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Chrysler has been a front-runner in the minivan segment since the company invented the category way back in 1984. That doesn’t mean it has continuously offered the best minivans on the market, however. The 2011 update to the Town & Country (and Dodge Caravan) is much welcomed—and much needed, particularly when you consider the fit-and-finish complaints we had about our Four Seasons 2008 Town & Country and the All-Star award we recently bestowed upon the impressive new Honda Odyssey.

I wish I could have spent more time in the Grand Caravan to fully judge the interior of this van versus the Chrysler Town & Country and the others that recently passed through our garage. But for ten grand less than the Honda Odyssey and five grand less than the Chrysler and the Toyota Sienna, this Dodge is tough to quibble with. In fact, the most glaring complaint I have about the Caravan still holds in the Town & Country: the light gray plastic on the doors is too plasticky and also is a bad choice as a color, since it is too light and will immediately look scuffed, worn, and dirty in the hands (and feet) of any family.

Product sharing is a two-way street -- and while we've seen a number of Fiat platforms, engines, and vehicles trickle their way into Chrysler's North American portfolio, we've yet to see the inverse. The Fiat Freemont -- essentially a rebadged Dodge Journey -- appears to be the first example of Chrysler products repurposed for Fiat's European lineup.

Shortly after it returned to the lineup, Dodge has been was B5 Blue, then Plum Crazy Purple and Furious Fuchsia. Now Dodge is reaching into its history again for another retro-inspired Challenger paint option called "Green With Envy."

Interested in the 2011 Dodge Durango R/T, but wish you could exchange Hemi power for six-cylinder fuel economy? Good news: the 2011 Dodge Durango Heat, revealed this morning at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show, may appeal to your sensibilities.