Dodge: Grand Caravan, Journey
If you know Dodge for one thing, it’s probably this: They haven’t released an all-new car in quite awhile. On the whole, Dodge carries the oldest lineup of any brand in the industry, and that’s not necessarily a title they want. To that end, they’ve dropped the ossified Journey — it still rocked a four-speed automatic, remember — to focus its efforts on performance. Yeah, I don’t think very many people will cry at its absence when we have, say, a Durango Hellcat to cheer us up.
Much in the same vein as the Journey, Dodge also discontinued the Grand Caravan this year. Arguably, this is one of the models that defined the brand for many years. What’s more, it kicked off the whole “minivan” trend back in 1984. Times have moved on, though, while Dodge’s offering really hasn’t in the past decade. Unlike other entries here, the Grand Caravan did still sell well, so it made sense for FCA to keep building them. As coronavirus wrecked fleet sales, though, Dodge’s van lost its customer base.
It’s not like the company is exiting the minivan market, either. We still have the drastically better-looking and technologically savvy Chrysler Pacifica and Voyager – both way better options for most families.
