Topic: Made in Canada: 2010 Volkswagen Routan

[Winterpeg]

Why is VW selling a rebadged Caravan?  Aren't they trying to shake their "poor quality" rep?  Selling a Chrysler product with  your name on it really isn't the way to do this, in my opinion.

What is wrong with the VW Sharan?  Seems like a winner to me.

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/new/sharan-nf

Thanks for the link Canada Stig,
And your right....there is nothing wrong with the Sharan....at least for Canada. I think it would sell quite well here but perhaps making all the "adjustments" for our market  (ie. bumper requirements) would be too costly.     

[Ex-airbalancer]

does not dockman have one

[rovermark1]

For that price, I'd buy a better minivan such as the Honda Odyssey which is truely a fine minivan, rather than a rebadged Chrysler.

All VW models have increased sales this month, except this oddity.

Chrylser used to build the best minivans, but the competition has long overtaken them, and Chrysler now holds the bottom position. VW rebadging a Chrysler van is just ironic: take a mediocre minivan and try to sell it as a premium one. Few people are fooled by this.

[ipolski]

Volkswagen and Chrysler.  Reliability heaven 
I can't imagine owning one when warrant expires.

[Rupert]

What a load of tripe. There is nothing wrong with the transmission as far as I am concerned. The Chrysler van is a fine product and I like the Caravan/Town and Country lines better than this rebadged vehicle. Other posts on here peg other VW products with poor reliability.
Actual experience with two Caravans, including the latest which is only used for towing...zero problems over a hundred thousand km. 30,000 of which was spent towing through mountains and shore to shore here.

Since satisfied customers don't post much it would at least be appropriate for negative comments to come from better than second hand experience or merely hearsay or VW sales pitch if an above comment can be believed.

[wing]

Do you have a 4.0-litre with the 6-speed?  It's a very rough combo.

[Canada Stig]

Why is VW selling a rebadged Caravan?  Aren't they trying to shake their "poor quality" rep?  Selling a Chrysler product with  your name on it really isn't the way to do this, in my opinion.

What is wrong with the VW Sharan?  Seems like a winner to me.

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/new/sharan-nf

Thanks for the link Canada Stig,
And your right....there is nothing wrong with the Sharan....at least for Canada. I think it would sell quite well here but perhaps making all the "adjustments" for our market  (ie. bumper requirements) would be too costly.     

Actually the standards are fairly consistent now - which is why cars like the Mercedes B200 can be brought in without any serious modifications.  It can be done, and I think if VW sold the Sharan with the TDI they would sell every one they can get their hands on at full pop.  My issue with "mini"vans is that they are giant beasts - compared to the original Caravan/Voyageur which started the trend - and major gas guzzlers. 

My 07 Odyssey would average 13.5l/100km in mixed driving, and that was easy on the pedal.  Others I know with Caravans, Windstars, etc are thrilled if they get 25mpg on the highway.  Unless you NEED a vehicle this big - 4 kids say - the Sharan is the ideal size for most families (much like the Mazda 5 and upcoming Ford C-Max)

[Canada Stig]

What a load of tripe. There is nothing wrong with the transmission as far as I am concerned. The Chrysler van is a fine product and I like the Caravan/Town and Country lines better than this rebadged vehicle. Other posts on here peg other VW products with poor reliability.
Actual experience with two Caravans, including the latest which is only used for towing...zero problems over a hundred thousand km. 30,000 of which was spent towing through mountains and shore to shore here.

In all fairness, I do know of people who have gotten 200,000+ kms out of their Caravans with the original tranny intact.  I think the issue is that without meticulous maintenace, they are not all that reliable.  And, I think the reality is most Minivans are treated like appliances (which they are) and not overly well maintained.  Concensus in the car world is that Caravans can last, provided the tranny fluid is changed every 24-36Km and the oil and filter doesn't go any longer than 6,000km at a time - something I think is out of reach for most minivan owners.

And to be fair, my 07 Odyssey had a torque converter replaced, a power steering pump and rack replaced, sliding doors re-adjusted countless times, among other issues.  It was by no means a beacon of superior quality.

