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2011 Chrysler minivan - refresh of 5th gen

15 messages,  Last post on Dec 11, 2011 at 1:44 PM

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What is this discussion about? Chrysler Town and Country, Van

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#1 of 15 2011 Chrysler minivan - refresh of 5th gen by tsu670

Oct 29, 2010 (7:27 am)

It appears Chrysler will be coming out with it's 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan/Town & Country minivans around Xmas this year.
 
The 3.3L, 3.8L and 4.0L V6 engines are all to be replaced with the 3.5L Pentastar V6 that gets 283hp. The motor will be coupled with the existing 6-speed automatic transmission.
 
The outside body panels appear to be the same, but there are updates to the grill, tailgate and hood. LED taillights.
 
The interior will have new guages, softer materials and a center console that connects with the dash. Premium models will get wood trim on the steering wheel.

#2 of 15 Re: 2011 Chrysler minivan - [tsu670] by samnoe

Oct 31, 2010 (10:42 am)

Replying to: tsu670 (Oct 29, 2010 7:27 am)
I already opened same discussion a while ago with no replies - apparently no one is getting too excited before seeing one in real life.. See here:
 
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f212675/0!make=Chrysler&model=Town%20and%- 20Country&ed_makeindex=.f212675
 
They just revealed today the photos of the 2011 Grand Caravan - the T&C's Twin. The interior design is still something not very elegant and not very appealing to me, maybe the Chrysler version will be more premium, but I believe that the quality is greatly improved.

#3 of 15 Re: 2011 Chrysler minivan - [samnoe] by maxmax2

Nov 02, 2010 (4:27 am)

Replying to: samnoe (Oct 31, 2010 10:42 am)
Who can be excited with a the 2011 Chrysler Minivan if the Toyota Sienna 2011 is a 100% new minivan that has a better design and is a lot more reliable than the chrysler, also the honda odyssey 2011 is a lot better than the Chrysler minivan.
 
If you buy now a Chrysler minivan 2011 in less than 2 years you will have an old minivan because Chrysler is going to release the 100% new minivan with a new design, new transmission and everything new.
 
I have a 2008 town and country with only 15,000 miles and the transmission already broke, unfortunatly chrysler uses remanufactured transmissions that vibrate more and they fail in less milage. After only 2 weeks of use with my remanufactured trnasmission I am going another time to the dealer because there is oil spill above the transmission.

#4 of 15 Re: 2011 Chrysler minivan - [maxmax2] by samnoe

Nov 05, 2010 (10:10 am)

Replying to: maxmax2 (Nov 02, 2010 4:27 am)
You're correct.
 
But still, there are many advantages for the Chrysler over the Toyota/Honda, Both of them has their shortcomings, Toyota recently slipped behind in terms of quality, especially with the Sienna (and Corolla) - (Consumer Reports just rated the new Jeep Grand Cherokee over the Toyota 4Runner, which tells me something! - The redesigned Sienna also did not get the most favorable review from CR).
 
Anyway, in terms of entertainment no one beats Chrysler; flexibility of second row seats is also best in class - stow'n'go is just terrific for those who need it - and now with the most powerful engine in class (although I do consider that it weights more than the competitors) it will probably have the fastest 0-60 times, and a 6-speed tranny standard acroos the line, which the (UGLY!) 2011 Odyssey only provides on top model, and with refreshed interior styling and much improved quality, it may very well be on par with the rest of the minivans. And besides, the Chrysler will probably offer lower prices.
 
Don't get me wrong, I had a 2008 T&C lease, I had my share of problems, I am more than happy that my lease is over now, but it is well known that the 2008 MY was a bad one, full of all kind of problems, probably due to the new design, (I wrote a long review here back then), but quality / reliability improved with the years, and 2010 was much better. Now we can only hope that the 2011 should be even better, and with all that, plus as they say they improved driving dynamics, it should be an excellent choice.
 
I can't wait to see some more pictures and read some reviews.
 
Anyone know when it arrives to the dealers?

#5 of 15 Re: 2011 Chrysler minivan - [samnoe] by jpf

Nov 09, 2010 (12:55 am)

Replying to: samnoe (Nov 05, 2010 10:10 am)
Not all Chrysler vans are unreliable. I have a 2006 Caravan SE (base model). I paid about $16k brand new for it (incl. taxes, etc.). After 4 years and 63k miles, the only non-scheduled repairs are a couple of serpentine belts, a battery, and a belt tensioner. The front brakes have the original rotors; rear brakes still original. I run it with Mobil 1 synthetic and have gotten 32 MPG on the highway; around town, I get about 24 MPG. I plan to keep it to at least 175k miles. I paid cash for it and have no car payment. I have no reason to complain.

#6 of 15 Re: 2011 Chrysler minivan - [jpf] by samnoe

Nov 11, 2010 (3:13 pm)

Replying to: jpf (Nov 09, 2010 12:55 am)
The pre- 2008 models were much more reliable and trouble-free than the 2008 models. The new models always have problems. 2009 became better, and 2010 even better. Still not very good, but much better than 2008.

#7 of 15 Official Photos by samnoe

Nov 22, 2010 (10:21 am)

Chrysler officially unveiled the pictures of the refreshed Town & Country on their site.
 
Looks nice, nut interior elegance still lacks IMO (compared to Toyota/Honda), especially in center stack. But I will wait until I see one in person.
 
The controls for the HAVC still looks very complicated (with a sea of buttons instead of knobs) and placed too low for easy reach. The stereo/radio system looks the same as the old, nothing new, although they are way overdue for a refresh, but again, I must wait until Chrysler will release some more info.
 
The interior colors seems to be more on the blue-ish side, a good move away from the greenish color of its predecessor. Bluetooth controls on the steering wheel is also much better than the old design.
 
The front grille, I think the older design was much more rich, but the new one is not very bad, much better than Odyssey for sure...
 
Now waiting for some reviews of drivers, to see how the driving dynamics are improved..

#8 of 15 Chrysler reliability... by greggie990

Jan 04, 2011 (7:56 am)

#9 of 15 Re: 2011 Chrysler minivan - [jpf] by greggie990

Jan 05, 2011 (1:28 pm)

Replying to: jpf (Nov 09, 2010 12:55 am)
Ditto. I have a 1997 T&C that I bought new and it has been the best vechicle that I have owned, period. Just regular maintenance. Has original tranny, and A/C..... 151, 000 miles.

#10 of 15 Re: 2011 Chrysler minivan - [greggie990] by stanoski

Jan 05, 2011 (3:49 pm)

Replying to: greggie990 (Jan 05, 2011 1:28 pm)
Well your one of the lucky ones then, they must have made yours on the day they weren't smoking dope! The rest of us (from what I read) have had nothing but problems with the T&C all year models. My 2005 has been in the shop so much I'm on a first name basis with most service reps.
 
#9 of 9 Re: 2011 Chrysler minivan - [jpf] by greggie990
Jan 05, 2011 (12:28 pm)
Replying to: jpf (Nov 08, 2010 11:55 pm)
Ditto. I have a 1997 T&C that I bought new and it has been the best vechicle that I have owned, period. Just regular maintenance. Has original tranny, and A/C..... 151, 000 miles.
 
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