2008 Chrysler Town and Country - Swivel 'n Go Seats - Four Seasons Wrap Up Review

Cleverness has long been a hallmark of Chrysler minivans. In the past, its innovations - dual sliding doors, fold-flat second-row seats with storage compartments in the floor - have been enough to win us over and fend off challengers. This time, reviews were mixed. For the not inconsiderable price of $42,570, our van came with all the latest goodies, including Swivel 'n Go second-row seats, satellite radio and TV, and navigation. The gizmos were instant winners among one all-important demographic - staff members' children, who likely would have voted for the Town & Country as Automobile of the Year with unanimity if given half a chance. "When I pulled up with the minivan my son, Tommy, and his pal (ages eight and seven) were so excited that they wanted to eat their dinner sitting at the in-cabin table," Lorio enthused. After a road trip to New York, he added, "If in-car DVD viewing is like cocaine for the pint-size minivan rider, in-car TV watching is a potent new strain of crack. Over five hours, Tommy neither spoke nor ate nor drank."

Adults, too, appreciated the novelties in the Town & Country's cabin - at first. "The deep pockets in the doors are a perfect place for a wallet, cell phone, or sunglasses," said executive editor Joe DeMatio, who also sang the praises of the smooth Bluetooth interface. As time wore on, though, most of us tired of the awkwardly swiveling seats (which swing out toward the doors, rather than inward, as one would expect) and the table, which was fun to sit around but most often took up space in the underfloor storage compartment. Worse, Swivel 'n Go precludes Stow 'n Go, meaning each 95-pound second-row seat had to be yanked out the old-fashioned way, which was "an onerous chore" according to DeMatio and several others.

Looking beyond the merit of any individual option, we've found that the segment has advanced to the point where Chrysler can't simply use some clever features to disguise its vans' increasingly obvious flaws. We would much rather have seen Chrysler spend money on nicer, softer interior materials and a more refined suspension than on another batch of tricks and gadgets. Most of us agreed with the writer who said, "The features and the table are cool, but I can't say I'd pick this over the better-driving, better-looking, better-built Honda Odyssey."

Thankfully, some of our issues already have been remedied for the 2009 model year. Due in large part to the refinements made for the related Volkswagen Routan, upper-level Dodge models now get a retuned suspension that provides somewhat improved driving dynamics. Also, fuel economy has been boosted even more, to an EPA-rated 17/25 mpg, which leads the minivan class.