Comments on: Review: 2009 Volkswagen Routan

By: R.L.

R.L. — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:31:48 +0000

I’m working with Routan, so hopefully I can clarify your question about the Stow’n'Go seating. Like you said in the post, Volkswagen “restyled the interior to offer an upscale, European feeling”; one of the major changes they made was to make the second and third row seating more comfortable than in your average minivan. Volkswagen found the Stow’n'Go seating took away from the overall comfort of the second row. The Routan’s second row instead features the well-padded, high-quality removable captains’ chairs and convenient extra storage space at the base of those seats.

By: GaryAnderson

GaryAnderson — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:22:27 +0000

Fair point, TomF — Normally the hotel and its fare don’t get featured in a car review and shouldn’t, but in this case I chose to make an exception, both in words and pictures because Cavallo Point Resort is such an exceptional place that I thought some readers might be interested. The combination of location, careful preservation of an historical site, and first-rate resort facilities is unusual in the extreme, and worth considering should you be visiting San Francisco in the near future.
And, by the way, I was a legal driver when the original microbus was brand-new, and while I consider the Eurovan a reasonable descendant of the microbus, don’t think of it as a minivan in any sense of the product that Chrysler developed. I think the remainder of your comments pretty much echo what I wrote in the review. Thanks for reading LLN and offering your comments.
Gary Anderson

By: Fromes

Fromes — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:30:27 +0000

yea, they should have just built a new microbus, lengthen the passt platform, make it a tad wider and a couple of inches higher, squeeze in a third row of seats then offer the 2.0t engine and the VR6 along with 4motion, give in a VW style outside and inside, sell for under 30 grand…and you have a winner not a rebadge

By: TomF

TomF — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:17:14 +0000

Re: “We had to wonder why it took VW so long to wake up to the need for a minivan…” er. VW invented the minivan, back in the 1960s, probably before more LLN writers were born and about 25 years before Lee Iacocca’s Caravan / Voyager became an accidental revolution (at the time, 1983, a desperate Chrysler was just trying to squeeze one more variant out of the K-car platform). VW marketed the “Eurovan” well into the 1990s, after Honda and Chrysler lapped VW in terms of product planning and build quality, so on one level it’s shameful that VW’s now badging a Chrysler minivan as its own. VW can claim to have originated this whole vehicle segment.

Other reviewers have said the only apparent difference between the Routan and the Chrysler product is a very slight improvement in handling responsiveness. Otherwise this is a Town & Country down to its DNA. It’s stupid and shameful that VW, a brand that trades mainly on “German engineering” and design heritage, undercuts its own brand proposition with all this Auburn Hills engineering and American breadbox design.

VW should have built the 21st-century Microbus concept that was kicking around the studios about five years ago.

Oh, and LLN reviewers might want to leave out the stuff sbout “sumptuous breakfasts” and luxury pampering on VW’s dime that they eagerly inhaled if they want these writeups taken seriously. We all know paid junkets are the indefensible side of automotive journalism, but try not to rub it in peoples’ faces.

By: sharpie

sharpie — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:00:59 +0000

I read elsewhere that the non-stow-n-go second row seats are more comfortable on longer trip with better lumbar support. While stow-n-go is neat, I missed the folding seats in my now gone Eagle Summit Wagon (aka Dodge Colt Vista / Mitsu Expo). It was simple, easy to use and seat comfort was not sacrificed.

By: socarboy99

socarboy99 — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:48:26 +0000

Your Comment

By: socarboy99

socarboy99 — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:47:58 +0000

If GM aquires Chrysler, I wonder what the future of the Routan will be?

By: Blakkarr

Blakkarr — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:14:58 +0000

It’s more than a little disappointing.

Frankly, CHRYSLER needs to take some notes. It sound like they have a fundamentally solid machine, they just need to upgrade the handling, ignoring some other details.

If Cerberus is smart, instead of being desperate, they will implement many of the changes in the Routan to the T&C and Caravan.

Better handling makes for a Safer minivan as well…

By: ricky_b

ricky_b — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:38:22 +0000

better yet… VR6 4Motion from Passat. Now THAT would be a grocery getter

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:31:33 +0000

If they ever make a sequel to Fast Times at Ridgemont High it would be fun to see Sean Penn recapture the scene where Spicoli exhausts himself from the VW Bus, only instead of a purple haze a few hundred soiled diapers fall out of the van. OK, who am I kidding, what I really want is to see is if Pheobe Cates could still pull off that swimming pool scene.

By: A4

A4 — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:01:31 +0000

and VWs engines! a 2.0T minivan would be much sweeter

By: A4

A4 — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:01:04 +0000

they should make a GTI version! with huffs!

By: A4

A4 — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:57:04 +0000

“we had to wonder why it took Volkswagen so long to wake up to the need for a minivan”
are you stupid lln?
the minivan market has been on a steep decline since their last van plans… do you really think theyd go and risk suicide without a very strong seeded partner?

By: HoosierHero

HoosierHero — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:01:06 +0000

Do it for the Routan babies!

By: DrFill

DrFill — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:27:08 +0000

More evidence of VW USA mismanagement
We ask for a VW
They give us a Chrysler
Nice!
DrFill