# Would you buy your Routan?



## EuroShowOff (Jan 29, 2004)

Wife and I are comparing the Odyssey with the Routan. If you could go back, would you buy your Routan or something else?


----------



## Row1Rich (Sep 11, 2001)

*Re: Would you buy your Routan? (EuroShowOff)*

Well, how are they comparing for you? I must admit I didn't even look at the competition, the wife is very happy however. That's all that counts for me


----------



## papa_vw (Oct 17, 2005)

*Re: Would you buy your Routan? (EuroShowOff)*

Well, I don't own a Routan but I've driven a few as well as many of the competition's minivans. The VW Routan, Toyota Sienna, Honda Odessey, Dodge Grand Caravan, and the Chrysler Town & Country are all excellent vans. Read some of the reviews online and then go check them out for yourself. I don't find anyone van that is head and shoulders above the rest and you wouldn't really go wrong with any of them. Matter of personal preference more than anything in my opinion. For me, I would go with the Routan if I were buying one though as I'm partial to the Volkswagen product line.


----------



## redzone98 (Jun 10, 2004)

*Re: Would you buy your Routan? (EuroShowOff)*

I have had the Routan for 12K miles, and just about 1 year.... 
id buy a second one


----------



## liquidmachine (Oct 30, 2010)

*Yes, but would look closer.*

Yes, my wife loves it and that's the important thing. If I were to but the Routan again I would look closer at the quirks it has and work down the price we paid for it. I've only had it for a week and I really like it.


----------



## 2005cts (Oct 17, 2010)

*Wait for the 2011 - lots of good upgrades coming*

If you are in the market I would seriously consider waiting until December when the 2011's come out. Right now the last remaining 2010's have either an ancient 3.8L OHV V6 that generates 198 HP. on the S and SE or a just average 4.0L SOHC V6 that generates 251 HP on the SEL and SEL Premium. 

Beginning in 2011 all models (S, SE, SEL and SEL Premium) will have the same standard engine - a new high tech all aluminum 3.6L DOHC V6 that generates 283 HP. There will be some minor interior enhancements such as an updated steering wheel and other trim items...but the big news will be under the hood. 

Wait...you will thank me later. 

And oh yeah, we are in the market for a 2011 SEL with RSE - and if the 2010's are a nicer ride than the Odyssey, Sienna and T&C - I can only imagine how much better the 2011's will be.


----------



## Steveaut (Sep 16, 2010)

This is a good question, but you must remember that a lot of folks on here purchased their Routan before they knew there was going to be an update in 2011, before Chrysler, Toyota and Honda updated their products and some also purchased their Routan at huge discounts. Here is my opinion. 

1. Don't wait to purchase a Routan just for the motor. I don't get how some folks think that the motor alone is worth waiting for. It's not like the 4.0 option today is weak by any means. And we are only talking a 30 or so horsepower improvement with no improvement in torque. Now, if the motor had a greatly improved mileage rating, I think that would make it more appealing, but it doesn't. To wait for a 2011 soley, or mostly, because of the motor, you will essentially be spending 5K or more just for minor increases in horsepower. If it were a diesel, that would be different. Otherwise, big deal you will barely notice a difference in performance. 
2. The prices of the 2011 will be higher than the 2010. And I don't mean the MSRP. There are huge discounts right now for a 2010. You should assume that most of that discounting will go away since it is tied to an older model at the end of the model year and with a surplus on the market. I think it is wise to expect to pay anywhere from $5-10K more for a 2011. 
3. The 2011's should have other reasons that I would find appealing more so than the motor. Such as the gauges, better interior, and it is possible that VW will make available some of the Premium STD items, such as fogs, HIDs, roof rack, sensors and mirrors. But again, you have to ask yourself if those possibilities are worth the additional money you will have to spend. I don't know. I am sure that it will be a good looking vehicle, but at what cost is that worth? 
4. There is a flip side to buying a 2011 for more money. You can expect that the vehicle will depreciate at a slower rate than the 2010. That's a given. You will also have the new model and it is always nice to be the first in line for new product lines. Also, by getting a 2011 now, you will be in the market again when the next model line comes out, depending on your buying characteristics. For me, I will be forced to miss this new generation of the Routan and will end up skipping to the third generation, assuming it's still around and I like it. That can be good or bad. 


