Download QuickTime viewer here. 

See the doors in action as well as the Sto-and-Go seats in video.  Click Here

2005 Chrysler Town and Country Touring

The Good:  Loads of room. Easy to fold away Stow'nGo seats.  Lots of legroom in second row.  Powered rear lift gate.  Build quality has significantly improved.
The Bad:  Poor handling and bouncy ride, especially when sitting in the back. Underpowered engine.  Body sway is high.  Seating position too high in front.

            Chrysler's newest attempt at the Minivan that it invented keeps on getting better.  Approximately 1.2 million minivans are sold each year in North America, which is an average of 1 in 15 new vehicles.  Minivans in general sell well in the US and families still love the large amount of space inside and the high driving position.  While crossovers and SUV's have taken quite a bit of their share, minivans still retain an edge when it comes to interior room and functionality.  Chrysler has a 38% market share in the minivan market segment selling over 10 million in the past 20 years.  Over 400 million dollars was invested to create the all-new platform for the Town and Country, which hit the market in under 18 months, a record for Chrysler. 

            The Town and Country tested here is available in four different trim levels, starting at $21,000 for the base model in short wheelbase and going up to about $36,000 for the Limited model in a stretched form.  The base and LX models feature a 180 horsepower 3.3 liter V6 engine while the Touring and Limited models get a modest boost of 205 horsepower using a 3.8 liter V6.  Our Touring model was priced right with a good amount of amenities inside.  The Touring model we tested included options such as the Leather interior group for $2,100 and the rear video system for $1,150.  Other items such as the front center console was $195 and an in-dash six disc DVD/CD changer was $555.  We feel that the leather interior group is essential since cleaning fabric seats is such a chore, especially if you have pets.  This package also includes power front seats, heated seats, air conditioning with three zones and the vehicle information center.  These are basic requirements for a minivan to have if you want some kind of interior comfort. 

            At first glance, the Town and Country is smooth and large all around, with a commanding front end that should help move SUVs out of the way.  The shape is bulbous rather than sleek or sporty as in other competitors. Glittering headlights added a nice touch of class but we did not find anything else very bold or different that stood out.  Rear taillights were also plain, when something nicer could have been made.  An integrated spoiler in back and roof rails on top looked good.  The rear bumper also features a rubber lining which is very useful.  Wheels are 16-inch with large beefy rubber to dampen all the road feeling and keep things quiet.  The wheel gap was a bit too large for our tastes.  You can also see the exhaust pipes under the Town and Country if you stand back and take a side view.   We would also like to see mirrors in body color and nicer door handles on the outside.

Now lets talk about how the Town and Country Touring handles behind the wheel before we get into the long list of interior amenities.  Behind the wheel the T&C feels solid and squeak free.  The interior is also free of road noise and vibrations thanks to the trademarked Quiet Steel.  Wind noise however does enter the cabin through the large glass panels all around and at highway speeds noise from the wind and the engine can get a bit high.  We think that thicker glass should have been used all around.  Wheels come only in 15 or 16-inches and they are quiet with the large rubber mounted on them, however if 17 or 18-inch wheels were used we would have better road feel and higher performance.  This minivan definitely does not make you a better driver.  You will want to drive slower and the feeling of confidence when stopping and accelerating quickly or taking sharp turns is simply not there.  This is a big car and behind the wheel it feels as such.  Automakers can design better minivans and we think they should add more horsepower, offer tighter suspension and steering that gives more road feel to the driver.  Fuel economy comes in at 18 city and 25 highway which are not that great numbers, but good when compared to a SUV.  We look forward to new hybrid systems delivering higher gas mileage or even a diesel engine delivering 40 mpg. 

