Friday, Aprii 11, 1997 — North Shore News — 39

Photo submitted

; THE popularity of the Town & Country mini-vari is signiticant when you compare it against sales of luxury cars - the Town & Country
“- outsold just about every luxury car in its price range, including the Buick Park Avenue, Lincoln Town Car, and Oldsmobile 92. Test
* . drive this luxuricus mini-van on the t rth Shore at Regency Plymouth Chrysler Jeep and Mountview Dodge Chrysler Jeep. ;

S a tuxuriously
quipped mini-van an
ernative to a luxury

Five years ago, [ would
said “definitely noe” (but
@hen, I was also skeptical
bout the furure of luxury
port utility vehicles which
ave since enjoyed phenome-
al growth ). _
The fircure of the mini-van
an perhaps be glimpsed by
okiig at the development of
he: modern sport utility vehi-
le--Juse as sport utilities
Bvolved trom two-door pickup
erucks with an enclosed bed
ersatile four-door family
creational vehicles,
vans have eveived from
rudé, unwieldy mini-buscs to
mfortable car-like, family ©
chicles, Upscale mini-vans,
¢ upscale sport-utes, may be
¢ next logical step in the

Actually, Chrysler has
offered their Town &
Country mipi-van (a luxuri-
ously-appointed version of the
Grand Caravan/Grand
Voyager) in their lineup since
1989. But sales didn’t really

take off until last year.

In 1996,
Chrysler sold
2,347 Town & -
Country mini-
vans, a 218%
increase over
1995. The pop-
ularity of the
Town &
Country is sig-
nificant when
you compare it
against sales of
luxury cars —
the Town &
Country out-
sold just about
every luxury car

in its price

range, Including
the Chrysier -
LHS, Buick :
Park Avenue, Lincoin Towis
Car, and Oldsmobile 98.
Which leads me to specu-
fate that one reasen for the
increasing popularity of the
Town & Country is that itis a
better value than most luxury
cars. A fully-equipped seven-

passenger Town & Country
mini-van has the same luxury
features as its luxury car com-
petitors — such as ‘eather
upholstery, dual! climate con-
tral, woodgrain trim, prenti-
um stereo, available all-wheel-
drive, traction contro! (on

nd Country. fechntcat-data

1 (68.5 in.)

— 575 L (20.3-cu. ft.); Max. —

front-wheel-drive models),
and 16-inch tires with alloy
wheels.

Bur it also has some tea-
tures that luxury cars don’t,
such as a roomier interior
with standard seven-passenger
seating, “walk-thru” access

from the front to the rear,
more cargo room, removeable
rear seats, better visibility
because of 2 higher ride
height, and dual sliding rear
doors.

You can distinguish the

“Town & Country from other

Chrysler mini-
vans by its classy
chromed, fluted
grille, body-col-
ored bumpers
with chrome
trim, front fog
lights, 16-inch
tires and lattice-
style alloy
wheels, tinted
windows, and
expensive-look-
ing exterior
pain.

Town &
Country mini-
vans come only
as extended
wheelbase mod-
els in one trim
level, LX with
tront-wheel-drive anid LXi
with all-wheel-drive. The
FWYD LAI has the same stan-
dard features as the AWD LNi
except that the all-wheel-drive
LNi model has four wheel dise
brakes with ABS instead of
front drums/rear discs with

-van gains popu

ABS. LX models go for
$40,350, LXi AWD models
for $43,595.

The only powertrain
offered on the Town &
Country is a 162 horsepower
3.8-litre V6 engine and four-

speed automatic transmission.

This is a smooth powertrain
with more than enoug!
power to propel this fairly
heavy (1,888 kp /4,162 bs.)
mini-van, Cruising on the

highway is quiet and comfort-
able with the engine turning
aver just 2,000 r.p.m. at 100
km-h (62 m.p.h.).

Fuel consumption is pretty
thirsty according to Transport
Canada figures. The all-wheel-
drive model, this week's test
vehicle, averages 12.6 litres
per 100 kilometres (22
m.p.g.) and gets a high of 9.9

Sec Tova page 42

Volvo’s cost less on
the North Shore.

This special 1.9% finance rate is
our way of thankitg you for Volvo's
great success on ite North Shore.

we

wa

gvolurion the mini-van. Visit your North Shore Volvo

retuier Gelore April 30 for 1.9%

| fmancing on new 1 ~ Volvos. ,
| SPECIALTY VWOLN7O

1235 Marine Drive, North Vancouver
(604) 980-2464
arn
Limited avastabdny of in-stock unas only arnt linuted time oc. v unst Aont 30,

financed arian! vath this ‘pH faite 15 $20,000 for a 43 rte vith tents (exes 4
Car specication, vist aur Volvo website at hito:/Avww. Speciaty-volve-Sutan’

MERCEDES BENZ OWNERS
If you wish to sell your vehicle directly to Mercedes Benz or if you would like a currear
- evaluation of your vehicle, please comtar

- gftoad

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