2010 Chrysler Town & Country Touring. Photo by Randy Stern

Minivans? I thought I covered minivans already!

OK, previously I reviewed the Mazda5 and loved it. I enjoyed the fact that you can haul people and things in a package lopped on top of a Mazda3 platform – and drives well enough not to think it’s a minivan. If a single person wanted something to haul the band’s stuff or a campsite along, the Mazda5 will fit the bill.

Then again, not everyone who reads this blog is a single guy like me.

Why do you drive a minivan? You have a family, children included. You have stuff that goes along with the family: strollers, toys, soccer/baseball/hockey gear, out of town guests, etc.

Yeah, but you know how guys can be – your husband, for example. One couple I know knew that to accommodate two large dogs and a baby daughter, a minivan would be the perfect solution. Not when you take in consideration hunting season. Instead, they went with a SUV, as most families during most of this decade.

The arguments between the minivan and the SUV used to be harsh and furious. In a SUV you get room for the family, your essential gear and the ability to slog through rough terrain (if you select four-wheel-drive on the options list, that is). In a minivan you get heaps of room and an edge on fuel economy. When fuel prices skyrocketed, it seemed that the SUV had to surrender to the minivan – though both vehicles ended losing in the end.

It never used to be this way. When I was a kid, the full-sized station wagon did the job. These weren’t just mere Oldsmobile Delta 88s, Ford LTDs and Chrysler New Yorkers. They became Oldsmobile Custom Cruisers, Ford Country Squires and Chrysler Town & Countries.

For today’s families, do minivans still hold the same lofty standards set before them by full sized station wagons? Are they really the honest choice for families?

I recently drove the Chrysler Town & Country to find out.

It’s been twenty-six years since Chrysler as the perfect solution for families on the go introduced the minivan. Three major platforms were built in the course of twenty-six years, each one a leap forward from the previous version. Chrysler was always counted on being the standard bearer for this market segment in North America with various innovations never seen before in any vehicle. From space management to entry/exit options to the Stow-N-Go seats, Chrysler set the bar for others to try to beat or follow.

In the scheme of things, the minivan is a platform of its own. It does not spawn any other products inn the Chrysler lineup. According to the company, based on the new five-year business plan, it will remain a Chrysler entity on its platform for years to come.

I must admit to liking the Town & Country. My 2010 Touring sample envelopes its occupants in a handsome cloak outside with a tasteful cabin made for versatility and utility as well as comfort. Up front, the driver and navigator are wrapped in large seats with command of the road. Second and third row passengers sit on Stow-N-Go seats made to create a flat floor for ultimate cargo capacity. In seating positions, I cannot guarantee comfort for adults sitting in the second row, though the third row seats are quite comfy for all people.

Another benefit of the Stow-N-Go feature is the extra storage you get when all seats are in available for passengers. Between the first and second rows are cubbyholes for snacks and other dry goods, and behind the third row is a deep floor space for a stack of luggage. There is a moveable center console to position two cupholders for rows two and three in-between the second row seats. The Touring I sampled had a two/two/three seat configuration, in case you’re keeping score.

Rear cabin passengers enter on both sides with power operated sliding doors. The rear liftgate is not only huge, but also high enough for tall folks to mill around underneath it. To me, I’d do a tailgate party in this thing or fold down the second row to create a quasi limousine set up for friends.

Powering my Town & Country Touring is a 3.8litre V6 attached to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. It’s not a bad combination, but can be deceiving when the throttle is depressed. Maybe I’ve been used to V6s churning over 225HP lately to notice the hesitation at low speeds to motivate the motor with the huge minivan.

Driving the Town & Country is quite easy. I love the smoothness of the ride. No pitching, just very smooth. Taking corners will take some effort as if you go hard – you will feel the lean. Oddly enough, your passengers might not. It does track quite well on the road with extreme rolling. It does have a large turning circle, but it is easy to manipulate. The brakes are OK – nothing superb, it just stops.

But, I have to admit to a little mishap. Towards the end of my time with the Town & Country, someone noticed a dent in the driver’s side rear lower panel. This perhaps tells me one thing: I”m not a master minivan driver after all. As fine as the ride, care is one thing you must have in order to drive this monospace, especially in the blindest of spots.

Now for the real test: Fuel efficiency. It is presumed that a minivan should turn better fuel economy than a four-wheel-drive SUV or crossover. Well, if you believe that I turned a 15.1MPG on a combination of urban and suburban driving, then you probably know how disappointed to find that a minivan can get worse fuel economy than a seven-passenger car-based crossover with a more powerful V6.

In the end, I can see the value of a minivan for families that need them. Personally, it wouldn’t be my choice. If I’m in a relationship where my partner and I live together and we want something that will carry a couple of friends and to accomplish the grocery or big purchase runs, a small SUV, such as the Ford Escape, will do the trick. I’d rather have something more Earthbound, such as a comfortable sedan. I really cannot justify having a vehicle that carries more than I usually want around me when I drive. In other words, a minivan is overkill.

Ah, but if you’re looking for a good one to get, this is one to consider. The original – Chrysler’s own innovation – still loved by Fiat and millions of loyal owners.