A rebadged Dodge wasn’t a hit at VW dealerships? Really?

As a VW Salesman. Thank God.

which ever a-hole on vw’s side came up with the idea to re-badge a dodge, should be fired!

Why? Because it’s the best minivan on the market with some impressive features and fairly good quality?

About the only good product Chrysler makes anymore…

Why? Is it burning oil already??????????

Wow I didnt see that coming…… NOT!!!! I agree with idrinorbarsaku whomever the a-hole thought that was a good idea should be fired

Why can’t we get the Touran, like Europe. Oh no, that would make too much sense. Anti-believer, its a decent van, but people aren’t stupid. They know its a rebadged Chrysler, and more expensive to boot.

Zcarsales- To this day, I have seen ONE VW van (the most recent model) on the road. That would explain it.

I see Routans all the time. Its a good van and has better styling than the Chrysler versions.

This product is an attempt for Volkswagen to boost sales in the US from a segment that many domestic auto makers abandoned. There trying to take up the slack that Ford and GM left off. It’s not working.

hell, if I was female with children, I would buy one. It at least looks good, for a van…

I have another job for Brooke Shields if she’s interested. A Routan isn’t the only thing that can come fully loaded.

This is somewhat controversial decision. During recessions birth rate is going up, ’cause people have less disposable income for other forms of recreation. If this thing is aimed at growing, they should stopped production of GTI’s not vans. I think they got it backward, again.

Johnny, I already offered the same. She said Andre Agassi has a better serve or maybe it was service….

meant “growing family,” – it’s a long day

ok, i know my **** about cars, but up until 5 minutes ago, i had no idea this thing was a caravan. then again though, i dont really care about the minivan segment all that much

The interior looks even cheaper than the already cheap looking interior of the Caravan/Town And Country.

I’m just curious, but when was the routan ever a good idea? A… vw… van? No… stick with everything else.

A VW van would be a good idea, if it were actually a VW van. Remember, as much as Chrysler likes to take credit for inventing the minivan, VW was there more than two decades before, and was in the market (on a small scale) through the 90’s. The problem with this Routan thing is that people go to VW dealerships to buy VW’s. Chrysler is probably the furthest thing from their shopping list. It wouldn’t have been so bad if this thing used a Chrysler body but with VW powertrains, but no, they left the crude, underpowered Chrysler OHV lumps under the hood.

Come to think of it, didn’t VW and Ford do a minivan together in Europe?

you’re really dumb if you are buying one of these minivans. the ride isn’t that different, and the engine is from dodge! this is no VW, i don’t care what you say about it having a better suspension or whatever. just because they changed the suspension doesnt mean its now a VW. If you take a chrysler to a bmw dealer to add some new suspension springs to it, it doesnt mean that it is now a BMW!!! . and that engine is a POS!!
save your money, if you are really that desperate for a minivan(ewww), get a honda because we all know its way more reliable than a dodge!

“Why? Because it’s the best minivan on the market with some impressive features and fairly good quality?

About the only good product Chrysler makes anymore…”

whats so impressive about it?? the quality is the same in the chrysler because they are chrysler parts, not vw parts. What makes this the best minivan on the market, because it sure isn’t resale value, reliability, engine, transmission, or interior quality. could you possibly be talking about the suspension because i doubt people who are looking for a minivan are willing to sacrifice ride quality to get a stiffer ride with less body roll when they mostly care about their child in the back seat and that long car ride.

It probably did make the most sense to go with a Dodge based minivan for VW. It would take years for VW to research, develop and produce their own minivan for north america, and probably would cost around a billion dollar or more. What makes sense is that Chrysler has discovered how to make a minivan less costly than most. For VW to go with another car manufacturer to produce a minivan for them would most likely cost more, possibly costing too much to make the idea viable.

Like it or not, the Caravan has proven itself over so many years, and a segment leader in many ways.

Our family has had 2 Caravans in my lifetime and they both turned out to one of the more reliable vehicles. For less than 2/3 (and up) the cost of a Honda Odyssey(which I know is a good minivan) I’d rather by a Caravan and pocket the rest.

Just my 2 cents!

BTW, for those of you who may not know, VW reliability numbers and quality numbers are not any higher than Chrysler if you believe in JD Powers and Consumer Reports figure.

idrinor- The interior of the Chrysler minivans are much improved over past generations, it’s not what I would call “high quality” but it’s about on par with other vehicles in the segment (Sienna, etc.). What makes it the best in it’s segment is space, capacity, availability and price. The interior is about the most useful and innovative of any of the minivans out there, it’s comfortable for adults and kids and has plenty of gadgets to keep people occupied/comfortable. Their still producing tons of them, demand is one of the best of any Chrysler products (to say average at least), so their aren’t shortages. The base minivans don’t look chintzy like the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey, but that’s just my opinion. The new ones aren’t necessarily unreliable either.

