A large percentage of TTAC readers arrive here via a Google search of a specific vehicle. They know nothing of– nor care much about– our “take no prisoners” editorials or Inside Baseball auto industry analysis. So, in their honor, let’s start with THE key fact: the VW Routan is a rebadged Chrysler minivan. Rebadged as in mildly reworked. So why buy a VW Routan instead of a Chrysler product? For the same reason you’d buy a Chrysler minivan over a Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna: no reason at all, really. But there’s more to it than that. At least in theory…
Externally, the Routan’s metalworkers have done what they could to differentiate their “German engineered” product from its American/Canadian cousins (i.e. nothing much). If the Dodge Caravan is a lunchbox, and The Town and Country a Chrysler 300 sedan inflated by 500 percent, the Routan is an inflated lunchbox with a VW nose. That said, the Routan’s schnoz demonstrates the importance of a vehicle’s “face;” VW’s plunging trapezoid re-brands the box, transforming it into a significantly more coherent vehicle. Whether or not the resulting VW-ness appeals depends on how many hours/dollars you’ve spent at a VW dealership.
The aesthetic improvements continue inside… somewhat. VW recast the Chyrsler product’s cheap ass dash in a faux painted metal. For those who remember the original Microbus, it’s a constant reminder of the innovative, iconoclastic vehicle that the Routan is not. There’s no disguising the Routan’s modern roots: a non-Germanic vehicle made for people comfortable living inside a box. If you can’t see the problem, blinded as you are by the steering wheel’s big-ass logo, you can feel it. The switchgear and cabinetry respond with Chrysler-esque imprecision.
Also lacking: Chrysler’s oh-so clever Stow-n-Go seating. Jumbo cargo schleppers will have to remove the Routan’s mid seats and leave them somewhere. On the flip side (get it?), the Routan’s second row seats are considerably more comfortable than Chrysler’s origami ones. If you’re going to be carting more humans than old armoires, the Routan is the way to go.
Our test van had a power tailgate, which is helpful. You can lift things out, hit the gate with your elbow and walk away. The power-folding rear seat is jewelry: a nice touch that serves no practical function. Minivanistas will know that reconfiguring seats means crawling around in the back moving CD collections, abandoned sippy cups, Tonka trucks and such before you can start the folding. After that, who cares if seat accordionage is just a button away?
They’ve Veedubbed the Dodge, but it’s still a Dodge. For example, the spare tire. You must lower it to ground from a knob on the floor near the driver’s seat. Had VW bolted the wheel to the front grill, I would have given this thing five stars just for old time’s sake. Hell, I may have bought one. As nice as the Routan is– with its cubbies and LED map lights and 13 cup holders (six passengers can two-fist it, with the driver leaving one hand on the wheel) and back-up video camera– it’s got as much character as Brooke Shields in The Muppets Take Manhattan.
The Routan offers the same engines as its supposed Chrysler platform mates (duh): a 3.8-liter V6 making 197 hp or a 4.0-liter V6 turning-out 251 ponies. Bigger is better. The larger-engined SEL is not slow; zero to sixty in 8.9 seconds is an acceptable sprint time for a 4621 lbs. family hauler. More importantly, there’s plenty of torque on tap, allowing smooth, predictable acceleration at all speeds. AND the bigger motor gets slightly better gas mileage.
VW claimed they spent millions on the Routan’s suspension to give it that “VW feel.” Marketing execs now join TV weather people and my high school guidance counselor as people whose information must be “recalibrated” with reality. The whole world is not a parking lot. There’s simply too much waft, wallow and float, even for a minivan. I’ve driven heavyweight Dodge Chargers and sprightly VW GTIs. Both donor companies can do better.
I didn’t take the Routan on the Autobahn. Maybe there’s a difference between this four-wheeled crate and Dodge’s version at 100-plus miles per hour. The set up did seem a tad more taut than the Caravan’s… if I concentrated. What I came to believe, after a couple of mixed miles, is that whatever VW spent got diluted. Tweaking a suspension, while keeping everything else, yields nothing very much.
Taken as a whole, the Routan is the most desirable of the three minivans sharing this platform– provided you don’t need the trick seats. If Honda, Kia and Toyota weren’t in this space, the Routan would rule. But they are, so it doesn’t.
