The new Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan have exterior styling dictated by interior packaging (i.e. they’re very boxy) and their interiors look and feel lower in quality than those of many competitors. But if kids were making the buying decision, Chrysler’s minivan market share would probably be close to 100 percent.

Kids don’t care about exterior styling or interior materials. What they’ll notice with the new minivans are the optional second-row seats that swivel around to face the third row, the table that can be set up between these seats, the dual DVD systems–each with its own player, the aimable reading lights, the available satellite TV with three kids channels, and so forth. (Please disregard the adults in the Chrysler-supplied photo; they don’t fit so well. But there’s enough space between the swiveled seats for kids’ legs.) To keep the kids fed, parents can slide a cup-friendly center console from the first row to the second; no more reaching back over the seat. It’s the ultimate family travel vehicle short of a full blown RV.

Which is why parents uninterested in buying one of these vans should do their best to keep their kids uninformed about what they’re missing in the current vehicle. I made the mistake of telling my three kids about these features, and might come to regret doing this.

If I was a Chysler marketer, on the other hand, I’d be advertising these minivans and their features on kids’ shows.