Chrysler Town and Country EX/LX/LXi/Limited
I heard that Chrysler was going to make another
model for the T&C. I also heard the sticker is a
whopping $34K!!!!!!! So does anyone know what
makes the Limited any different than a LXI?
Also what is the difference between a LXi and a LX
other than Leather, seat heaters and power
passenger seat? Thanks!!!
model for the T&C. I also heard the sticker is a
whopping $34K!!!!!!! So does anyone know what
makes the Limited any different than a LXI?
Also what is the difference between a LXi and a LX
other than Leather, seat heaters and power
passenger seat? Thanks!!!
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The 1998 LXi has many standard features that you have to pay extra as options on LX. They include: Cast aluminum wheels instead of hubcaps, full size spare, load leveling suspension, CD player and 6 more speakers, 8-way power driver seat, leather seats, roof rack, sunscreen glass, programmable garage door opener, bigger battery, rear air and heat w/intermediate controls, and a big 3.8 liter engine instead of 3.3 liter.
LXI also has features you can't get at all on LX such as: heated front seats, 8-way power passenger seat, automatic day/night mirrors, rear reading lamps and a tow package option.
If you want most of these options, it's cheaper to get the LXi than get an LX and dress it up. If you only want 1 or 2 of these options, go for the LX if you can find one with just the options you want.
A good price varies with region. I got a T&C LXi AWD at invoice price. In retrospect, I'm sure the dealer wishes he held out for more. He tried to weasel out of it, but when I took my complaints to "strategic" places, he informed me that it was just a misunderstanding, and he planned to give it to me at that price all along.
In Northern California, there are no more like mine. The Limited is the only way to go. I got a color my wife wanted and the integrated child seats, so the Limited was out.
I can't speak for the Chrysler market across the country, but by father in NY got a Concorde at invoice.
My dealer did tell me that his one remaining 98 T&C LXi AWD wouldn't go for less than $1000 over invoice. That may be true if it's the last in the area. It doesn't mean anything for the Limited. A good price is still what Edmund's says, but preferably cheaper on one with this much margin, and a large holdback.
I had narrowed my choice between Sienna and Town and Country--could not get Sienna a color or price I wanted.
With a family of 5, the Town and Country has more room, and pushing the 2nd row captain chair forward makes access to roomy 3rd seat made the Town and Country the better choice.
The accessories in the Limited are impressive--more than Sienna and with better location. Ride in Town and Country is excellent.
Only 150 miles so far and very happy--my first American made car in 20 years. When I test road Town and Country and Sienna, the Town and Country seemed to offer more quality and workmanship. When I bought a Toyota Previa 9 years ago--still have it, the Toyota seemed to offer better quality and workmanship than a Town and Country.
The Chrysler Vans still have a poor reputation for reliability that I have some concerns me--yet their share of market so big, the reliability problems may be just a result of large market share.
jcv
I bought 99 T&C on 6/29/98. I am very happy with it. I put on 1400 miles and its been great. About the extended warranty, I plan on getting an extended warranty on mine after a year. I can get 7 year 100,000 miles for $6.00/month , $250.00 ded. and can quit anytime I want. This warranty covers everything but normal wear and tare stuff. I would get this warranty even on Honda. (it’s so cheap). I also want to say that there is no substitution on the feeling you get driving T&C. Toyota don’t quite have it yet. Another happy T&C owner.
Does Limited runs quieter than LX-i? I heard that Limited has better sound insulation and therefore quieter..
Test drive an LX at about 40mile/hr and I heard wind noise came in from right sliding door. Was it normal?
I had a 1992 GrandVoyger and traded for a Ford Bronco while I had only two kids. Now I am a father of three and really miss the space of minivan. I sold the Voyager because of its poor brake performance at turning and rattle after only three years...
Is it a better time to go back to Chrysler now? Did they improve the van since?
www.saauto.com/sidemap/future/town-country.html
the only differences between the LXi and the Limited are:
- Center armrest rear bench with integrated head
restraints
- 15-spoke 16" chrome wheels
- Steering wheel audio controls
- Unique IP cluster graphics
- Body-color cladding and roof rack
- Leather-trimmed and Preferred Suede® seating
- Chrome door handles
- Liftgate Chrysler winged badge
- Plush 18-oz carpet
- Unique "Limited" logo floor mats
The only thing would make the Limited quieter would be the thicker carpet. There might be sound insulation upgrades for '99 model year, I'm not sure. In any case, yes, the Limited should be quiter than an LXi. Test drive one and see for yourself. If you're thinking of an LXi, go for Limited. The seats are much better.