So VW replaced their old VW Van that sold very few models here in the U.S., saw the need for a minivan and got their hands on a Chrysler. And just to let you know, the Routan has an almost entirely different interior with the same layout.

Lastly… the Honda Oddyssey is less reliable than this “Dodge” (talking about the current minivans). They’ve had transmission and electrical issues. The front doors unlatch in the case of an accident in the 2005 models. The Chrysler gets better fuel economy, room and price (Odyssey can go up to 40k).

everyone better stop having routan sex for a month

and yeah thunder chicken, they made the sharan together i believe

Does anything come between Brooke Shields and her Routan ???

and ..
VW executives get paid for stupid vehicle names and more stupid commercials ??? Paid money ??

mmmmm, remember when this came out the saying was ” make babies for love not for GERMAN ENGINEERING” nowww i do not see one german thing about this.. its terrible theres nothing Volkswagen about this other than the badge and the chrome grill, evertyhing else is horrible the built quality, the materials , the design its all chrysler and believe me i love Volkswagen i have one and the difference between this and every other is just a myriad. even the buttons and all vw’s happen to have the same buttons ,these are completly different… What would force them to want to make this or in other words pay chrysler to do it… if your gonna make a minivan make it YOURS. ur facotries ur engineering ur powertrain not the DODGE CARAVAN whats wrong with you

you can tell you are in a dodge/chrysler when you sit in this van if you have also driven the new vans from chrysler/dodge. the one thing that “looks” different is………..the lights….wheels…..and ….uhhhhh….the VW logo. if VW made their own minivan for north america, and put as much design/quality as they put with their new passat cc, it would then be the best minivan in the market. The overall cargo space is actually less in the routan/dodge/chrysler when compared to a honda so i don’t know where you got those facts from.

the base honda odyssey v6, a 3.5, has 244hp with 16/23 mpg,
the routan has a 3.8 with only 197hp and somehow manages to get 16/23mpg.
the odyssey has a max towing capacity of 3500 compared to only 2000 from them.
the tranny is more reliable in the honda even though they had some problems in their first year.
the honda engine is undeniably more reliable!
the overall quality of the interior is better in the honda.
the steering wheel in the dodge/chrysler/routan feels really cheap and light. there is so much plastic around the key areas where your hands come in contact
the seats(especially the back), are very uncomfortable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we have been driving a chrysler town/country for a little over 3000 miles(rental) and it doesn’t even come close to our 2007 odyssey. the 4.0 in it sounds like a tractor’s engine! driving a odyssey again feels like driving on a cloud of air….but, i would NEVER buy a minivan again ,not even a honda

the thing i was most disappointed with in the routan was when we opened the engine up. there was stickers and covers with chrysler logos everywhere; on the hoses, lids, etc. how can you even call that a vw when its not!

ehhhhh whatever….all that i ask is to make an ACTUAL vw minivan and not just us someone else’s car and replace the badges!

in all 4 cars; routan/dodge/chrysler and odyssey, you get what you paid for!
pay little=get little, pay more=get more.

idrino- Really, it’s that bad? I never knew about the badges in the engine bay and everything. I’ve heard the interior is a lot better in the Routan than the Chrysler ones- the materials, I mean- but hey, maybe they aren’t. Also, I had read mileage at 17/25 with the six speed and 4.0 engine (the one you have). Also, that’s 2000 pounds with the base engine, and the 4.0 in the Chrysler has just as much horsepower and torque as the 3.5.

But hey, that’s right. You get what you paid for in those minivans. Only minivans I wouldn’t dare consider- Toyota Sienna and the Kia/Hyundai twins. Personally, I’d go for the Quest, but that’s just my opinion.

this van is nothing but boring.

what will the Routan babies do?

don’t quote me on this but i’m almost sure that even with the 4.0, its max towing capacity is still 2000. i recall all those models being able to tow only 2000 pounds with either engine, but again, i am recalling some info from way back when…

don’t go comparing a stock dodge caravan to a routan. compare a chrysler to it because the dodges use an even cheaper looking color for their interiors. compare a loaded beige interior of a chrysler to a loaded beige interior of a routan. you won’t notice much of a change.

how could there possibly be over 30 comments over this heap of crap…wow

I don’t understand how VW is selling anything these days… half of the models they sell are overpriced by thousands of dollars.

Let’s take a look at some of their offerings.

