2006 Chrysler Town & Country Limited (Video Clip)

An old timer that's still in shape

2006 Chrysler Town & Country Limited (Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123.com)

Time to review a minivan. Aah, the minivan, the vehicle people love to hate. But why? It's so practical. It's great for hauling kids and stuff. You can buy yourself a minivan priced from $20,000 right up to $50,000.

Well, people don't like minivans because they're un-cool. Being seen behind the wheel of a minivan automatically makes you a soccer mom or a family man. Obviously, in this era where image is everything, SUVs are in and minivans are out. Single men and woman usually don't drive minivans.

Well, I'm a family man, so I don't mind driving around in one. In this case, I especially don't mind having this 2006 Town & Country in my clutches for a couple of weeks.

During that time, I put over 1,400 kilometres in this luxury liner. And during that time, it gained my respect and admiration. It did so because despite being dated, the Chrysler minivans still hold their own against tough Japanese and Korean competition.

The T&C, in Limited trim, is the 2nd most expensive minivan on the Canadian market at $47,905, after Toyota's $50,875 Sienna XLE AWD. Honda's Odyssey Touring comes in a close third at $47,600, followed by

2006 Chrysler Town & Country Limited (Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123,com)

Nissan's Quest 3.5 SE at $46,398. These 4 minivans are, needless to say, fully loaded and come with features you don't even find on other types of vehicles.

Chrysler invented the modern-age minivan, and it's not about to let go of its market domination. In 2005, they introduced the clever Stow 'n Go seating system and it's now available in the Town & Country for 2006. No more pulling out heavy bench or captain seats and not knowing where to put them when you don't have a garage. In seconds, you can flip up the 3rd-row bench or one of the two captain's chairs in the 2nd row. And once all the seats are down, the flat floor can almost accept a smart fortwo. Honestly, if I had to buy a minivan, Stow 'n Go would be a dealbreaker for me.

Available only in a long-wheelbase format, the Town & Country distinguishes itself from the less-expensive Caravan with its light lower-body cladding, rounded-out headlamps, and trademark Chrysler grille with its winged logo. It looks more sophisticated than the Dodge counterpart, but you'll have a hard time guessing which one is which, when seeing them on the road. The current design has been around since 2001, but the overall shape is about the same since 1996, so the Caravan and Town & Country seem to be getting old. That's especially the case when compared to newer adversaries. Gladly, brand-new DaimlerChrysler minivans should make their appearance sometime in 2007.

2006 Chrysler Town & Country Limited (Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123,com)

Power comes from an aging 3.8-litre pushrod V6 that develops 205 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. Of course, I am willing to say that it's insufficient for pushing this 1,941 kg vehicle with authority, but that's being stupid of me; a minivan isn't about speed, it's about transporting a family around safely and efficiently. It's like saying a Ferrari is useless because I can't take my kids and their friends to hockey practice. Anyway, its V6 isn't as lethargic as it seems, but the T&C's competition boasts more power. The Sienna has 215 horsepower, the Odyssey has 255 and the Quest has 240.