2014 Chrysler Town and Country S review notes: Sometimes only a minivan will do

2014 Chrysler Town and Country S review notes: Sometimes only a minivan will do Sometimes only a minivan will do The 2014 Chrysler Town and Country S starts out at $33,190. Photo by Chrysler. ' Under the hood, the 2014 Chrysler Town and Country S sports a 3.6-liter V6 engine, making 283-hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. Photo by Chrysler. The 2014 Chrysler Town and Country S is front-wheel drive mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Photo by Chrysler. Interior shot of the 2014 Chrysler Town and Country S. Photo by Chrysler. The 2014 Chrysler Town and Country S rear seating and infotainment system. Photo by Chrysler. By: Rory Carroll on 2/10/2014 (AutoWeek Magazine) EXECUTIVE EDITOR RORY CARROLL: This 2014 Chrysler Town & Country S is a very nice minivan and one of the few cars capable of seating six adults in comfort. Sure, you can stuff them into a folding third row in a lot of different SUVs, but then you're usually making compromises with interior luggage capacity. I had the good fortune to be given the T&C for an airport run with my family -- six adults and a week's worth of their luggage. We threw our things in the back and crowded in. The Chrysler carried us down the highway, never once eliciting a complaint from my passengers. The interior is dressed up a bit, and while some of the materials aren't quite Chrysler's best, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how nice it is inside for $36,175. It's not what you'd call fast, but it's quicker than you'd expect, and it even handles well. When you need a minivan, only a minivan will do. The interior of the 2014 Chrysler Town & Country S has more than enough space to hold six adults. EDITOR WES RAYNAL: This is a terrific vehicle for hauling people and stuff. It has everything you could ask for to do some serious moving. It drives nicely, with a decent ride and handling. And it did just fine through all the nasty weather we've had lately. As far as minivans go, this is borderline quick, with 283 hp from the V6. It was outfitted with a number of nice features, like three-zone climate controls, power-sliding doors on both sides and all the stuff included in the optional customer-preferred package. For less than $40k, though, this 2014 Chrysler Town & Country S is a terrific deal. Four years ago, when we ran the long-term Town & Country (I still miss it), that car had a $42k sticker. And here we are all this time later, and this one is quite the bargain. Base Price: $33,190 As-Tested Price: $36,175 Drivetrain: 3.6-liter V6; FWD, six-speed automatic Output: 283 hp @ 6,400 rpm, 260 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm Curb Weight: 4,652 lb Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 17/25/20 mpg AW Observed Fuel Economy: 16.6 mpg Options: Customer Preferred Package 29M including Safety Tec, automatic high beam headlamp control, blind spot and cross path detection, park sense rear park assist system, rain sensitive windshield wipers, tire pressure monitoring system ($1,695); Uconnect 430N CD/DVD/MP3/HDD/NAV, Garmin navigation system, SiriusXM travel link ($895); compact spare tire ($295); second and third-row window shades ($100)