“Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. Not only is the holiday season the merriest time of year, but also the busiest and craziest—specially for Moms.”
The Holidays
When do the Holidays really start? For most it’s Thanksgiving, but as a Mom of 2 I feel like they really start right before Halloween. Think about it, depending on what kind of costume your beloved child or children choose to wear, you may have to start preparing a month in advanced! Then comes shopping or making the actual costume, then the party or neighborhood where you’ll trick-or-treat, because when they’re little, they don’t have much of a choice, but as they grow up—they want to hang out other “cool” friends.
Once the Halloween craze is over—BAM! Thanksgiving is dumped on us. From then on, the hunt for the right turkey begins, plus the delicious sides, table setting, and maybe even a recipe for an “all-new” pie. And guess what comes right after Thanksgiving? Black Friday!
Tired yet?
This is the part where having the right vehicle comes in. See, for the longest time I’ve been a fan of coupes, and hatchbacks, as they are typically smaller, more efficient and lower to the ground, plus I’ve always enjoyed the sporty driving feel they offer. But a lot changed last week, when I decided to use my new and temporary red sleigh to prepare for Christmas with plenty of time.
Say Hello to the 2016 Chrysler Town & Country. Yes, It’s a minivan, and I know for many of you that may be enough reason to stop reading right now. But all I can say is that this Town & Country isn’t only convenient in many ways, but since it’s the Sport trim, it’s also a looker. I kid you not, people would actually turn and stare while I drove by. And while I want to believe they were looking at me, the metallic red paint, black wheels and blacked-out accents may have had something to do with that.
The Convenience Effect
To start things off, Chrysler is the creator of the modern minivan as we know it, which right away explains why most things work so darn well in the Town & Country Sport.
Remember what I was telling you about running around like crazy during the Holidays? Well, I blame most of it on having to haul the kids along with me, while trying to get things done quickly and efficiently—those ingredients don’t mix well.
Being able to open both rear sliding doors of the Town & Country Sport at the touch of a button turns out to be extremely efficient. My oldest can quickly hop out, while my 4-year old can start unbuckling her car seat, and be ready by the time I get out of the van myself. Then I can quickly grab her out without having to bend over or reach too far into the van, and be on our way. The Town & Country Sport offers the perfect ride-height, perfect seat lay out, and perfect amenities to make life easier on the daily. I mean, it even has a blue-ray player, heated rear seats, window shades and dual screens!
The Town & Country Sport has plenty of room in the trunk to store a ton of stuff, 143.8-cubit feet behind the first row to be precise. I just wish I could shop for as much as I could fit in the back, but that would most likely get me in trouble! The third-row folds fully flat by easily by pulling the straps which are conveniently labeled in the order they should be pulled, and the second row captain chairs feature Stow ’n Go, so they also completely disappear as they stow into the floor.
Overall Experience
Purchasing a minivan has only crossed my mind about once or twice, but each time I remind myself that we aren’t there “yet” as a family, but the Town & Country Sport and its many convenience factors made me sort of rethink that.
Whether it was the easy to operate navigation system, the window shades in the second and third rows, and of course, the fact that it doesn’t look dreary and boring, definitely helped me redefine my opinion!
Regardless of what the holidays may throw at you, the Town & Country Sport can handle it without breaking a sweat!
- Starts at: $29,995
- Price tested as: $39,220
The great:
- Stow’n Go seats.
- Heated second-row seats.
- Sporty looks.
- Convenience and versatility.
The not so great:
- No USB charging ports in the front or back seats.
- The 6-speed automatic transmission was often “confused”.
- 13.4mpg in the city made me cringe.
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