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Walkaround
It's impossible not to appreciate the way Chrysler designers have blended style and utility. At heart, the T&C is a box meant to carry seven people and/or a lot of goods efficiently and, its reason for being, in luxury. That it is attractive, as well, is a bonus. The front-end treatment is especially handsome. The low, sloping nose, combined with low cowl height, is of great benefit in maneuverability, and reduces aerodynamic drag. T&C is elegant, with a shiny plated grille flanked by rounded headlamps. The grille is a damage-resistant thermoplastic molding. The Dodge version's air intake has simple horizontal slats, while Plymouth has a good-looking eggcrate grille. From the side, all three share a sleek, rounded profile. Differences are confined to minor lower bodyside details. Rear views are likewise the same except for badging. One standout feature is a left-side sliding rear door, an option that seems to have taken the minivan market by storm. It joins the existing wide front doors, right-side slider, and large tailgate in providing unhindered access to the interior. Between the three nameplates, Chrysler offers some 15 varieties of trim, wheelbase and overall length and drive systems, plus four engines and three transmissions among the three nameplates. Leaving powertrains aside for the moment, the most important is length: All three are available with either a 113.3- or 119.3-in. wheelbase; overall length increases by 13.3 in. with the longer wheelbase. The longer van's advantage is real, as the extra space is devoted to passenger and load area.
Interior Features
This is what minivans are all about: Space, space, and more space. Six passengers are treated like royalty in the Chrysler minis, and a seventh can be accommodated with minimal discomfort. Even better, the wide portals make getting in and out a snap. Style doesn't stop with the exterior. Every surface has been sculpted to give the interior a fresh, modern look. And it's efficient; control placement is superb, with every button and switch set exactly where it should be. In the large center console, climate controls are simple and easy to use, radio buttons are slightly more complex and fiddly, but good nonetheless. Our Town & Country tester was also leather-lined and had the top sound system the company offers, including a CD player. In addition to comfort, these vans are well conceived to keep their drivers happy, too. A high seating position and low cowl set up a near-perfect driving position, and instruments are clearly marked. There's storage space everywhere, with little bins, map pockets, cubbies and cupholders all strategically placed. In a word, the Chrysler minivan cabins are friendly. Seat options give owners plenty of latitude to configure the T&C for optimum use. The front seats are always buckets, but the center position can be filled with either a pair of captain's chairs or a wide bench. The rear seat is always a bench-type. When the center bench is installed, its back folds rearward to make a bed-like surface; when either center bench or buckets are folded forward, their backs form a table top, complete with cupholders. Center and rear seats are easily removable, the center(s) by unlatching and sliding out the side door, rear by unlatching and rolling--on built-in rollers--out the tailgate. When they're gone, there's 167 cu. ft. of carrying space available. All three Chrysler minivan brands also offer the option of a pair of integrated child safety seats. Between them, the three Chrysler minis run the gamut from basic to lavish, which is where the Town & Country fits in. The T&C carries a full load of standard equipment, almost all of which can be applied to Caravan or Voyager. You'll pay extra for air conditioning, an uplevel sound system (three are available), child seats (short-wheelbase models only) or the various power assists, upholstery upgrades and other T&C niceties when choosing Caravan or Voyager, but they are available, as is a handy roof rack that adds even more storage capacity.
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