2008 Chrysler Town and Country

Review

My wife, Jennifer, and I almost never agree on vehicles. For instance, I love minivans, as they're the most practical vehicles on the planet, and I kind of don't have much to accomplish in the way of

attracting any other members of the opposite sex anymore. Alternatively, she likes crossover SUVs because they're relatively practical but don't yet carry the soccer-mom stigma of minivans. Maybe it's because she's now maturing gracefully into her mid-30s and is beginning to accept what I've long accepted regarding marriage, kids and the family dog, or possibly it's because she actually thinks the new 2008 Town and Country looks more like an SUV than a minivan, but whatever the reason something is occurring that almost never does ... we like the same vehicle. And I'd better strike while the proverbial iron's hot, as her love affair with Chrysler's latest, greatest van may fade away before we ever buy anything new.

Argh! But there's one more problem, Jennifer likes Swivel 'n Go and I would rather have Stow 'n Go. Always the gamester she loves the idea of playing card and board games with the kids while I'm driving, and I want the more utilitarian

seating system for all of my trips to Home Depot ... not. Well, at least I like the idea of taking trips to the hardware store to pick up building supplies for that finished basement that I never seem to get around to starting and that shed in the backyard that remains an urban myth ... not to mention for hauling music gear to gigs for that band that I'm going to reunite one of these days ... yeah, she's gonna win this one, isn't she? Then again, both of us took note of the larger, more comfortable second row seats in the Swivel 'n Go van, where the Stow 'n Go's second row seats only reach up the back about three-quarters of the way and can feel a little less comfortable for adults and larger teens. On the other hand, the Swivel 'n Go seats are best for the smaller set as adults will find their knees rubbing up against each other (could be fun I suppose), although we were OK as long as we staggered adults and kids ... though prepare yourself to be kicked once in a while. I also had trouble getting the table leg out of its protruding metal mooring, having to leave it in place when returning it because it wouldn't budge. Probably just a problem with my test van, but still disappointing. Which one's more popular in the market? Sales results show a 31 percent take-rate

for Swivel 'n Go through October of this year, which is impressive but also it might be too early to judge sales over the long term as early adaptors that buy first-year vehicles immediately upon release tend to buy the newest features too.

I drove the TandC down in Southern California during the media press launch last summer, and while I immediately whipped off a story about the Grand Caravan, being the biggest seller of the two market-leading vans, and therefore the more important, now that Chrysler's version is sitting in my driveway and Jennifer came in raving about it as the “ultimate vehicle” adding “can we take it to Utah to see my sister this week”, I got to thinking about its importance in the scheme of things at Chrysler Group, and how critical it is for the Auburn Hills manufacturer to maintain its product philosophy of the Chrysler brand targeting a luxury audience, Dodge being for sport-oriented vehicles and Jeep focusing on off-road and recreational buyers,

and I'm not just referring to the argument for building multiple vehicles on the same architecture for economies of scale.

Recent talk on the electronic rumor mill says that Chrysler Group's new owner, Cerberus, is considering reducing the company's product range by dropping duplicate models, with the outcome resulting in Chrysler becoming the car brand, Dodge being the truck and SUV division, and Jeep continuing on as the world's 4x4 leader. I immediately felt this would be a grave mistake, and probably mark the end of the automaker as we know it, if undertaken. My point? There's something to be said for the business case that has Chrysler group selling different versions of more or less the same vehicle, especially when it comes to styling and features. This TandC van, for instance, is very different in appearance from the Grand Caravan, at least from the front. You see, I've already brought home the Grand Caravan

with most of the same features as this Town and Country, but Jennifer complained about having to drive a minivan. Don't tell her, but this is more or less the identical vehicle, yet due to Chrysler's classy chrome grille, beautiful faux bird's eye maple and aluminum accented interior and full load of fabulous features, she's in love with it. Jennifer also loved the Sebring Convertible and I, well, don't like it much at all, but I like the way the Avenger looks and Jennifer wouldn't give it the time of day. I know many who swoon over Chrysler's 300 and abhor the Charger, and others, like my dear Mom, who wanted the (soon to be defunct) Pacifica so much she bought Chrysler's press car almost right out from under me, where others wouldn't go near it, but are now interested in Dodge's new Journey. I could go on, but I guess you get my point. Jennifer and I might very well become Town and Country owners, giving Chrysler Group one more critical sale, where if the company only made a Grand Caravan we'd still be swapping press cars each week wondering when we'll ever agree on anything strongly enough to sign on the dotted line ... not that we're ever going to stop swapping press cars if we buy the TandC.

