The middle row in the tester consisted of heated leather captain's chairs which Swivel 180 degrees to face the rear row courtesy of Chrysler's Swivel 'n' Go system. A small table can be erected in between the rows- proving a great place to fill out Christmas cards after a day of holiday shopping. Your family will find their own use for the table unless they're grown up, in which case it's best left stored in the floor compartment to preserve legroom. Going into swivel mode chews up some space, though with all seats facing forward, six adults won't be uncomfortable once they're all seated.

The second row removable/stowable table is a unique feature.

Town and Country got two enthusiastic thumbs up from five of my twenty-something buddies on a 4 hour road trip. During said trip, the front row was serenaded by my new Rise Against CD, as was the middle row while playing Halo 3 on the X-Box via the flip-down screen. In back, passengers watched Superbad and listened via their own headphones. Initial skepticism aside, everyone unanimously agreed that it was a very cool machine. Imagine what your kids will think.

Under the Hood
The limited tester came with the top-line 4.0 litre V6 engine. This 253 horsepower unit is the way to go, because it's more than powerful enough for the application and it never feels overwhelmed, if it feels like it's working at all. Plenty of jam and close spacing of the first three gears allows confident acceleration and passing even with 6 or 7 passengers on board. It'll also put rubber down with even a tap on the gas pedal, so be gentle. My mileage averaged 15 L / 100km in the city and 12 L / 100km on the highway.

The six-speed automatic transmission generally works well for performance and smoothness, but it can occasionally get confused in slow traffic or deliver an unduly rough shift for no apparent reason. The auto-stick function is an interesting touch, though it seemed to only work when it felt like it.

Also, call me sixty but a column shifter would eliminate the long reach to the dash-mounted console-shifter.

On the road
In addition to its punchy powertrain and sense of style, Town and Country boasts excellent ride quality and handling. Even on rougher roads, it gently and very quietly floats along, leaving passengers to simply take in the interior in peace and quiet.

It has elevated its driving dynamics.