Anyone drive a Town & Country? (I know it's been asked...)

Kapalua

I think we've finally come to terms with the fact that we need to go down Minivan lane.  This is the one we're interested in I think. Pros? Cons?  I drive a Chrysler Pacifica now so I already know that I like their products. 

karen6784

I had a 2011 T&C limited as a rental for a long weekend.  It had a lot of space.  The power doors were really handy.  There was a good amount of room in the third row (seated 2 adults with room to spare).  It handled pretty well.  Acceleration and braking were smooth. 

The biggest cons I felt were a lack of power (not enough horsepower).  It was slow to merge on to highways.  It wasn't made very well (interior).  It had 11,000 miles on it, and the light in the hatch had completely fallen out (was hanging by a wire).  I put it back into place at least 3 times that I could remember.  The cloth interior was really cheap feeling as well.

You can see a huge difference in quality in Chrysler / GM versus Toyota.  I would check out a Sienna.  A $40,000 van shouldn't be falling apart with 11,000 miles on it (IMO). 

mamarazzi

We have an '06 and it's been great. I love the power doors, integrated DVD system (6 disc changer so I can load up movies and change them with the push of a button), stow n go and space. We are really rough on our van and it is holding up really well. We have leather so I can't speak to the upholstery but the interior has otherwise stood the test of time. 

My one complaint is the exterior paint. It seems to scratch very easily. We will be getting silver next time as I feel it hides flaws better.  

Emiliana7

We are looking at vans too. after looking at a few T&Cs and looking at reviews on the net I won't get one of those! Seemed like every review was bad. I would think some of the problems would be fixed in the newer models, but you never know. The ones that are a few years old seemed to have lots of brake problems. A few people wrote in reviews they got the brakes replaced every year!

Nothing seemed to be so special about the T&C to justify going with one.

If I was gifted one- I would drive it, but I won't be buying one.

We're going to save up and make a nice DP on an Odyssey next year, instead of getting something else just in the mean time, just to have it.

However we can make do with what we have (unless I get a BFP sooner than we intend.)

ridesbuttons

I love my Grand Caravan.  The 3.6L engine has given me very good gas mileage and you just cannot beat the room and versatility.

beanzer

I had a '06 and gave it to my mom when we bought a 2011. ?I love(d) them both. ?My 2011 is a Touring, (heated front and middle) Leather seats, DVD system. ?We have taken it from Nebraska to San Antonio?and Austin with 4 adults, 2 kids, luggage?and a cooler.??Very roomy!!!!

Temp970088312507122

We just bought a Dodge Grand Caravan, which is essentially the same as a T&C. We bought it slightly used and fully loaded. It has a ton of great features and is very roomy. I was driving a Dodge Journey and it's built on the same platform. It drives really nice. We test drove a T&C too and it was exactly the same.

jettagurl

We have an Odyssey, buy my parents have  T&C and ILs have a Grand Caravan that I have had to borrow for several days.  I think they drive great, and now issues with power/speeding up to pass or whatever. My issues are minor....  

First, I love that is has the Stow & Go, but the seats just look and feel flimsy to me. The fabric is also very 'economical' looking.  They don't have any tears or issues (snagging), but neither van is more than 5 yrs old.  The seats in my 10 yr old Odyssey are much more comfy.  

Also, I HATE that you can't change the position of the middle row seats. I'm spoiled, I suppose, because in mine I can move the passenger side seat to the middle position, where access to the third row is along the passenger side, rather than up the middle.  Since I have 3 kids that still need help doing their harnesses, it is a royal PITA to climb in and reach over one side to reach that seat in the middle of the back row.  With my van, I put the one in the back row that needs help on the passenger side, so then I can just reach in (standing on the ground) and help/adjust the belt.  Also, if you have two carseats in the middle row, it is nearly impossible for an adult to get to the back.  

So in the seat situation - if you go with the T&C, I'd put two kids in the back, and the infant carrier in one middle row seat, then stow the other middle seat, so the back is easy to access.

Things I really like - the door buttons are in the middle, near the rear-view mirrow, so it easy for the front passenger to open close the sliding doors ( my buttons are on the dash right by the driver door).  I also love the automatic back door.  

Storage is great, as it is in my van.  Oh, and I prefer my middle console - it is more shelf-like, whereas the T&C is just a bunch of cupholders/nooks.

GL on your hunt!