[tpl]

Maybe its time to have car maintenance  made a bit more like aircraft maintenance.    I believe  that the
Ad-Blue on a M-B diesel is like that.  When the tank is empty, a few starts later and it will no longer start until the tank is filled.  Perhaps the same could be applied to brake fluid flush and later to transmission and engine services.  Combine that with a annual safety check with some teeth.



and people would be screaming "tax grab" all over the place.

[ktm525]

Maybe its time to have car maintenance  made a bit more like aircraft maintenance.    I believe  that the
Ad-Blue on a M-B diesel is like that.  When the tank is empty, a few starts later and it will no longer start until the tank is filled.  Perhaps the same could be applied to brake fluid flush and later to transmission and engine services.  Combine that with a annual safety check with some teeth.



and people would be screaming "tax grab" all over the place.

Ia ad blue like that? What happens if I am on a road trip in the Yukon and the ad blue runs dry and the vehicle won't start?

[tpl]

From what I have read you get several days and starts of warning.

[rovermark1]

What a load of tripe. There is nothing wrong with the transmission as far as I am concerned. The Chrysler van is a fine product and I like the Caravan/Town and Country lines better than this rebadged vehicle. Other posts on here peg other VW products with poor reliability.
Actual experience with two Caravans, including the latest which is only used for towing...zero problems over a hundred thousand km. 30,000 of which was spent towing through mountains and shore to shore here.

Since satisfied customers don't post much it would at least be appropriate for negative comments to come from better than second hand experience or merely hearsay or VW sales pitch if an above comment can be believed.

if anything, your comment is tripe.

According to your post, you should also stop posting anything that you don't own from now on...oh I see you have 900+ comments posted?

And, we don't need to own or drive a vehicle to have an opinion. One person (yourself) does not constitute a statistical significant number, so please don't try to make claims about your minivan and pass them as generalized "facts".

[Rupert]

I am not passing my opinions on as general fact. Just posting 'actual' experience which is far more important than second and third hand heresay. My experience is an actual fact that may be of interest to others.

Offsetting praise to second hand denigration surely is important when it is earned in the mind of the poster and needs to be posted even if the product is not made here in Canada by a company that just might need a little verbal help in addition to public funding. It just so happens that this product is made here in fairly large quantities if the large numbers that you see on the road means anything.

In answer to Wing's post, no I have not tried the 4L but the 3.8L with the six speed has been fine...even pulling the trailer which is mostly done in 5th speed. One might have thought that 30000km of trailer pulling would have produced some problem if it was going to happen but not so far. I was going to say 'touch wood' but can't see any right now. Hang on I have a toothpick in the door pocket. 'Thank goodness.' The transmission still works as well as it did when we first bought it. I do intend to have the transmission fluid changed before the coming season though as a precaution in view of the vehicles duty. The trailer tow package is good buy and is worth a mention in articles in view of it's seamless load levelling strut operation and heavy duty cooling aspects. How long the Nivomat struts last and replacement cost of the same is not known but so far all is well. They work great loaded or otherwise.

When all is said and done this is only one persons experience and I have no association with the company other than using their product. When I think of it though we have had more Chrysler cars than any other brand and they have always served well...not perfect but have never left us stranded and no serious problems. I keep an eye on maintenace though and treat the equipment with respect.

I don't know how this vehicle will rate overall and may be it will be our last. It will have to go some to beat the Accent for reliability though which has two extra years ownership at this point and twice the milage... er kiloage. Apart from the old Dusters (200,000 miles I seem to remember) we have not put more than about 140000 km on our vehicles but most have been kept about 9 or 10 years.

[weebl]

Rupert, I have no doubt that the Chryslers you've owned have served you well.  In fact, my F-I-L swears by the Caravan, he had a second generation one last him until just a couple of years ago when it was trashed after being stolen, though apparently early in it's life, it needed a new tranny under warranty.  I believe he got well over 350,000 kms.  He now has a fourth generation Caravan, still too young to say anything about the mechanicals, but when new, he brought it in for some trim problems under warranty.  Definitely maintenance is a huge part of vehicle longevity.  And I don't dispute VW has a spotty reliability record, either.  Though I really enjoyed our Mark IV TDI Golf (manual transmission) and that car was reliable, there are other VW products I won't touch with a 10 foot pole.  I'm not keen on their gassers, but I could be swayed.  Same with their conventional automatics, not keen on them in general, and would avoid certain trannies at all cost.  DSG?  Scratch that for me.  Their TDIs for the most part (save the "PD" engine from '04-'06) paired with a manual transmission make a good combination in my mind.  But as a VW owner (I'm like this with all my vehicles, regardless of reputation for reliability), I would be absolutely on top of maintenance, taking a very active role.

