There is definitely no shortage of incentives to buy Chrysler-built minivans these days. If you buy one of Chrysler’s two minivans — the Chrysler Town & Country or Dodge Grand Caravan — you get a credit card that locks in gas prices for three years. If you buy a Volkswagen-badged Chrysler minivan — the VW Routan – you get $1,500 towards a college savings plan, per the German automaker’s newest incentive program.
VW will offer the savings plan through a partnership with Upromise. Upromise is the largest private source of college funding contributions in America and was founded in 2001.
The incentive is a pretty smart one on VW’s part as it would seem fair to assume that the vast majority of Routan buyers will have kids.
“We know parents are concerned about saving for their kid’s future. To help families tackle this challenge of saving for college, we’re excited that we are able to partner with Upromise,” said Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “We’re aware that the cost of college continues to rise exponentially, far outpacing inflation, and our hope is to help our customer’s off-set that cost, while getting a great new vehicle.”
In order to qualify for the incentive, buyers must order the Routan by August 31 and take delivery by November 30.
05/08, 12:38 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Harmless idea, but what do you get if you buy one and don’t have any kids?
05/08, 12:40 PM
posted by:
A4
who buys a minivan with no kids?
05/08, 12:49 PM
posted by:
xyunya
People to like to screw in minivans?
05/08, 12:49 PM
posted by:
xyunya
$1500 don’t buy you books for one year.
05/08, 12:54 PM
posted by:
golf4me
Is this thing even on sale yet? They are already offering incentives? I guess they know they have a sales bomb on their hands, huh?
05/08, 1:12 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
I’ve got an idea.
Every minivan purchase comes with a free drivers license suspension!
I swear I haven’t seen a minivan owner yet that can drive worth a crap… always yacking on the phone or too busy paying attention to little Johnny and his blues clues DVD in the back seat to actually DRIVE.
I avoid minivans in traffic like the plague.
05/08, 1:18 PM
posted by:
purdue
Hey! I can drive worth a crap!
My minivan has one person in it – me. And I don’t talk on the phone. I drive 100+ mph and it’s you guy that are in my way.
05/08, 1:26 PM
posted by:
AMGoff
The fact remains… these new batch of Chrysler minivans have to be at least halfway decent for a European marque to want a rebadged version.
05/08, 1:32 PM
posted by:
xyunya
All cars a decent compare to VW. When VW signed deal for Chrysler minivans, they were not talking to privately owned US company, but to Uber Mercedes. If they could see the future they would put more lipstick on their own pig. In 90’s I saw a lot of Chrysler vans roaming in Europe with diesel engines: Chrysler had factory in Austria pumping them out.
05/08, 1:53 PM
posted by:
howsmydriving
Drivers, uh, soccer moms wanted.
05/08, 2:22 PM
posted by:
xyunya
Is this becoming a political party propaganda forum?
05/08, 2:22 PM
posted by:
xyunya
Or a porn site?
05/08, 2:23 PM
posted by:
Stridder44
God that things hideous.
05/08, 2:31 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Whatever xyunya: elections, erections- it’s all about who you’re in bed with.
05/08, 3:20 PM
posted by:
xyunya
What if it’s Hillary Clinton? Would you master erection for election?
05/08, 3:27 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Gawd no, it’d be more limp than a day old noodle from a Chinese takeout.
05/08, 4:49 PM
posted by:
rsg
I have yet to see one of these on the road. In ten years it’ll be a trivia question.
05/08, 5:03 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
Can a buyer put that 1500 bucks toward repairs?
05/08, 5:32 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
Purdue: Turbo Dodge driver too eh?
Only minivans I know of that are worth a crap were built in the 80’s and have 2.2L I-4’s in them.
05/08, 7:18 PM
posted by:
Need4SSpeed
lol I’d only buy a Routan, If VW would give me $1,500 to put in a college savings plan per kid that I have…. Oh wait… Anyone have any kids I can borrow???
05/08, 7:40 PM
posted by:
A4
xyunya, those people that like to screw in minivans may have kids shortly anyway.
05/08, 7:42 PM
posted by:
A4
i avoid asians in traffic like the plague, raineman, ive been caught up with asian drivers doing stupid **** the last 4 out of 5 days.
05/08, 7:55 PM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
Don’t laugh. $1500 in 18 years will become $5000. Which is a lot of weed and beer for a college kid.
05/09, 6:38 AM
posted by:
E60M5
what a piece of crap. This isnt on sale in Europe and for a good reason.
05/09, 9:33 AM
posted by:
xyunya
DeansterTJ, those are dependent on rate of consumption and quality of education.
05/09, 2:11 PM
posted by:
cookie4me
What is the price penalty for having a VW badge slapped on it? Probably more than $1,500 if I had to guess.