            While driving around the town the suspension is where the Town and Country lacks.  The front setup is independent and the rear is not.  We would have liked to see Mercedes share its suspension, as it did in the 300c, on minivans as well.  The T&C's suspension is more like a truck in the rear.  We found that while body sway and lean are normal for a large minivan, body bounce was quite high.  Unless the road is perfectly smooth, which they rarely are in the U.S., the rear end of the Town and Country can make you nauseous.  We truly hope that one day someone will put an active air suspension on a minivan and change the way 1 out of 15 cars in America handles.  One little trick we did find though which may help out a bit:  You can opt for a Trailer Tow Prep Group which includes a load leveling suspension that should help lower the suspension bounce in the rear. 

            On the inside the Town and Country is large and roomy.  The formidable keychain opens all doors and the rear hatch automatically.  Push three buttons and this minivan opens up in an electronic gadgetry bonanza like you have never seen before.  Inside up front, both seats are powered for basic movement.  We found that the driver's seat position was a bit high and could not be lowered to a level we liked.  Perhaps this minivan is made for short women?  The dials and controls are laid out in a simple fashion and shared systems like the stereo and ventilation controls are nicely done.  We especially liked the instrument cluster with its large display and clock-like style.  The shift bar is located to the right of the steering wheel.  Other vans have larger stalks that block the view of the stereo or some other vital control, but in the T&C its small and has a soft touch which is nice.  The steering wheel is leather wrapped and of good thickness.  It is loaded with cruise control buttons, something we never used in the busy traffic. Behind the steering wheel is a hidden button for the stereo volume as well as mode selection. 

On the driver's door are switches for windows.  In the T&C only the front and rear vent windows open.  The windows on the sliding doors do not move at all.  We would have liked all the windows to be movable as well as be one-touch open or close.  Seats are also heated up front and the center console holds the buttons for this and for the rear windshield wiper and washer, an awkward place we thought, why not just put it with the wiper stalk?  It was simple to use once you finally found where it was located.  The upper console holds a compass, shows outside temperature, trip odometer, buttons for Homelink garage transmitters and buttons for the two sliding doors and the rear hatch.   We would have liked this display and door buttons to be in the center where they are more accessible.  The parking brake is located on the floor and activated by your foot. Releasing this can be a chore since you must dig down under the dash to pull a lever.

The central console houses a six-disc DVD changer that we fell in love with.  This comes with a 7-inch fold down screen in the back and two wireless headsets.  The stereo also has a separate CD-player in the dash.  Below this are the climate controls.  The Town and Country features three zones; driver, passenger, and rear cabin, all with their own automatic setting.  We found the system worked well and was just a bit on the loud side but comparable to the competition.  The shiny aluminum trim piece to the sides of the console would be better suited if the exterior was also silver, but we would rather see a elegant wood piece here and on the doors.  If you see the Chrysler web site you can find a few images of models with wood trim and they do look much nicer. 

The front doors have thin storage compartments and there is no bottle holder in the doors as in the Mazda minivan.  There are storage compartments under the console and our model features the optional removable storage compartment in between the two front seats.  This storage area is powered and offers an extra power outlet for your phone.  It also features a flip open cell phone holder and is large enough for holding your DVD collection. 

In the second row, the seats are thinner because of the new Stow'nGo system.  We liked the idea at first of thinner seats, as they would take up less room, however, could Chrysler keep comfort high and actually make them lighter and easy to use?  After our test drive we found that some of these points have been met and others have not.  After sitting in the second row for countless hours, we found the seat bottoms to be hard and the backrest lacking in adequate side bolstering.  Each seat also has flip down armrests however these were very small and not so useful.  There are plenty of hooks and nets around the seat for added storage.  There is no storage on the sliding doors, but cup holders built into the seats are useful and hide away nicely.  The seats also slide forward and back to give third row passengers plenty of legroom should they desire.  For this second row to fold into the floor, the front two seats must be moved forward quite a bit.  We did not think that anyone would really want to sit up front with the seats so far forward.  This was an oddity with the Stow'nGo system.

