As an enthusiast, I feel like there’s always a movement from a part of the community that teaches us to hate minivans. For some, they’re a symbol of compromise and lost dreams—an un-sexy means of transportation that puts practicality above all else. While I agree that practicality is a minivan’s prime directive, I think they’re also some of the most fun cars around. Pushing a minivan within an inch of its life on a twisty back road, where it’s woefully out of place, is one of the world’s great joys, no matter what the haters say.
Among the modern minivans I’ve driven, the fifth-generation Dodge Caravan is easily my favorite. It’s simpler and friendlier than its sixth-gen successor, and while it can’t match the luxuriousness, tech appointments, or ride comfort of vans like the Honda Odyssey or the Toyota Sienna, the Caravan makes up for it with its superior feedback and lightness.
Over the years, the fifth-gen Caravan, also known as the RT platform, has gone by many names, with many different badges affixed to its nose. You probably know it best as the Dodge Grand Caravan, the Chrysler Town & Country, or the Chrysler Grand Voyager. This van was sold in Europe and badged as a Lancia, of all things. And don’t forget the Volkswagen Routan, which was just a Caravan with VW badges and a slightly reworked front end.
A fifth brand used the RT platform, too: Ram. But unlike the versions above, this variant of the Caravan wasn’t just a lightly rebadged version of the Dodge or Chrysler—it was a full-on cargo variant meant for commercial use. And I’d argue it’s the coolest, most enthusiast-focused fifth-gen Caravan out there.
Meet The C/V, Ram’s Modern Minivan
Ram split from Dodge in 2009, solidifying itself in the U.S. as FCA’s brand for trucks and commercial vehicles. Throughout the 2000s, selling a commercial variant of the conglomerate’s minivan had been left to the Dodge brand, which had been selling a Cargo Van (C/V) version of the fifth-gen Grand Caravan since its debut in ’08. For the 2012 model year, the Cargo Van was officially moved under the Ram banner, consolidating FCA’s entire lineup of “professional” models under one nameplate.
The new van was simply called the Ram Cargo Van, or the Ram C/V. It was later called the C/V Tradesman. It’s worth noting this isn’t the first time Dodge sold the Caravan as a Ram-branded cargo van. It also sold the first-gen van as the Ram Mini Van. This was back when Ram was just a sub-brand, so as you can see from the advertisement above, it was still covered in Dodge and Chrysler badges.
This modern version got Ram badging on the front and rear, and unlike the Dodge model, metal panels came as standard in place of the glass in the sliding doors, the rear quarter windows, and the liftgate. But you could also mix and match the panels you wanted in place of the glass. In all, there were four arrangements to choose from, including a version that just looked like a regular Caravan on the outside:
The Ram C/V came just one year after FCA introduced the now infamous Pentastar V6 to the Caravan lineup, which brought an absolutely gigantic boost in performance (283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque versus just 175 hp and 205 lb-ft in the 2010 models). But there were also a handful of specific upgrades you wouldn’t find on any other version of the Caravan.
Gone were the second- and third-row seats, replaced by a fully flat, aluminum load floor. This made the C/V purely a two-seater affair. Buyers could choose between a standard floor or a raised floor that incorporated sub-floor cargo areas, in case they needed to secure or stash smaller items.
Then there were the mechanical upgrades. Here’s an excerpt from FCA’s announcement of the van back in 2011:
Ram Cargo Van is engineered to meet small business and commercial needs. A commercial-tuned ride and heavy-duty suspension offer maximum hauling capability. A heavy-duty radiator and heavy-duty transmission oil cooler help meet heavier powertrain demands. Ram C/V is also engineered with unique hydraulic power-assist rack-and-pinion steering, front anti-sway bar and rear twist-beam axle with coil springs. Ram C/V has a maximum Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of 8,750 lbs.
These changes unlocked some pretty serious performance numbers, at least for a minivan. The C/V could accommodate up to 1,800 pounds of cargo payload. Amazingly, it could also tow up to 3,600 pounds. Going by the numbers, it outclassed everything else in the class 1 commercial vehicle market at the time, including the new-for-2012 second-generation Ford Transit Connect, which could only be had with a comparatively puny 2.0-liter inline-four making 136 horsepower (you could also opt for a fully electric drivetrain, but that setup made even less power, rated at just 78 horses).
