2012 Chrysler Town & Country Philadelphia

See Our New 2012 Chrysler Town & Country Philadelphia

The Chrysler Town & Country is related to the Dodge Grand Caravan, but it's the more luxury-oriented of the two minivans. The Town & Country was significantly revised for 2011 with new exterior styling, a substantially revised interior and a new V-6 engine. The seven-seat minivan competes against the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey. New for 2012 is leather upholstery and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system are now standard, and the Town & Country's cabin has new Sapphire Blue lighting. The Limited trim level features a leather and wood steering wheel.

2012 Chrysler Town & Country Design

The Chrysler Town & Country is offered in one long-wheelbase body style, and its size is comparable to several competitors. Cargo room is comparable as well. It comes with two power sliding side doors and a power rear liftgate, all of which are easier to open for moms with armfuls of kids and groceries. 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.  The grille is more attractive, taking on a new corporate look that also appears on the Chrysler 300 sedan. Along the sides, the Town & Country gets new chrome moldings and available bright polished 17-inch wheels with a different design and painted pockets. At the rear, the glass has more curvature, and there is a standard roof spoiler that aids aerodynamics. The rear also adds LED taillights, a new shape for the fascia, a bright metal step pad, and a chrome trim to strip echo the front end.

Handling of the 2012 Chrysler Town & Country

The new 3.6-liter V6 is now class competitive, while only the 4.0-liter V6 on the 2010 model was close. Chrysler has come up with a fine new engine. It's smooth and quiet, offering decent punch from a stop and enough in reserve for passing. However, it doesn't feel as powerful as the 283-horsepower figure would suggest. That's odd because this same engine feels stronger in the rear- and four-wheel-drive Jeep Grand Cherokee. Perhaps the 6-speed automatic transmission is the culprit. The transmission doesn't seem to communicate well with the engine or react very well to the driver's right foot.

2012 Town & Country Lineup

The 2011 Chrysler Town & Country is available in three models, Touring, Touring L and Limited. All use a 283-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 engine that drives the front wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission.Town & Country Touring is well equipped with cloth upholstery, air conditioning with three-zone automatic climate control, interior air filter, cruise control, tilt/telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, 8-way power driver's seat with lumbar adjustment, Stow 'n Go second-row bucket seats with underfloor storage, split-folding third-row seat, power-sliding side doors, power locks, power windows, power heated mirrors, remote keyless entry, power adjustable pedals, auto-dimming rearview mirror, conversation mirror, trip computer, six-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo, Sirius satellite radio with 12-month subscription, auxiliary audio input jack, 6.5-inch touchscreen, 30-gigabyte hard drive with music storage, power rear quarter windows, universal garage door opener, 115-volt power outlet, roof rack with stow-in-place crossbars, power rear liftgate, removable/rechargeable flashlight, rain-sensing wipers, fog lights, automatic SmartBeam headlights, and P235/60R16 tires on alloy wheels.

Town & Country Touring L adds leather upholstery, 8-way power front passenger seat, heated front seats, remote starting, second- and third-row manual sunshades, power folding exterior mirrors, auto-dimming driver's side mirror, security alarm, and P225/65R17 tires.Town & Country Limited is loaded with Nappa leather upholstery with suede inserts, Garman navigation system, 506-watt, 9-speaker audio system, USB port, keyless access and starting, HID headlights, UConnect hands-free phone, Bluetooth telephony, heated second-row seats, heated steering wheel, auto-dimming mirror with in-glass turn signals. 

Interior of the 2012 Chrysler Town & Country

The Town & Country has room for up to seven people in three rows. The dashboard uses low-gloss, nicely grained materials that make the cabin seem more luxurious.Having succeeded in part on the strength of its Stow 'n Go second-row seats ? which fold into bins in the floor ? Chrysler improved the feature last year by giving the seats one-touch operation and making them larger for better comfort. Stow 'n Go second-row seats are standard; traditional second-row bucket seats are optional.

The center console is now integral instead of removable. It has a deep storage area, a pair of cupholders and a covered shallow tray. A higher-end version has a tray that can be opened from the rear, allowing parents to pass items back to kids. There are also bottleholders in each front door.Front-seat room and comfort are typical for a minivan. The front captain's chairs afford an upright driving position with an SUV-like view of the road. There is plenty of head room, and leg room will only be lacking for the tallest drivers.

Conclusion

 It's quieter, more powerful, more controlled, nicer inside and likely more fuel efficient. Yet the Town & Country is still one of the most family friendly minivans on the market. Other pluses are the many unique and handy seating and storage features, and an impressive array of entertainment options.  Learn more about the vehicle at the official 2012 Town & Country site .

Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com