Used 2016 Chrysler Town & Country

A minivan’s primary purpose is to move families, pets and luggage safely and efficiently. The 2016 Town & Country minivan from Chrysler does all that and then some, providing an upscale interior loaded with premium features. With an emphasis on sophistication and style, the Town & Country earns its luxury credentials with standard leather seating and power-sliding side doors. On the options list you’ll find a Blu-ray disc player, a heated steering wheel and even a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. Of course, you’ll pay a premium even for the entry LX trim. If you’re looking for something on par with the less expensive Kia Sedona or Toyota Sienna, but want the power and interior space of the Town & Country, try the Dodge Grand Caravan.

Despite its aging platform, Chrysler’s 2016 Town & Country minivan can still hold its own against newer minivans. We are big fans of the Town &Country’s suspension tuning, which provides minimal body roll yet returns a remarkably smooth ride. The steering feel is also taut and precise. Of course, the heart and soul of this family caravan is the award-winning 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine. With power to spare, this engine makes even a fully loaded Town & Country feel sprightly, though fuel economy figures of 17/25 mpg are at the lower end of the minivan mileage game. On the highway, the Town & Country banishes almost all wind and road noise, allowing for easy conversation across all three rows. Nitpicks are few but include an audio touch screen too far from the driver’s reach and a rather large turning radius that makes the Town & Country less nimble than its rivals.

The 2016 Chrysler Town & Country minivan has seating for seven across three rows. The second row consists of two captain’s chairs and the third row is a 3-passenger bench. Both rear rows feature Chrysler’s ingenious Stow ‘n Go system that enables the seats to fold into the floor to create a flat cargo area. The 3rd-row seats can be flipped outward when the car is parked for tailgating. Premium touches include soft-touch trim, chrome-trimmed instrumentation and standard leather on the first two rows. The top-line version includes power-adjustable pedals to enable drivers of various heights a better fit.

Believe it or not, minivans have taken on somewhat polarizing designs, but you won’t find much controversy in the Town & Country. While the Honda Odyssey stands out with its "lightning-bolt" window treatment and the Kia Sedona impresses with chrome and side sculpting, Chrysler’s minivan is classically conservative. The Town & Country features rounded lines and wide panels of glass. Some flash is granted thanks to chrome body-side molding on all but the base model, as well as brightwork on the grille (black chrome on S versions). Power-operated sliding side doors allow easy access, and a power liftgate is a boon.

REAR-SEAT ENTERTAINMENT
Keeping the kids entertained on long trips is paramount to a minivan’s mission, which is why every 2016 Chrysler Town & Country includes a large 9-inch high-resolution video screen, a DVD console and wireless headphones. Up-level trims have a second screen above the third row and a Blu-ray disc player.

SAFETY FEATURES
The most precious cargo a minivan will ever carry is the family, so Chrysler ensures their safety with a plethora of standard safety features including a rearview camera and driver knee airbag. Included in the SafetyTec Group are blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection and rear park assist.

The 2016 Town & Country family van spans six trim levels: LX, Touring, S, Touring-L, Limited and Limited Platinum. Even if you spend the least on an LX, you’ll get power-operated side and rear doors, leather-trimmed 1st- and 2nd-row seats, AM/FM/CD/hard-drive entertainment system with 6.5-inch touch screen, Bluetooth wireless communication, tri-zone air conditioning and rearview camera. In addition to an entertainment screen above the second row, all Town & Country minivans include an HDMI port that allows you to plug in devices like game systems and tablets. All models include a 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and roadside assistance of the same duration.

Options and extra features for Chrysler’s 2016 Town & Country minivan vary by trim, with some, such as navigation, standard on the top model and optional in lower trims. Other upgrades include power sunroof, Wi-Fi hotspot Internet access, upgraded rear-seat entertainment system with 3rd-row screen and Blu-ray player, heated 1st- and 2nd-row seats and high-intensity-discharge (HID) headlights. Power-folding 3rd-row seats are also available in top-trim versions of Chrysler’s minivan, as is a heated steering wheel. Safety upgrades include blind-spot monitoring system and the ParkSense rear park-assist system.

All Town & Country models for 2016 are front-wheel drive and use a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Pentastar is easily Chrysler’s most enjoyable V6 to date and with 283 horsepower it leads the class. When equipped with the Trailer-tow Prep Package, Chrysler’s minivan can pull up to 3,600 pounds. In addition to accepting regular unleaded gasoline, the Town & Country’s engine is Flex Fuel-compatible, meaning it can run on a combination of gasoline and E85 ethanol.

3.6-liter V6
283 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm
260 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/25 mpg (gasoline), 12/18 mpg (E85)