All of this commercial performance could be had from Ram for just $22,420, just $385 more than the Ford.
So Why Is It The Coolest Caravan?
It’s important to note that “coolest,” in this case, certainly does not mean “best.” The best version of the fifth-gen Caravan, I’d argue, is whichever version best fits your needs. Someone with a family of six will certainly not agree that the C/V is the best version of the Caravan because it’s missing the very thing that person needs—the two rear benches—for it to be useful. I, on the other hand, don’t have any kids, so I’d contend the C/V is my ideal Caravan. And I believe people who think like me will agree.
For one, the C/V got the most beefed-up drivetrain available on a Caravan, which means it could handle more abuse than a standard variant from Dodge or Chrysler. And because it doesn’t have any seats and fewer pieces of glass, it’s 360 pounds lighter than a Grand Caravan. While I haven’t driven one myself, I’d have to assume that means it’d be far more exciting behind the wheel. Motor Trend had a C/V long-termer back when it was new, and road test editor Chris Nelson came to a similar conclusion:
That said, the Ram did a great job hauling my 1975 Honda CB750 motorcycle. The rear opening is tight, but the big bike squeezed through and stood upright in the cargo hold. The Ram had good tie-down points in the rear but nothing up front to help keep the CB750 in place. Luckily, our tester had a $450 cargo divider that I used to strap down the motorcycle.
The added weight from the four-cylinder Honda seemed to have no effect on the van’s driving dynamics. The C/V feels exactly how you’d expect a stripped-out Grand Caravan to feel: nimble, planted, and agile (well, at least when you compare it the company it keeps).
I’m not saying a Ram C/V would make a fun track car—it’s still a two-ton minivan, after all. But if you’re the type who likes taking off-beat cars like minivans to race tracks, the Ram C/V would be the optimal choice. Motor Trend writers also found that the work van was still a nice thing to cruise around in, thanks to its more pedestrian roots.
The Ram C/V is a smart idea. There are plenty of individuals and businesses who don’t need a body-on-frame, V-8-powered cargo van. Ford has already carved itself a healthy niche with the Transit Connect. The C/V offers the same benefits — good fuel economy, city-friendly maneuverability — but drives a whole lot better on the highway, thanks to its V-6 power. These advantages are even more apparent compared with a traditional cargo van. As Chris notes, the C/V, in all its minivan glory, pretty much feels like a Porsche compared with its body-on-frame competitors. Driving the C/V also serves as a reminder that Chrysler’s recently updated vans are pretty darn good — nicely weighted steering, well tuned ride, refined and powerful V-6. The Uconnect infotainment system works very smoothly despite relying on a small touchscreen.
Despite its obvious advantages over every other RT platform van, the Ram C/V lives in relative obscurity. It was only on sale for four model years before being dropped in favor of the ProMaster City—a Fiat-based import that had less power, less cargo space, a lower towing capacity, but a slightly higher payload capacity and better fuel economy. I know which one I’d rather have.
I bet when most people think of the Ram C/V or see it in public, they think it’s just a Caravan with some metal panels instead of windows, and two missing rows of seats—up until I did some research on this van, I thought the same. But it’s a far more interesting thing, with a lot of purpose-driven upgrades from the factory. Next time I spot one in the wild, I’m going to appreciate it that much more.
Top graphic image: Ram
I still see them occasionally…always thought they were cool. There’s a dealership near me that has a couple in the back of their lot. I’m assuming they’re used but it’d be pretty cool if they were new and just waiting for someone to buy them at a steep discount.
I had three of them during my career as an IT field service technician. They were a perfect cromulent cargo carrying appliance.
The coolest American market minivan was the late 80s Turbo manual Caravan.
Special mentions: 3.0 Duratec MPV, 4×4 Astro, and Supercharged Toyota Previa.
Supercharged Previa for the win. Looked like a Star Trek Shuttle had much space and was cool
With the double sun roofs. Too bad you were the air bags in a frontal collision. No risk no reward eh?
