Most-Read Car Reviews of the Week

Down but seemingly never out, the 2013 Toyota RAV4 spent last week at No. 3 only to reclaim the top spot on our list of most-read reviews this week, sending one-week champ the 2014 Acura MDX plummeting all the way down to No. 10. Another most-read-reviews regular, the 2014 Subaru Forester, returned to the list at No. 3 after abruptly disappearing last week. Here’s what else was popular:

1. 2013 Toyota RAV4
2. 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
3. 2014 Subaru Forester
4. 2013 Chrysler Town & Country
5. 2013 Ford Escape
6. 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
7. 2013 Nissan Altima
8. 2013 Honda Accord
9. 2013 Chevrolet Camaro
10. 2014 Acura MDX

Which Cars Fit Three Car Seats?

UPDATE 6/7/2013: Parents are often searching for the automotive holy grail: a car that's not a minivan and can fit three child-safety seats across the backseat. It's a short list.

In the more than three years that Cars.com editors have been installing car seats into test vehicles, we've come across only a handful of cars that can hold three car seats across a backseat.

The newest vehicle to make our list is the 2013 Nissan Armada. The largest of the brand's SUVs has room for eight passengers and easily accommodates three car seats across its second row.

As we come across more cars that fit three child-safety seats, we'll add to this list. For now, here are the cars from our Car Seat Checks that can fit three car seats in the second row:

Most-Read Car Reviews of the Week

Perhaps the 2013 Toyota RAV4 has the magic combo of a lavender-pants-suited Kaley Cuoco and her little dog, too, to thank for conjuring its continued domination on our list of most-read reviews. The ad campaign, prominently featured during this year's Super Bowl — starring Cuoco, of TV's "The Big Bang Theory," as a doggy-toting, wish-granting genie — no doubt is also being credited in part with the crossover's substantial sales increase this year. Want to know what else was popular this week? Your wish is our command:

1. 2013 Toyota RAV4
2. 2014 Subaru Forester
3. 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
4. 2013 Chrysler Town & Country
5. 2013 Ford Escape
6. 2013 Nissan Altima
7. 2013 BMW 3 Series
8. 2013 Toyota Avalon
9. 2013 Dodge Dart
10. 2013 Honda Accord

Can a Minivan Be Stylish?

A minivan is many things to the families who own one. It's a school bus, playroom, weekend road warrior and living room on wheels — but can it also be stylish? Before you answer no, consider the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country S.

The automaker working to turn its image from humdrum to hip with the "Imported from Detroit" slogan and star-studded advertising is also trying to inject some mojo into its minivan. Chrysler gives the Town & Country S a dose of attitude inside and out with a sport suspension, black chrome grille, a black step pad, 17-inch aluminum wheels with black pockets and blacked-out headlights. Inside, it's more black-on-black: leather seats with gray contrast stitching, glossy black plastic trim on the instrument panel and steering wheel, a black headliner and a black center console.

I'm a fan of the Town & Country, but fully admit a minivan is one of the most style-cramping vehicles you can buy. What type of moms and dads would go for a blinged-out, blacked-out version?

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country

The married-with-children set is going to fall fast and hard for the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country's comfort, cargo space and entertainment features, just as Cars.com reviewer Jennifer Geiger did. Performance and handling are notably lackluster, but if you're in the market for a precision driving machine, you're taking the scenic route to your purchase by even putting a minivan in contention. Dual power sliding doors, Stow 'n Go second-row bucket seats and clever storage spaces endear, while a noisy, clunky transmission annoys. Few will find its hefty $41,000 price tag amenable, but good luck finding a cheaper competitor with all these bells and whistles.

2013 Chrysler Town & Country Review

Two Big Family Haulers, Lots of Incentives

A good deal can make an ugly car more palatable or a mediocre car more desirable when the end result means a ton of money off the asking price. Maybe the Ford Flex's hearse-like styling becomes acceptable or the Chrysler Town & Country's minivan stigma less traumatic when there are serious incentives on the table, which happens to be the case with the 2013 Ford Flex Limited with the Titanium Package and 2013 Chrysler Town & Country Limited we recently tested.
 
