The Inside

Chrysler has been routinely criticized for its subpar interior quality, and with good reason. One of the biggest issues has been blocky design and poor materials quality. Both of those problems have been remedied in the 2011 Town & Country's substantially updated cabin.

Even though the minivan's all-new dashboard is made of hard plastic, it has a nicely grained, low-gloss appearance. Overall, the new interior trim makes the van feel more luxurious than the Honda Odyssey, if not the new Nissan Quest. Considering where Chrysler interiors have been, this is a dramatic improvement.

Chrysler has updated one of its signature minivan features for 2011: Stow 'n Go second-row seats. The seats, which are standard, fold into the floor with just one touch of a lever, articulating forward and into bins in the floor. (If the bin isn't open or the front seat isn't far enough forward, the seat just flips forward to make it easier to access the third row.) Chrysler says the Stow 'n Go seats are now larger for better comfort, but you still sit pretty low to the floor in them, which limits their appeal for adult passengers. Traditional second-row bucket seats are optional.

    See also:

    Overdrive Operation
    The automatic transmission includes an electronically controlled Overdrive (sixth gear). The transmission will automatically shift into the Overdrive gear if the following conditions are present ...

    Fog Lights — If Equipped
    The front fog light switch is built into the headlight switch. Fog Light Switch To activate the front fog lights, turn on the parking lights or the low beam headlights and press the headli ...

    Parade Mode (Daytime Brightness Feature)
    Rotate the dimmer control upward to the first detent. This feature brightens all text displays such as the odometer, EVIC (if equipped), and radio when the parking lights or headlights are on. ...