The Chrysler Town & Country enters 2016 as perhaps the most recognizable minivan on the road. It competes against other minivans as well as three-row crossovers for shoppers looking to haul lots of people and cargo. A true minivan, the T&C's natural competitors are the Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona, Nissan Quest and Toyota Sienna. However, crossovers like the Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Flex, GMC Acadia, Hyundai Santa Fe and Mazda CX-9 carry roughly the same amount of people and cargo, albeit with conventional-opening rear doors.
Town & Country comes standard with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that makes 283 horsepower and mates to the front wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission. Seating capacity is 7 on twin front- and second-row buckets and a three-place third-row bench. Changes to the Town & Country for 2016 are minimal as the model sunsets and is replaced by the all-new Pacifica for 2017. Still Chrysler has added an anniversary edition that includes some of the most popular family-friendly features and anniversary edition badging.
Six trim levels are offered: LX, Touring, S, Touring-L, Limited and Limited Platinum. Standard on all are dual power-sliding side doors, power tailgate, keyless entry, leather seating surfaces and Chrysler's innovative second-row Stow 'n Go seats. Touring adds an upgraded entertainment system, rear entertainment system and tri-zone climate control. The sporty S adds performance-tuned suspension, third-row video screen and unique interior and exterior trim.
Opting for the Touring-L means giving up the S trim "sport" features but adding a host of comfort and convenience features and the SafetyTec package that includes automatic headlight high-beam control, automatic windshield wipers, rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-path detection. The Limited adds upgrades center storage console, navigation system, heated first- and second-row seats and power operation of the third-row seats. The line-topping Limited Platinum brings HID headlamps, heated steering wheel, upgraded leather interior and a driver memory system.
Base prices start at $29,995 for the LX and clime to $40,645. Destination charge is $996 and the Town & Country is built in Canada.
Town & Country is all about meeting the needs of American families - always has been and always will be. Over three decades, Chrysler corp. has refined and innovated to create a cabin that's more useful for multitaskers than a Swiss Army knife. Materials and assembly quality are top notch, a clear step above most competitors.
The front seats are chair like, well-padded and quite comfortable. Head and leg room are exceptional. Driver controls are straightforward and no nonsense. The center stack houses a multitude of buttons and knobs. Thankfully all are well marked and illuminated at night.
Second-row passengers are treated to comfortable and supportive bucket seats that also offer good head and leg room and are adjustable fore and aft. In back, passengers in the third row will find an accommodating bench seat that's split 60/40. Both head and leg room are somewhat compromised for adults, though there's plenty of room for three children.
Versatility is the Town & Country's wild card and it starts with the innovative Stow 'n Go second-row buckets. The seats fold quickly into the floor when necessary, creating a long and flat load floor that's perfect for loading and hauling large items. When the seats are used, the covered floor bins provide an incredible amount of hidden storage. In addition, the covers to the bins can be easily opened and closed, allowing access without moving the front-seats forward. Behind the third-row seats there's a deep well that provides quite a bit of additional storage space. Interior bins and cubbies abound, allowing for lots of small item storage.
When it was first introduced, Chrysler's uconnect phone and entertainment system was one of the most advanced and easy to operate. It's still easy to operate but lacks some of the features of more modern systems and is saddled by a small touch-screen interface. Still, the dual-screen rear-seat entertainment system works great and the addition of a "standard-plug" power outlet allows rear-seat riders to keep their electronic devices topped off.
The smooth V6 engine provides adequate thrust from a stop and above average passing punch. Though no sports car, the T&C will hustle from 0 to 60 mph in about 8 seconds - average for the class. The transmission shifts smoothly when accelerating and downshifts promptly when called upon in passing situations. About the only powertrain gripe is a slow-to-activate traction control system that allows a little too much front wheel spin under hard acceleration.
Though EPA rated at a disappointing 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, actual fuel-economy numbers are better than you might suspect. In straight highway driving, you'll likely net 27-29 mpg - assuming you're under 70 mph and not fighting a headwind. Routing suburban commuting will likely yield 25 mpg overall. It's only in straight city driving where the T&C stumbles due to its weight and lack of a fuel-saving stop-start and cylinder deactivation systems.
On the road, the Town & Country - even with the slightly more firmly sprung sport suspension - is a model of comfortable composure. The suspension does an excellent job of soaking up road imperfections and minimizing secondary motions. As you might expect, there is some body lean in turns and quick maneuvers will be met with some resistance from the comfort-minded tires. The steering has a nice heft and tracks straight and true on the highway. Brakes have good stopping power and an easy to modulate pedal, though, as expected, stopping distances grow longer with a full load of passengers and cargo. Wind and tire noise are appreciably low up front and grow only slightly more intrusive at the rear.
The sun sets on Town & Country in 2016 as it's replaced by an all-new minivan in the Chrysler lineup called Pacifica. That makes the T&C a very interesting proposition for minivan buyers. It's sure to be discounted and is still one of, if not, the best minivans on the road. There are a few quirks with the somewhat dated uconnect system and it lacks Android Auto or Apple CarPlay support, which could be a deal breaker for some. But if you are looking for an affordable, well-equipped and extremely functional family hauler, you might want to hurry out to your Chrysler dealer before the Town & Country rides off into the sunset.
|
|