They have a 99 Limited with 6,500 miles on it, which is one that "the sales manager & his wife used to demo -- they drove it to Arizona & back on a vacation."
It's VERY loaded, and price is a little under $30,000. Is this a good deal? I have no idea what instant depreciation would be one of these.
I guess your little plus my little is less than $1000 and I will NOT go with a "new" van with 6500miles for that "little" price difference.
I compared it with Dodge and T&C LX model before making this decision. It is quieter and smoother than its sister brands. Don't ask, I don't know why.
The AWD version does not pick up as fast as regular 2WD version but it surly handles better with AWD. I am happy with it. Hope you guys won't see my complaint post in a few years.
For people who are comparing T&C with its siblings, I will be glad to share my experiences/research with you.
"harry.liu@wdn.com"
Harry
Just got a Chrysler T&C Limited AWD minivan. the first thing I noticed is
its bad gas mileage. It never goes over 15MPG with city and highway
combined. This is too high comparing to manufacture's published 16/23.
is my car normal?
Well, we finally went on our first mini vacation with our new T&C limited. It rode very nice and of course got alot of looks and complements. It should for 30K. Anyway, I monitored the mileage and I ended up getting around 16.5 mpg. Not too good in my opinion, however, to the van's credit, I was doing 75mph and windy conditions through kansas and oklahoma. I am trying to figure out where the sticker of 23-24 mpg came from as well. Anyone who figures it out, please let me know.
The warranty you speak of in your last post, would that be the "Warranty Gold" package we hear so much about in here? If not, which is it? Yours sounds to be very affordable, and the ability to quit at anytime sounds great. Can you advise please?
Yeah, what about that warranty. For those of you who think you don't need it my 93 T&C (118,000 mi.) is on its fourth, count em, fourth transmission. Fortunately, I had the 7/70 warranty and only had to pay for a third of the last one. The 7/70 doesn't exist any more to my knowledge, but that transmission is the same one from what I've read on other topics pertaining to reliability. I wouldn't even be inquiring (I'd be waiting for my Oddessy to come in) but my wife simply loves the T&C. So I guess I'll get an extended warranty, a roadside assistance plan and a good cell phone!
As for the drivetrain probs., I have a 90 Caravan that was customized with the Conversion package.
It has had 3 major transmission problems. The first two were under warranty (replaced) and the last one was rebuilt by a shade tree mechanic for $750.00. However, I was towing a camper with it up in the Smoky Mts. this last time. And yes, it does have the towing option. However, the new van will never tow anything.
As to the engine, the 3.3L has been perfect. With 145k miles it hasnt had one major problem yet. Does'nt even burn any oil and has'nt broken down one time.
I have to admit that the reliability problem postings I have seen on this sight do make me feel somewhat skeptical, I think alot of the Tranny problems come from people who tow with this vehicle and are afraid to tell.
extended lengths and the shorter version?
I'm shopping for a new caravan, voyager, or chysler. My only problems with my 89 caravan have been A/C-I'm surprised to see so many problems reported.
We love the car. But Edmunds lists only LX and Limiteds for 99.
Anyway, I have it but I wish I had known about Edmunds before I bought.
Herb Phillipson aka shuppy
You may also want to see if any of the moldings on the outside or inside seem loose. It could also be that the window is not properly sealed.
Hopefully others with similar experience will add to this. You may also want to ask this question in Topic # 20 (Which Minivan is best). Good Luck!
Thanks a bunch for your replies. Both are good suggestions and I am willing to try them both at this point. Thanks again!
Just another persons thought I would like to share.
After much discussion w/my wife, we ended up getting a 96 LX-i lease turn in w/29k miles. We got the extended warranty as a precaution. No major blow ups (made sure the tranny fluid & filter were replaced before buying it). We must have lucked out because our dealer's svc dept is excellent. They even go so far as to not only drop me off in the am but they also pick me up when svc is done.
8000 miles & 4 months later we love it (& saving almost $10K vs 99 Limited was also nice).
- Andi
Yeah, but we bought in August and I gotta tell you, my wife looks like, feels like and the leather makes her even smell like, a million bucks!! the limited is the car my wife deserves! and besides how would you ever get the used models if it were not for guys like me??
check out dem wheels...
a little elbow grease every Saturday a.m. and they sparkle for the rest of the week... add a little tire black, the kind dat makes 'em look real wet. oh baby...ready to cruise now!! people stop her at lights and and just moving down the road , inquiring about dem wheels.
15,000 miles and its a cream puff.
we 'll keep that old Limited.. you now Andrew it just occurred to me why they call them a limited must be did not make too many and a limited amount of folks can have 'em.
