The previous Town & Country's ride quality brought to mind a big American car from the '70s; it rode softly, with a bit of wallowing thrown in. The 2011's new suspension tuning keeps body motion better in check, but still delivers a comfort-oriented experience that families will like. It also corners surprisingly well without much body roll — even when driven on winding roads.

Complementing the suspension changes is a body structure that's notably stiffer than the outgoing van's. The previous Town & Country was a creaky beast — you could hear the body flexing when traveling on uneven pavement. It didn't say "quality" when you heard it, even if that feeling came more from perception than from reality. Perceptions matter, though, and that creakiness is gone now.