Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The mini-van market is among the most competitive segments of the
automotive industry. The Dodge Caravan, Honda Odyssey and Toyota
Sienna all have loyal owners. But with the upscale 2006 Chrysler Town
and Country in the mix, buyers have an even more difficult choice.
The Town and Country offers high-end prestige in the mini-van
category, plus an inviting, efficient and spacious configuration of second
and third-row seats. Add a sleek, new design and a stylish front grill and
the Town and Country also gets best-of-class marks for its handsome
looks.
It's logical to assume mini-van buyers purchase their vehicles to
transport numerous passengers or for larger cargo needs, and that's
perhaps the Town & Country's best quality.
Seven passengers fit easily. With the third row of seats folded, the rear
cargo area is cavernous. If the second and third-rows are folded down
(flush with the floor), the available space could be rented out as a
moveable storage shed. The back liftgate has an automatic opening and
closing option, further adding to the vehicle's cargo-carrying qualities.
My test drive for the week was the Limited, the most advanced and most
expensive of four Town & Country models.
It featured a 3.8-liter, V6 and a four-speed automatic transmission. As
the manufacturer's top-of-the-line mini-van, the Limited's dark-gray
leather seats and dark, wood-like console perfectly complemented the
dark gray exterior color called "Brilliant Black Crystal."
The vehicle looks great on the open road and its ride quality, nicely
appointed controls and overall comfort are all impressive. As one
example, during non-daylight hours, the instrumentation panel is backlit
a soft light green. It's a nice touch.
Driving the mini-van is comfortable and the front-window, near-
panoramic view is a plus. Steering is satisfactory, and the vehicle has a
commanding presence.
That leaves only two questionable areas — less-than peppy
acceleration and average fuel mileage that didn't quite meet the
advertised city and highway numbers.
Standard features in the Limited edition are vast. All key functions —
windows to doors, eight-way seats to the sliding rear doors — are
automatic. The Limited edition includes a rear-obstacle detection
system, interior air filter, heated front seats, six-disc CD/DVD player, a
removable center console, automatic driver-side and rearview mirrors,
automatic headlights, roof rack, fog lights and 16-inch chrome alloy
wheels.
My weekly driver also featured an optional custom preferred package. It
included power sunroof ($1,005), Sirius satellite radio with one-year's
service ($195) and a rear-seat video system ($990) featuring a second-
row seven-inch overhead screen, wireless headphones and remote
control.
With a destination charge of $730, the Limited's total price reached
$37,900. That's a lot, but then again the Limited is a lot of mini-van.
2006 Town & Country Limited: The Weekly Driver
Safety features -- Dual front, driver's knee and side curtain
airbags (all three rows).
Fuel Mileage (estimates) -- 18 mpg (city), 25 mpg (highway).
Warranty -- Bumper to bumper, 3 years/36,000 miles;
Powertrain, 7 years/70,000 miles; Corrosion, 5 years/100,000 miles;
Roadside assistance, 3 years/36,000 miles.
Base price -- $33,325.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment