2010 Chrysler Town & Country
The Chrysler Town & Country has long appealed to families and empty-nesters seeking a practical vehicle with a dash of luxury inside and out. Early Town & Country’s satisfied this desire with wood-grain decals, leather seats and a standard V6 engine, while the current model offers amenities like a navigation system, tri-zone climate control and a power-operated liftgate. Since its introduction for 1990, the Chrysler Town & Country has shared all of its mechanicals with its less upscale Dodge cousin, the Grand Caravan, and that carries through to the current generation. For 2010, the Town & Country offers one of the most featured filled, convenient cabin spaces available, making it ideal for families on the go. While performance is not its strong point, consumers that lean towards the minivan market are usually more concerned about what the vehicle will do to make bust lives easier; this means ease of use, organization features, and kid friendly features are usually a top priority. The 2010 Chrysler T & C comes in three trims: LX, Touring and the premium Limited. Even the base model is reasonably well equipped, featuring the Stow 'n Go system as standard, though many buyers will want to step up to the midlevel Touring to benefit from additional amenities such as a power liftgate. With the Limited, you get additional luxuries like heated second-row seats and an eight-way power front passenger seat. Chrysler puts a luxurious spin on the minivan with the Town & Country. The Town & Country has a starting MSRP of $25,175 – $35,060 and an EPA Fuel Economy of City: 16 – 17 and Highway: 23 – 25.
2010 Town & Country Trim Levels
The 2010 Chrysler Town & Country is available in three models, base LX, well-equipped Touring and top-of-the-line Limited. The LX comes with cloth upholstery, air conditioning with three-zone manual control, tilt steering wheel, front center console, stowable second-row bench seat, stowable third-row split folding bench seat, power first- and second-row windows, power third-row vent windows, power door locks, power exterior mirrors, remote keyless entry, four-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo, trip computer, conversation mirror, outside temperature display, and P225/65R16 tires on steel wheels with wheel covers.
The Touring model adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls, two additional speakers, Sirius satellite radio, eight-way power driver's seat with lumbar adjustment, power adjustable pedals, overhead storage bins, 115-volt power outlet, heated exterior mirrors, power sliding rear doors, power rear liftgate, universal garage door opener, automatic headlights, fog lights, roof rack, and aluminum wheels.
The Limited model gets tri-zone automatic climate control with rear controls; interior air filter; leather upholstery; eight-way power passenger seat; heated first- and second-row seats; memory for the driver seat, mirrors, and pedals; 506-watt audio system with 10 speakers; Chrysler's UConnect Tunes 30-gigabyte hard-drive radio; removable, sliding front console; rear park assist; remote engine starting; auto-dimming driver's side and rearview mirrors; second- and third-row sunshades; mirror-mounted turn signals; rain-sensing wipers; rearview camera; xenon SmartBeam self-dimming headlights; and P225/65R17 tires on chromed aluminum wheels.
Design of the Town & Country
The Town & Country let go of its typical minivan design in place of a more SUV like shape, it’s boxier and squared off than the previous generation. The front of this minivan features a large grille heavily influenced by that of the Chrysler Sebring and Pacifica. The body sides have a clean, simple design, as the last model's side strakes have been eliminated. The rear liftgate is available with power operation, which is handy, but the rear glass doesn't open separately. Chrome accents on the front and rear fascias, door handles, belt molding, and mirrors lend an upscale appearance. For 2010, the Chrysler Town & Country is offered in one long wheelbase body style, and the Town & Country's size is comparable to several competitors. The Nissan Quest, Kia Sedona, Honda Odyssey, and Toyota Sienna are all within two inches, plus or minus, in overall length. Cargo room is comparable as well. The Town & Country's styling is somewhat boxy, with a pronounced front end that offers a hint of an SUV-like appearance. The roof is wide at the top, also contributing to the boxy look.
Chrysler Minivan Power
For power, the Town & country has three available engines. The base trim is powered by a 3.3-liter V6 rated at 175 horsepower mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. The Touring model uses a more powerful 197 horsepower 3.8-liter V6, while the Limited is equipped with a 251 horsepower 4.0-liter V6. Both the Touring and Limited use a six-speed automatic.
Town & Country Cabin Features
Minivans are all about what’s on the inside, and the Town & Country is one minivan that excels at this. From the numerous storage areas, to the recessed cargo area, to the seats that can either fold into the floor or turn to face the rear, the Town & Country has made it easier for families on the go. The gauges are easy to spot and the various controls are clearly marked. Front-seat room and comfort are typical for a minivan. For storage, Chrysler provides two glove boxes and some cubbies in the center stack for small items storage. A total of 13 cupholders are found throughout the van. All Town & Country models have a deep well behind the third row. With the rear seats in place, there is an impressive 32.3 cubic feet of cargo room. All models have a 60/40 split folding third-row bench seat that folds into the floor. A great option is the power folding third row seat, which can be set to four positions, including what Chrysler calls the tailgating position.. The radio and/or UConnect Tunes/GPS system is set high on the center of the dash for easy access. With either system, the controls are easy to use, but those on the right side are a bit of a reach for the driver. Buyers can opt for UConnect Tunes or UConnect GPS, that latter adding a navigation system with voice activation and real-time traffic.
Driving the Chrysler Town & Country
The Town & Country's best engine is found in the Limited model. Its 4.0-liter makes 251 horsepower, which puts it in the ballpark with the V6s offered by Nissan, Honda and Toyota. With the 4.0-liter V6, the Town & Country has EPA fuel economy ratings of 16 mpg City and 23 Highway. The available 3.8-liter V6 offers plenty of pep for daily commutes and most needs. Teamed with a six-speed automatic transmission, this powertrain is fairly responsive. The 3.8-liter V6 has the same EPA ratings as the 4.0. The base 3.3-liter V6 uses the old four-speed automatic. While the EPA fuel economy numbers of 17 mpg City and 24 Highway are respectable, they are little better than the bigger engines and the 3.3 is overmatched in this large vehicle. The Chrysler Town & Country drives like you'd expect given its shape and design. Drive it hard into a turn and it prefers to keep going straight rather than reacting quickly to steering inputs. Turns and changes of direction prompt copious body lean. Still, it never feels like it's going to tip over. Overall, the ride quality is quite good.
Conclusions
Innovative seating and upscale features inside and out set this van apart from the competition. Chrysler’s new YES Essentials seat trim that repels all but the most caustic stains, is another small detail that makes this a truly family-friendly vehicle. The Town & Country carries-over with minimal changes for 2010. The Town & Country is Chrysler’s prized minivan, a vehicle which over the years has introduced amenities that have been truly ground-breaking. The T&C and its cousin, the Dodge Grand Caravan began a minivan convenience revolution, when they introduced Stow 'n Go, a seating system that provides fold-flat capability for both the second- and third-row seats, as well as in-floor storage compartments when the seats are occupied. They were also the first to offer driver-side sliding doors. While the competition is growing in the minivan segment, especially with models with better power and handling and the new trend of microvans, the Town & Country holds its place as an innovator of the market. For more details on the Town & Chrysler's innovative approach, vsit the official Chrysler Town & Country site.