107 Comments on “2009 Volkswagen Routan Review...”
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How much more does one have to spend for the VW badge?
How many more minivans would VW have sold if they’d produced their New Microbus? (I would have had trouble holding onto my wallet if that thing had been available.)
FWIW, my late parents had a ‘97 Dodge Caravan. It was (to my surprise) a very nice vehicle except for the very large amount of understeer–actually scary in emergency maneuver. I even thought the styling was quite good. This thing doesn’t do zip for me in the looks dept. Looks like a box with a VW face pasted on.
Nice review
This article can’t get past the first paragraph without a major error.
“So why buy a VW Routan instead of a Chrysler product? For the same reason you’d buy a Chrysler minivan over a Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna: no reason at all, really.”
Once rebates / inflated trade-in / dealer desperation are considered, the Chrysler is much cheaper then the other two.
That’s a reason, right?
Yeah, we get it. You don’t like Chrysler or Dodge so how could you possibly like the VW re-badger. I would check that last line for accuracy. Also, how many miles did you actually log behind the wheel?
As a father of three, my choices for conveyance must contemplate comfort (how’s that for alliteration?) I have found the Grand Caravan more than up to the task of hauling kids, strollers, and assorted gear. The entertainment system keeps everyone happy, including Mom.
I use my Caravan to move my people. As a genre Minivans aren’t sexy, should they try to be?
A giant answer to a question no one asked. Minivans suck, but rebadged minivans with a premium placed on their name only suck even more.
Next year, watch out for the BMW 425i–a Ford Freestar with a white and blue propeller slapped on the hood–only $89,995!
I strongly disagree with the reviewer about the desirability of stow-n-go. The fact that this one lacks it is definite plus in that cargo rides on a floor of metal–not cheesy masonite and flimsy hinges.
Also, the middle seat stays home and clean, not exposed to whatever dirt the cargo might shed and the crummy false floor let through.
$38,230 as tested? That’s two loaded Sedona/Entourages (after discounts)! Slap on another couple grand, tweak up the interior and call it an Audi. I do think the front looks nice. Nice review.
To clarify:
The Routan’s base price is lower than it’s cousins. Rebates come, rebates go, the market determines the price, but there is no premium.
I think the stow-n-go is a wash. Without it, the seats are better. With it, you don’t have to worry about the seats. If you want to buy a sandbox at a garage sale and you need the space, you don’t have to come back for your second row seats.
For the record, I love mini vans. Had one for years. I even like this one, just not as much as some others.
For those interested in the comparison, I’ll get pricing for the Chrysler, Dodge, and VW minivans into the database by Monday.
Aren’t the compartments for the Stow n’ Go seats still under the floor in the Routan? They are with the Swivel n’ Go Seats, which are comfortable and also do not stow.
Reliability for the Chrysler and Dodge has been among the worst for a 2008 so far in TrueDelta’s surveys. One common problem that was probably resolved before the Routan’s SOP: the rear bumper step pad had a tendency to warp upward, preventing the tailgate from opening.
http://www.truedelta.com/reliability.php
Jason:
Once rebates / inflated trade-in / dealer desperation are considered, the Chrysler is much cheaper then the other two.
That’s a reason, right?
Wrong. Factor in depreciation (not to mention the inevitability of Chrysler going belly-up) and Karesh’s reports on potential days off-road, and you’d be penny-wise and pound foolish to buy one.
I’d like to see this depreciation data on the 2009 Volkswagen Routan. Are you assuming it’ll depreciate the same as a Golf or Passat?
Initial pricing may not be a great reason to purchase one, but it’s certain a reason when we’ve been told there isn’t one.
No reason at all, means no reason at all.
@Jason: there’s also that 1500 Upromise college savings credit that you can put into your kid’s 529 fund.
Is there anyone here who drove both the VW Routan and also the VW Sharan? How do they compare? I guess Caravan vs Sharan would be relevant too.
At the ‘08 car show in NY, VW had ONE of these on display. A pretty nice looking product.
