When you’re looking for cars that are fun to drive, minivans usually don’t top the list. However, when you’re looking for a vehicle that will get all the kids to soccer practice without you going insane, a minivan is your car. Chrysler kept this in mind when designing the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country. While there’s no question the Town & Country is a good looking minivan and has enough power and performance to satisfy just about any minivan driver, it’s real hook is the ability to not only hold lots of passengers and cargo, but to entertain them, with some high tech rear seat entertainment options that include a Blu-ray player and HDMI input.
The ride could be a bit quieter, as the design doesn’t quite block out all the external noise, but hopefully the entertainment features will keep the inside quiet. Handling and control are also a consideration for the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country, which has a fine tuned suspension and even a trailer sway damping system which extends the stabilizing power of the antilock braking system to a trailer if and when towing is necessary. If towing should be necessary, the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country can haul up to 3600 lbs. and carry a maximum payload of 1398 lbs. If you need more than that, you should probably be looking at a truck.
If you’re looking for a Minivan that is a bit of a workhorse, but that will seriously ease the pain of driving all over town all day transporting passengers and cargo, the 7-passenger, front wheel drive Chrysler Town & Country, which comes in Touring, Touring-L and Limited trims, is a fine choice.
New For 2013
All 2013 Chrysler Town & Country models get leather seating and an industry-first Blu-Ray player with a high-resolution screen as an available option. All trims can be had with navigation and the brand's Uconnect Web mobile hotspot system. A moonroof is available on Touring L and Limited models. Trailer sway damping and power-folding mirrors are standard on Limited and optional for Touring L.
Exterior
When it comes to minivan exteriors, there’s not a lot of room for creativity. Still, the Chrysler Town & Country looks like a modern minivan. It’s not too boxy and doesn’t have any unusual design features that might be off-putting. The 2013 Town & Country features 17 inch alloy wheels with all-season tires, privacy glass, power rear quarter windows, a roof rack, and a rear power liftgate door. The Touring-L also provides manual sunshades and an optional power sunroof. Exterior color options include True Blue Pearlcoat, Brilliant Black Crystal Pearlcoat, Maximum Steel Metallic Clearcoat, Stone White Clearcoat, and Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearlcoat.
Interior & Cargo
You can fit seven passengers in the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country, which features bucket front seats, optional second row fixed bucket seats, and manual folding split-bench third row seats. Getting those rear seats out of the way upgrades cargo capacity from 33 cu. ft. to 143.8 cu.ft. The driver and front seat passenger will enjoy 40,7 inches of leg room, while the rear passengers are looking at 36.5 inches.
Of course, the stars of the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country interior are the MOPAR Uconnect wireless web access system and the entertainment options, which include Blu Ray player with HD screens for both second and third rows, HDMI input for video games or other peripherals and two USB ports suitable for charging electronic devices.
Interior luxury features found on the top trim Limited edition Town & Country include multi-level heated premium leather bucket front seats that are eight-way power adjustable with adjustable lumbar support, power everything, adjustable pedals, overhead storage console, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel with audio and cruise controls on the wheel, a rear view wide angle camera, rear parking sensors, triple zone climate control, voice activated navigation and satellite radio.
Interior color options are Black, Light Graystone, and Medium Frost Beige.
Safety
There is no shortage of great safety features on the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country, which is critical for a minivan. It starts with driver assist and awareness systems. All models but the base model offer blind-spot detection, rear cross traffic detection and rear park sensors standard, these are optional on the base Touring model. All models feature child seat anchors, child safety locks for the rear doors and front, rear and third row head airbags, as well as dual front side-mounted airbags. You’ll find four-wheel ABS with stability and traction control and trailer sway damping. The Town & Country also features ventilated front disc and solid rear disc brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency brake assist and tire pressure monitoring. In addition, this minivan comes complete with an anti-theft alarm system and engine immobilizer to discourage potential car thieves.
Driving Experience
The Town & Country’s recent redesign brought with it a fine tuned suspension for a pretty dependable, comfortable front wheel drive ride to go with its fairly powerful 3.6-liter, V-6 engine, linked to a six-speed shiftable automatic transmission. That engine delivers 283 horsepower and 260 lb-ft. of torque, which should be fine for the needs of most minivan drivers. The 2013 Chrysler Town & Country features a Flex-fuel engine which can accept standard unleaded gasoline or E85, and offers a fuel economy of 17/25 mpg city/highway with a fuel tank capacity of 20 gallons. While comparing minivans is not usually the preferred hobby of driving enthusiasts, most experienced minivan drivers will probably agree that as minivans go, the driving experience of the Chrysler Town & Country is near the top of the list.
Key Competitors For The 2013 Chrysler Town-&-Country
- Toyota Sienna
- Honda Odyssey
- Kia Sedona
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