2013 Chrysler Town and Country

Overview

The 2013 Chrysler Town & Country is a seven-passenger, three-row minivan that is the more upscale twin to its sibling the Dodge Caravan. While the basic design and architecture are the same, the Chrysler Town & Country has more standard features and a higher price. The Chrysler Town & Country was the first luxury minivan ever produced back in 1989. It's still as competitive today, although the segment has gotten more crowded with stylish offerings. Still, its strong Pentastar V6 engine, confident handling and well-built cabin are definite consumer attractions, especially those requiring the ability to haul seven passengers and gear.

What Experts Think

The minivan segment is dominated by a few players, notably the 2013 Honda Odyssey, 2013 Toyota Sienna, 2013 Nissan Quest, and the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country and its sibling, the 2013 Dodge Caravan. Members of the automotive press are generally in agreement that the Town & Country acquits itself nicely for the plush minivan it is, although it could use a bit more responsiveness and a few tweaks here and there.

While noting that the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country offers much to like for families seeking minivan utility, Edmunds says it still trails the minivan competition. Still, the publication finds that this "plus people mover is equally suited to shuttling a group of businessmen to the Ritz-Carlton across town as it is to taking the family across the country to the Grand Canyon."

"Minivans might be bland, but they come in very handy when you need one...the Chrysler Town & Country drives with more precision, has a better interior, and is still hugely practical." (Car and Driver)

Kelley Blue Book, meanwhile, is a little more to the point: "If you are unwilling to surrender luxury and driving enjoyment in exchange for utility and necessity, choosing the 2013 Town & Country will undoubtedly leave you satisfied with your decision."

Consumer Guide named the 2013 Town & Country a Best Buy, hailing the fact that "it's quiet, rides smoothly and boasts an interior that's nicer than the Caravan." Other pluses include Stow ‘n Go seating, and available dual-screen rear DVD entertainment, rear-window sunshades, navigation system, and a load-leveling suspension. But buyers are urged to be judicious in option selection, in order to get "outstanding value for the money."

On the negative side, Consumer Reports finds that the Town & Country "still falls short of the best minivans." Highlights include a comfortable ride, quiet and well-equipped cabin with loads of versatility, thanks to second- and third-row seats that fold into the floor. Negatives include a transmission that's "a generation behind," unimpressive fuel economy and sloppy handling when the vehicle is pushed to its limit.

"If you can get past its unrefined drivetrain, the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country impresses with outstanding amounts of space and comfort for all the people and baggage families carry." (Cars.com)

What Owners Say

Where do owners stand in their view of the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country? Not surprisingly, opinions vary. Some are wildly enthusiastic about their luxurious people mover while others are downright upset at certain features or annoyances. But the general consensus among owners is that the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country is a more than satisfactory minivan.

Commenting on such sites as Yahoo Autos, Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book, Cars.com, owners have quite a bit to say.

Pluses include reliability, well-constructed, an excellent buy for the money, excellent gas mileage, great travel car for trips with the family, nice interior, great navigation/infotainment system, and roominess.

Gripes include less-than-sufficient padding in rear seats; exterior design needs updating, Uconnect touch, rattles, some comments about poor materials. One owner groused that a larger GPS screen would be nice.

Model/Trim Lineup

The 2013 Chrysler Town & Country minivan is available in three levels of trim: Touring, Touring-L, and Limited. But, as most testers point out, even the entry-level Town & Country is anything but Spartan in nature.

The Touring is the entry-level Town & Country model and comes fitted with 16-inch alloy wheels, a roof rack, power sliding doors, power tailgate, automatic headlights, fog lights, and automatic wipers. On the inside, standard features include a power driver's seat, power-adjustable pedals, leather upholstery, triple-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, full power accessories, Stow ‘n Go second-row seats, a conversation mirror, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a back-up camera, a 115-volt AC power outlet.

Electronics abound in the entry-level Touring, including a rear-seat DVD entertainment center that includes a second-row screen, Bluetooth, rear-seat USB charging ports and six-speaker CD sound system sporting a 6.5-inch touchscreen, satellite radio, auxiliary audio jack, digital music storage and a USB/iPod interface.

Next on the ladder is the Touring-L, which swaps out the 16-inch alloy wheels for 17-inchers and adds rear parking sensors, remote ignition, auto-dimming outside mirrors, a power-adjustable passenger seat in front, heated front seats and window shades for the second and third rows.