WHAT WOULD I DO: 

I would buy another 2010 today, but I would go for the Premium model. You can get a Premium today for what you will pay for an SE with RSE and probably less than what you will pay for an 2011 SEL. Why not get the biggest bang for your buck. I regret not getting the Premium. It's got a lot of goodies and at today's prices, I wouldn't pass it up. Again, you will pay a lot of money for a 2011 compared to a 2010 right now. The other thing I would do is negotiate much harder. I didn't realize VW was struggling with sales of the Routans and that there was a surplus. On top of that, they have a new generation coming out. All of which gives the buyer a better position in negotiating.


----------



## 2005cts (Oct 17, 2010)

2010 SELs and SEL Premiums are hard to find. I would not purchase a Routan with the ancient and weak 3.8L V6. If you can still get an SEL or SEL Premium with the 4.0L then go for it. But for me...we are going to wait for the more powerful 2011 with the 3.6L.


----------



## Steveaut (Sep 16, 2010)

I did some reading about the new Motor. It sounds like there have been some production issues which is holding up the 2011 models. It's holding up most of the new 2011 Dodge and Chrysler products that get a V6 now. 

Also there will be a turbo and twin turbo version eventually. What I think is most appealing on the 2011 Chryslers is the interior and gauge improvements. Way better than now. I wish I had those improvements.


----------



## 2005cts (Oct 17, 2010)

Steveaut said:


> I did some reading about the new Motor. It sounds like there have been some production issues which is holding up the 2011 models. It's holding up most of the new 2011 Dodge and Chrysler products that get a V6 now.
> 
> Also there will be a turbo and twin turbo version eventually. What I think is most appealing on the 2011 Chryslers is the interior and gauge improvements. Way better than now. I wish I had those improvements.


 Yes - the new V6 is going to be in very high demand for a while. Don't expect any discounts on any of the 2011 Chrysler based vans. 

One thing that is of particular interest to me is the fact that Chrysler/Dodge have completely redesigned the suspension tuning on the Dodge and Chrysler vans. It is rumored that the Dodge has been redesigned to mirror the Routan and the Chrysler just a notch below that. Both have improved brakes and suspension tuning over the 2010s. That was the biggest advantage that the Routan had over the Chrysler vans...with the interior being the second big advantage. Now that Chrysler has finally made some significant improvements to the interiors it will really come down to styling since the Chrysler/Dodge vans will have similar driving dynamics and really nice interiors. 

Based on my contact at a local VW Dealership who has seen the new 2011 Routan order guide...those cool new gauges with the high definition information display/read out in the middle...that will be an SEL Premium only feature - as will the multi function buttons on the redesigned steering wheel. That is odd since those features are clearly going to be available on the Dodge and Chrysler vans at a much lower (for the Dodge) price point. 

While I still like the exterior styling of the Routan best...many of its unique identifiers are now eliminated with the new 2011 Chrysler/Dodge vans. It will be very interesting to see how the sales shape up next year. They should start showing up in dealerships toward the end of December. I plan on test driving all three.


----------



## cornflakes (Aug 8, 2010)

buy a tuareg


----------



## 58kafer (Jun 27, 2007)

cornflakes said:


> buy a tuareg


Where's the third row seating? and 15 to 20 grand more in price


----------



## 2005cts (Oct 17, 2010)

58kafer said:


> Where's the third row seating? and 15 to 20 grand more in price


And worse gas mileage and abundant stowage when carrying seven people?


----------



## vw1jetta (Sep 9, 2002)

papa_vw said:


> Well, I don't own a Routan but I've driven a few as well as many of the competition's minivans. The VW Routan, Dodge Grand Caravan, and the Chrysler Town & Country are all excellent vans. Matter of personal preference more than anything in my opinion. For me, I would go with the Routan if I were buying one though as I'm partial to the Volkswagen product line.


