2010 Chrysler Town & Country Limited Minivan with 4.0L Engine

[roo_ster]

Had company coming in and no way to move them reasonably.  So, I rented the aforementioned minivan.

The Good
* The 4.0L engine and tranny had lots of low-end get up & go. 
* It sat 6 or 7 humans, as advertised. 
* The fold-into-the floor seats were clever.

The Bad
* Sub-18MPG over four days and 600 miles, mostly highway.
* Indifferent handling.
* Easy to inadvertently scratch the front tires via torque steer turning from a stop.
* Gimcrackery a-go-go

The Huh?-ly
* Everything that could reasonably be motorized, was.
* Many things that ought not be motorized, were.

This critter lists for in excess of $36,000.

Well, driving the T&C cured me of any minivan-envy or desire.  For both me and my wife.  "Swagger Wagon" my *expletive deleted*ss.    The mileage was gawdawful for a car-based auto and it tows a pathetic 1600lbs. 

The electronic motorized gimcrackery was a constant irritant. 

The biggie was the side-doors.  To me, they screamed, "I'll cost a fortune to repair if ever I get a minor hit!"  The side doors were motorized to open.  This could be done with a key fob that could be mistaken for "being happy to see you" if it were in my front pocket.  They could be opened with an interior handle...which actuated the motor instead of letting the user sling it back or forward.  The side doors had a motorized window that went up & down. 

Dual sliding side doors: good idea.  Motorizing them, installing movable glass, and motorizing THAT: bad idea.

There was so much electronic and motorized crap slapped on that pig, I don't know where to begin.  The rear hatch: motorized just like the doors.  Multiple screen DVD system with integrated headphones.  Touchscreen radio/info center.

Everything about the vehicle said, "Do not buy me, just lease me.  Everything will break over the long term.  You'll grow to hate me."

We (wife & I) came away thinking that a used Suburban/Yukon XL, Excursion, Tahoe/Yukon with 3 rows of seating, or the Expedition with 3 rows are definitely the way to go.  I'd be happy with a 4-door 1/2 ton full-sized pickup that had two bench seats (to seat 6).  I think those provide the most utility of any vehicle in America.  But, my wife wants 8 or 9 person seating.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

i'm waiting to see if i get the loan i want on a 2011 honda pilot  seats 8 and has enough head room in the third row for me at 5 8 to have three plus inches of clearance over my head  as opposed to sorrento where my hair touched

my backup car is an 10 sorrento loaded with 10 k  4 cyl gets better than 30 mpg

[mtnbkr]

We have a 2007 Honda Odyssey that sounds like it has much of the same features.  However, it drives like a dream for a Van and has plenty of grunt even with 4 adults and 2 kids (tested that this weekend).

We LOVE the power sliding doors.  They're great when you have an armload of kid and crap and it's raining.  They might be expensive to fix when broken, but the utility for us (7yo and 2yo kids) outweigh the risk. 

Lack of towing is a non-issue.  I have an truck-based SUV if I need to tow.

Ours gets poor (imo) mileage in town (about 15mpg), but gets great mileage on the highway (upwards of 25mpg).

We bought our van in March with 33k miles on the odometer.  Honda provides a 7yr/100k warranty that will carry us for the next 67k miles or until 2014.  I bought the add-on full coverage warranty because they dropped my interest rate another full point, which paid a big chunk of the cost of said warranty.  Therefore, I have bumper-to-bumper coverage for anything but tires and other wear items (brake pads, wiper blades, etc) till 100k or 2014.  After nearly 7 months and 11k miles, we LOVE this van.  With the amount of driving we do, two kids in car seats, and all the  stuff we schlep, this has been the best family vehicle yet.  It's also nice to go somewhere and have enough room for another passenger or two rather than taking another vehicle.

Chris

[Tallpine]

We (wife & I) came away thinking that a used Suburban/Yukon XL, Excursion, Tahoe/Yukon with 3 rows of seating, or the Expedition with 3 rows are definitely the way to go.  I'd be happy with a 4-door 1/2 ton full-sized pickup that had two bench seats (to seat 6).  I think those provide the most utility of any vehicle in America.  But, my wife wants 8 or 9 person seating.

Plus you can tow about 10K pounds 

Or do like we did, rented a car dolly from U-haul to go rescue our friends from up in the mountains where their Plymouth van broke down 

I bet their van had never gone as fast up some of those hills as it did behind our Suburban with nine people and four dogs on board 

[Boomhauer]

A minivan is not so bad for spending an hour or two in each day while you are driving from home to work and back and grabbing the kids, plus the occasional shopping trip.