Another oddity about my personal consideration of the Town and Country is its domestic nature. I mean, I've traditionally bought European cars due to their “superior” build quality and more alluring design, performance and interior fit and finish. Despite a continent of fabulous multi-purpose vehicles, as they're known in the old world, not a single European manufacturer sells a minivan in North America, Volkswagen being the only to ever do so. OK, Mercedes-Benz's odd-look R-Class might seem like a minivan from some angles, and hauls a fair assortment of people and cargo, but its longer hood, lower overall profile and, most importantly, conventional swinging rear doors put it into the tall wagon-cum-crossover category. In Europe, Mercedes makes numerous vans, as do most other automakers including Volkswagen. On a recent trip to Hanover,

Germany to witness the 60th anniversary of the “Bulli”, the age-old Euro name for the VW van, otherwise known as the Microbus and later dubbed Vanagon and Eurovan on our side of the Atlantic, I came across a brand new T5 version (the first was internally codenamed T1 and the final iteration which left our shores some years ago was designated T4) with an interior retrofitted by none other than Bentley, a Volkswagen group subsidiary. Needless to say it even made the luxurious Town and Country look dowdy in comparison, as did its $132,000 euro price tag ($189,500) ... hmmm, I'll stick with the TandC.

Then again, this last aside is a neat segue into an interesting point that may or may not benefit Chrysler. Volkswagen will soon bring a version of the Town and Country (Grand Caravan) to market, as a 2009 model. Yes, you're hearing me right. It will feature VW styling and no doubt improvements to interior plastics quality to bring it up to the German brand's sector-leading dominance, but rather than including Volkswagen's new 3.6-liter V6 and six-speed automatic with Tiptronic manual mode, it will keep Chrysler's very competent 4.0-liter V6, as well as its six-speed automatic with AutoStick manual mode. Does this news make me want to wait and see what VW comes up with before making my decision about the Chrysler? Yes and no. Part of me would probably opt for the understated good looks of any Volkswagen over the chrome-plated, oftentimes ostentatious bling Chrysler designers prefer, and those who read me often know how anal-retentive I am about soft-touch plastics and home audio system-like switchgear, to name only two interior quality issues, but in reality I'd probably forgo these details just to get Jenn into a minivan before she changes her mind, realizing we could probably upgrade in a few years if the VW turns out to be a big step forward. I've also been promised, by Chrysler designer Ralph Gilles himself, that the Town and Country's mid-cycle upgrade will improve interior plastics, making an upgrade to the VW more of a styling issue.

So, is the

Town and Country's plastics quality really that bad? No, not particularly. Compared to the previous van much is improved actually, although soft-touch dash plastics have been replaced with a harder matte grain material that's OK, but hardly premium stuff. I suppose that's the problem. Where the TandC could really separate itself from the domestic and Japanese vans with soft-touch plastics, higher quality switchgear and a woven roofliner that extends down each interior pillar, just to name a few expected high-end features, it isn't all that much more appealing than the Grand Caravan. And there's the rub with the entire Chrysler-Dodge dilemma. The Auburn Hills automaker hasn't pushed the Chrysler brand far enough upmarket to make it truly appealing to premium buyers, at least they haven't since launching the Pacifica crossover that was so good we all thought the brand had turned over a new leaf and would be delivering like quality with all its new offerings. The 300 came close, but needed to rely on its bold Bentley-like styling and tremendous performance to pull in high-end customers, and once again it's not that much better than the Dodge Charger.

The Sebring suffers the same fate, appealing enough to even be considered by entry-level premium buyers. Oddly, companies like Hyundai and Saturn are beating Chrysler at its own game, not necessarily with features, but certainly with that high quality, premium experience that can make a person feel as if they're buying into a class well above their income bracket. So where the TandC falls short is in the aforementioned refining details which separate traditional domestic cars from those built in Europe, and until they get this right it's going to cause buyers like me to wish that the VW or Honda they want to purchase came with a 20-gig hard drive music system or one of Chrysler's nifty seating systems.

