Thursday, August 12, 2010

2010 Chrysler Town & Country — Flash Drive

The Chrysler Town & Country may be one of the best-selling nameplates in the world, but it looks long in the tooth now. While the T&C still offers impressive people-carrying capacity, its design is antiquated and the interior controls look as if they came from a 1980s parts bin. In addition, the 4-liter engine tested delivered poor gas mileage; I achieved 17.5 mpg in mixed driving. On a positive note, there is good headroom and legroom for passengers, and the patented Stow 'n Go seating system can increase cargo volume substantially and is relatively easy to manipulate. The DVD entertainment system is also first-rate, and truly does help keep youngsters busy during those long road trips. The T&C Limited is pricey ($42,000), which might put this minivan out of the range of most families. Given all of the T&C's minuses, it might make sense to look at other offerings from GM or Ford first. –Joe Chulick
The 2010 Chrysler Town & Country Limited shows just how far minivans have evolved, with innovative features and luxury amenities. I don't find the Town & Country particularly attractive, but minivans are about function, not fashion, and the convenience is highlighted by second-row fold-in floor seats and an optional third-row power folding seat. The Limited includes luxury features such as leather-trimmed first- and second-row seats, 3-zone automatic climate control, optional dual-screen DVD entertainment system and optional Media Center/GPS Navigation with 30-gigabyte hard drive. On the road, the T&C drives great — for a minivan, anyway — with good power from the 4.0-liter V6 engine. I really liked the blind-spot warning system. It is simple, but effective, with a small yellow triangle in the outside mirror that lights up when another car is alongside. –Mike Meredith

Chrysler may be having financial and product issues, but the company still has a handle on the minivan. The Town & Country is one of the best Chrysler vehicles I've driven recently. Exterior styling is not bad, with a bold front end that incorporates the common Chrysler styling cues. The interior is nice, too — this is the top-of-the-line Chrysler minivan — and with wood, leather and other quality materials, it has the feel of a luxury car. Seating is comfortable in all locations, and the dual-screen rear entertainment system is simple to operate. I wouldn't call the Town & Country powerful, but it is adequate for most situations. Transmission shifts seamlessly, and the ride is smooth. If you want to carry the entire family in spacious luxury, the Town & Country is one of the best options on the market. –Perry Stern

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