That’s not entirely true, Previas did have airbags. They just didn’t really help
Fair point. My point was there wasn’t much up front save some mechanicals for washing the windows etc. I should see if there are any crash test videos
They were kind of neat, simply because they were pie wagons. though I feel like the stow and go flat floor made these kind of obsolete before they could be popular. I have seen one delivering Flowers for HyVee though. I also saw and HHR with Pie wagon status doing the same thing. market is/was small though I imagine.
Buying a Caravan (or Pacifica) with stow and go is a lot pricier than buying one of these, though. And you are paying for stuff like carpeting and seats that you don’t need and is going to get beat up. And if you are carrying tools or other stuff you don’t want people to see, or mounting shelves/racks inside, not having windows is an advantage.
If you think the 3.6 is infamous, get ready for the 62TE those things have.
Prime gear, 3 oil pans (people hate it when I call them that, but transmission oil comes out of all 3, so eh), and the last vestige of the “when Auburn Hills designed stuff for answers no one asked a question about” build quality.
The 3.6 is beyond better than that junker of a transmission.
A mini van not exciting? I seem to remember Sabina racing one around the Nurburg Ring in under 9 or 10 minutes. She stated it was the scariest thing she had ever done. Maybe excitement is in the driver and not the vehicle. Also Top Gear seemed to get a lot of excitement from many boring cars.
That was a full size Transit, and she couldn’t quite break 10 minutes despite drafting off a Viper and removing every bit of weight possible. Still a heck of an exciting drive.
Sabine Schmitz. RIP
Agree
I’m all for the utility of a minivan but these days but along their crossover-kin they’re up there at a full-size 78-80″ wide.
My older third-gen Sorento had the same in footprint as my first-gen Sienna.
Sure, I’d certainly enjoy the same-age Sedona’s utility before it also gets stolen but it would be an additional 4-ish inches in width to shove into spaces and it’s still just a little narrower than all minivans available new today.
I also have this issue with the new mid-size Toyota trucks and have had it with Honda’s “mid”-sizers. Shoutout to the Frontier for staying slim although it’s probably more from the lack of funds allocated to redesign back then.
Oh yeah – totally knew about this one. Local funeral home runs a couple of these as “first call” rigs.
Welcome to the Autopian, where every single seven passenger crossover article will have a comment about lacking sliding doors.
Seven passenger crossover? Pft, I want sliding doors on my Smart!
Im sure you could rob the slider mechanisms from any van or a Peugeot 1007 to make it work
Seen em around here in there, mostly with USPS though. They’ve been largely replaced in my area with RHD Mercedes-Benz vans with the big USPS badge in the grille and Sprinter derivatives.
I always thought that at NASCAR’s popular height, in addition to the “truck series”, there should have been a “minivan series”
1) imagine the sponsorship surface area
2) drafting out the wazoo
The Promaster’s improved fuel economy — and, because it was a 4 cylinder, lower maintenance costs — dramatically lowered TCO which is the only thing that the fleet customers who buy these care about.
I can tell you that many of the fleet groups I deal with won’t touch the promaster either. too many failed transmissions. I think maybe the actual size of the van made it potentially deadly for that drivetrain to ever survive any real world use.
Fleet Manager at a former employer took on 2 ProMaster’s as an experiment to see if they’d be a viable replacement for the Transits we had. After about 5 months he became convinced that the Promaster’s transmission internals were glass and the brake pads were made of cardboard. We ordered more Transits.
Not the full-size Promaster, the Promaster City — that’s what replaced the Ram C/V. The larger van at the time was the Sprinter which obviously didn’t continue being shipped to Dodge after the FCA acquisition.
I’ve only ever seen them used by the post office and maybe a florist perhaps a small utility. Pbx guys used to love vans like that. They seemed to replace late 90s Windstar cargo minivans, early 2000s cargo grand caravans and maybe some mid 2000s uplander cargo vans that I’m not sure anyone but the post office bought. I mainly see promasters and the rebadged metris and e transits now. Occasionally still this gen of cargo ram mini van.