As configured, the Flex and Town & Country offer similar gas mileage ratings, seating for seven, comparable horsepower and equal safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Plus, nearly identical retail prices are separated by a mere $170: $42,570 for the Flex and $42,440 for the Town & Country as-tested, not including destination charges. The amount of money taken off the top is impressive with enough discounts to take the whole family on a summer vacation in either family hauler. 

Mom Must-Have: Conversation Mirror

I'm a mom, but I wouldn't consider myself a minivan person. One look inside the cavernous Chrysler Town & Country I just tested, however, has me changing my tune. Aside from the oodles of room in the van, its list of comfort and convenience features made me want to move right in. A small, easy-to-overlook one is the conversation mirror, which acts like a spyglass with a view of the backseat.

The small, convex plastic mirror flips down from the ceiling near the rearview mirror and provides the perfect angle to quickly check in with your back passengers — no head turning or rearview mirror adjustment necessary. Sometimes all it takes is a quick, sharp look from Mom or Dad to settle the circus in back, and the mirror is the perfect tool for it.

I've found this feature in obvious places, like minivans and larger crossovers such as the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot, but it's also popping up in more unexpected places. The Honda CR-V compact crossover features one, as does the new-for-2014 Fiat 500L, the stretched hatchback version of the compact 500 coupe.

This may seem like a minor feature, but what parent wouldn't want eyes in the back of their head?

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Volkswagen Routan Still Hangs by a Thread

Volkswagen's Routan minivan — yes, the one originally touted by actress Brooke Shields — is on life support. Production of the Chrysler Town & Country-based minivan, which is assembled through a joint partnership between the two automakers since mid-2008, has been suspended since July at Chrysler's Windsor, Ontario, plant. Volkswagen spokesman Scott Vazin told Bloomberg News it's still up in the air whether Chrysler will continue building the Routan at Windsor, though VW's agreement with Chrysler extends through 2014.

Unsurprisingly, VW dealerships have few Routans in stock. Volkswagen doesn't report inventory by individual model, but Cars.com has just 992 Routans in its national new-car inventory — a fraction of the Honda Odyssey (22,912 new-car listings), Toyota Sienna (14,373) and Dodge Grand Caravan (14,597) minivans available.

Volkswagen sold just 836 Routans in November and 9,923 through the first 11 months of 2012. Chrysler has sold more than 23 times the Town & Country and related Dodge Grand Caravan minivans while CEO Sergio Marchionne questioned the need for two near-identical models in the same showroom. Year-to-date sales for the Chrysler twins are up a combined 25.1%; sales for the Routan are down 16.9%.

2013 Chrysler Town and Country S at the 2012 L.A. Auto Show

• Competes with: Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Nissan Quest
• Looks like: If a minivan can ever be called stylish, it's this one 
• Drivetrain: 283-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6
• Hits dealerships: Summer 2013

For parents who think driving a minivan is the opposite of cool, Chrysler has your new ride. For 2013, the automaker is giving its Town & Country a dose of style with a capital S.

The Town & Country S version adds black cabin and exterior trim, as well as more interior features and a sport suspension. (We're not kidding.) According to the automaker, the move is aimed at taking the minivan into luxury territory. The new trim joins top-of-the-line S versions of Chrysler's 200 and 300 sedans. 

Recall Alert: 2012 Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Grand Caravan

Chrysler is recalling 471 model-year 2012 versions of its minivans to address liftgate problems, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Certain Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravans with power liftgates use a faulty liftgate pinch sensor. This could lead to the liftgate closing on a body part and an increased risk of injury.

The affected vehicles were manufactured from March 9 through March 12, 2012. You can check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb.

Chrysler will notify owners later this month, and dealers will inspect and replace the affected parts free of charge. Owners can call Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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