But spend a good portion of most every day in one on a 3 week trip across the country, and you'll learn how evil they are.

I will do my very best to ensure that I never own anything smaller than a fullsize SUV or pickup truck. My DD is a Silverado 1500 ext cab and Dad drives a suburban (empty except for him!) every day. Both have scads of power, both can burn rubber, and both are very comfortable to drive and maneuver extremely well, plus my truck actually feels like it fits me (vs the feeling of me squeezing into a smaller vehicle).

[Jamisjockey]

Plus you can tow about 10K pounds 

Or do like we did, rented a car dolly from U-haul to go rescue our friends from up in the mountains where their Plymouth van broke down 

I bet their van had never gone as fast up some of those hills as it did behind our Suburban with nine people and four dogs on board 

Tahoe/yukon/expedition tow about 7,000 max.  Wife's Esclade ESV was 7400lbs max towing capacity.

[seeker_two]

Don't write off the crossovers...my wife's Chevy Traverse has as much room and versatility as a minivan, but handles much better...and the gas mileage is better than you'd expect....

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

the four cylinder sorrento gets  in the 30's

[Racehorse]

Full-size vans don't get much love, but they can haul up to 12 people, can usually tow a lot if you get the big engine, and can handle full sheets of plywood and drywall.

Yeah, the engine location makes them hard to work on and they're butt ugly, but in terms of pure utility, they're pretty good.

[Jocassee]

Dual sliding side doors: good idea.  Motorizing them, installing movable glass, and motorizing THAT: bad idea.

I think this has been fairly standard on mom vehicles for a while now.

[Tallpine]

Tahoe/yukon/expedition tow about 7,000 max.  Wife's Esclade ESV was 7400lbs max towing capacity.

Ha - you've never been to Montana! 

MHP caught somebody on I-90 moving a 14x70 house trailer with a Suburban 


My nephew does a neat trick: he buys a salvage Duramax/Allison and puts it in a Suburban 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

towed one of these
 
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRycLfdyA2nyvCwo6rc7SK0wK1QORaGste_0NJHuEf9FSBycQo&t=1&usg=__jB2ZQimO_h0MmNLxQgJESSq9bjE=

from 295 in anacostia to fredericksburg behind a 1970 international.........................
scout. waited till dark  and i did replace transmission shortly after but his dump truck broke down and if it stayed over night it woulda been a bare frame by morning

[roo_ster]

towed one of these
 
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRycLfdyA2nyvCwo6rc7SK0wK1QORaGste_0NJHuEf9FSBycQo&t=1&usg=__jB2ZQimO_h0MmNLxQgJESSq9bjE=

from 295 in anacostia to fredericksburg behind a 1970 international.........................
scout. waited till dark  and i did replace transmission shortly after but his dump truck broke down and if it stayed over night it woulda been a bare frame by morning

LMAO!

And I thought my boss at the nursery was a damn fool for wanting to tow the Case skid steer with a 4cyl Ford Ranger.  I told him that if he wanted it done that way, he'd drive the abortion and I'd drive the 1-ton dumper with landscape trailer.  "But we installed another leaf to increase its load capacity!"

I didn't get fired for it, as it was too hard for him to find someone with a valid DL, who was sober, knew landscaping, and could herd his motley crew of rogue laborers to replace me.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

it was slow  not because the scout couldn't get it going   eventually  but i didn't have a brake box in the scout  i was a lil fast on the off ramp  was down hill and it pushed me pretty good  i was cursing and praying at the same time  in three languages and to multiple deities. will NOT be doing that again. i later towed the trailer empty  and it was all that scout was good for

[MillCreek]

i was cursing and praying at the same time  in three languages and to multiple deities.

I am always reminded of the Simpson's episode, in which Homer thought he was about to be killed by a rogue rhino while trapped inside a porta-potty.  His quote was:  "Jesus, Allah, Buddha, I love you all!"

I have always admired that as covering all your major options.

[charby]

  But, my wife wants 8 or 9 person seating.

Why?

[roo_ster]

Why?

1. She wants to be able to move all critters at once: 2 adults, 2 kiddos, 2 med/large dogs.

2. She wants to be able to take one vehicle when we have company, as many "local" attractions are across the metroplex in Fort Worth.