In trying to stow the second row of seats, the floor lid was on the heavy side, even though it stays in the upward position all on its own.  The seats are spring loaded and quite heavy so flipping them around and into the compartment in the floor is a little tricky until you get the hang of it, do it too fast and you can loose a finger.  We would like to see much lighter seats that also offer a more comfortable ride.  The second row did have great headrests that stow nicely down on top of the seat back cushion.  The system also makes for six cubic feet of room in each seat storage area when the seats are being used.  So you can fill up the Chrysler with all you need for a long trim.  We had floor mats covering the lids which most people would have as well and that hindered the ease of use of the bins in the floor.  On a daily basis it is much easier to use the power rear hatch and the storage space in the back.  Air vents in the roof were a nice touch and designed quite well.  Seat belts in the front two compartments are also adjustable. 

The third row of seats is actually quite comfortable, more so than we would expect.  The rear of the seat actually rests on the floor with small legs towards the front of the seats so they tilt a great deal.  This supports your legs nicely.  Speakers are located at your shoulder level however which makes them a bit too loud.  Headrests here are great and the same as in the second row.  The third row folds into the rear luggage compartment or can be used as a tailgate party seat tilting backwards.  The split folding bench is heavy and if you spin it into the stow area too quickly you can hurt yourself.  It's best to stow all the seats using two hands, not with one as Chrysler advertises.  We tried to get it all to work in 30 seconds with one hand and it was a bit tricky. 

Is Stow'nGo worth switching to this minivan over its competitors?  Well you first need to decide how much you will actually use the Stow'nGo feature.  We think most people will only use it occasionally when they need to fit large items in the back, such as furniture or a TV.  But the flexibility is there for when you need it without having to plan for something large and leaving seats at home before hand.  Very soon we will likely find other competitors copying this innovative seat storage system.

The upper rail system holds two storage compartments for the rear passengers.  Each compartment can easily slide along the rail.  The temperature controls are also located near the DVD screen in the rail system and were easy to use.  The rail system does not allow you to have the option of a power moon roof.  The powered doors were easy to use in both powered mode and manual mode.  You can easily stop the power door from closing and then simple open it all the way or close it all the way manually.  It all worked quite well.  The same with the powered rear hatch.  We wonder how people ever lived without it.

At night the interior is aglow in a green color.  The instrument cluster and console is lit up quite nicely.  At the foot well, there is no ambient lighting.  Trying to find something in the nets in between the two rear seats is difficult.  Even the power door button was not lit and therefore hard to locate at night.  Regarding the main headlights, the low beams are not very bright and Xenon lighting is not offered in our model as an option.  Fog lights are not standard on our Touring model as well.  However the high beam worked well providing a lot of light far down the road and to the sides of the road.  We would like to see better headlights offered in this model in the future.  The Limited model features better seats with suede inserts and memory seats up front.  Rear parking sensors are optional as part of the Luxury package in the Touring model.  A navigation system is also optional in the Touring model.

As far as safety goes, the Town and Country is available with side curtain airbags in addition to the dual front airbags and a knee airbag.  Tire pressure monitoring is also available.  We see way to many minivans with under inflated tires on the road so this sounds like a good option to have.  You can look at our charts below to see how it compares to other minivans in crash testing and other categories.  At this time, Chrysler is also offering a $1000 cash allowance so hurry to your dealer to take a test drive of the all-new Town & Country.  Chrysler is banking on the new Stow'nGo system to differentiate itself from others in the crowded minivan market.  We think it's a great system that's easy to use and gives you a lot of options in terms interior seat setup and overall storage.  Once again, Chrysler has come up with a great innovation in a vehicle that we thought had seen its best days behind it.  Perhaps the minivan market still has some life in it.

Talk about this car and other cars on our message board with other car fans like you. click here

To sign up to receive new car updates and reviews as well as some coupons for our site, click here

Do you want to see what parts and accessories are made specifically for this vehicle today? click here.