I have got to side with you on those wheels. Every time I showed our new Limited to one of the couples in the neighborhood, the wife usually said...ooohh! nice van. The husband inevitibly said...WOW! Nice wheels!!! They were half the reason I wanted the Limited over the LXI. Another factor was the blue luminescent dash over the white on black with orange lighting in the LXI.
We have had ours for a month. 1,000 miles to date(admittedly not much) but, the van is AWESOME! I love it so far.
Can you tell me which Tire Black product you use?
The available colors on the '99 T & C Limiteds are: 1) Candy Apple Red(About a $200 "option"), 2) Deep Slate Pearl Coat(A dark grey), 3) Taupe Frost Pearl Coat(A medium grey) and finally 4) Golden White Pearl Tricoat(A beautiful white, but also a $200 option). The ONLY, I repeat ONLY interior color available on these is "Taupe".
We bought a '99 Limited in the white. We have only had ours about a month and have only accumulated about 1,200 miles, but so far, it is awesome! Recommend the "Limited" for several reasons...The interior displays(guages etc.) are a luminescent blue at night/black on white in the daytime, the wheels are chromed(beautiful!) and the rear bench set can be made to look like two more bucket seats due to the fold down arm rest back there. They all come at a bit of cost(about $2K over the "LXI", but worth it if you are going to keep your vehicle a while. Also, I thought that the Seat Heaters on the Limited would be a gimmick I'd NEVER use...but guess what? They are also awesome, and I have used them way more than I ever thought!
Best of Luck. Let me know how you make out.
Can anyone give me some sound advise on the AWD or FWD. I am thinking about going for the AWD.
If you're thinking about leasing, definitely go to http://www.carwizard.com and purchase the Lease Wizard.
By the way, rebates and incentives will apply to a lease deal.
Are there any Town and Country owners out there
that are HAPPY with their T & Cs?
We are very happy with our month-old Town &
Country Ltd. AWD...but of course, that's not much
time for stuff to go wrong! 8)))
When we were looking for a new minivan, we had narrowed our purchase decision down to the Dodge
Grand Caravan, the Toyota Sienna, and the Honda
Odyssey. We liked the ride, capacity, and driver
visibility of the Caravan best, and it was our
front runner. Our friends were having NO problems
with their 5 year old Caravan until they hit 70K,
when they had their transmission replaced under
extended warranty. WAY too soon in my book, but a
possibility we thought we could live with.
On a fluke, we test drove the T & C, hearing that
it was an "upscale" Grand Caravan. We're very
glad we did! It was very fun to drive, and our
"professional passengers" (our baby's Godparents)
thought that the passenger seating was the best by
far. The only thing that annoyed me were the
abundance of what other mini-van owners are
calling "gee-gaws" and "bells and whistles". 'Who needs them', I thought, but the Town & Country's ride, acceleration, and comfort convinced us.
After a month, these are the things we like bout
our T & C (including some of the "gee-gaws"!):
1. Very nice handling, lots of power, smooth ride,
and an excellent driver view.
2. Two sliding doors. One to access the baby's
car seat, the other to load/unload the adults.
3. 2nd row "captain's chairs" that flip up for
easy access to the 3rd row.
4. A very nice leather interior. This is a first
for us, and we like it a LOT (even better than
most of the "luxury" cars we've been in).
5. VERY comfortable seats for our passengers (2nd
row 'captains chairs', 3rd row 'bench' seats with
flip-up center arm rest). So far, the comments
have ranged from "Wow, this is REALLY nice" on up.
6. Heated front seats ('bun warmers'). We had
thought "give me a break, who needs that?", but
now we love them!
7. Excellent cargo capacity, even without removing
seats (our test case includes two bookcases and a
futon).
8. Individual overhead lights for each passenger.
9. Auto-dimming side view and rear view mirrors.
These worked out great during our trek between
between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
10. Small turning radius for such a large vehicle
(smaller than my Saturn's!)
11. Ample storage behind the rear bench seat.
Things we don't like:
1. Rear window tinting that is a bit too dark for
backing up at night.
2. The specter (or reputation) for a weak
transmission.
Any other T & C owners care to comment?
- Grego
Thanks in advance for your help
Check out Waxes & Polishes (Topic #8) over in the Maintenance & Repair Conference. It's a very active, and sometimes volatile, discussion, but you'll find tons of info!
KarenS/Vans host
MINIVAN AIRBAGS FLAGGED IN CRASH TESTS
Federal regulators said that during crash tests staged last summer to gather data about the hazards light trucks pose to cars in collisions, a 1997 Dodge minivan air bag deployed with such force that a small female dummy seated on the passenger side suffered neck injuries that safety experts said were the equivalent of a broken neck in a real-life situation, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Ouch