2005 Chrysler Town & Country LWB New Car Buyer's Guide

What's New for the 2005 Chrysler Town & Country?
Chrysler's 2005 Town & Country receives a significant freshening, with new front and rear fascias, an updated roof rack, and a restyled interior. Most notable, however, is the new Stow 'n Go seating and storage system that drops the second- and third-row seats into the floor with one-handed operation. With the seats in the upright position, floor storage bins create an additional 12 cubic feet of storage space. The second row of seating now features fore/aft adjusters and the second- and third-rows offer reclining seatbacks. Side-curtain airbags protect occupants of all three rows, and there's even an airbag to protect the driver's knees. A handy UConnect hands-free communication system with Bluetooth technology is optional, and a DVD-based navigation system is available. Buyers in the Snow Belt will miss the availability of all-wheel-drive models – AWD wouldn't fit beneath the new Stow 'n Go floor design. On long-wheelbase models, a new Signature Series debuts, offering a rear-seat entertainment system and other equipment. Shorties can be equipped with the new Entertainment Value Group to get rear-seat DVD.

Advantages of the 2005 Chrysler Town & Country:

• Optional side-curtain airbags for all three rows of seats
• Stow 'n Go rear seating flips and folds into the floor with one-handed operation
• Several models available to meet nearly any budget
• Genuinely fun to drive

Objections to the 2005 Chrysler Town & Country:

• Buzzy base engine
• Stability control is not available
• All-wheel-drive models vanish this year
• Options quickly add up
• Reliability record doesn't match those of rival Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna

Editor's Advice:
Chrysler invented the minivan 20 years ago, and upgrades for 2005 bubble the aging Town & Country closer to the top of the class thanks to the innovative Stow 'n Go seating system and optional three-row side-curtain airbags. Two main problems exist with this minivan. First, resale values are not terribly impressive; second, reliability records indicate that this model might not prove as dependable as minivans from rivals at Honda and Toyota. However, the Chrysler Town & Country is genuinely fun-to-drive, is quite comfortable, and is almost always available with large rebates and incentives that drive a value equation that could offset those unappealing resale figures. Nevertheless, the 2005 Chrysler Town & Country is a good, if not great, minivan, and is our current choice among domestic models.