2009 Chrysler Town and Country Review

PROS  Lots of passenger and cargo space, Perfectly suited to family living, Soft ride

CONS  Sloppy steering, Smallish rear seat, Mediocre fuel economy

Most North American automotive historians trace the origin of the minivan to Lee Iacocca and the 1984 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan twins. Truth be told, Volkswagen offered the first mass-market minivan back in the Fifties and Sixties. Officially it was called the Type 2, but everyone came to know it as the Microbus. With a sliding side door and roomy passenger compartment, the Microbus was the first legitimate contender to the family hauler crown that had been held for years by the full-size station wagon.

While the Microbus was appealing to some, it lacked the creature comforts, drivability, and performance that American owners had come to expect. That's where one very important distinction between the Type 2 and the Town & Country or Caravan should be made. The Type 2 was a custom designed chassis that shared only engine and transmission with the existing VW Beetle. The MoPar minivans were effectively tall-built versions of Chrysler's midsize K-Cars. This made the Chrysler vans inexpensive, reliable, and it meant that they drove with the civility and comfort of a typical car.

Chryslers first midsize vans were huge hits--so much so that they spawned the minivan market and a flurry of competitors. Twenty-five years later, there's no better family vehicle than the minivan, and Chrysler's Town & Country has often been called the king of minivans.

For 2009, the T&C, as it is affectionately known among owners, gets additional safety features on the heals of a complete redesign in '08. Town & Country again shares engines and chassis with the Dodge Grand Caravan and, for '09, the new Volkswagen Routan. LX, Touring and Limited models are offered. All offer seating for seven passengers. Standard is Chrysler's Stow 'n Go seating, which has second-row buckets and a third-row bench that fold flush into the floor. Optional is Swivel 'n Go, which replaces the second-row buckets with similar seats that rotate 180 degrees to face either forward or backward. The Swivel 'n Go seats do not fold into the floor, but they are removable.

The LX model comes with a 175-horsepower 3.3-liter V6 and a four-speed automatic transmission. The Touring has a 197-horsepower 3.8-liter V6. Optional on the Touring and standard on the Limited is a 251-horsepower 4.0-liter V6. Both the 3.8 and 4.0 get a six-speed automatic. All models have front-wheel drive with traction control. Maximum towing capacity on the LX is 1800 pounds. Touring and Limited models have a maximum towing capacity of 3600 pounds.

Standard safety features include four-wheel disc antilock brakes with brake assist, stability control, tire-pressure monitor, and dual-front and curtain-side airbags. A rear-obstacle-detection system is standard on the Limited and optional on others. Also available are rear-view camera and rear cross-path and blind-spot alert. Front-side airbags are not available.

The LX lists for $26,340 and includes air conditioning with tri-zone manual climate controls, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, cloth upholstery, center console, heated power mirrors, power windows, power door locks, keyless entry, AM/FM/CD/MP3 player, trip computer, outside-temperature indicator, compass, variable-intermittent wipers, conversation mirror, rear defogger, automatic-off headlights, floormats, rear privacy glass, and 225/65R16 tires.

The Touring model has a starting price of $29,645 and adds to the LX leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls, eight-way power driver seat with lumbar adjustment, power-adjustable pedals, satellite radio, power sliding rear doors, illuminated visor mirrors, power liftgate, 115-volt power outlet, universal garage door opener, automatic headlights, fog lights, roof rack, and alloy wheels.

The $36,780 Limited adds to the Touring tri-zone automatic climate controls, interior air filter, leather upholstery, heated front and second-row seats, eight-way power passenger seat, memory system, mirror-mounted turn signals, rain-sensing wipers, hard drive, rearview camera, remote engine start, removable center console, automatic day/night driver-side and rearview mirrors, second- and third-row sunshades, self-dimming HID headlights, 225/65R17 tires, and chrome-plated alloy wheels.

Options include a sunroof, single- and dual-screen DVD-based entertainment systems, integrated child seats, and satellite TV. Chrysler's uconnect multimedia suite is also available. It includes a 30-gigabyte hard drive, Bluetooth cell-phone link, satellite radio, and navigation system with real-time traffic information. All models have an $820 destination charge and are built in Ontario, Canada, or St. Louis, Missouri.

Get Up and Go  The 3.3-liter V6 that's found only in the LX is overmatched with the T&C's 4500-pound curb weight and saddled with an archaic four-speed automatic. That combo yields less than satisfying acceleration and poor passing response.

The 3.8-liter V6 is powerful enough for most minivan duties. It provides good pull away from stoplights and adequate passing power. With a full load of passengers and cargo the engine strains to keep up with traffic and labors in highway passing situations. If you do a lot of full-load driving, it might be best to opt for the smoother and more-powerful 4.0-liter V6.

The engines aren't the quietest in the class, but are acceptably quiet in routine driving. The six-speed automatic transmission upshifts smoothly and downshifts quickly. It sometimes hesitates between gears when the vehicle is ascending mild grades..