New Beetle: $25,000
Passat: $28,000
Eos: $38,000??!!??
CC: $39,000
Touareg: $48,000
Routan: $38,000

Exactly who are they trying to compete with here? GM, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota all beat them on price… and their quality isn’t enough to put them on par with premium brands like Lexus, Caddy, or Acura.

The Town & Country, which is the exact same thing as Routan, stickers for $2000 less. Plus with the domestic manufacturers you can always get low or 0% financing and tons of rebates. You’d have to be a fool to walk down to VW and buy a Routan.

are you off your ****ing rocker raineman?
lets go ahead and take a second look at your flawless logic
here are the base MSRP’s for all the cars you spoke of
Beetle: $18,290
Passat: $28,300
Eos: $31,615
CC: $27,100
Touareg: $39,300
Routan: $25,200

congrats, you only got one correct.
you were OVER $12,000 off on the price of the Routan
pretty much $12,000 off on the price of the CC
$7,000 off on the Beetle
$6,000 off on the Eos
and $9,000 off on the Touareg.

Dont bitch at me about options either, because yes, options add to the price of a car, and yes, you can easily end up spending $35,000 on an Accord, yes an ACCORD. Personally id MUCH rather drive a gorgeous CC with award winning interior, award winning 2.0T engine, and much more standard features than anything in its class. You can spend upwards of $40,000 easily on an Acura TSX as well. REALLY?
Why dont you do your research before you bash anything that isnt made by a bunch of japs.

AND AGAIN IF YOU DID YOUR RESEARCH
The Routan starts at $25,200
The Honda Odyssey starts at $26,355

Last time I checked, thats not “beating” them on price.

I would like to request that Chrysler halt Routan production for ten years.

and the Town and Country starts at $27,250!!! thats $2000 MORE than the Routan. Christ, im just shooting your arguement to sh!t eh? Not to mention Ford and GM dont even have minivan offerings anymore, and when they did they were pretty pathetic. Lambda’s are not minivans, and neither is the Flex.

Hi there!

If you knew the prices in “good old Germany”, you will get a heart attack.

For the EOS:
The smallest base version (1.4TSI, 90kW, 122HP) costs 27150 Euro which means about 35000 USD.
Then there is a ~700 Euro (~1000 USD) charge for transport from manufacturer to the local dealer.
And of course there is no gas (only about 2-3 gallons) in the car

I don´t know exactly what´s included in US cars in the base version (radio, air condition, metallic paint….?) but I think here in Germany is nearly NOTHING included (ok, there are 4 seats, a steering wheel, 4 rims with tires included – but nothing else…).
Eg. MP3 radio? -> 630 Euro
metallic paint? -> 485 Euro
I even wonder why I don´t have to pay for the air in the tires.

The real question is why anyone would by the Routan when Caravan’s are being advertised with $10,000+ in discounts. Seen nothing close for Routan.

Heart: Cards 38-35 in OT
Head: steelers 21-14

I don’t get the point of the routan.
Yeah, it’s based on the best minivan out there, but I think VW drivers would rather have a real VW.

Why not make a minivan version of the Tuareg?

Thunder Chicken: “A rebadged Dodge wasn’t a hit at VW dealerships? Really?” My sentiments exactly.

iluvamcars: “better styling” is a matter of taste. T&C buyers are probably unaware that there’s a VW version. Not sure that would make a difference anyway.

johnnycanuck, Get Real: Brooke Shields is looking better than she has in a long time. She even beats Burns and Burke!

winnipegjets” I don’t really care about the minivan segment all that much.” You’re not alone.

jayjc08: the Honda Odyssey is barley worse than the Chrysler triplets. The Sienna performs better than either, but the quality …

Get Real: the commercials are cool.

idrinorbarsaku: “the honda engine is undeniably more reliable!”
yeah, and OJ is undeniably not guilty!

jayjc08:

1 Chrysler triplets
2 Odyssey
3 Quest
4 Hyundai twins
5 Sienna

Mazda5 is preferable to any of them, for my tastse.

leftwingagenda: this is no heap of crap

RaineMan: I’d take a VW over any faux-luxury toyonda. Especially the CC.

A4: “you can easily end up spending $35,000 on an Accord, yes an ACCORD.”
yeah, those are just the H-accords.
The a-accords will put you out $40k.

bcjohnso99:

“The real question is why anyone would by the Routan when Caravan’s are being advertised with $10,000+ in discounts. ”

good point.

