Traction control (standard on front-drive eX and Limited, available on LXi) reduces front wheelspin on slippery surfaces. Even better is the available all-wheel-drive system, which redirects power to the tires with the best grip; all-wheel drive is a smart option for drivers who live in the Snowbelt or in the Pacific Northwest or anywhere it rains a lot. An automatic load-leveling system is available that automatically trims the Town & Country to a level ride height. That's nice when towing.

Form follows function in the minivan world; that's why we don't usually think of minivans when we think of stylish designs. In spite of this, the Chrysler Town & Country presents a sleek, solid stance.

It looks aerodynamic in profile, with its raked windshield, rising roofline and beltline, and fast D-pillars framing canted rear windows. Crisp, formal creases have replaced the rotund forms of the 1990s. Pronounced wheel arches complement sharp character lines that flank the integrated grille. Rear-end styling tends to make Town & Country look wider and not as tall as it really is. Huge taillamps feature clear red lenses and jewel-like reflectors.

There's really nothing mini about this minivan. Compared to other minivans, the Town & Country ranks among the largest, at 200.5 inches long and 78.6 inches wide. Its wheelbase stretches a full-size 119.3 inches. The Honda Odyssey is 201 inches long on a 118-inch wheelbase; the Oldsmobile Silhouette 201.4 inches long on a 120-inch wheelbase; and the Ford Windstar 201 inches long a 120.7-inch wheelbase.

Dual power sliding doors (standard on eX, LXi and Limited) can add considerable convenience to your daily life, particularly when you find yourself herding children or carrying two armloads of gear. Press a button on the remote transmitter and the door slides open; press the button again and it slides closed and seals. From the second-row seat, the power sliding door can be opened and closed by pressing a button; it can also be opened manually. A safety lock switch hidden on the trailing edge of the door can be engaged to prevent a child from opening the sliding door from inside. The power sliding doors can be fussy when passengers are in a hurry, however, and they usually are in a hurry.

Pulling on the outside lever opens the power door manually, with just slightly more effort than opening a regular manual door. Our LX came with a power sliding door on the passenger's side and a manually operated sliding door on the driver's side; the manual door is easy to operate, smoothly sliding open and closed with the pull of a nicely designed lever. The outside door handles are comfortable, easy to operate and well designed; they impart a feeling of quality in appearance and operation. All door handles should be this good, but they aren't.

A power rear liftgate (optional on eL and LX, standard on eX, LXi, and Limited) adds further convenience when picking up groceries or supplies. Press a button on the remote control and the liftgate opens or closes automatically. It's great feature for those all-too-frequent times when you approach the van with an armload.

Chrysler Town & Country is among the best minivans available. Chrysler wrote the book on minivans and the Chrysler Group has sold more than 9 million minivans since 1983; it continues to dominate the market, outselling GM and Ford by a two-to-one margin, and outselling Honda by nearly four-to-one.

This new Town & Country shows why. It's roomy, comfortable, practical, powerful and nimble. Order the Limited model and add the word luxurious to that list.

The Chrysler Town & Country is a comfortable place to spend some road time. It provides seating for up to seven people, and all positions are roomy and comfortable. That's something that can't be said for a lot of sport-utility vehicles. Cup holders are available at each seat, and the rearmost passengers each get their own storage console, though the plastic lid is flimsy. Seat belt anchors are height-adjustable in the front and middle rows. Our one complaint is that the center row isn't adjustable, and can be tight when the front seat is adjusted all the way back.

A low floor makes getting in and out through the side doors easy. Caesar, our 160-pound English mastiff puppy, requires a ramp to get into an SUV; but he stepped easily and without hesitation through the side door of the Town & Country. Judging by his expression, this is one of his favorite vehicles.

Access through the rear hatch is a bit higher, however. Caesar prefers a ramp to get in that way. Loading groceries is no problem, though. Plastic grocery bags can be looped onto special hooks on the backs of the rear seats. There's a fair amount of cargo space behind the third row, which is not true of the Voyager and other standard-length vans. An adjustable cargo organizer (optional on front-drive LX, LXi, and Limited) fits on the floor behind the rear seat and provides a bin for six grocery bags, handy for keeping things from sliding around in.

We found the second-row bucket seats and third-row split bench easy to remove. All or any one of the four seats can be popped out and rolled away in three quick steps, providing a wide variety of seating and cargo configurations. Reinstalling them takes a little more practice, as you need to learn how to line them up before snapping them into place. Each seat is heavy enough that care should be exercised when lifting it off the garage floor. The seats can also be folded down to form a continuous load floor for 4x8-foot sheets of plywood and other large items.

Many other features add day-to-day convenience. A time delay switch leaves the headlights on while you walk from the van to your door. Auxiliary outlets, two up front and one amidships, provide convenient power for gadgets. Four serious coat hooks make picking up the dry cleaning a more elegant chore; few manufacturers do coat hooks this well. Three dome lights illuminate the cabin well. An available overhead console houses power switches for the rear hatch and sliding doors, along with compass and outside temperature readouts. The rear quarter windows, as well as the front door windows, are power operated. Dark tinting on the side windows provides privacy.

A center console houses a cellular phone holder, power outlet, storage tray, light, tissue holder, and a map holder. The console is removable and can be placed between either the front or middle seats. The organizer inside the console seemed a bit high on the bogusity scale.

Small buttons make the audio system a challenge to learn and use while driving, and the column shifter blocks the driver's view of the volume knob and seek button. Steering wheel audio controls are available on selected models and should eliminate this problem. A new feature for 2003 is the availability of Sirius satellite radio.

Cruise control buttons are conveniently located on the steering wheel. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) controls are functional, but rudimentary, on the LX, with his and hers sliders for temperature control. Automatic temperature controls on LXi and Limited models are nicer. A separate knob controls the rear fan, a great feature for kids and pets on hot days. Handsome and straightforward analog instruments use black-on-white graphics that reverse at night. An electronic odometer doubles as the trip meter when a button is pressed. Turn signal indicators and warning lights reside in a thin hooded panel above the instruments.

Lots of glass means good visibility all around, though the t.

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