2014 Minivan Comparison Test

Minivans may no longer be the default vehicle for growing families, but that doesn’t mean these practical do-it-all boxes should be ignored.

Battling an unfavorable stigma only the tourism board of Detroit would understand, there are a lot of preconceived notions about minivans. While some of these may be true, one popular myth about these vehicles is not; minivans aren’t necessarily expensive.

It’s true that they can easily eclipse $45,000, but at that price they’re practically a rolling condo complete with multiple TV screens, leather recliners and even a vacuum cleaner in Honda’s case. Fret not, frugal shoppers; you can have a minivan too. The Dodge Grand Caravan starts at a mere $21,390 after delivery, although you don’t get much at that price.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Three-Row Crossover Comparison Test

In an attempt to combined frugality with livability, we decided to round up the three big players in the minivan segment that give families everything they need along with a few extra perks. The low $30,000 range was chosen and we sent out invites to Dodge, Honda and Toyota. Two notable manufacturers are excluded from the test: Kia and Nissan. The new Kia Sedona has yet to arrive and the Quest is a moot point in the minivan argument.

With three vans in hand, we set out to complete a variety of tests to gauge how easy they are to drive, pleasant they are to be a passenger in and how much practical space they offer. As always, a few surprises were in hand.

The Grand Caravan is the top-selling minivan in America and with a starting price a hair over $21,000, it’s easy to see why. Packed full of value, the Grand Caravan SXT had the most options out of any van in this test despite an as-tested price of just $31,905. That is only $1,200 more than the stripped out Odyssey and much cheaper than the Toyota Sienna.

So why didn’t it win? Part of the reason has to do with the Grand Caravan’s biggest claim to fame: its “stow-and-go” seats. Both second and third row seats can flip right into the floor to offer especially versatile cargo space. With the other two vans, the middle seats have to be taken out by hand and stored somewhere else. Need to take a van full of cargo one way, and six passengers back the other way? That’s a “no-can-do” with the other two…

SEE ALSO: 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan R/T Review

So what’s the issue? Well, the stow-and-go system sacrifices seat comfort. In order to be so compact, they have the thinnest, most uncomfortable seatback and cushion of the three. There’s also reduced functionality in other ways, like less forward and aft sliding range. And if you’ve got a baby seat installed, there’s no way to access the third row except to climb through the middle.

The interior of the Grand Caravan scored the worst in the comparison with the cheapest fit-and-finish and least appealing design. However, as tested, it does offer the most features like powered third row windows, navigation, a rear DVD player and a remote starter. The exterior is equally anonymous looking even with the “Blacktop” appearance package.

The Dodge was the most powerful vehicle here, packing 283 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque from a 3.6-liter V6. But even with a 16-hp advantage, it doesn’t feel any more powerful than the Sienna. It is also the thirstiest with official fuel economy ratings pegged at 17 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway. During our mostly city-based test course we were able to match the EPA rating with an average of 17 MPG.

Ride comfort is acceptable in the Grand Caravan and it does a good job isolating passengers from road noise, but finding a comfortable position in the driver’s seat can be tricky.

We like the large center screen while using the rearview camera, but the rearview camera is positioned so that it can be difficult to see. At that price, Dodge includes manually adjusted three-zone climate control, so you need to fiddle with several knobs to adjust the cabin temperature.

Honda showed up for the comparison test with the most basic Odyssey it offers: the LX model. With a price normally undercutting $30,000 after destination charges, our test vehicle was equipped with a set of EX 17-inch alloy wheels that put the as tested price to $30,755. That is a lot less than the Toyota Sienna and even less than the value-positioned Grand Caravan.

To keep the price this low, the Odyssey is missing a lot of features. Power sliding doors, a power liftgate, three-zone climate control and fog lights are all skipped in the name of a low price. As well, the Odyssey lacked any optional exterior flair unlike the other two vans. In a segment focused on usability and value, the Odyssey arrived looking the most serious about the task at hand.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Honda Odyssey Review

The Honda splits the difference between the cargo specialist Grand Caravan and the passenger focused Sienna. The Odyssey’s seat cushions proved to be quite comfortable, though not at the same level as the Sienna’s, while the third row is easier to stow than the Grand Caravan’s, it lacks the Dodge’s disappearing second row.

Third row access is relatively easy thanks to a forward tipping second row seat and generous sliding door openings. The Odyssey’s third row seats were judged to be best in the test and offer more legroom than any row of any vans in this test. The second row seats, though better than Dodge’s, did not offer as much fore and aft adjustments and lack inboard arm rests.

We agreed that the Honda is the most car-like of the group to drive. It scored top marks for driving position and was the best at isolating noise, vibration and harshness from passenger. We found the Odyssey easy to drive and offered good ride comfort. The steering can feel a little bit too light while driving, but it’s the ease to spin can also make parking seem easier.

With official fuel ratings of 19 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the highway, the Odyssey is the most efficient van in the test. Like the Grand Caravan, we were able to match the EPA’s city rating and returned an even 19 MPG during our city-based test loop. Aside from taking the efficiency crown, it’s also tops in safety, scoring the highest on both the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests.

Part of the reason the Odyssey is so efficient is because it makes a lot less power than the other two. With the only 248 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque, it’s down 35 hp to the Dodge and it feels like it. At highway speeds a lot more effort is required from the Odyssey to pass other cars, especially when loaded up with passengers.

Swaggering its way into first place is the Toyota Sienna. Yes this is the Sienna SE, better known as the swagger wagon, a term made famous by a rapping Toyota television commercial four years ago. This is also the most expensive vehicle in the test coming in at a price of $34,720 after destination charges.

But its high price doesn’t automatically mean this is the best minivan. The Sienna lost points in scoring and the SE trim is basically an appearance package that does makes the Sienna look mildly meaner, but does nothing to make it more capable. In fact, it might have actually hurt the van. The SE includes a sport tuned suspension and 19-inch wheels that ruins the ride quality while returning nothing remotely resembling a sporty driving experience.

SEE ALSO: 2011 Toyota Sienna: First Drive

So how did it win? Everything else about this van is great. We found it to be the easiest to drive and despite power from the 3.5-liter V6 only being rated at 266 hp and 245 lb-ft of torque, the Sienna felt every bit as responsive as the more powerful Grand Caravan. Officially rated at 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway, the Sienna was the only vehicle in our test that couldn’t match its EPA city rating during our test loop. Despite that, with an average of 17.4 MPG, the Toyota still did beat the Dodge.

Even if it wasn’t as feature heavy as the Grand Caravan, the Sienna did come with two test exclusive options: a sunroof and automatic three-zone climate control. The interior design was also voted as best in test and features nicer hard plastics than the other two. All the switch gear is laid out in a logical fashion and the front seat was the most comfortable of the bunch.

The second row seats were easily the best as well. They are the most comfortable and offer the greatest flexibility in sliding forward and back. That versatility can make these seats a particularly nice place if there are no third row passengers as the seat can be slid all the way back, giving passengers limo-like legroom.

The third row can’t quite rival the Odyssey in terms of space, but comfort is right up there. The cargo area behind these seats is huge and ties the Odyssey in our double-wide stroller test. Dropping the third row seats is easiest of the bunch, requiring the fewest steps and the least amount of effort.

Aside from the somewhat rough ride, our only issue with Sienna was a small display screen that rendered the back-up camera virtually useless. If it were our money, we would opt for the similarly priced XLE Sienna which would lose the cool SE look, but gain a softer ride and more minivan-important options like a power passenger seat, power third row windows and leather seats.