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New Car Test Drive - 1994 Chrysler Town & Country
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| Updated |
Jul 7, 2004 20:16:39 |
| Rating |
 36 ( -6 -16.66% ) |
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Description:
The Chrysler Town & Country debuted as a 1990 model, adding a touch of luxury to minivans and a new group of buyers to Chrysler's growing legion of satisfied customers.
More than four years later, it's still an impressive package. Our 1994 test vehicle included standard equipment such as leather-appointed seating and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power locks and windows power-heated mirrors and four-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS).
Powering it all was a 3.8-liter multi-point injection V6 mated to an efficient four-speed automatic transmission. The only option we added was the CD player, which brought the price to $27,914.
For that kind of money, we expected perfection from our Town & Country-and didn't get it. Granted our complaints weren't earth-shattering-wobbly cupholders, slightly loose fixtures, some road noise. But when you sit in the upper echelon of a particular segment, as the Town & Country does, that kind of criticism seems justified.
Walkaround
A quick look at the Town & Country and you may notice little difference from its two siblings, Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan. Like those two vehicles, it has a slightly boxy look with a sloped windshield leading to a solid front end. But look closer, and you see several elegant appointments that set the vehicle apart.
Our Wildberry-colored Town & Country, for example, featured gold-striped aluminum wheels, gold pin-striping with the minivan's name in script, a body-color grille and headlight moldings. (We chose the last two options in place of the standard woodgrain appliques and surround moldings.) A chrome stripe neatly adorned the side of the vehicle, and color-keyed bodyside claddings offered good parking-lot protection. An aerodynamic luggage rack literally topped off this styling statement.
Our Town & Country also offered a lot of functionality. Like all Chrysler minivans, our vehicle featured single halogens for bright, well-directed illumination, and we also had fog lamps as standard equipment. The housings of our electronically controlled side mirrors folded back, allowing the vehicle to get through those extremely tight spots. A plastic strip just below the front wipers filled the space between the windshield and hood, and it contained grooves to handle water runoff. The sliding door shut easily and firmly, indicating a soundly made structure.
Two things irritated us, though. First, on a vehicle this stylish, why have a fixed antenna? And second, the hood's support rod had a lot of play in it, which could be dangerous if, say, a sudden gust of wind came up.
The inside Story
Our Town & Country provided seven-passenger seating (captain's chairs were in the front and center, the rear seat was a bench) with cloth backing and leather trim. The front seats were very comfortable and boasted generous front and back travel. The controls on the right side of the driver's seat were especially well placed, sparing our driver from mashing his hand against the door. Also, large door handles gave us strong support entering and exiting the vehicle.
Room was the word up front. A good 16 inches of space separated the chairs, and we could easily get to the center and rear seats. Legroom was good, and our 6-foot driver had four inches of headroom above him.
Facing our tall driver was a newly designed instrument panel featuring a digital speedometer, odometer and graphic displays for the tachometer, fuel and oil pressure. An information center-a staple on all Chrysler minivans-sat just above the instrument panel and featured a warning module and the turn indicator lights. Because of its slightly elevated position, we never forgot to turn off the signal after changing lanes. An overhead console gave us map lights, storage compartments and a trip computer with outdoor temperature and compass readouts.
One design flaw on the center console: The ashtray was direct above the cupholders, so anyone who would like to simultaneously smoke and sip coffee would have a problem. But we think even that person would be won over by the dynamic sound of the neighboring Infiniti stereo with a CD player and graphic equalizer.
Among the amenities in the rear included individual air conditioner/ heater controls and electronically controlled vent windows. Another overhead console hung above the center seats, with two map lights and vent openings.
In the Town & Country, a power liftgate opens to 17.7 cubic feet of cargo room. Take out the center and rear seats, and that number jumps to more than 141 cubic feet.
Not everything we saw in the Town & Country was positive. Most disturbing to us were the center seat's loosely fastened plastic armrests and cupholders, which obviously needed more than their small pegs to keep them in place. These fixtures rattled during the entire ride, and at times looked perilously close to coming apart completely.
Ride & Drive
Our Town & Country responded powerfully, thanks to the new 3.8-liter V6 with sequential multi-point injection. Start-up acceleration was noteworthy, and we zipped around cars on the freeway as though we were in a high-performance sports car. This was definitely the best engine we've tested in a minivan.
And it was quiet, too, due in part to some fine-tuning Chrysler has done to the vehicle's stainless-steel exhaust system. Noise in general was not a problem; wind and other vehicles caused little disturbance. However, we did notice some annoying road noise under the floor boards up front.
Overall, though, the marks were high on our Town & Country's ride. The four-speed automatic transmission shifted smoothly, and we had the option to lock out the over-drive. The vehicle exhibited a surprisingly tight steering ratio, handling our 20-mph turns adeptly. Front gas-charged struts helped solidify our vehicle while traveling over roads riddled with potholes.
It rained and snowed during much of our test drive, but that gave us a chance to test the Town & Country's four-wheel ABS. It met the challenge each time a slick surface came calling, and we were never even close to spinning out. The vehicle's front-wheel drive and 15-inch steel-belted radials also kept us steady through the rain and snow.
Final Word
Whether you're Bill Clinton, Michael Jordan or the Chrysler Town & Country, one thing applies: When you're at the top of your field, you undergo more scrutiny than the average bear.
Certainly our expectations were extremely high when we tested the '94 Town & Country. And for the most part, it delivered with a sleek (for a minivan) look, luxurious appointments and strong road performance.
However, there were several areas in fit that were not up to the high standards set by previous versions of the Town & Country. Expecting perfection might be unreasonable, but when a vehicle offers so much, you like to see the little things taken care of. |
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