Faults:

When we bought the car, we were given only one key fob.

The key, of the same FOBIK type used by Mercedes-Benzes, cannot be duplicated except at the dealership unless you already possess two original keys. To duplicate them is expensive - over Php 10,000.

The button for the right side sliding door already malfunctions - it normally takes two presses of the button to open the door, but this key only takes a light press to open it. As a result, I have unintentionally opened the door while the car is parked.

The engine supports of the car have disintegrated, and are in urgent need of replacement, even though the car has only 35,000+ km on it.

The wireless headsets for the rear Vehicle Entertainment System are broken - the hinges that allow the earcups to swing are made of cheap plastic and the cups now hang loose.

The hinge for the passenger side upper glove compartment no longer allows the door to open fully.

General Comments:

The Town & Country lives up to its marketing blurb: "A living room on wheels".

There is no other family car/minivan on the market that affords this much interior space or flexibility for a family.

We come from a family that takes extended road trips, and were looking for a car that could seat 7 adults in comfort, while having the flexibility to occasionally haul cargo for our business. We cross-shopped with the Kia Carnival and the Honda Odyssey, but the former had limited cargo flexibility and the latter was too expensive and petrol-powered. The Town and Country offered a diesel and had the most interior 'toys' to boot, including its "Stow-N-Go" fold-flat seats, a power-folding 3rd row, and a vehicle entertainment system.

The engine lacks the refinement of other Korean or German diesels, but is adequate. The 6-speed auto already reaches 6th gear at 60km/h, which helps fuel consumption but robs the engine of accelerating power. Average economy is 12l/100km.

Dealer service is so-so and expensive, as it is handled by the Mercedes dealership in my country. I prefer to order my parts and have it serviced independently.

The ride is American-wafty, which is excellent for the poor quality of Philippine roads. Seat comfort for the 1st and 3rd rows are excellent for a minivan and a blessing for adults. The 2nd row seats are relatively thinly padded, but are adequate.

Don't expect sporty handling or excellent interior materials with this car. What you do get is great shoulder and legroom for all passengers, the ability to slide and recline the 1st and 2nd rows, and to recline the third row, and the most number of power features I've seen in a van. (Power seats, adjustable pedals, power doors, power tailgate, power windows for all rows, power mirrors, etc.)

General Comments:

The Chrysler Town and Country is a great van. This vehicle is extremely comfortable to ride. It runs smooth and quiet even on rough roads. One would benefit from this especially on long trips. Especially here in the Philippines where potholes and uneven roads are common. The leather seats are really soft and plush. It's also got nice stereo. The automatic sliding doors are a big help especially to people who has a hard time opening/closing a manual door. The on-board computer that keeps track of everything (temperature, etc.) is fun to use.

The downside of this car is its high fuel consumption and the unreliability of its automatic lift-gate (I've had mine repaired twice, and it still has problems) And also, it doesn't feature a mud guard. In this country, it rains frequently, and when it does, whenever I drive this van, mud flies everywhere.