Chrysler Town & Country .... Opinions? (3 Kids)

Congrats on baby #3! I just had my third last June and we went through the whole vehicle search. At first I was really against a minivan, but after exploring the options I'm glad that we went with it. The SUVs are expensive and have horrible gas milage (not that a minivan has great gas milage...), and there were a few cars that probably could have fit the 3 kids in the back but it would have been very squished. We travel long distances by car a couple times per year so comfort was pretty important for us. We got an okay deal on a used honda, but I know someone who has the chrysler and is very happy with it. Good luck!

I'm on my second T&C. My first is still going strong with over 200,000 miles. I gave it to my brother and got a newer one. So far so good.

We have the Dodge Grand Caravan - bought it used 2006 model and LOVE IT!!! Stow & Go is awesome, especially with strollers & suitcases and such.
I wouldn't trade my mini-van for the world!!

I would get a mini van. More room . My brother has a town and country and loves it, he also has 3 kids.

I never wanted a mini van, but we just ended up buying a toyota sienna! It is the only minivan with 8 passenger seating, so I an put all 3 kids in the second row and leave the 3rd row folded down unless we need to take extra people somewhere. It gives me tons of storage! And on the 8 passenger sienna the center seat in the seond row scoots forward, so ifyou have an infant you an have it moved up closer to you, and it also removes, so if you want to have a walk through as they get older you can. I had a town and country rental while we had the dvd player put in our sienna, and having to get back to the 3rd row to buckle my 3 year old in was a huge pain! Plus I an't reach her to hand her a drink or anything. I like the sienna better than the other vans I test drove as well, it seems more car like and not so smooshed in the driver compartment. Oh, and the console between the 2 front seets folds down so you could get to the back from the front seat if you needed to without getting out of the car! All the siennas aren't the 8 passenger though, so you have to look for them! Good luck! Now that I have the mini van I really love it:-)

I cannot speak about the T & C, but I believe that you should consider buying a minivan from an AMERICAN company. It does not matter if a Toyota is built in America, it is where the money stays. With all the problems with our economy, it is important now more than ever to support American companies. You must connect the dots between where our consumer dollars are spent, and where they ultimately end up. American vehicles are the best they have ever been. It is so important (especially in Michigan, where so many jobs depend on the auto industry) to support our local economy.

I believe the tranny problems mentioned here are with the AWD version, which they stopped making in 2004. We had a 2001 Grand Caravan and now have a 2005 Town and Country (basically the exact same van). Really liked them both, and I DID NOT WANT a mini van to begin with. The room in an SUV (even one that sits 7) is no where near what you will get with a van, for comparable gas mileage. New Town and Country's have the Stow and Go seating, auto doors, and any other option you may want. The VW is going to run you A LOT more...

Good luck!

I had one, and it had three transmissions and two air conditioners. After that I purchased a Toyota Sienna and had not one problem with it until I traded it for my Honda Pilot -- 135,000 and not one problem. I would at least take a look online to see if they've fixed their transmission issues. As of a couple years ago they hadn't. Also, my Toyota Sienna was made in America (Tennessee) by American workers and sold to me by Americans in Illinois. My Chrysler was made in Canada by Canadians and the parts were mostly shipped from Mexico. So I don't put much stock in buying an "American" car.

I learned to drive on a T&C, and that van lasted forever, no problems. We recently rented one when we were going home for Christmas. I really liked it, but in the end, we decided to buy a used Honda Odyssey because it has much better reviews on Consumer Reports and we were able to get a good deal on it. We love it - no problems so far. I think you should drive a couple different kinds of minivans and look at the reviews before you make a decision, because they all have different options and (in my opinion) they all drive a little differently, too.

In an effort to buy American and support Detroit I got a Town & Country when my son was born (I had a Toyota Matrix before). I have had several problems with my minivan in the first year. Part of one of the sliding doors needed to be replaced (the mechanism that opened & closed it was faulty. This was within the first few months I owned it. It is now making the same grinding sound again. Also the air system is somehow stuck or misaligned, so if you hit the button to blow air/heat on your feet, it comes out as defrost, etc. It is so frustrating but I can't afford to be without my car for the days it would be in the dealership for repair, so I live with it.