I lived this scenario when trading in my old BMW 5-Series for a brand-new 1996 Dodge Caravan back in the day. I needed the roominess for my growing family and expanding business, and at that time it was the Caravan's good looks and dual-sliding side doors that swung me into a Dodge dealership. No doubt I would have bought a BMW, Mercedes or VW van if something similar was offered, or even remained true to imports if Toyota or Honda offered anything as useful, but none did so I bought the Dodge, and have been a Caravan fan ever since. To keep such Grand Caravan and TandC owners coming back and buying again, Chrysler continues to stay ahead of the market by filling its vans with features unavailable anywhere else. Truly, as good as the Honda Odyssey is, or Hyundai's Entourage, neither offers anything near as flexible as Chrysler's Stow 'n Go seating system, or for that matter the new Swivel 'n Go system I mentioned earlier. Hyundai doesn't offer an optional navigation system in its Entourage, or even an auxiliary jack for an external MP3 or iPod, and no rivals offer the integrated hard drive system with USB connection. Chrysler's double screen rear entertainment system is great too, and from personal experience it's the easiest to use, allowing total control from parents in the front seat. Pretty well every manufacturer includes satellite radio, with the

only “deal-killer” being a decision between XM and Sirius; Chrysler offers Sirius, which is my second choice but still a heck of a lot better than my local FM stations. There are many more features Chrysler has jam-packed into its new TandC, such as a removable center console, three-zone automatic climate control, an umbrella holder, a tailgate mode for the 60/40-split third-row seat allowing rear-facing picnic-style seating when the liftgate is opened, Yes Essentials stain and odor resistant seat fabric, and sit down for a minute, nine cupholders plus four bottle holders. Chrysler has even been smart enough to incorporate innovative features first brought to market by its competitors, such as the fold-down convex conversation mirror for keeping tabs on the kids that I first saw in Ford's Freestar, R.I.P., and power windows integrated into the side sliding doors, something Mazda started with its MPV, also dead, and later picked up by the Koreans.

Moving up from the Touring model to the Limited provides the 4.0-liter engine, leather seating surfaces for the first two rows, cooling window shades for the second and third row (probably the best feature of all if you've got small children), the MyGIG entertainment system I mentioned earlier, plus a 506-watt Infinity sound system with nine premium speakers and a subwoofer. That eight-way power driver's seat also comes in this package (the Touring gets an eight-way seat, although not powered), plus the ParkView backup camera and ParkSense rear parking assist, as does 18-ounce pile carpeting, more chrome inside and out, and chrome-plated 17-inch alloy wheels. Oh, and that lovely woodgrain and satin-silver interior treatment I spoke of before is also only available in Limited trim.

Overall

this Town and Country Limited is a nice vehicle to drive. Its ride is extremely good, with a bias towards comfort over sport. I wouldn't go so far to say that it wallows in the corners, but it definitely leans in the opposite direction to the turn causing it to feel a little unwieldy through tight, winding curves, especially amid rapid-fire esses where its transitional response is somewhat lethargic. So, where Honda Odyssey and Nissan Quest lovers would most likely feel uncomfortable in the TandC, those driving a Sedona, Entourage or any domestic van will feel right at home. And truth be told, despite my regular leanings toward tighter suspensions with crisper handling, in this class of vehicle I prefer comfort over speed. After all folks, it's a minivan. When I pack it up with the kids and gear, the last thing I'm thinking about is transforming the roads leading from my house to wherever I'm going into Laguna Seca. Certainly there's an argument tying dynamic handling with safety, the more agile vehicle being more capable of avoiding an otherwise impending

accident, and I can't contest this other than by saying the TandC's standard electronic stability control has the ability to pull a skidding vehicle back on track if necessary, helping the driver to regain control. A more athletic suspension setup would without doubt improve the stability control system's chances of aiding the van to escape unharmed, but not without a harsher ride day in and day out. It's a compromise, cut and dry, but one I would likely make.

The brakes feel good too, with ABS as standard and discs all-round, although if pushed too often during a romp through those aforementioned winding roads, they'll begin to show fade rather quickly. The Town and Country is a large, heavy vehicle, and simply not meant for this kind of activity. But for traveling fast on any Interstate, or for that matter intermediary highways that deliver more grades and curves but no high-speed switchbacks, the TandC is ideal. I experienced this during its Southern Cal launch, traveling over all such highways and driving through the inner city as well. And adding my more recent weeklong test to the mix makes me even more enthusiastic about the van, because it took to wet, slippery streets with the same self-assured confidence that I experienced on dry San Diego pavement.

