First Impressions
Speed, grace, agility and sensuality – these words are completely absent when describing the minivan… any minivan. Still, there is something to be said about a vehicle that exists to haul people and cargo as comfortably as possible. When it comes to minivans, Chrysler wrote the book.
Actually, by picturing a book on its side, one gets a clear image of what the Chrysler stylists had in mind as they designed the 2010 Chrysler Town and Country (view photos); namely a box. It is interesting how the designers opted to forgo the previous generation’s fairly smooth lines for a creased, rectangular shape. This new, boxy design opens up the interior of the vehicle for greater volume.
With a maximum of 144 cubic feet of cargo space, nothing—not a massive SUV, crossover or station wagon—can accommodate what the 202.5 inch long (the same as some mid-sized sedans) Town and Country can. There’s more to this box than capacity as I have driven many variants and learned much about this perennial favorite.
Pricing, Trims and Options
The base model Town and Country is the $25,995 LX which comes with a 3.3 liter engine and a 4-speed automatic transmission.
At $29,245 the Town and Country Touring slots in just above the LX and most notably adds a 6-speed automatic transmission and a more powerful 3.8 liter V6. The Town and Country Touring with the ‘L’ package bases at $33,180 and includes popular options like heated front and second-row seats, driver's leather trimmed bucket seats, 8-way power driver and front passenger seats, manual lumbar support, 6 speakers, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, additional single disc DVD player and second row overhead 9-inch video screen with wireless infrared headphones.
The top of the line Town and Country is the “Limited.” On top of gaining everything offered in the “L” package, the Limited gets the beefy 4.0 liter V6 and 506-Watt amplifier, nine Infinity-amplified speakers with subwoofer, second- and third-row Stow 'n Go with third-row tailgate seats, power 8-way driver seat with memory and an 8-way power front passenger seat. The Chrysler Town and Country Limited also offers rain-sensitive windshield wipers, third-row power vented windows, dual glove boxes, second-row power windows, overhead ambient surround lighting, Smartbeam headlamps, heated exterior mirrors, ParkSense® Rear Park Assist System, ParkView® rear back-up camera, power adjustable pedals with memory, remote start system and universal garage door opener.
Popular individual options include: Single Screen DVD Entertainment System ($2,120), power convenience group—for entry models ($1,895), power sunroof ($995), second row swiveling bucket seats with integrated child boosters ($225), SIRIUS® backseat TV ($495) and the towing prep package ($600).
Interior Features
The most notable interior feature is the lauded “Stow N’ Go” seating. Two options are available, the swivel seats or Stow N’ Go. With the swivel seats, the second row seats can be repositioned by moving a lever and swinging them to face the third row seats. There is a (difficult to erect) table that plugs into the floor, allowing a motor-home-like traveling experience. This setup means you cannot fold the second row into the floor, although the seats do fold partially.
Opt for the Stow N’ Go second row and you can drop the row into the floor for a completely flat cargo area.
Other notable interior additions are the leather-trimmed bucket seats, SIRIUS® satellite radio with a 506 watt amplifier, 9 Infinity amplified Speakers with Subwoofer and steering wheel audio controls. Kids love the dual-video screens that are ceiling mounted. The rear screen swivels so Swivel N’ Go occupants can see.
I especially liked the greenish ambient lighting and leather seating. It made for a very comfortable place to stay.
Rear seat comfort was acceptable, although some adults complained about the integrated booster seats (2nd row) as they felt rather stiff. Another plus is the shifter layout. Rather than an old-school column shift linkage or a crossover-like floor-mounted gear lever, Chrysler fitted an easy to use gear lever on the dashboard. It takes some getting used to, but it cleared up lots of space.
That additional space is a good thing because the Chrysler Town and Country has more buttons, switches and knobs than just about any vehicle I have ever driven. I suggest you steel yourself for potential switch and knob overload.
Safety, Quality and Reliability
The Chrysler Town and Country scored a rating of “Good” in the frontal-offset and side-crash testing for the In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing (IIHS). A score of “Marginal” was received for rear-crash protection (w/cloth seats).
According to Chrysler, a (new) 5-year / 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty comes standard. The powertrain limited warranty covers the cost of all parts and labor needed to repair a covered powertrain component—engine, transmission and drive system.
A 3-year / 36,000-mile basic limited warranty comes standard and covers most items bumper to bumper.
Quality ratings for the Chrysler Town and Country have been improving over the past few years. Still, this vehicle is not competitive with the quality of its competitors.