Luxury Disguised in the Shape of a Minivan

I call our 1999 Chrysler Town and Country minivan our Luxury Mobile. Rather than feeling like the much maligned soccer mom in an ugly tank of a car, I feel like I am riding in style. At first I thought that I didn't "need" the leather seating, but after sitting on them I changed my mind. Not only are they comfortable and easy to keep clean over time, they make the van interior look opulent. Plus, the heated front seats are wonderful on chilly mornings even in sunny San Diego. I also love the option of having two bucket seats in the middle row. It is so nice when you are driving with several adults for the middle row of passengers to feel as comfortable as the ones up front. Plus, it is a great way to keep siblings apart during long, sometimes quarrelsome drives.

In addition to the creature comforts such as the seats and side mirrors with built in memory (so I don't have to keep adjusting them after the rare instances when I allow my husband to drive), this van has get up and go. I recently drove a friends Explorer, and I was annoyed at how little power it had. This van responds so much like a car. I don't ever feel intimidated out on the road due to lack of power.

This van is the perfect vehicle for anyone with more than one child. In the past mom's could often transport three or four children around in a compact car. Now that there are passenger side airbags and children in booster seats for a much longer time, there just isn't room for that many kids to ride. In many cars no more than two children can ride in the back because the carseats and boosters take up so much room. Without a van it becomes very difficult to carpool or even go on trips with a lot of gear. However, this minivan has the style and luxury that many moms like me don't want to give up when they buy a van.

There are only a couple of drawbacks to buying this minivan. The first one is the price. This is not an inexpensive vehicle. If you are on a tight budget, this may not be your car. However, we usually keep our cars for at least ten years, so we felt the added expense was worth it. Also, the 1999 Town and Country does not have power side doors like the Ford Windstar. It can be kind of tough for young children to open the doors, especially if you are on an incline.

On the whole though, I love my Chrysler Town and County Luxury Mobile. Everyone who has ever ridden in it has commented on how nice it is including my Porsche driving brother. Now this is not an ordinary soccer mom minivan.