So Chryslers and VWs both have questionable reliability (one I think is worse than the other, but I'll leave that for you to decide who I'm referring to), yet we've both been able to find vehicles that buck the trend.  Big difference for me?  The VWs generally have good driving dynamics, good fit and finish, nice interior appointments, good resale (at least on the TDIs).  Can't say any of that for Chrysler, and yes, I've driven many - rentals and courtesy cars (I had a Dodge Colt in my youth, not a true Chrysler), and had many a Neon  as a courtesy car when I took my own car in for service.  When I rent, I dread getting a Chrysler because I don't like the way all the ones I've driven in the past feel.  So there's the difference in my mind.  I would pick almost anything over a Chrysler any day, and that is my personal preference, but I get the feeling I'm not alone in this camp.

I don't believe in being a fanboy or hater of any one make - I would rather judge each car on it's own.

[Rupert]

I don't know what a fanboy is supposed to be...probably a derogatory term...I am just reporting fact, to ballance negative heresay comments. None of these vehicles are my favourite though although I like the Accent very much. My favourite was the 89 2.6L 4 cyl Trooper which was as tough as nails and very enjoyable to drive with a willing engine and 5 speed manual. Sure it was a bit high but, remarkably, it handled very well. Spartan dash and stuff...sure it had all of this but it always seemed like I enjoyed getting into it in the mornings when I used to go to work. Like you were going on a safari...until you hit the 40parking lot. Of course one arrived eventually and had to get out into reality. Later they updated it and it became far more expensive and somehow less desirable...they did not sell many from there on. Still I had 10 years of enjoyment with that vehicle and it still worked fine when I sold it...just rust in places.

Far from being a brand fanboy... I have a wide experience and apart from one product from a local manufacturer ...have had very satisfactory results with all. Then again I treat my vehicles with respect and provide decent maintenance.

[safristi]

R..E..S..P..E ..C..T..................ya don't nail 'em to tha FLOOR till they're 18 YEARS OLDE......

[Vanguy]

Hello.  Early last year I sold my (exhausted Winstar style) 2004 Ford Freestar Sport after seeing the 2008 Caravan with the stow-n-go seats and power side windows, etc.  I figured it would be a nice upgrade for my family.  I have to say, I've never really been a Dodge fan.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe it was from all the negative things I've heard over the years.  I looked at other vans and liked them but the Caravan was more usable for me. 

I purchased a 2008 Stow-n-Go Caravan SE and it was great.  I've taken it on trips and to Ontario with no problems.  I found it drove and handled nice with no body roll.  The only complaint I had was the 3.3L V6.  It lagged quite a bit going up small hills and felt underpowered.  Because it was.  As result, it didn't work the best with the 6 speed transmission. The 2008 Caravan only came in the heavier long wheel extended base with the shorter wheel base mini no longer available.  They should have replaced the 3.3L with the 3.5L & 4L option in my opinion.

Recently some 2009 Town & Countrys became available.  Since this is was I was looking for when I purchased the Caravan, I sold the 2008 Caravan and purchased a Town & Country Touring.  What a difference.  The drive ability is even smoother and it handles quite well.  The 4L V6 works great with the 6 speed transmission and there's no problem with power and acceleration.  The versatility with this van is great.  With the Stow-n-Go option, you can easily and quickly change the seat configuration to whatever you are loading in the van.

Like any vehicle, you must maintain them.  All vehicle manufactures are going to have certain issues with their product and if they're not maintained properly, it doesn't matter what you drive.  I've driven many different makes over the years, including my 2004 Volkswagen  Jetta.  Which has been in for warranty work more than others.  But It's still a great car, especially in the winter, and I enjoy driving it.  For a small car, it will move along too.

For the Caravan and Town & Country, I'd recommend it anyone.  I'd recommend the Volkswagen version as well but you’ll pay more with less options and the Stow-n-Go option is really handy.  BTW, Volkswagen wanted the Stow-n-Go option but they wouldn’t let them have it as part of the deal.