Town & Country Van

I am on my second one, but I think it is going to be my last.

I make no bones about it. I am a heterosexual male, with a wife and kids, but I *love* my Minivan. Love it.

The first one I had, a loaded Town & Country circa 1996 ran as smooth as a van could. Very easy ride. But the tranny goes at 100k. Everyone always told me that, and I believed them, too.

The door mechanisms on that 1996 seemed a little under-engineered, or perhaps the doors were just too heavy.

That one had the bigger 3.8l. No problems at all, and it gave me excellent gas mileage. Just as good as the 3.3l I have now.

The car I have now is a 2001 T&C and I think Chrysler under engineered a few pieces too many. The rack went out at 50k miles. I have *Never* had that happen. The electric door sticks in cold weather. The ride isn't as nice (it is not the top of the line, either), and whenever I get a rain, my big serpentine belts squeaks.

Like I said, I think I am going to Honda, Toyota instead.

Same basic engine. I have had Chrysler minivans with the 3.0, 3.3, and

3=2E8. The 3.8 is the > I am looking at two 2006 Town & Country vans. =A0One has a 3.8L engine, t= he

The 3.8 will get better mileage than the 3.3. I've put 300,000 on these transmissions without trouble. I'm not that lucky, so they can't be that bad. Your belt squeals because the tensioner is bad.

The 3.3 and 3.8 are the same block. I have had the 3.0 and the 3.3. STAY AWAY from the 3.0!!! it is, without a doubt, the biggest piece of crap I have ever seen! When they get older they PUKE oil. I had nothing but trouble with my 3.0 (built by Mitsubishi)

The 3.3 OTOH is a workhorse. The 3.3 and 3.8 are overhead valve engines, what this means is NO TIMING BELT! There is a timing chain, and it does not require frequent replacement like those pesky belts do! The 3.3 I had in my 1994 seemed to get better gas mileage than the

3.3 in my 2002. I believe what one of the other posters said - if you get a loaded van with all the toys, then the 3.3 is likely underpowered and is working harder causing reduced gas mileage. I am currently getting about 17 MPG city and 25 MPG highway in my 2002, this compares with 20 MPG city and about 28 MPG highway that I was getting with my 1994. (I have not moved, this is driving in the same area and under similar condidions).

On my 1994, I had to replace the oil pan gasket at about 150,000 kms. I replaced the head gasket (VERY rare on this engine) at about 128,000 kms, and the front crank seal (less than $100) at about 178,000 kms. The belt tensioners on this engine tend to go between 150,000 to

180,000. Mine started to squeek at about 158,000 so I replaced it as a preventive measure. Contacts in the starter required replacement (about $80) at 140,000 kms.

Basically, if you PAY ATTENTION to your engine and do a litte preventive maintenance, you wont have major problems. My 1994 NEVER let me down - and I mean NEVER. Even when the trans went at about

135,000 km, there was plenty of warning. I had it rebuilt, and then it got rebuilt a second time on warranty (correctly the second time!). After that, the trans worked well for almost another 50,000 kms. At about that time I had to get the solenoid pack replaced. With that pack replaced, it shifted better than new!

The only really expensive repairs were the head gasket and the trans. Head gasket problems are rare (just my dumb luck) and the newer tranmissions are WAY better - as they should be! After a decade of experimenting on the public, you would think the finally got it right. ;)

I too, LOVE my mini-van. I have the Grand Caravan, and I can get ALL my camping stuff in it - even the kids!

I would strongly recommend getting the "Stow and Go" seats if you can. My newer van did not have them available at tha time - and I am jealous of neighbours who DO have them! ANyone who has had to lug around and find storage for removed seats will know EXACTLY what I am talking about!

hth

As both engines ARE an option on the LWB vans, the real questions might be: (1) What kind of driving do you do and (2) How well equipped of a van are you looking for?

(1) If you putter around town and spend a lot of time idling at traffic lights, the 3.3 will serve you well and might eek out marginally better MPG. On the highway, the differences MPG are negligible, but there is a distinct power defecit in the 3.3 that appears during rapid acceleration and climbing long slopes.

(2) While the 3.3 is an option, the higher end vans tend to favor the 3.8 as standard equipment. The LXi ('04 and earlier) and Limited (all years), for example, come standard with the 3.8. You can, however, find a gussied-up LX ('04 and earlier) with the 3.8 and many Touring editions will have the 3.8.

You can't really go wrong either way. Both engines are very reliable and perform reasonably well. So don't worry about which you get; let the options make the decition for you.

My 2 cents.

Bob

Thank you for the detailed review. The Stow and Go seats look mighty handy to me. I have to remove the second row of seats in my Windstar and as you said, have to find a place to store them.

In addition to the 2006 Chryslers that I am looking at, I am also going to look at Dodge vans (same engine etc, just different cosmetics).

Thanks for your input. Several people have recommended the 3.8. I believe I am also going to look at a tow package (probably haveto go to a 2007 as I haven't seen leftover 2006s with the tow package.

They are identical engines except for the bore and stroke. They are also very reliable. I had a 3.8, but it was written off in an accident. I ended up getting a 3.3 for a replacement and I would say I preferred the 3.8 for the extra torque. I never towed with it at all, but after having driven the

3.8 for just over two years, I definately noticed the difference driving around. There is really no significant difference with fuel econamy, so I would go for the 3.8

The towing package is a bonus on any van...if you don't mind a slightly stiffer ride. It brings an extra transmission cooler on most years that may contribute to a long and healthy transmission life. In other years, it may also bring an auxillery oil cooler, but I'd be hard pressed to say which years have what.