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Luxury and exclusivity... in a mini van?
There are many luxurious automobiles for an affluent person to choose from, but when one needs to move people, only a minivan will do. And there is no mini van more opulent - or expensive - than the Chrysler Town & Country Limited AWD.
The Town & Country Limited AWD contains just about every mini van feature available from DaimlerChrysler or any other mini van maker, with only a few exceptions. The list of standard features is extensive; for example:
-Dual power sliding doors
-Power liftgate
-Removable centre console with power outlet
-Overhead console with electronic vehicle information centre and trip computer
-Deep pile 18-ounce broadloom
-Electroluminescent instrument cluster with tachometer
-Courtesy reading lamps above all rear outboard seating positions
-Memory system with presets for the driver's seat, outside mirrors and radio
-Automatic dimming rear view mirror and driver's outside mirror
-Heated power eight-way driver and front passenger seats leather seating surfaces
-AM/FM stereo with cassette, CD and 10 speakers and wheel mounted audio controls
-Tri-zone automatic climate control
-Load levelling suspension
-side air bags
Still there are some options: an in-dash 4-CD player is optional, while a video cassette entertainment system is an available accessory. A trailer towing package, heavy duty cooling and built in child seat, for example, are also optional.
Even though the Town & Country Limited comes equipped with such labour saving devices as dual power sliding doors and a power lift gate, you will still need to wrestle the hefty rear seat out of the van if you want to carry some cargo instead of people.
Put in a rear bench seat that not only folds flat into the floor, like the rear seat in a Honda Odyssey, but does so at the touch of a button and the Town & Country would truly be the king of luxury mini vans.
Speaking of power accessories, the new power lift gate, an exclusive to Dodge and Chrysler mini vans, is no gimmick. It was a feature I quickly came to appreciate, especially when carrying heavy items or loading groceries in the middle of a rain storm. Just press a button on the key fob and the hatch opens automatically. Four warning beeps let anyone around know what is about to happen and if there is an obstruction, like the bumper of an SUV parked too close, the door will quickly reverse on contact.
You don't have to buy the top-of-the-line Town & Country to get this feature on your mini van, though. It is an available feature on the Dodge Grand Caravan Sport and ES as well.
The removable power console is another handy item. It's not everyone that wants a console between the seats and for those that do, most mini vans don't have them. DaimlerChrysler fixed that problem by designing a console that can be placed between either of the front or middle row bucket seats and deliver power to the power outlet. There is a place to put the cell phone as well as larger items and cup holders.
Again, you don't need a Town & Country to get this handy item, which is an option on the Grand Caravan Sport and standard on the fully loaded Grand Caravan ES.
Another feature of the Town & Country that I liked was the tri-zone automatic climate control, which allows both front passengers and rear passengers to control the temperature in their area of the van. Tri-zone climate control is no gimmick either. The system worked surprisingly well.
Manual and automatic tri-zone climate control are also found on, you guessed it, the Dodge Grand Caravan.
In fact, I could find very little in the Town & Country Limited AWD, with the exception perhaps of the leather package that included suede inserts, and the 18 ounce broadloom that couldn't also be found either standard or optional on the Grand Caravan.
Even selecting every imaginable option for the Grand Caravan ES AWD, I couldn't push the price much above 000, which is itself a fair chunk of change, but nowhere near the 000 plus that the all-wheel-drive Town & Country will set you back.
is a hefty price to pay for Chrysler badging. But perhaps that is the price of exclusivity. And in the world of mini vans, the Chrysler Town & Country Limited AWD is as exclusive as it gets.
Although the external appearance is similar to the previous generation of mini vans, last revised for 1996, 2001 Dodge and Chrysler models have been thoroughly revised. At first glance it is hard to tell that nearly every body panel has changed, because the van retains the flowing profile of the previous edition. A little more "robust", a bit more angular, but DaimlerChrysler chose not to mess with a design that was widely admired.
Beneath the surface though, the changes are not so subtle and the 2001 Chrysler mini vans have received significant safety and mechanical improvements, while noise, vibration and harshness have been reduced.
A new, stronger body structure significantly improves the energy-absorbing character of the vehicle; dual-stage front airbags deploy at different speeds depending on the severity of the crash; side(head/chest) airbags for front passengers are available; the steering column has been re-designed to absorb energy from an impact; inside door pillars are moulded from Metalocene, a derivative of polypropylene that deforms and absorbs energy on impact; and intermediate and rear seats include child seat anchors, which provide direct attachment to the vehicle seat rather than relying on the vehicle's seat belts for retention.
Technical improvements include an 80 per cent improvement in headlamp lighting performance, larger brake rotors to improve stopping power, a redesigned front suspension and steering assembly to improve road feel and minimize shake, and a new roof rack design to reduce wind noise. Liberal use of acoustic materials, stiffer suspension attachment points, molded gaskets on outside mirrors and door handles and a thicker underhood silencer pad also help reduce noise penetration.
The attention to noise reduction has paid off. For a mini van, whose cavernous interior acts like an amplifier, The Town & Country is very quiet, allowing normal voice conversation between front and rear passengers. The only distraction - the whirring of the hydraulic pumps built into the shock absorbers that automatically raise or lower the van in the first mile of travel, depending on the weight of passengers and cargo.
Driving impressions
The 215 horsepower 3.8 litre overhead valve engine is standard on all Town & Country mini vans. It's a good thing. This is a big wagon - 2099 kg (4628 lb.) - and anything less would be inadequate, especially when loaded with passengers and luggage. The 3.3 litre engine is standard equipment on Dodge Caravan and Grand Caravan, while the 3.8 litre is an available option on Grand Caravan ES.
The Town & Country Limited AWD has respectable acceleration and motors quietly along at highway speeds, although it groaned under hard acceleration. With its quiet cabin and comfortable seating, the Town & Country is an excellent long distance driver. The van's overboosted steering provided little road feel, but was a benefit in around town and parking lot driving where a light touch on the wheel was appreciated. Outward visibility is good all around.
On the freeway or off the main thoroughfares the Town & Country's long wheel base and soft suspension smoothed out any road irregularities, absorbing ridges, pot holes and railroad tracks with a limousine quality ride.
You won't want to challenge the Town & Country with spirited driving on twisty backroads. There is too much body roll for that. But it is unlikely that the prospective owner of a Town & Country would be so inclined.
Nor is this an off-road van; the AWD system is intended to improve on-road traction, not take the back way to the cottage. In normal driving most power is routed to the front wheels. If they start to spin, a viscous coupling directs increasing amounts to the back axle. We have no comment on its capability as weather conditions during the test period were sunny and dry.
Models and pricing
The base price for the Chrysler Town & Country LXi is 205 and includes such standard features as 3.8 litre engine, four wheel disc brakes, remote keyless entry with theft deterrent system, three zone temperature control, dual power sliding doors, overhead console with mini trip computer, eight-way power driver and passenger seats, quad bucket seats and 50/50 split rear bench. The Town & Country Limited at 025 adds leather/suede seating, power liftgate, 16 inch chrome wheels, low speed traction control, automatic day/night rear view mirrors, heated front seats, driver memory seat and electronic vehicle information centre. Top of the line Town & Country Limited with all wheel drive has a base MSRP of 030.
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