Chrysler Town & Country tops all minivans for power and gear
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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RICHMOND, Va. -- A torrent of rain falls across the verdant Piedmont Plateau of Virginia, filling the concrete interstate slab of I-64 with broad puddles as our all-wheel-drive minivan plows a sodden path toward Richmond and the airport, where a plane waits to carry us out of the storm.
So much unwarranted water on the roadway creates hazardous driving conditions with a sea of slippery spots that can spin a tire and send a speeding vehicle sailing off to a hydroplaning disaster.
But it doesn't work that way in the richly appointed Limited edition of Chrysler's Town & Country minivan, which rides on a stretched platform and carries a full-time all-wheel-drive system.
Through all the puddles this minivan maintains constant tire traction for steady forward progress.
That's possible because the AWD mechanism has an inter-axle viscous coupling that automatically distributes torque from a powerful V6 engine to front and rear axles while constantly sensing which set of rubber can hold a good grip on the slick pavement.
Under normal driving conditions on dry pavement, the device sends almost all of the engine torque to the two front wheels, so the minivan drives like a front-wheel-drive model. Yet when on-board sensors detect wheel slippage up front, the viscous coupling immediately transfers some of the power -- up to 100 percent, depending on the amount of slippage -- to the rear wheels.
The all-wheel-drive device, available for top trims on the 2002 editions of Town & Country, translates to an important safety feature because it keeps the vehicle rooted to the road despite adverse pavement conditions.
An extensive assortment of passive safety systems also go into Chrysler's deluxe minivans, thanks to the new generational platform design that rolled out with the revamped models of 2001.
New safety gear integrated into the design includes a strong safety-cage structure, larger and smarter disc brakes, brighter and more powerful headlamps, multi-stage frontal air bags and optional side-impact air bags (they're standard on elite Limited editions), plus seatbelt pretensioners and load-limiters for the two front seats.
In addition, sliding side doors and the tailgate open and close through optional power controls, with pinch sensors on alert during any door movement. These sensors will instantly stop the door from closing if an object -- such as a passenger's hand -- should get in the way.
Despite the downpour retarding our race to Richmond, the drive in a Town & Country Limited AWD turns into a cushy experience due to all of the plush comforts packed aboard a leather-lined luxury edition.
It's refined with fancy fixtures in the spacious passenger compartment, liberated with a precise suspension system that can execute rather nimble linear movements, and fired up with muscular horsepower.
This top-of-the-line Limited edition for the Town & Country caps a string of trims available on 2002 models and in effect transforms the all-too-common minivan into a fancy people-hauler where the amenities and ride quality feel better than what you'd find in a stretched limousine.
Smoothly shaped exterior elements flow together in streamlined fashion so the package doesn't seem bulky. The most striking exterior feature is the tall expanse of glass that wraps around the cabin. A front cowling dips to enhance driver's forward vision, and side glass sheets extend vertically to bring panoramic views for riders.
Inside, a low platform affords minimal step-up height comparable to a sedan so it's easy to climb aboard. The sliding slab door on each side positioned behind a front hinged door allows easy entry for back-seat riders.
Trim variations include LX, LXi and Limited labels for front-wheel-drive (FWD) and all-wheel-drive (AWD) mode, all rigged on the extended-wheelbase platform.
Also, Chrysler adds to the line two new FDW models stocked with popular equipment but priced for high value.
The Town & Country eL edition, sporting the line's lowest MSRP of $24,330, carries quad seats plus 50/50 split rear seats and folding storage trays between seats on first and second rows.
For power, it gets the minivan's base 3.3-liter V6 engine that's good for 180 hp.
Town & Country eX edition with the MSRP pinned at $26,830 carries more deluxe equipment, such as bucket seats installed on the second row, power controls for the right-side sliding door and rear liftgate, three temperature zones for the climate system and four-wheel disc brakes with traction control. Optional equipment ranges from side-impact air bags for the front seats to power controls for the driver-side sliding door.
The eX draws more power, using Chrysler's 3.8-liter V6 that delivers 215 hp.
The 3.3-liter V6 is the standard powertrain for Town & Country eL FWD, LX FWD and LXi FWD versions, with the 3.8-liter V6 optional for LXi FWD but standard on Limited FWD.
A four-speed automatic transmission with electronic controls applies to all engines.
The three-tier seat systems in Town & Country present options on the second row for a three-person bench or twin buckets. The rear bench, set on wheels and split into equal sections, folds and unlocks for quick one-handed rollout removal when more cargo space is needed.
Also, a clever design for a center console allows it to be moved from the front row to the second in quad-seat editions, or removed entirely to create walk-through aisles.
Another smart idea stems from the rear bay where an optional modular cargo organizer with folding partitions springs up from the floor to an elevated position. It accommodates up to six sacks of groceries in conjunction with sack hooks mounted on the back side of the rear bench.
When raised, the shelf shows space beneath that's deep enough to stow a collapsible stroller or several sets of golf clubs, and the elevated height of the shelf aligns perfectly with flat-folded seatbacks on second and third rows. Together, they form a large horizontal plane extending to front seatbacks that's deep and wide enough to carry 4x8-foot sheets of wallboard.
A video entertainment system is also available.
Designed for riders on second and third tiers of seats, the package -- dubbed DVD Rear Seat Video -- adds a DVD-based video entertainment system with two sets of wireless headphones and a big LCD display screen mounted in the ceiling behind front seats.
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| 2002 CHRYSLER TOWN COUNTRY VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Compact minivan
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| Model Options: |
Compact minivan
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| Wheelbase: |
119.3 inches
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| Overall Length: |
200.5 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 3.3-L V6
OHV 3.8-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4
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| Drive: |
FWD / AWD
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| Braking: |
FWD: Power disc/drum/ABS opt.
AWD: Power 4-disc/ABS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + opt. 2 (side)
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| Gas Mileage: |
3.3-L FWD: 18/24 mpg
3.8-L FWD: 17/23 mpg
3.8-L AWD: 16/22 mpg
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| MSRP Price: |
$ 24,330 to $ 39,545 |
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