(I saw the VW first) — then I saw the Chrysler versions — and realized how little VW differentiated their model. While I liked the exterior look, the interior appeared to have almost nothing different. Compare pictures of the VW/Chrysler steering wheels — the dash — little is changed. My hope would be that the seating materials are better in the VW, which would count for something to me.
In this neck of the woods, the nearest VW dealer closed, and the next closest has a poor reputation for service. (and I might add, both the nearest Chryler and Dodge dealers closed, too.)
I’m done with minivans now that my kids are older. Given the utilitarian nature of these things, though, I think I’d choose Chrysler between the 2 based on price — given some of deals I’ve seen. The cost savings will be high, and probably more than adequate to pay for repairs out of pocket, if Chrysler is gone.
But as I observe what my neighbors are driving, when its a minivan 90% of the time its either the Honda or Toyota, not domestic. That may incline the less aware to choose VW?
Pete
For the same reason you’d buy a Chrysler minivan over a Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna: no reason at all, really.
Twelve thousand dollars.
As in: “the difference (in Canadian) that you’d pay for Sienna CE/Oddy DX versus a Caravan CVP”; also “less money than a Mazda5 or Kia Rondo.”
It’s crude, but it’s the cheapest way (especially if bought used) to haul a lot of people in relative comfort while still under warranty.
So why buy a VW Routan instead of a Chrysler product?
No idea. You can opt out of Sto’n'Go on the Chrysler vans, too, and you get comfortable second-row seats. The trim doesn’t look much better than the T&C and there’s only so much you can do with a minivan in terms of suspension tweaking; the Oddy already pushes the envelope in that respect.
Personally, I have no idea why anyone would buy the T&C, let alone the Routan, over the Caravan. If you need cheap–and this is damning with faint praise–it’s decent value for the money. If you need cheap but want something that’s actually pretty good, Kia has a nice package in the Sedona.
If you want a good van for what VW is asking for the Routan, well, you know who to call.
@Richard Chen
It’s all adding up to be a hilariously horrible decision by VW to create this…thing.
Just in case anyone was getting the idea I was somehow defending it…I’m just pointing out how one early part of the article is patently untrue.
I wasn’t aware they were selling this thing in Europe…i thought it was just a North American-only rebadge job. What happened to the Ford Galaxy/Volkswagen Sharan van? Isn’t that thing way better suited to European tastes? Will the Routan be offered with a diesel in Europe?
As sad as this is, it (the Routan) will probably be the most reliable 2008 VW on the market.
I surprised this review doesn’t include a “lipstick on a pig” reference. Seems fitting to me. Wish I was a fly on the wall over at VW when they were dreaming up this thing. All the VW loyalists I know wouldn’t touch a dressed up Caravan with a 10 foot pole. Who are they going after here? Passat owners with a 3rd kid? I just don’t get it.
@NN
I don’t think the Routan is going to be sold in Europe. I do wonder if bringing the Sharan over from Europe would have been a better decision for VW.
this is the flagship of the failboat armada.
Wrong. Factor in depreciation (not to mention the inevitability of Chrysler going belly-up) and Karesh’s reports on potential days off-road, and you’d be penny-wise and pound foolish to buy one.
I’d like to say that, if you get a sound, used late-model Caravan with not too many miles, you’re probably looking at a good deal. Someone else had already eaten the depreciation and will have found (and addressed) the more egregious quality issues.
Yes, there’s the whole “warranty, what warranty?” issue, but it’s cheap enough, and parts plentiful enough, that it might be worth it. Maybe.
I agree with Zenith on the stow and go seating, and would add that in order to fold the seats down, they had to make them of thin material not comfortable on a long haul (like to the corner store). Best to skip stow and go and get a hitch & utility trailer (or rent a Uhaul trailer for practically nothing) than pay for an option that will be a pain in the butt (literally for your poor kids in back) for the next few years of ownership.
38,000 for a Caravan.
38,000 for a Caravan.
38,000 for a Caravan.
38,000 for a Caravan.
38,000 for a Caravan.
38,000 for a Caravan.
38,000 for a Caravan.
…it’s got as much character as Brooke Shields in The Muppets Take Manhattan.
Talk about an obscure reference. You get the Dennis Miller award!