Its passing power is also top-grade, the 4.0-liter V6 never hesitating to make slower moving traffic a distant dot in the rearview mirror. The SOHC 24-valve engine makes 253 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 262 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm, which is plenty even if the van is full of people and cargo. The six-speed automatic makes efficient use of the engine output, always allowing the engine to maintain its performance sweet spot or, alternatively, lower revs for optimizing

fuel consumption. I also like the position of the shift lever, situated high on the dash next to the steering wheel. I was able to flick it back and forth with my finger tips to row through the gears, without lifting my hand off the wheel ... a great feature.

The Town and Country Touring comes standard with a 3.8-liter V6, which is also quite strong thanks to 197 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 230 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. Torque matters more in this type of vehicle, as it translates into pulling and hauling thrust, so due to the same six-speed automatic transmission the base engine isn't a bad choice. Neither engine sounds or feels quite as refined as the Japanese sixes, but the 4.0-liter, at least, comes close, and the 3.8 only sounds a bit thrashy when revving it up.

And once again I'm hardly concerned about something that normally would have me

walking out of the Chrysler dealership door over to one of the imports, because the rest of the van is so good that I'm forced to reorganize my priorities. The standard eight-way driver's seat is quite comfortable, especially due to an effective manual lumbar support. The seats even offer decent lateral support thanks to deep insets and adequately large bolsters. The three-way seat heaters are brilliant, and stay at the setting they're left at rather than automatically reducing in temperature like some systems do. The driving position is also good, adjustable via a tilt and telescoping steering column plus powered pedals, allowing for excellent visibility all-round. Rear visibility is assisted by an optional reverse camera that comes as part of the audio and navigation system upgrade, and proximity sensing beepers further improve the situation when backing up; critical with a vehicle so long and wide.

Where Chrysler has dramatically improved its key fob to a much more attractive all-in-one unit than the cheap looking key and dangling fob previously used, it hasn't yet integrated a proximity sensing locking system or push-button start, an extremely convenient feature showing up on most luxury cars and even many entry-level vehicles as well. It does boast a remote start feature, mind you, although after repeated tries and then appealing to the dreaded owner's manual I still didn't manage to get it to work. I had no problem with a Jeep Grand Cherokee's remote start, mind you, after the first time trying, so I'm not sure if I was doing something wrong or the van's system was out of order. Chrysler also hasn't invested in electronic parking brake technology either, but its push on, push off floor-mounted brake pedal works quite well, and oddly is a far cry more advanced than the antiquated hand-release system incorporated into this week's tester, a Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec.

But that

German car's extremely advanced engine brings another point to mind. If Chrysler wants to maintain minivan leadership, which it probably will, at least over the short term thanks to this newly redesigned van and its significant long-term leadership in market share, why not offer an alternative engine to the economically hardest hit demographic in North America, middle-income families. If the price jump wasn't astronomical I'd opt for a Town and Country with the same 3.0-liter diesel as offered in Jeep's Grand Cherokee in a heartbeat. The gain in torque would be wonderful and the fuel economy benefits would most likely outweigh the price to upgrade. There are environmental benefits too, which would be a good thing for Chrysler group's overall CAFE ratings considering they'll become more stringent than ever in coming years. Even without any diesel upgrade the TandC delivers reasonable fuel economy at 16 mpg in the city and 23 on the highway for the 3.8L and 4.0L engines. The base LX model, with its 3.3L engine, will achieve an even better 17 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway.

So, the answer you've all been waiting for ... is Chrysler's Town and Country the best minivan money can buy? Well, I certainly think so, at least for my priorities, but not everyone will be in agreement on this. Still, it's more than good enough to remain the segment leader, plus it's attractive enough,

inside and out, to cause my wife to consider a minivan for the first time ever.

In the end you have the final vote, and if 2008 is anything like 2007 was, Chrysler will once again sell more vans in the first two weeks of the year than Hyundai will deliver in all 52.

Upon returning the Town and Country to Chrysler's regional office I picked up a new Jeep Liberty. Hmmm ... Jennifer loves it and it really doesn't do much for me, overall. Here we go again. I'd better call my Chrysler contacts to see if there's a TandC with my name on it, or it'll be another year of disagreements.