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June 8, 2010
  2010 Volkswagen Routan Highline. Click image to enlarge |
If Volkswagen has done a good job making the Routan stand apart from its Chrysler siblings looks-wise, the German brand’s suspension tuning makes a major difference in how the Routan goes over the road. Where the Town & Country wafts and wallows in response to rough roads, the Routan feels much more European, with a firmer ride and less body roll in corners. I’d hesitate to call it entertaining, but it certainly is more so than the Chrysler.
Volkswagen’s interior designers gave the Routan its own look and feel on the inside, with more soft-touch surfaces and a more attractive dash layout than in Chrysler’s vans. That said, the climate controls are still too low on the centre stack and there are a few cheap touches that remain, like the junky-feeling shifter and Chrysler’s electronic ignition switch, which never feels like it has a good grip on the key. I also wish Volkswagen had put its own steering wheel in the Routan. Instead, it makes do with the Chrysler wheel, which has stereo controls (on the backside), but doesn’t incorporate Bluetooth controls, which instead are located on the right-hand side of the navigation/stereo unit, far from the driver – not the best arrangement for a system that’s designed to keep a driver’s attention on the road.
The Routan doesn’t offer Chrysler’s Stow ‘N Go second-row seats, which makes for more comfort, but less convenience, as these ones have to be removed from the van and stored somewhere when you need maximum carrying capacity. They’re pretty heavy, so lifting them out is a task, but they do have small wheels that allow them to be rolled across flat surfaces. The third row seats fold away into a well in the very back of the van, making for a flat load floor.
   2010 Volkswagen Routan Highline. Click image to enlarge |
Our tester was a Highline model, which is priced at $40,575, part of the price that must be paid for niceties like power sliding side doors, power tailgate, alloy wheels, automatic climate control, eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat, heated second-row captains chairs, power adjustable pedals, steering wheel audio controls and numerous other interior and exterior trim items. It’s worth noting, though, that many of the items included on my tester are also standard on the one-rung-down Comfortline model. My test vehicle also had the $2,425 Navigation Package, which adds navigation, a rear view camera and a USB connection for the stereo for a total MSRP of $44,580 including freight. For the record, the top-end Execline trim is worth $50,575 and includes navigation, a rear-seat entertainment system and flashier trim pieces, like 17-inch wheels (in place of sixteens) and chrome exterior mirrors and door handles.
The Routan is a more pleasant driver than its Chrysler and Dodge-badged siblings, but I doubt that many minivan drivers would even notice. At that point, it’s a decent van for a Volks-phile, but otherwise, it might make more sense to spend similar money on a Japanese van and benefit from their superior reliability. Considering its shared drivetrain, the Routan isn’t really worth the price premium over a Grand Caravan just for a nicer interior and improved ride. For the record, the Grand Caravan’s base MSRP is less than $21,000, while a version with the same 4.0-litre engine and six-speed transmission can be had for less than $27,000, and that’s not counting the Chrysler group’s aggressive incentives, the likes of which you won’t find at a VW store.
Canadians, however, might appreciate being able to buy an import-branded van that’s built in Canada – the Routan is built alongside the Chrysler and Dodge versions in Windsor, Ontario. Honda and Toyota build their Odyssey and Sienna vans in the U.S.
If the Routan proved anything to me, it’s that among light-duty vehicles, there’s still nothing out there to compare to a minivan’s ability to carry seven or eight people in decent comfort, or move a small apartment’s worth of stuff in one shot. I know I was glad to be able to put this van to good use while I had it, and there’s a grateful family out there who’s probably pretty happy about it, too.
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Pricing: 2010 Volkswagen Routan Highline
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Related posts:
- What’s New: 2010 Volkswagen Routan
- Test Drive: 2009 VW Routan Highline
- Made in Canada: 2010 Volkswagen Routan
- Inside Story: 2009 Volkswagen Routan Highline
- Day-by-Day Review: 2010 Volkswagen Routan
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