That was my younger brother’s favorite movie for a long time. He got up before school every morning for about six months in time to watch the whole thing. I’ve probably seen that movie 50-60 times.
Back on subject-
I can’t think of any good reason to buy this over a Sienna or an Odyssey or even the Hyundai/Kia twins.
Jerzt,
We don’t hate Chrysler/Dodge. They have a large number of problems that are brought up and discussed here instead of dusted under the rug. There are a small handful of cars made by Chrysler we do like – Challenger, Viper, etc. Hell, I still like the 300 and Charger even though Chrysler has let them rot for way too long without a true update.
That said when my wife and I went to look for a mini-van we chose a Kia Sedona over the Caravan. It was cheaper, had a better warranty, and I had known a few people with Caravans that had too many issues with them so we took the chance on the Kia. So far it’s been a good van. Not excellent, but probably our best bet for buying a decently equipped van for under 20k (US). We liked the ride and interior better in the Kia too.
BTY…25 MPG HWY is tremendous!
And don’t try to compare this with Hyundai or Kia!
PULEEEZE!
Michael Martineck…
and Robert F.
OK.
We get it.
You don’t like the (Chrysler) minivans.
The nasty and can’t be explained comment in this review “a non-Germanic vehicle made for people comfortable living inside a box.” really sums up this person and others his like…you hate mini-vans.
OK, so you made a strange exception about buying it IF it had the old VDub front spare.
How nice and open minded.
But for the rest of us out here in fly-over country, families do exist.
Kids exist.
WE spend nights after work and every weekend going to over 200 practices and games.
We do need to haul things around, be it kids or couches.
And minivans have been life/family savers for years.
So JUST get over it.
The one thing that always saves us from the TV pundits or the upity coastal movie critic and auto reviewers is this…we get the final vote with our wallets.
And although Barbara and her Hollywood fakes told us we would lose the last 2 elections, George won.
And Michael, although they look like boxes and not sports cars, the Chrylser minivans are still the top selling.
Yes, even better than Toyota or Honda.
Hurray for common people!
BTY…25 mpg hwy is tremendous.
The VW looks better, with a more un-box like look.
And don’t try to compare this with Kia or Hyundai.
I have driven both and there is no comparison.
ppellico,
That’s a bit harsh, not to mention incorrect. First of all, Robert hauls 4 girls around — in an Odyssey, so it’s not as if he doesn’t know what a family is or understand the utility of a minivan.
Secondly, Martin wrote an honest, solid review. You may disagree with it, but it doesn’t mean he’s a big Streisand fan — his politics and music tastes really are not relevant.
The quote “a non-Germanic vehicle made for people comfortable living inside a box” seems like a highly accurate statement. I think it completely appropriate to call VW on the “German engineered” BS in their Routan ads. And just look at these minivans — they are the boxiest vehilces on the market, now that the xB went Matrixy.
As far as Chrysler being the best seller, well, maybe. I suppose if you lump all 3 vehicles together and include fleet sales, then perhaps so. But Honda has been gaining share steadily, and is likely the retail king.
And if you think I’m anti-Chrysler or too snooty for a minivan, please know that I recently bought a ‘99 Dodge Gand Caravan. Why didn’t I buy a Honda or Toyota? Well, I had about 4,000 reasons…
So VW designs moderns diesels in a partnership with DCX, but then Daimler sells Chrysler and VW doesn’t offer any diesels in this van, which would have been at least ONE first-to-market selling point.
Got it.
One more reason to choose the Chrysler T&C over the VW Rotton: The T&C comes with Chrysler’s lifetime warranty (good for the life of the company), while the VW comes with VW’s standard 4/50K warranty.
Actually, now that I think about it, the VW warranty may be better after all.
thalter
However, the Chrysler warranty, IIRC, is non-transferable and requires annual trips to the dealer to keep it current.
And doesn’t VW include maintenance now?
It’s up to the individual to decide which are the worse dealerships to visit! :D
Interestingly, only the bigger engine is offered in Canada. Pricing starts at $28K for the base model, with the every-option-included/I’m a big pimp version running $49,975(!). With taxes, PDI, etc, that’s a $58K Caravan….