The top tier Town & Country model is the Limited, which tacks on power-folding sideview mirrors, keyless ignition/entry, upgraded leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, heated second-row seats, Bluetooth audio, a navigation system, an upgraded DVD entertainment system featuring Blu-Ray compatibility, an HDMI input and additional screen in the third row, a nine-speaker premium audio system, and xenon headlights.

Most reviewers mention that features found standard on upper trim levels can be added to lower ones through optional packages. The SafetyTec package includes rain-sensing windshield wipers, blind-spot monitoring, rear sonar proximity sensors and smart-beam headlights that automatically switch between high and low beams, depending on traffic. Some of the other options available include a power-folding third-row seat, an upgraded center console, a towing package with trailer sway control, and a sunroof.

Performance

The sole powerplant for the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country minivan is the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine that delivers 283 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. Only front-wheel drive (FWD) is available.

The Pentastar V6, note the auto reviewers, is Flex Fuel-compatible, meaning it can run on a combination of gasoline and E85 ethanol.

EPA-estimated fuel economy is 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway/20 mpg combined. Using E85, the estimates are 12 mpg city/18 mpg highway.

Among the auto critics, there's some discussion that the V6 in the Town & Country, while powerful enough and delivering fairly comfortable and confident handling, can get loud and "abrasive" when pushed hard, such as during travel on broken pavement. Others make mention that the V6 in the Town & Country isn't quite as responsive or dynamic as the class leaders (Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna).

Interior

Where the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country shines, according to many in the automotive press, is in the interior. It's here that the people mover coddles to a greater extent than before, adding such niceties this year as an upgraded rear-seat entertainment system, rear-seat USB ports (so that the kids and other passengers can charge electronic devices), and trailer sway control.

As for that upgraded rear-seat entertainment system, in base form it includes a higher-resolution screen, while the premium system sports a Blu-Ray player and HDMI input. In practical terms, what this means is that the dual, independent rear video screens allow second-and third-row passengers to watch two different Blu-Ray or DVD movies, play different video games, or watch Nickelodeon, the Disney Channel or Cartoon Network Mobile via SiriusXM Backseat TV.

Other pluses for the Town & Country now include keyless ignition/entry, heated front and second-row seats, and a heated steering wheel.

Reviewers generally note that the interior of the Town & Country is quiet enough to make conversation easy, no matter which row you're in.

The motoring press notes that the two lower trim levels offer a classic design for the interior and quality materials throughout. The top-level Limited, however, is considered downright posh.

Families opting for a minivan may need the seating capacity and storage, but dislike having to remove seats in the middle row for optimal storage. The Chrysler Town & Country solves that problem with its Stow ‘n Go seats that fold flat into the floor and accomplish this action with a simple tug on a strap.

Seats are comfortable in the far back row as well, although as more than one tester notes, taller passengers might find their heads graze the headliner. Others remark that shorter-stature passengers might find issue with the "aggressive" tilt of the seat cushion. The 60/40-split third-row seat has a power-folding option and can be flipped backwards to use as seating for tailgate parties or hanging out with friends and family at outdoor gatherings.

Storage capacity with all three rows in use is a generous 33 cubic feet. With the second- and third-row seats folded to a flat load floor, the maximum storage capacity increases to 143.8 cubic feet, considered competitive for minivans.

Safety & Reliability

Safety is a key consideration for buyers of any minivan, and the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country, in the view of most auto critics, has the high safety ratings to back up that concern.

In government crash testing, the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country received an overall four-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with four stars each in frontal and rollover testing and five stars in side crash testing. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Town & Country its highest rating of "Good" in frontal-offset, side, and roof strength crash tests and awarded it Top Safety Pick status.

Standard safety features include antilock brakes, traction control and stability control, active front head restraints, and a full complement of airbags, including full-length side curtain airbags, front seat side-impact airbags and a driver knee airbag. Other standard safety equipment includes a back-up camera, blind-spot monitor and a rear-cross path detection system.

In terms of reliability, the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country receives a two and one-half Power Circle rating in the J.D. Power Predicted Reliability rating. This means that the Town & Country rates midway between About Average (three Power circle rating) and The Rest (two Power circle rating). Consumer Reports also notes that reliability has been well below average.