2009 Chrysler Town & Country: What's New

Vehicle Overview
As always, the Chrysler Town & Country shares the Dodge Grand Caravan’s equipment and features, although the Town & Country’s exterior is more distinguished. The main difference is in the brand image; the Town & Country is more focused on comfort and amenities than on sport. The seven-seat minivan comes in LX, Touring and Limited trim levels, and competes with other minivans such as the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey and Hyundai Entourage.

New for 2009
Stow ‘n Go seating is now standard on the base model (LX). Chrysler says the brake system is improved.

Exterior
The van is recognizable as a Chrysler, as its nose resembles that of its Aspen, Pacifica and Sebring siblings. Chrysler didn’t go overboard trying to make it look like something other than a minivan — yet its higher hood, squared-off rear end and the most stealthy sliding side doors we’ve seen all combine in a presence that’s not too far from what passes as a crossover SUV nowadays. The Town & Country measures 202.5 inches long, 78.7 inches wide and 68.9 inches tall. On par with the Sienna and Odyssey, the Town & Country is shorter in height than the Entourage. However, in both length and width, the Chrysler surpasses its competitors by a small amount.

• Standard 16-inch wheels; optional 17-inch alloys
• Bright grille on LX
• Body-colored exterior door handles on LX
• Bright bodyside molding on Touring
• Chrysler badge on lower-left liftgate

Interior
The Town & Country’s standard occupant count is seven. Having succeeded, in part, on the strength of its Stow ‘n Go second-row seats — which fold into the floor — Chrysler also offers optional Swivel ‘n Go: second-row captain’s chairs that independently rotate 180 degrees and slide fore and aft to face the third row. There is also an included stowable center table that can be positioned between the rows.

The Town & Country offers power-folding 60/40-split third-row seats with one-touch operation, up or down. This feature is included in the Premium Group option package on the Touring model and is an option on Limited models. There are also optional seat heaters for the front- and second-row seats, both in stain-resistant cloth and leather. An optional integrated child booster seat, for larger kids, is offered in Swivel ‘n Go but not with Stow ‘n Go seats. The seats come in three configurations: The optional second-row bench seat with a manual 60/40-split folding third row (with the bench, the same bins in the floor that would accept folded Stow ‘n Go seats, were they installed, provide covered storage); Stow ‘n Go second-row captain’s chairs with the manual folding third row, now standard on the base model (LX); or Swivel ‘n Go rearward-facing second-row seats with the manual third row. The swivel chairs don’t fold into the floor, so the bins are free for covered storage.

The Town & Country also has power windows — in the sliding doors, too — with power sliding doors and liftgate optional. There are numerous storage nooks, pockets and bins throughout the interior, including a dual glove compartment. The floor console between the front seats has removable, dishwasher-safe cupholders. An optional console has many sliding drawers that can open individually or together, including from the backseat, and contains a 12-volt power outlet.

• Optional live satellite TV for rear seats
• Optional navigation with traffic information
• Optional 9-inch overhead dual DVD screens with swiveling third-row monitor
• iPod interface now included with Bluetooth phone system
• Standard rear air conditioning controls in all models
• Compass/temperature/trip computer now standard on LX

Under the Hood
The Town & Country comes with a choice of three V-6 engines: Standard is a flexible-fuel 3.3-liter V-6 that can run on gasoline, E85 ethanol or any combination of the two. Higher trim levels come with a 3.8-liter or 4.0-liter V-6. The gear selector, which looks like a center-console shifter, is located high on the dashboard, to the right of the gauges.

• 175-horsepower, 3.3-liter V-6 with 205 pounds-feet of torque
• 197-hp, 3.8-liter V-6 with 230 pounds-feet of torque
• 251-hp, 4.0-liter V-6 with 259 pounds-feet of torque
• Four- or six-speed automatic
• Updated brake system

Safety
There are two options to ease backing up and parking: a sonar ParkSense, which sends an audible alarm when things are behind the van, and the ParkView rearview camera. The Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path accident-avoidance systems are available on Touring and Limited models. They sound an alarm and light up an indicator on the side mirror whenever something is in the blind spot or behind the van. Rain-sensing wipers and SmartBeam self-adjusting headlamps are also available on Touring and Limited. Standard safety features include:

• Side curtain airbags for all three seat rows
• Antilock brakes and traction control
• Electronic stability system