Let’s just be honest, Chrysler zigged when they should have zagged when it came to penning the current generation Caravan and VW could do nothing short of an all new skin to disguise what is essentially an ugly box that retains none of the visual appeal of any past generation. UPS trucks have nicer styling cues. We have a new Grand Caravan as a department vehicle and except for one period in the 90’s where we had a full size Dodge there has always been a MOPAR Minivan at our disposal for over 20 years. Oh it’s versatile enough and the Stow and Go only adds to that, but just how would you go about making a box inefficient in the first place? The biggest problem with Chrysler’s latest is that it is not even in slightest regard fun to drive; the 3.3 drones like a tractor and it goes around corners like an airport shuttle. Now that may sound like an oxymoron- ‘minivan’ and ‘fun to drive’- but the old ones used to be. Our first Caravan, a shorty with the 2.5l 4 banger, was almost a sports car in comparison. Or at least it felt that way.

What we have to keep in mind is that the current generation Caravan was conceived during that dark era in Chrysler’s recent history that resulted in other atrocities such as the Sebring/Avenger twins and I would not be at all surprised to hear that there is a skunk works team working on the Caravan as well. Who knows, if VW views the Routan as more than just a one miss wonder maybe they could even lend a hand?

i think this thread needs to end! enough of minivans for one day!

ITS SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Help! My boss is holding me hostage today, and won’t let me go home and get drunk!

i have not seen one Routan out on the streets yet, and dont quote me on this but ive heard there not selling at all. i mean VW is an enthusiast brand i have a VW and most people who have VW’s love them… so why would they wanna buy a minivan with a VW badge but everything else chrysler mhmm???

Bring my back the Bus….I would like to have one.

well the chrylser and dodge vans are really good for minivans..but were not dum enuff to buy the same one for more money

Dieter, the exchange rate doesnt have a direct correlation to the price of cars on our shores. Our base eos is the 2.0T FSI with 200hp and starts at $31,615 relatively well equipped.

ROUTAN has a EUROPEAN name TOURAN …VW has been very disappointing, as I am from The Netherlands but German engineered to stay in Volkswagen terminology, I know VW as long as I can remember, even owned a nice VW. I think it’s an outrage that they advertise this car as German engineering, if you want German engineering look at the TOURAN on the European VW website, they do at least have more engine choice and are truly German engineered. After sending a email through the European website this was their reply Quote;

“From Volkswagen “In an effort to create a versatile vehicle that would provide space and cargo room for our customers and their growing families while maintaining the unique spirit of Volkswagen, we teamed up with Chrysler to develop the Routan. When the consideration was made for a joint venture for the new mini-van project, it only made sense to team with the company that originated and perfected the mini-van. While there are features and components on the Routan that are comparable to the Chrysler mini-vans, this vehicle is distinctly Volkswagen. The drivetrain is a Volkswagen design that allows the Routan to handle and ride like our other vehicles. “ Un-quote

… This sounds to me as a big LIE, features that are comparable , gee they ARE Chrysler parts, nice way to ‘tick’ off a prospective customer.

I do not understand that certain things are NOT LED (Tail lights) and HATE to see the name CRY ….yuck under the hood of a supposedly 100% VW car.

VW made in my opinion a huge mistake and they are paying for it. I was, yes past tense, very interested as we have a baby on its way and the features would have been perfect, even was thinking of maybe getting two, one for work one for home.
About the commercials with Brooks, well that must be a European type of humor and should have never been applied on a US market, this is for sure, or as someone else posted, indeed have her use a German accent. Anyways even for me that commercial is so that should say enough; I understand where that humor is coming from but still…

As much as I like the features it has, I might now look into a other Van, unless they would export the TOURAN from overseas with all the different engine choices, oh the price should also be cheaper even with all he features in it if they want to get anywhere with a true minivan concept. Why when VW has German engineering, do they not have the hybrid or electric or hydrogen or LPG or DIESEL TDI type engines? The much higher MPG numbers would be also a big(ger) selling point, now the poor MPG, which is obsolete and OLD, according Law cars should be starting at 35MPG and not 17/26 when wachen SIE auf Volkswagen? Bring us and show us what VW is made of, not a poor cop of something already BAD and non Deutsch. Just some things that are on my mind. Sincerely and respectfully, Ameridutchman

Oh jah, uhm for DIETER, are you not forgetting that The BMP TAX which can run up to be 30% of what the car sells for ..so say If I were to buy a car that is advertised for 30K, 10K of that would be just for taxes so orriganlly the car would only be 20K….. I remember paying at least a 12K TAX only on a 44K car years and years ago, don’t believe we have this in the USA. Feel free to refresh my mind. I know lots of people from the Netherlands used to buy cars from Germany because of cheaper taxes but heard even that is getting the same with the Euro and all.

Greetings