Michael Moore even drives a Chrysler minivan. (At least he used to. I don’t know what he’s driving now. He doesn’t return my calls.)
“The set up did seem a tad more taught than the Caravan’s…”
Should be taut…
I didn’t take the Routan on the Autobahn.
Nor will any Germans or Europeans in general for that matter, because thankfully, Veedub decided it’s not wise to offer it over here.
Now I wonder why they would make such a decision to not offer such a fine vehicle on their home market…
kazoomaloo:
“The set up did seem a tad more taught than the Caravan’s…”
Should be taut…
Missed that one. I guess you taught me. Learned me? Text amended.
This just sucks ass. VW has smaller, more efficient minivans in Europe, but they’re probably scared to import them because of the strong Euro.
Someone that is smart will pay $20K for the 6 passenger Mazda 5 with strong fuel efficiency and enough seats and storage for 90% of potential Routan buyers. Also, stick shift is available for people whose families have not completely killed their spirit.
Someone that is smart and a bit crazy will buy a Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon with a smallblock, 8 seats, SUV level towing ability, genuine faux wood paneling, and better fuel economy than this. Just make sure you Ziebart that bitch if you live in the snowbelt, they are never going to make them like that again so we have to make them last.
Oops, redundant post.
… and a genius buys a ‘95 E320 wagon with the fuel injected inline 3.2L six cylinder that gets better gas mileage than all of these pigs, outhandles any of them with ease, and costs less than half of the Mazda5!
Did I mention it’d be awesome looking with tinted windows and kick-butt AMG rims?
Yeah .. it does!
Funny A Van.. It is been along time that I have not seen a VW Van.
What was the name of that VW Van that was so popular with Hippies?
Actually it looks like the old model of the Honda Odyssey probably the first batch.
Where is the pic of the rear seats?
@Beat
The Microbus,dude, the Microbus.
@Michael
Nice Review I fully concur.And yeah, with the spare tire up front and a flat six in the rear-I´ll buy the thing.
I would never buy a mini-van, but I have to say I think the new Chrysler vans are the best looking on the market with some nice innovations.
I don’t think that Chrysler products are as bad as the car media makes them out to be. I have two recently new Jeeps and they were well built and problem free. But I realize it’s easy to sit around and criticize, however few have a clue what their working on or what their plans are? All that we can do is to speculate.
I didn’t take the Routan on the Autobahn. Maybe there’s a difference between this four-wheeled crate and Dodge’s version at 100-plus miles per hour.
Doesn’t matter, because it will never see an Autobahn. A german car mag did a review of it recently for fun. The verdict was: It’s big, it’s cheap, everything else sucks, it guzzles gas.
I just bought my wife a mint ‘06 Town & Country with 27K miles for $14,000 cash. That massive depreciation was to my benefit. It’s a nice big tank of a van, and will serve us well for many years. Honda vans have alot of problems that everyone seems to gloss over. I was not impressed with the Odyssey. And if you’re judging a van by it’s 0-60 or handling, then you are not the target buyer. This thing is for hauling kids. I think this VW version is kinda silly and overpriced, but Chrysler does build a pretty good minivan. The Mazda 5 was too small, and I refuse to drive a Toyota.
Chrysler reliability sucks and VW reliability sucks…so let’s put them together! Oooh-ooh, can’t wait!
John
The Brooke Shields adds sucked. This review is awesome, and hits on all the short comings of the Routan. Well, there will be people who will buy it. I believe that it will depreciate like a rock, and as for me, not even this could convince me to buy one: http://www.johncarlbrown.com/Brooke_Shields_1024×768_004.jpg
Unrelated to the review, all I can think of is VW Rotund when I see the name (the vehicle itself doesn’t help either).
In German, I believe this would be “Der Frankenvan” Or perhaps “Der schrecklichequalitätenvan.” (the awful-quality-van, you can compound words in German).
People who drive minivans have given up on life. No hope of ever having fun while behind the wheel, resigned to a living hell of carting kids and their detritus around town. “Abandon hope all ye who enter here”.
$38K for a rebadged Caravan.
Given the choice between a Routan and a Caravan, I’ll get an Entourage and bank the difference.