EPA estimates with the 4.0-liter engine are 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. In routine driving expect to average about 18 mpg. If you do a lot of highway traveling, 23 mpg is possible, but you have to drive with a light throttle foot. Chrysler says that all engines will run fine on regular-grade gasoline.

On the Road  I'm always amazed when enthusiast magazines criticize minivans for sloppy handling. Minivan buyers don't expect sports-car handling. The key to minivan driving dynamics is a s-m-o-o-t-h ride without excess bouncing. The previous-generation Town & Country did offer a smooth ride, but it also bounced and bobbed a bit too much on bumpy roads. The '09 T&C offers a smooth and comfortable ride with considerably less excess bouncing. There's also less head toss than the previous model.

In the handling department, the T&C isn't going to win any parking-lot gymkhanas, but inspires more confidence than you'd think. Body lean is a problem, but the steering is direct and natural, and the brakes have ample stopping power. When the road grows twisty, the T&C acquits itself with dignity and grace, but as Scotty says, "You can't change the laws of physics."

Chrysler also paid a lot of attention to suppressing wind and road noise. Even at highway speed there's barely a hint of wind noise in the front seat. Road noise is also well isolated. Third-row passengers will note more of both, but the sound levels never grow objectionable. The 3.3- and 3.8-liter engines groans coarsely in hard acceleration. The 4.0-liter V6 is considerably smoother.

Behind the Wheel  Chrysler Corporation has had years of experience in designing minivan interiors and its engineers clearly know what works and what doesn't. For example, the materials are rugged and durable yet still pleasing to the eye and touch, cup holders are removable and dishwasher safe, and there are ample lock-out controls to prevent small children from messing with the radio and climate controls.

Gauges are right in front of the driver. Entertainment system controls are high in the center of the dashboard. A touch screen is available to help manipulate the myriad of audio and video options. You don't need to read the owner's manual for basic operation and simple controls like the station presets and volume controls have their own buttons. The climate controls are a bit low, but still easily accessible. Simple dials manage the temperatures in all three zones.

The rear-seat video screens aren't as large as in some competitors, but they are big enough and have a sharp picture. The available satellite TV works as advertised with hardly a hiccup in transmission. It makes great sense for short trips because you don't have to fiddle with menus or play buttons each time you stop and start.

Another great feature is the available sliding center console. It normally resides between the front bucket seats, but can slide back for second-row access. In addition, the top can then slide forward, leaving the bin open to the back, but the top toward the front.

Front seats are very chair-like and upright. They aren't too hard for long trips or too soft for twisty roads. In other words, they are just about perfect for a minivan. Power pedals and tilt steering wheel make it easy for the driver to get comfortable. A telescope feature would be welcome. Visibility is great to the front and sides. The optional park assist and back-up camera are a great plus when parking. The new blind-spot and cross-traffic alert systems work as advertised and are a big plus in a vehicle of this size.

Second-row seat comfort is a mixed bag. The Stow 'n Go seats are somewhat small and really only comfortable for kids. The available Swivel 'n Go seats are much more substantial and offer full-size-adult comfort. Both seats offer plenty of leg and head room, however. If you turn the swivel seats around, you're fighting for legroom with the third-row seats.

The third-row seats offer decent head and leg room, but they aren't quite long-trip adult comfortable. Getting to the third-row seats is a bit tricky unless you use the middle pass through.

Power second-row windows are a nice touch as are available second-and third-row sunshades. There is also a power option for the third-row seats. While this is a nice feature, it really only makes sense if you can't easily reach into the cargo area to flip and fold those seats.

Cargo capacity plays a huge role in the success of a minivan, and if that was the only measure, the T&C and its Grand Caravan stable mate would win by a landslide. Not in overall cargo volume mind you, as the Chrysler vans falls a few feet short of the class leaders, but in cargo functionality. The ace in the hole for T&C are the Stow 'n Go storage bins. This gives this van a huge leg up when it comes to hidden storage.

In addition to a deep well behind the third-row seats, there are also numerous storage bins and cubbies and a number of overhead bins. The one-piece tailgate opens tall enough for an adult to walk under and the optional power-close button is located on the sidewall where it is easier to access for vertically challenged adults.

Bottom Line  Minivans are the most practical family vehicles on the road and don't let anyone tell you different. They offer unsurpassed passenger and cargo room, family-friendly features, and reasonable fuel economy.

It is true the minivan has developed a well-deserved stigma as a boring mom-mobile. Yet, there is no doubting that people who reject the minivan because of what it is, rather than what it can do, are posers who are more interested in massaging their egos than doing what's right for their family.

That said Chrysler knows how to build a great minivan and the Town and Country is perhaps the best minivan of all time. It is quieter and more functional than any competitor and more than meets the needs of families without compromising on utility, safety, or economy. As Chrysler Corporation reorganizes you can bet that it will build strong brands around vehicles like the Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan.