Dodge Grand Caravan GT

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
1,780
Location
Prospect, KY
I rented a Dodge Grand Caravan GT this weekend and was a little disappointed in the fuel economy. We have a Chrysler Town and Country at work and trips across Ohio to Cleveland from Louisville, KY I regularly get 29-30 mpg doing 75-80 mph. The Dodge was getting about 25 average but there were a=some additional variable as in driving to Charleston, SC more hills and had family in minivan with me so extra weight. I thought losing 3-5 mpg was a bit much though and wonder if the GT has any performance additions that may have taken away fuel economy such as engine or transmission geared to performance possibly. I didn't really drive it hard to see if I could feel a difference in performance.
 
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Are you hand calculating or going off the seemingly always optimistic dash display?


30MPG seems high for a T&C
 
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Are you hand calculating or going off the seemingly always optimistic dash display?


30MPG seems high for a T&C


Yep... our Grand Caravan will show it hovering around the 30 mark on the highway on the instant mpg gauge. It averages 21-25.
 
When I go on trip with my Caravan in my signature I get 28 according to meter. Never have driven on tank all hwy but after trip of 300 miles round trip then 100 rural-city hand calculated is 24 mpg. So you are on track with that fuel mileage.
 
I've been seeing these Caravan GTs lately...at first I thought the letters "GT" were just added on as a joke, but apparently it's real. So what makes it a "GT"? Does it have some kind of performance package or something?
 
On our trip from Ontario to California I averaged from 22.1mpg to 27.8mpg, hand calculated, according to my records. The overall average for the entire 2600 mile trip was a bit over 25mpg. The van was fully loaded to the point where the rear suspension sagged a good inch, maybe an inch and a half.
I would say 30mpg is possible with this van, but it would be an occasional thing with the right conditions. 25mpg is a much more realistic number and it seems the EPA ratings is spot on for this minivan.



Originally Posted by grampi
I've been seeing these Caravan GTs lately...at first I thought the letters "GT" were just added on as a joke, but apparently it's real. So what makes it a "GT"? Does it have some kind of performance package or something?


The GT models only have a slightly stiffer suspension, other differences are purely cosmetic, like blacked out headlights and the head liner.
 
I think, from what I have read, the GT is a special fleet-only package... I don't think it's really "high performance".

There are a lot of factors than can cause your mileage to vary, especially wind and terrain.

We recently rented one. I'm not a fan of the black headliner, but the rest of the van did the job well. I drive older cars, so I may have a poor point of reference.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by grampi
I've been seeing these Caravan GTs lately...at first I thought the letters "GT" were just added on as a joke, but apparently it's real. So what makes it a "GT"? Does it have some kind of performance package or something?


It's a fleet only model, but they're usually optioned out pretty nice. Ours has the "heavy duty" suspension and "performance" suspension, along with power everything.
 
Originally Posted by dave1251
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Are you hand calculating or going off the seemingly always optimistic dash display?



Sorry bud but the cars computer is more accurate than humans it does not matter how good you believe you are. Because you are not nor am I.

https://www.wardsauto.com/blog/when-it-comes-mileage-cars-tell-truth



For every article saying one thing, there's another saying the opposite. Sorry bud, but the truth is always somewhere in the middle. Nothing is perfect, and certainly not a computer programmed by humans.

https://www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/your-fuel-economy-gauge-is-fibbing.html

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a...accurate-mpg-readings-and-how-to-fix-it/
 
If it makes you feel better, I got 17 mpg driving across the Ohio turnpike in a Nissan Frontier with no power steering and a passenger seat that was essentially a rocking chair.
 
Originally Posted by dave1251
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Are you hand calculating or going off the seemingly always optimistic dash display?



Sorry bud but the cars computer is more accurate than humans it does not matter how good you believe you are. Because you are not nor am I.

https://www.wardsauto.com/blog/when-it-comes-mileage-cars-tell-truth


To quote Tom and Ray, "bogus". I have years of data on each of my cars which can be entered in Excel and used to determine mpg. Even seasonal fluctuations. I know precisely what my car has gotten over the years. Granted, I have to wait until the end of the tank to know, but, I dare say, it'll be quite accurate, and can be compared against historical data to determine if it is a fluke tank or not.

Of course, none of the three have an mpg computer anyhow.
 
Anyone with any time to do a serious comparison will find discrepancies between a vehicle's computer display and "real world" mileage.

I have a wide range here, from an old 06 to new ones and they all have a trip computer display. Each has its own errors, with only ONE providing an accurate number.

I never trust them until I have checked them.
 
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by dave1251
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Are you hand calculating or going off the seemingly always optimistic dash display?



Sorry bud but the cars computer is more accurate than humans it does not matter how good you believe you are. Because you are not nor am I.

https://www.wardsauto.com/blog/when-it-comes-mileage-cars-tell-truth



For every article saying one thing, there's another saying the opposite. Sorry bud, but the truth is always somewhere in the middle. Nothing is perfect, and certainly not a computer programmed by humans.

https://www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/your-fuel-economy-gauge-is-fibbing.html

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a...accurate-mpg-readings-and-how-to-fix-it/



Precisely.

Also, many car reviewers are simply lazy and don't want to spend their own money on gas. The MPG displays are perfect for them. They will promote whatever makes their lives easier and more profitable.

Many new models are reverting to cheap suspension setups, the braking distance has been stagnant for probably a decade now. Steering feel and response has gotten seriously bad.
How many reviews, beside casually mentioning these things, truly criticize these trends? Instead they focus on going over the various infotainment menus because after all, you can't bite the hand that feeds you.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top