2009 Chrysler Town & Country Bottom Line

By  Bengt Halvorson, EditorBengt Halvorson

The efficient, space-saving one-box minivan design that is so prominent on the Chrysler Town & Country becomes even more practical for 2009 with the addition of Stow 'n Go second-row seats on all trim levels.

At a time when two of the three major domestic automakers have abandoned the minivan market, Chrysler has focused on improving its family-friendly offering in the hopes of drawing buyers away from new entries from the likes of Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and Kia. The 2009 Chrysler Town & Country continues with a few noteworthy additions this year, as it saw a complete redesign last year.

The body style of the Town & Country that debuted last year represents a significant departure from the rounded, Clorox-bottle shape of the previous generation. The new Town & Country is characterized by a more squared-off look, especially when viewed from the rear. Despite the changes, the Chrysler Town & Country is still one of the more inoffensive cars on the road, unlikely to turn many consumers off simply because of its appearance.

The 2009 Chrysler Town & Country isn’t particularly memorable to drive in any of its configurations, but we recommend skipping the base 3.3-liter V-6 and four-speed automatic and opting for one of the larger V-6 engines. Both the 3.8-liter and 4.0-liter V-6s provide more power and are matched to the minivan market's first six-speed automatic, a fuel-saving and performance-enhancing feature.

Of greater importance to the target audience of the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country is what can be found on the inside, and those features are still desirable. The quiet cabin is packed with tech tidbits, including available Sirius Satellite TV, twin LCD monitors in the second and third rows, and Swivel 'n Go seating.

The 2009 Chrysler Town & Country does well with respect to safety, with five-star results from the federal government and "good" ratings from the IIHS in frontal and side impacts. It’s not all top marks, though, as the IIHS gives the T&C a "marginal" rating in its seat-based rear-impact test. New safety features make this minivan an even more appealing choice for families, as the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country now offers both Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path systemsto help ease the stress of navigating crowded parking lots and cluttered driveways. SmartBeam headlamps have also been added to the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country, and they automatically switch from high to low beam when the system detects an oncoming vehicle.

Highlights of the new-for-2009 interior offerings include nine-inch screens for the entertainment system, an iPod interface with the uconnect phone, and a trip computer as standard on the base Chrysler Town & Country LX.