3. She wants to be able to move a buncha kiddos for school field trips.

4. She wants to be able to take all critters & gear while towing a (to be bought in future) boat of some sort.

It all just adds up to a large truck-based SUV with 3 row seating.

[Boomhauer]

Full-size vans don't get much love, but they can haul up to 12 people, can usually tow a lot if you get the big engine, and can handle full sheets of plywood and drywall.

Yeah, the engine location makes them hard to work on and they're butt ugly, but in terms of pure utility, they're pretty good.

We had a 15 pax van (1 ton Chevy van) for a long while. When you installed all four rows you could haul a lot of kid. It would also easily tow the family shrimp boat...

[Tallpine]

towed one of these
 
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRycLfdyA2nyvCwo6rc7SK0wK1QORaGste_0NJHuEf9FSBycQo&t=1&usg=__jB2ZQimO_h0MmNLxQgJESSq9bjE=

from 295 in anacostia to fredericksburg behind a 1970 international.........................
scout. waited till dark  and i did replace transmission shortly after but his dump truck broke down and if it stayed over night it woulda been a bare frame by morning

I towed an old D-2 on a tandem axle flatbed trailer behind a half ton Chevy 4wd pickup over Monarch Pass in Colorado.  Probably about 15,000 pounds total not counting the pickup 

It did just great going up, but it was exciting coming down 

Discovered that the rented trailer did not have brakes that worked 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

don't you love it when you hit the brakes and it feels like its speeding up?  the passengers get pretty vocal if they figure out whats happening

[Tallpine]

don't you love it when you hit the brakes and it feels like its speeding up?  the passengers get pretty vocal if they figure out whats happening

IIRC, I had double-clutched into low gear, and then was standing on the brakes to try to keep the engine from blowing up from over-rpms. 

I should have stopped and shifted into low range on the transfer case at the summit. 

Lots of trucks - and a couple schoolbuses  - have met an unpleasant end on that hill.


Later, I bought an old GMC 2-ton, and made the reverse trip with that Cat on the back.  A lot slower going up, but much more casual going down: second gear and both feet on the floor 

[charby]

1. She wants to be able to move all critters at once: 2 adults, 2 kiddos, 2 med/large dogs.

2. She wants to be able to take one vehicle when we have company, as many "local" attractions are across the metroplex in Fort Worth.

3. She wants to be able to move a buncha kiddos for school field trips.

4. She wants to be able to take all critters & gear while towing a (to be bought in future) boat of some sort.

It all just adds up to a large truck-based SUV with 3 row seating.

Better get a 3/4 van extended van with three bench seats, can seat 9 people and still have lots of room behind the rear seat. Gas mileage is going to be crappy.

[Brad Johnson]

1. She wants to be able to move all critters at once: 2 adults, 2 kiddos, 2 med/large dogs.

2. She wants to be able to take one vehicle when we have company, as many "local" attractions are across the metroplex in Fort Worth.

3. She wants to be able to move a buncha kiddos for school field trips.

4. She wants to be able to take all critters & gear while towing a (to be bought in future) boat of some sort.

It all just adds up to a large truck-based SUV with 3 row seating.

Tahoe.

Brad

[mtnbkr]

Tahoe.

Brad

Not unless the Tahoe is significantly different than every other midsized SUV I've been around.  With two adults, two kids in car seats, and a dog, there was barely enough room for a weekend's worth of luggage.  There was no chance of adding a normal sized adult or another dog for that matter.

With our Odyssey, We can easily tote 4 adults, two kids in car car seats, a dog, and enough luggage for all.  Can't tow anything, but we almost never tow stuff anyway.

Chris

[Jamisjockey]

1. She wants to be able to move all critters at once: 2 adults, 2 kiddos, 2 med/large dogs.

2. She wants to be able to take one vehicle when we have company, as many "local" attractions are across the metroplex in Fort Worth.
3. She wants to be able to move a buncha kiddos for school field trips.

4. She wants to be able to take all critters & gear while towing a (to be bought in future) boat of some sort.

It all just adds up to a large truck-based SUV with 3 row seating.

We ended up trading in the Escalade for a smaller vehicle about 3 weeks ago.  The highlighted was one of the main reasons we had the bigger vehicle.  But we decided it was cheaper to go smaller, and when we need two cars, we'll just drive two cars.

Judging by your requirements, a Suburban or Excursion is the logical choice. Gas is the pits, though.  You can remove the third row seating and you get a cavernous bed to work with for hauling gear on trips.