2007 Chrysler Town & Country

This is a 2007 Chrysler Town & Country Touring Walter P. Chrysler Signature Series.  Yeah, it’s a mouthful, but what it boils down to is a van that’s about half-way between a Touring and a Limited.  When we were looking at vans, we looked at Limiteds, but they had a few features that we didn’t want, and didn’t have as standard equipment a few features that we did want, all for a few thousand dollars extra (before adding options).  The Walter P. Chrysler Signature Series was ordered on the Touring trim line, and included a few exclusive pieces, like two-toned leather wrap steering wheel and two-toned leather seating areas.  It also featured standard power moonroof, standard 6-disc DVD changer with the Rear Seat Video (RSV) system, standard RB1 audio system with DVD-based navigation.  Also available on other models but standard on the Signature Series were power side doors and power rear liftgate.  The Limited’s upgraded woodgrain/satin trim on the radio surround and all door panels, plus Signature Series logo floormats, round out the package.

We bought the van in June of 2007, near the end of the model year.  The van rolled out of the factory in Canada at 5am on 11/18/06, and sat on the lot at Shelor Chrysler in Christiansburg, VA, until we picked it up.  It probaby had been test-driven a few times, as it had 22 miles on it when we first test-drove it.  We put 20 miles on it test-driving it, and bought it the next week with 42 total miles.  About a month after we bought it, Chrylser began offering its lifetime powertrain warranty on late 2007 and all new 2008 models.  It didn’t come on our van, but Chrysler did offer 2007 buyers the same warranty as a separate purchase through October ‘07, at half the normal cost.  Normally not one to buy extended warranties, we figured this one was a fair value, good for the life of the vehicle (we plan to keep it for a long time), and less than 1000 dollars.  A water pump replacement costs half that, and that not being an uncommon repair on these engines, I figured the warranty would be worth it.  We’ll see as the van gets some miles on it.  Being at the very end of the model year, and with the new 5th generation 2008 models on the doorstep already, Chrysler was ready to deal on ours.  It has a sticker price of about $34,500, and we paid about $26,900, out the door.  We considered the competition from Honda and from Toyota (especially from Toyota), but for the price paid, the features just weren’t there.  Maybe what we saved in purchase price on this Town & Country we’ll eventually pay back in repair costs in the future, who knows.  See the page about repairs to this van for more on that.

Mechanically, most long-wheelbase (LWB) Town & Countrys are much the same.  All had either 3.3L or 3.8L V-6 engines, Chrysler’s 41TE 4-speed automatic transaxle, Stow ‘N Go fold-a-way seating system, etc.  The engine is smooth and responsive.  Our previous van was a 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan, with the 3.3L V-6 engine, and the difference in power and torque between the two is rather apparent after having driven both for a while.  The 3.8L engine uses a taller final drive ratio in the transaxle, so the engine speed at a given road speed is lower in a 3.8L van compared with a 3.3L van.  Fuel economy between the two is very similar, 17/24 for the 3.3L vans and 16/23 for the 3.8L vans, using EPA’s corrected figures, comparable to 2008+ models.  We are averaging a tick above 19 MPG lifetime for the van, including all city and highway driving.

The ride is VERY smooth in this van.  The 2005+ vans seem to be tuned for ride comfort above all else (both the Dodge and Chrysler), and they don’t disappoint in this area.  Our former 2003 Grand Caravan handled like it was on rails, and rode rather firmly as well (especially in the front suspension).  But this Town & Country is like cream.  About 9,000 miles into our ownership, I elected to replace the lousy Bridgestone Turanza EL42 tires that came on the van with a set of Michelin X Radials, and the ride improved further.  Compared to the Bridgestones, the Michelins are quieter, slightly less comfortable, much more agile, and supremely capable on wet pavement.  You could feel the Bridgestones slipping on wet pavement even in modest corners.  I also added a factory rear sway bar from a salvage yard, of a wrecked 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT; the bar is normally available with the Trailer Tow Prep Group [TTPG], and it made a nice improvement in corner feel and roll stiffness.