Our test vehicle had a base price of $35,935 (close to $40,000 as tested). The Town & Country Limited comes with Chrysler’s 3 year/36,000 mile warranty and an EPA estimate of 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway.
First Glance: Travelling in Style and Safety
Our review candidate arrived dressed in deep blue (Midnight Blue Pearl Coat, to be exact) and wearing a set of 16-inch chrome-clad wheels wrapped by Bridgestone Turanza EL42 all season tires. Judging the exterior aesthetics of a vehicle is often an exercise in subjectivity, but I find the Town & Country to be the most stylish among the current crop of minivans. That practical design extends to some nice touches on the vehicle exterior, including guide notches that help align the roof rack slats and a rear bumper covered in textured rubber to help prevent slips.We tested the Town & Country on a variety of road surfaces and travel distances, from short hops to the grocery store to an all-day drive through a stretch of the Rocky Mountains. We averaged around 19-20 mpg during our trip, which included an extensive bit of mountain driving.
Safety is a high priority for many vehicle buyers, and our tester boasted a full complement of safety features: dual-stage front, side and side-curtain airbags, four wheel ABS brakes and optional tire-pressure monitoring. A glaring omission was the lack of electronic stability control (ESC), one of the most effective vehicle safety features.
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In the Driver's Seat: The Genius of Stow ‘n Go
Our vehicle included power sliding doors and rear liftgate, which was a welcome convenience when my wife and I were lugging groceries and herding our three boys into the vehicle. A smart safety feature: when the sliding doors are opening, the vehicle’s hazard warning lights begin flashing for additional safety.
The second-row bucket seats fit the car seats for our toddler and 6-year-old with ease. Adults may find the second row seats a bit uncomfortable, partly due to the dense, flatter seat cushions used to make operation of the Stow ‘n Go seats possible.
The Stow ‘n Go fold-flat seating system was very impressive: it allows the second and third row seats to be folded flat into the floor to open up vast amounts of cargo space. (See Inside the Stow ‘n Go Seating System for more info.)
On the Road: A Smooth, Quiet Operator
The highlight of our road test was loading up the Town & Country and taking an Sunday afternoon drive through Arapaho National Park, a scenic section of the Rocky Mountains situated in northwestern Colorado. Even when loaded down with two adults, three kids and a good supply of drinks, snacks, jackets and other cargo the 3.8 liter V6 seemed to have plenty of low-end power. It sounded a bit harsh and clattery when approaching full throttle during passing, but always seemed to have enough grunt when we needed it. The four-speed transmission changed gears smoothly, but having an extra gear or two would have prevented excessive shifting during our ascent.Handling was pleasant and predictable in most situations, with all but the largest potholes and road irregularities being soaked up by the pliable suspension. The Town & Country is also very quiet, with wind and road noise kept to a minimum (the latter partially helped by the use of special "quiet steel" in the Stow ‘n Go floor spaces.)
The tight turns encountered during our ascent and descent exposed some body roll and a bit of numbness in the steering. That said, for a vehicle weighing nearly 4500 pounds the driving was smooth, stable and predictable.
Journey's End: Showing Some Wear?
The Town & Country feature list highlights the graying of this popular minivan: other minivans feature 5-speed automatic transmissions, while the Town & Country has a 4-speed. The standard 3.8 Liter OHV V6 has good low-end pulling power, but lacks the smoothness and higher power output of most of its rivals. Stability control is fast becoming a must-have safety feature for all vehicles, but it isn’t available on the Town & Country.
The message is clear: this van needs some updating to make it the class leader it once was. The Chrysler Group isn't resting on its laurels, as the significantly redesigned 2008 Dodge and Chrysler minivans should arrive in dealer showrooms in late 2007.
While dated in some areas, this luxury minivan remains a plush, spacious people mover that -- thanks to Stow 'n Go -- has no equal when it comes to cargo capacity and seating flexibility.