I still see these around. Always a pleasant surprise when I do, because I can smugly know that I have heard of them.
Off topic a bit, but my favorite Ram is the one-year-only nameplate Ram Dakota for 2011.
I do remember, because I worked on that program.
The profit margin on the C/V was massive.
Which is why I really don’t understand why they haven’t brought these back after dropping the Promaster City. They have almost all the parts already.
The RT platform was almost entirely different from the RU (Pacifica/Voyager), so nothing really could be reused.
…that said…it wouldn’t take much to make a new C/V off the RU platform…it’s literally a load floor and window covers.
It’s supposedly coming. Camo’d Doblo/Berlingos have been running around Auburn Hills for the past 8-10 months.
Me, I’d rather have that Fiat van.
The modern, efficient choice for those whom the women find more handy than handsome.
Based on the vocations of the prosperous men I know, the men who are handy are the ones you want.
Wife and I joke around but also half serious with our daughter: marry a contractor.
Especially now, I don’t think you can AI what a contractor does.
I think that you CAN AI what a general contractor does, the coordination and scheduling etc. You can’t AI the actual work of the sub contractors but the General’s should be as worried as the rest of us (I am in IT so I am worried out of my mind)
I amazed that twisting around a Red Green quote somehow got us to discussing AI.
Our letter carrier still uses one of these every day. The USPS bought a bunch of them.
They show up in these to my neighborhood as well, before they get out and walk
Remember? Most of the local telecom companies are using those exact Ram vans TO THIS DAY in my area. It was THE telecom van of the 2010s.
Yeah, my local public auction currently has 4 listed (ex-Bell, I think), and they pop up pretty frequently. Less fetching than the Toronto Hydro green Promaster Citys (was contemplating old van as a motorcycle hauler for a bit), but likely a much easier thing to live with.
That generation of Caravan was perfect in that it was cheap, capable, and had juuuust enough creature comforts.
Minivans themselves aren’t cool. But being a practical person and buying the right vehicle for your needs and not giving a shit what others think is cool. So.. minivans are cool by proxy.
“I believe people who think like me will agree.”
I’ll bet they will!
For the ‘free candy and puppies” crowd that’s looking for a more fuel efficient windowless creeper van.
Please don’t laugh, but growing up in the late 80’s and early 90’s, I thought minivans were so cool. My friend’s family had a Caravan that I thought was just the bees knees, you had so much room to stretch out, could bring your Game Boy (couldn’t charge it though, but the van had plenty of room for extra double As) and of course, rear cupholders! I remember trying to get my parents to buy one; my Dad wanted a Mitsubishi 3000GT, so shot the suggestion down. He also never bought the 3000GT and ended up getting a Nissan Altima… wow, I just realized I have a lot to unpack here….
Minivans were (and are) cool to the younger generation. When I was 7 and my brother was 4 we didn’t care about horsepower or speed, we cared that there were built-in sunshades, power-sliding doors, flip-out cupholders, a lazy susan under the floorboards, a disappearing third row (we had picnics in the cargo area), and ‘airplane style’ lights and vents above each passenger. I always felt like I was a private jet passenger riding in the back of mom’s Odyssey. The only thing that was missing were the tray tables that European MPVs usually had.
YES!!!!!! You nailed it
Slight correction: The Routan also used a VW-specific dashboard and a few other interior items.
Also, apparently minor suspension tweaks that made it the nicest driving RT van by a small margin.
Thankfully, even if the VW crayon smell didn’t come from the factory on that one, most got it as an aftermarket add-on.
No, in fact it’s the complete opposite. The minivan fetish goes too far (and I’ve owned one for nearly a decade) into questioning why anyone would buy any size or shape of crossover rather than the beloved van.
Just ask Torch – the important question for this fetish is what sort of taillights does the van have.
I agree we’ve had an Odyssey since 2018 and they do everything they are designed to do with great efficiency. People who say they hate minivans are either people who buy into the ‘soccer mom’ stereotype or have never driven or ridden in one.
It didn’t take my wife very long to figure out how quick the 2025 Odyssey is.