VW Routan Van- anyone know anything about them???

URY914 · URY914's Garage

Our lease is coming up on our Passat wagon and we need to look for the next car.
Anyone have any good/bad knowledge of the new VW mini van the Routan??

Thanks in advance.

dan79brooklyn · 02-24-2009, 05:04 PM

Isn't it made by Chrysler?

I think I read a review somewhere...it seemed like a nice van, the VW interior was better than the Chrysler, but otherwise identical.

Schumi · 02-24-2009, 05:16 PM

I could swear that I saw somewhere here in OT that someone thought they were utter crap. Not the 'German Engineered" quality that they claim it is.

But I may be just conjuring that out of thin air.

JeremyD · JeremyD's Garage

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2009-volkswagen-routan-review/

Don't bother Paul

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

Just get a 6spd TDI sportwagon. Much more fun and "greener"

URY914 · URY914's Garage

Gee thanks.....

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

http://www.vw.com/jettasportwagen/en/us/

the · 02-24-2009, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by URY914

Gee thanks.....

PPOT just saved you from being the victim of a fraud!

tchanson · 02-24-2009, 07:53 PM

Discussed here:

VW "Rootin' Anne"

Buy the Mopar version for 2/3 or less of the price of the faux VW version.

Tim

URY914 · URY914's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by tchanson

Discussed here:

VW "Rootin' Anne"

Buy the Mopar version for 2/3 or less of the price of the faux VW version.

Tim

Yea, but I could roll my VW lease into it.

Dutchie · 02-25-2009, 10:45 AM

so it,s a VW Touran built by Dodge ? The VW Touran is a great car i had one on my previous job a few weeks and it was a nice car to drive with lots of space.

onewhippedpuppy · 02-25-2009, 11:20 AM

Run away screaming. It's a Chrysler with VW badging and a much higher price tag. Basically a faux VW for people that don't do their homework. A buddy of mine is a VW guy who is friends with a local dealership tech. His tech buddy was complaining about having to work on the Routan due to the poor Chrysler build quality. To know what you're getting into, do some reading on edmunds.com regarding the Chrysler vans. That was enough to scare me away......

Personally, I don't know why anyone looking for a new minivan would consider anything other than a Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna. They are vastly superior to anything else out there.

tchanson · 02-25-2009, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutchie

so it,s a VW Touran built by Dodge ? The VW Touran is a great car i had one on my previous job a few weeks and it was a nice car to drive with lots of space.

You may be confusing the Routan with the VW Touareg?

The Touareg is the VW version of the Cayenne, although Cayenne folks tend to squeal loudly when you say that.

The Routan is a rebadged Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country:

Tim

onewhippedpuppy · 02-25-2009, 12:08 PM

It's a Mopar with a nose job. Really, couldn't they have tried a bit harder to hide the truth? The inside isn't up to VW standards either, it's more Chrysler than VW.

jyl · jyl's Garage

And what happens when Chrysler goes belly-up?

Buy a used Eurovan, get a real VW. Or, a Sienna or Odyssey. Those are really good vehicles.

nut11 · 02-25-2009, 12:40 PM

Run from it. Jamie Kitman had an excellent piece on it and VW as a whole a few months ago in AUTOMOBILE mag.

87 blk coupe

Dutchie · 02-25-2009, 01:04 PM

No we also have a Touran here it's the smaller version of a Toureg.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tchanson

You may be confusing the Routan with the VW Touareg?

The Touareg is the VW version of the Cayenne, although Cayenne folks tend to squeal loudly when you say that.

The Routan is a rebadged Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country:

Tim

Dutchie · 02-25-2009, 01:06 PM

The front lights look the same but the "US" version looks longer in wheelbase ??

tchanson · 02-25-2009, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutchie

No we also have a Touran here it's the smaller version of a Toureg.

I like that, and the Euro size minivans in general. Why didn't VW just bring that over here?

We don't have much of anything in the US in that segment other than the Mazda 5.

Tim

URY914 · URY914's Garage

We went to look and drive the Routan yesterday. We also drove two other vans and one small SUV. The Routan is a POS. The middle row of seats can only be completely removed. They don't slide or fold. The dash layout and controls are minimal. The salesman wasn't even trying real hard. He knew it was crap. The sticker was $31K.

We looked at a Nissan Quest- over priced: $32K W/O leather? The middle seats look like jump seats on a plane. They only had three on the lot. Salesman says they push on SUV sales.

Honda- top of the line without a doubt. All the bells for $32k. Life time warranty on drivetrain.

The curve ball was a Subaru Forster. Very nice fit and finish and larger inside than you would think. Actually more rear seat leg room than the Routan. Full leather and features for $25k. It got my wife thinking about a crossover/small suv.

We looked at the Ford Flex but didn't drive it. She said the hood was as big and wide as my F-150. She didn't like it. I liked it but she will be diving it 95% of the time.