2010 Chrysler Town & Country: What's New

Vehicle Overview
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 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 minivans such as the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey and Hyundai Entourage.

New for 2010
There are no significant changes for 2010.

Exterior
Chrysler didn’t go overboard trying to make the Town & Country 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 for a presence that’s not too far from what passes as a crossover SUV nowadays.

• Standard 16- or optional 17-inch wheels
• Chrome grille
• Body-colored or chromed exterior door handles
• Body-colored or chromed 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.

The Town & Country offers power-folding, 60/40-split third-row seats with one-touch operation, up or down. 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 with Swivel ‘n Go but not with Stow ‘n Go seats.

The Town & Country also has power windows — in the sliding doors, too — with power sliding doors and a power 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
• Standard rear air conditioning controls
• Available compass/temperature/trip computer

Under the Hood
The Town & Country comes with a choice of three V-6 engines: Standard is a flex-fuel 3.3-liter V-6 that can run on gasoline, E85 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

Safety
There are two features to ease backing up and parking: a rear sonar sensor, standard on all trims, that sends an audible alarm when things are behind the van, and an optional rearview camera. A blind spot monitoring system and Chrysler’s Rear Cross Path accident-avoidance system are optional. They sound an alarm and light an indicator on the side mirror when something is in the blind spot or approaching from behind the van, respectively. Rain-sensing wipers and auto-dimming headlamps are also available on Touring and Limited trims. Standard safety features include:

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