When Chrysler introduced the first minivan in 1984, one of the big innovations was a single sliding side door.
Now, one of the big innovations is two sliding side doors.The 1996 Chrysler Town & Country offers the second sliding door for $450 along with a lot of other design and engineering improvements designed to keep Chry-sler ahead of its relentless competition.
If you didn't think there were any more ways to style the body of a minivan, take a look at the 1996 Dodge Caravans, Plymouth Voyagers and Chrysler Town & Countries. A sloping hood, waterfall grille, higher, rounder body and graceful roofline make the new models look like Faberge eggs on wheels.
As Chrysler's minivan flagship, the Town & Country is the most elegant of the bunch. Introduced in 1990, T&C more or less created the luxury segment of the minivan market. In the new model year, Chrysler is broadening the offerings with base, LX and LXi trim levels.
The review vehicle was the $23,960 base model, offered up with options that sent the price to $26,805.
The long wheelbase LXi is the top of the line.
New is the LX, a short-wheelbase luxury version designed to appeal to younger buyers and empty-nesters who don't need the capacity of a small moving van for a weekend road trip.
A Chrysler exec once remarked that when the original minivan was designed, the company expected sales to be tailing off about now. Prognosticators thought that Baby Boomers would no longer buy all that passenger space after their children grew up. Instead of falling off, however, sales of the vehicles remain strong. Because mini-vans combine comfortable "car-like" features with truck-like versatility, consumers appear reluctant to let go of them.
Today's case in point is the Town & Country, which can be adapted to just about any need. I needed to haul an 8-foot ladder recently. All I had to do was flip the back seatbacks down to accommodate the ladder. Flip them back up and you can seat six passengers, with more storage space behind the third row than last year.
You can also remove the "easy-out" seats that come with their own wheels. Push two levers on the third bench, and it pops up onto rollers. You can then wheel the bench to the back of the vehicle. You might need some help getting the bench to the ground, but once there, it simply rolls to one side of the garage.
Mechanically and structurally, the 1996 Chrysler minivans are nearly all new from the ground up. The original K-car platform that has served Chrysler so well all these years is gone. The code name for the new minivan platform is called NS (the initials don't stand for anything, I'm told).
The short wheelbase versions measure 113.3 inches from front wheel to rear, and the long wheelbase measures 119.3 inches. Overall length is up 8 inches in the short wheelbase versions to 186.3 and 6.8 inches in the long-wheelbase models to 199.7.
The new dimensions also add 5 inches in shoulder room and 4 inches in the hips. Chrysler is keeping pace with Ford's new Wind-star in widening its minivans. Other areas of expansion in the T&C include 40 percent more cargo space behind the third seat and a 30 percent increase in glass for better visibility.
The rear liftgate features a new latch and a back-up mechanism, eliminating worries that had hung over rear latches in earlier generations of minivans.
Under that redesigned hood, you'll find some familiar power plants.
The base engine on the T&C is a 3.3-liter, 158-horsepower V6 engine. It develops a robust 203 foot-pounds of torque at 3,250 rpm.
But for $305, you can upgrade the engine to the 3.8-liter V6 that's 10-horses and 22 foot-pounds of torque stronger. That engine is worth the three C-notes, enhancing the Town & Country's responsiveness and passing power.
Fuel economy with the 3.8-liter engine is a pretty decent 17 city and 24 highway miles per gallon. Over a year's time, expect to spend $862 filling the 20 gallon tank.
The steering has a light, nimble feel, and the suspension soaks up bumps without a lot of rock and roll. You still get some forward pitch in hard maneuvers, but remember, this is a minivan, not a sports car.
Inside, the Town & Country is very quiet. Chrysler upgraded the creature comforts with separate heat and air conditioning controls for the driver and front-seat passenger, head rests for back-seat passengers and eight cupholders throughout the vehicle. The T&C gets a bit of fake wood in the center dash for elegance, and the column-mounted shift lever has a rotating knob so that you can change gears with your fingertips.
In general, I prefer the Town & Country's road manners over the Ford Windstar's. Ergonomically, the two minivans are very close, mostly because Ford tried to copy and improve on every feature the Chryslers offer. And Chrysler's Town & Country is a clear winner in the beauty contest.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
1996 Chrysler Town & Country
Vehicle type: Front-drive, 7-passenger minivan.
Where built: Fenton, Mo.
Price: $23,960 base, $26,805 as tested.
Power: 3.8-liter, 166-horsepower V6.
Brakes: Power discs/drums/ABS.
Length x width x height: 199.7 x 75.6 x 68.5 inches.
Wheelbase x track (f/r): 119.3 x 63/64 inches.
Curb weight: 3,951 pounds.
Gas mileage: 17 city, 24 highway mpg; 20-gal. tank; annual fuel cost $862
Standard: Air bags, fog lights, rear defroster, power locks/windows/mirrors, lift-out seats, air conditioning, AM/FM cassette stereo, cruise control, cupholders.
Options: Package includes illuminated entry, remote keyless entry, 8-way power driver's seat, 10-speaker stereo ($1,390); rear a.c./heater ($405); child's seat ($225); driver-side sliding door ($450).