So I Rode in a Town and Country This Weekend..

I took a mini road trip with some people this weekend and the vehicle of choice for all of us to pile into was a Town and Country rental.

Pros: Plenty of cargo room in the back for all bags, good stereo system, rear a/c vents work really well in the back seat, automatic rear doors are nice.

Cons. Rear leg room in the third row is kinda tight (I was elected to sit back there), engine seemed to struggle a little bit on hills with a loaded van, seats aren't the most comfortable (I was happy to be back in the MZ5's seats for driving home).

I see this as a solid people mover and the stow and go looks like it's shining achievement. That is all.

Rental's usually don't get the "big" motor, so spending a little more for a larger motor makes sense if you're buying in the private sector.

That and many people don't know how to use their left foot and think they are at WOT, when they are at 1/2 to 3/4 throttle.

Otherwise your observations match mine with regards to Chrysler Minivan rentals.

I thought there was only one engine option in the T&C? I had a Caravan rental for a long road trip a while back and never thought it lacked for power.

I had a '10 for the rental for my honeymoon. It drove nice. Last fall I spent a few hours between the 2nd and 3rd row. Rear was tight for a 6' guy. Middle was ok. The seat comfort was compromised with the seats being designed to fold up as they do. If I didn't have an absolutely horrible track record with ChryCo vehicles I would consider it.

92dxman wrote: Cons. Rear leg room in the third row is kinda tight (I was elected to sit back there), engine seemed to struggle a little bit on hills with a loaded van, seats aren't the most comfortable (I was happy to be back in the MZ5's seats for driving home).

As far as the third row being tight...
At least it is not as tight as the third row in the Mazda5 (MZ5)
With an adult in the third row and some luggage you were likely getting toward the max payload of the van so some struggling seems understandable.

All 2011 and newer Chysler Minivans use the Pentastar 3.6 liter V6. It makes 283 hp and 260 lb/ft of torque. DOHC, variable valve timing, cylinder de-activation, E85 capable, etc. Regardless if you buy the $20K Dodge APV (American Value Package) or the full-boat, $40K Town and Country---- you get the same mechanicals.

I've never had an issue with power in mine, but if you load anything up enough, it will seem slow. They also have an "economy" mode for the trans (pretty green light on console) that re-calibrates the trans and can make it feel more sluggish. I've been told to leave it in regular mode unless I'm steady-state on the highway.

My parents have had about 6 or 7 of them (and the Plymouth/Dodge twins) since the early 1990s. They swear by those things and haven't had any major issues with any of them....they just eventually wear out and are replaced due to lots of travel, miles, and hauling whatever random piece of antique furniture they find while on a road trip. I keep hoping they'll get an Odyssey for a bit more in terms of style and features, but they see plenty happy and now have a 2015 T&C. I think they're eyeing the new "Pacifica" (worst name ever, btw) for a few years down the road onow.

Some internet math tells me that my '05 Nissan Quest Minivan should have a carrying capacity of 1,212 pounds. Today I figure that I had about 1,500 pounds of "human weight" in that van for 5 people including my own 250 pounds.

Boy, I could feel it. The van felt "taxed" on acceleration and maybe even more so on stopping!

My parents were visiting with a rented T&C and asked me to drive them around Mt. Rainier NP. We circumnavigated the whole mountain, and hit at least one visitors' center at 5400 feet, so we were doing some serious climbing. I never thought the thing lacked for power, in fact it was fairly peppy for what it is.

I have vacationed in various Chrysler minivans and I think they are great. My Patriot Blue 2002 Caravan is closing in on 200K and the worst thing about it is the clearcoat bubbling. I probably should upgrade it soon. Like I have said before, I love sports cars and winding roads, but when I am loading up people and stuff, and hitting the interstate, the Caravan does the job pretty well.

The '15 TC we rented for the Bus Trip had plenty of power and I actually liked the mechanicals. The automatic was pretty impressive, very quick shifts and smooth, without slipping from one gear to the next.

However, it was by far the worst driving vehicle I have been in this year. Twitchy, poor ride, and horrible road noise. It must have had crappy tires and an alignment that was out of spec.

Most of you gents seem to like them, so they can't be as bad as the one I experienced.

In reply to Toyman01:

If I remeber correctly, your rental was a One-Way rental.
From back in the days when I did a lot of business travel I learned some inside politics/games in the Hertz biz.

The vehicle repairs and maint are charged against the budget of the individual manager's rental office or location. As such, vehicles that were going to need service created a "charge" to the shop that has the car. On one-way rentals, "smart" managers would push off their problem inventory to the receiving shop.

Did your one-way rental have high miles? They often do.
It is very possible that your rental had a slight "known problem" or was due for service and that is why you were assigned that exact vehicle.

In reply to JohnRW1621:

I remember you mentioning that, and you are probably correct. It was one way, and high mileage. Almost 50K, on a year and a half old van. I get the feeling it was beat on pretty hard.

My '14 T&C holds a nice drift around an on-ramp at 70mph...just saying.

I got a 3.6 TC a little sideways at 77mph in the rain. I remember the exact speed because im a little traumatized.

Yep, only one engine. It's the one that's still faster than a mazda5 even with passengers. Having said that, i stopped enjoying driving them because of the incredibly lazy 3-4 shift with its huge rpm drop. The van goes from Hyde to Jekyll at the exact moment you feel you're starting to go fast.

been borrowing my moms '12 T&C that she recently got to help me move. roomy. also the "stow and go" roof rack bars are pretty cool.

The rents recently got this one to replace a 2000 caravan, mom raves about how its worlds better than the old van and loaded with features. So how good is the Pacifica if everyone is saying its so much better than the last gen?

Vigo wrote: I got a 3.6 TC a little sideways at 77mph in the rain. I remember the exact speed because im a little traumatized. Yep, only one engine. It's the one that's still faster than a mazda5 even with passengers. Having said that, i stopped enjoying driving them because of the incredibly lazy 3-4 shift with its huge rpm drop. The van goes from Hyde to Jekyll at the exact moment you feel you're starting to go fast.

I think they are really fast for a minivan; we have a 14 T&C with 50k on it and it is quick and has great intake noise. Plus, in Econ mode it will pull down close to 30mpg.

So it can tow decently; haul 7 comfortably, is pretty quick, gets good fuel economy, can swallow lots in the interior after thirty seconds folding the seats and is pretty well optioned. No complaining.