2008 Chrysler Town and Country Test Drive

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The new Chrysler Town & Country packs many innovative features and ably competes with minivans from Honda and Toyota.

Interior

Minivans are all about what happens inside, and it’s here that Chrysler has really raised its game.

One of the most interesting innovations is the optional Swivel 'n Go seating system. The two second-row captain’s chairs smoothly pivot around to face the third row, and a removable, stowable tabletop pops into place between the rows of seats — perfect for card games, homework or meals-on-the-go.

The only vexing issue with Swivel ‘n Go is that only the seatbacks can be folded; the seats don’t tumble fully forward or hide away, so third-row passengers must either walk between the chairs or climb over the partially folded seats. When we had stray gear blocking the center aisle, it made entry and exit difficult.

In place of Swivel ‘n Go, buyers can choose standard Stow ‘n Go seats that don't swivel, but tumble fully forward and also disappear completely into the floor. Those hideaway second-row seats are much more versatile if you often find yourself hauling full loads of bulky cargo; in contrast, the Swivel ‘n Go seats must be removed from the vehicle to max out storage space, and each seat weights about 90 pounds. Here’s hoping that a future model will offer seating that combines both features, perhaps called "Swivel ‘n Stow."

The tradeoff, though, is that the Stow ‘n Go seats are noticeably less comfortable than the Swivel ‘n Go seats, because they require a shorter seat back and a thinner, less-padded profile to allow them to tuck into the floor. There’s also the option of a second-row folding bench with three seating positions, giving the Chrysler eight-passenger capability, versus seven for the other seating packages.

As far as features go, if you can name it, the Chrysler Town & Country probably has it. One option, a $595 power-folding third seat, is unique among minivans. Either or both sections of the split seat disappear into the floor with the touch of a button, without having to remove the headrests as on some folding seats in older minivans and SUVs.

The seemingly endless roster of features includes dual glove boxes and heated seats in front and second rows, a tire-pressure monitor, a mirror to monitor kids in back, ambient lighting in the roof console, swiveling reading lamps in the rear, a remote engine starter, a rechargeable LED flashlight tucked into the cargo area, plus a number of grocery-bag hooks.

Safety features include ABS and electronic stability control; curtain air bags to protect heads and torsos of occupants in all three rows; a back-up camera and sonar park assist system.

Retractable manual window shades in both the second and third rows were welcome on a sunny afternoon. The rear seats also feature separate climate control.

The windows in the sliding doors roll down about three-quarters of the way — older Chrysler minivans don’t have this feature. A console between the front seats slides back in two stages, moving up to 21 inches so it can also be used by second-row passengers.

A MyGIG multimedia system lets you upload CDs, DVDs and MP3s onto an onboard hard drive. A USB port makes connecting iPods, memory sticks and other auxiliary devices a snap.

Our optional DVD entertainment system featured dual DVD players, 8-inch overhead video screens in the second and third rows, plus a pair of wireless headphones and a remote control.

The Town & Country also benefits from new Sirius Backseat TV, with live channels from Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. The picture, compressed to travel over the Sirius satellite radio network, looked a bit fuzzy during live-action programming, but was just fine for cartoons.

The audio and video systems take some practice to figure out, but eventually we managed to get the videos going in the back while listening to separate audio up front, including Sirius satellite radio. In fact, with two DVD players, you can also listen to music in the front seat while two separate programs are viewed in back.

About the only option we were missing was the navigation system, which would have inflated the final price to about $41,000.