I think minivans are awesome in general though!! I just would be hesitant to recommend the Town & Country based on my experience. When I was doing my research I read that the VW Routan was built using the same guts as the Town & Country -- I don't know how accurate that is.

Good luck!

I'm on my 2nd T&C. No problems with it at all. We love everything about it!

I got one in August and love it! So do the kids. So much easier for everything. I hope it lasts for us but so far it was the best decision ever!

I would highly recommend this minivan. We bought our first one shortly before our first child. It's extremely kid-friendly, and most importantly, safe. We were just in a head-on collision that totaled our van and my three-year-old daughter, my unborn child, and myself had no serious injuries. I cannot say enough good about it.

We love ours! It has over 125,000 miles on it and will be replaced with another Town & Country. Love it!

I love my Town and Country. Great storgage, plenty of room to haul kids and gear. My kids are11 and 14 and I still have it and plan to keep it for a while. Mileage is OK, not great. It is comfortable, good sound system, we got the DVR as well and heated seats which are a nice bonus. Prior to this I had 2 Grand Caravans, which I loved and a 4WD Dodge durango, which as OK, but I preferred the mini vans. The layout was better/more comfortable in the vans, better storage. I miss the 4WD about 4x/year only.

A few years ago, I decided I just couldn't live with one more mini-van :) I ended up buying a Hyundai Veracruz and I really like it (I will have had it 3 years next month). It has the 7 passenger seating, which is nice. I don't know how old your other kids are (congrat's on baby #3), but if you have one that is a little older, you can sit him/her in the back row and put the other two in the middle. If you must put all three in the middle, you can (it has 3 belts) - good for short trips and when you need all the room in the back for groceries - but they will be pretty squished, especially with car seats involved.

I get about 22 mpg and do 90% in-town driving - if you are doing more freeway, you will get better than I do. So far, not a single issue and if you look up the safety rating for this vehicle, I think you will be really surprised. The price point on these aren't bad, either. Test drive one and see what you think.

Good luck :)

We got a T & C when we realized we were pregnant with twins and still had pets to transport. I was bummed, never wanted to be a mini-van mom. Now, I love it. It is the best vehicle I have ever owned. My Stow -n- Go has all our park and beach stuff, so I can make a last minute decision to go to Kensington without having to pack a bunch of stuff. I simply pull in and have all the bubbles, baseballs and bats, frisbees, etc. I love the doors that can be opened with the a simple push of a button on the key in the middle of winter when your are full of things the kids should be helping with. I just love everything about it.

i love mine. It makes my life easier! This is my second town and country and have had no problems except for the air conditioning hose which they recalled and fixed right away.

Hi!

I am soooo looking forward to getting my mini-van!!! Won't be until next year though and I only have two kids!! What is great about the van is the fact when the kids are not getting along you have that 3rd room to seperate them into!! Plus the new mini vans are not our moms minivans at all. They have so many cool options and accessories and the ease of opening the doors etc and the room between your seat and your kids feet is always a BONUS, if your use to getting your sick kicked all the time. I have a Jeep GC right now which I love, but seriously the mini-van is the way to go. We will be going on vacation in FL in a few months and we've rented one down there just to try it out again before we buy, which is something you can do through any of the rental agencies!!
Thank you for BUYING AMERICAN!!!
Good Luck and Congratulations!!
J. in Macomb

I never thought I would drive a minivan either...I always said "I will never drive a minivan...ever!" but I do now and I love it. When my husband and I found out we were having baby #2 we decided it would be the most convenient. We've had our Chrysler Town and Country for a couple of years now and absolutely love it. It is so easy with the automatic door opener and great for long trips. I wouldn't give it up for anything!

Those vans have alot of transmission problems.

Google the name of the van and transmission problems and see what it says.
Check out the VW Routan.

I wish you the best.