that other vehicles of this size will also have safety aspects such as automatic braking systems and blind-spot monitoring.
This is offputting to some as coupled with the slightly overall dated design it leaves the Dodge Grand Caravan slightly lacking in comparison with other 7 seater minivans.
The Dodge Caravan can last between 200,000 and 300,000 miles on average with proper maintenance. If you were to do 15,000 miles a year that could work out as anywhere from 13-20 years!
After 36 years of production, it was a shock to many when the Grand Caravan was discontinued in 2020 as it has a history as a family-hauling favorite, but with the rise in popularity of SUVs sadly this minivan lost its place in the automotive industry.
The Grand Caravan is amongst the oldest models created by Chrysler and helped get the company back onto its feet but since 2007 SUVs have become the favorite option of so many.
The Dodge Caravan has been in production since the 1980s and only recently ceased production meaning there are a lot of variations out there. The best years that have been reported include 2020, 2019, 2010, and 2007 models.
There have been reports of repetitive transmission issues around 67,000 miles during the 2002-2008 years so if you spot one selling cheaply that meets these criteria then there may be a reason as to why.
There are 7 adjustable seats across all models of the grand caravan and the ability to fold and stow away the middle row of seats as well as spin the back row when the cargo space is open. You can get 8 seats in the 1985 Grand Caravan SE trim level.
If you are looking for a vehicle that seats eight passengers then there is some hope for the Dodge Grand Caravan, however with other SUVs on the market having eight seats across the three rows you may want to explore all options before you make your final decision.
That’s not to say the Dodge Grand Caravan isn’t an option for you with the 1985 Grand Caravan SE trim level being the only model with enough passenger capacity for eight.
However, all other models of the Grand Caravan will comfortably seat 7 passengers with ample space for car seats, luggage, shopping, and pushchairs.
Keep in mind there are other options for SUVs and Minivans by other manufacturers that can meet your needs without having to make too many adjustments to your price range either.