You do realize that all 3 of these vans that you listed above are the same exact van with different badges on them .

Chrysler quit making the Town and country and sold it to VW and VW slapped a different front end on it and threw in some of their interior and put a VW symbol on the front and rear and called it a Routan, It still has the crappy Dodge Tranz in it wich I mite add goes out very very easily (I have heard of over 100 cases of them failing from 0 miles coming off the delivery truck to 10,000 miles on them ) not to mention it still has the Dodge engine and wiring in it , in fact you cannot even communicate with the vehicles computers unless you have the Chrysler scan tool . 

Im A VW certified Technician and I now work at an independent Shop and I still talk to all my friends at several different dealers and they have all told me that the Routan is plagued with Transmission problems . Wich Chrysler has had for the last 20yrs and hasnt ever fixed it !!!! I started My technician carrer at a Chrysler dealer and that was back in 97 and during that 3 yrs there I must have replaced well over 400 chrysler Transmissions in every Dodge/chrysler they made from Town and Countrys to Caravans to Dodge Rams ,Dakotas ,Neons ect.ect. , Now When and if they ever do Volkswagen goes and puts the VW powerplant in the eng compartment along with a VW Transmission and Wiring harness and computers then and only then would I buy one !!! But hey that just my opinion take it or not !!! But if you want a minivan with out all the issues (wich im sure you can find more of on here) pick another brand untill Volkswagen Wakes up and comes to their senses and makes a minivan thats a true Volkswagen !!!


----------



## Steveaut (Sep 16, 2010)

TO VWJETTA1:

Not that I completely disagree with everything you said, but there are a couple of things that you are wrong about. First, Chrysler did not quit making the Town & Country and did not just sell it to VW. I'm thinking that you probably miss typed that. VW is buying the Routan model from Chrysler with their own modifications and additions. Kind of like Chevy buying the Duramax from Isuzu to put in their trucks, but with some of their own demands and modifications. Or Ford doing that with Navistar, buying the Powerstroke for their trucks. Lots of companies do this. But VW took it a lot further and purchased the entire vehicle.

You are right that Chrysler has had some bad transmissions in products dating back twenty plus years. But those are not the same transmissions that they are using in the vans today. They are completely different transmissions by far. And, I disagree that in recent years any of the Chrysler transmissions have been plagued with problems more so than any other brand. I think the most recent transmissions problems were in the Dodge Trucks with the cummins. Those problems were that they used a trany that was too weak for the torque of the motor and it simply could not hold up to the power. That was resolved in 2003 and I haven't heard of significant problems since. I personally have had three dodge vehicles, and never had any transmissions problems other than one leaking seal on the transfer case. Also, I have never had any other problems in any of them other than the 1997 truck that had a bad track bar. I had a 46RE on a Dodge Durango with over 170,000 miles and no problems. A Dodge 2500 Ram with 230,000 miles and no problems. And a Dodge Journey with over 49,000 miles when I traded it for the Routan and no problems other than a transfer case seal that leaked. The transmission in my Routan is a completely different design and model than was in any of the vehicles over the last twenty years. From my research, it sounds like a much better design with a focus on reliability. I feel confident about it, but only time will tell.

I haven't seen anyone on here complain of trans problems. I'll check out the Caravan and T&C forums to see if this is an issue, but I haven't heard anything about that.

Now, I do agree with you that Routan is just another Chrysler T&C with some upgrades here and there, and also some down grades in some of the standard options that Chrysler offers, which is very disappointing to me. It sounds like the new 2011 T&C will have all the benefits of the Routan, but with more options. So I think the buying point of the Routan in 2011 is the looks, the finish inside and the VW name itself. That may be enough for some folks to buy one. I did it in 2010, but I don't know if I would again in a 2011 model. I'll have to see what the differences are in the 2011s. I can tell you that I love the VW badge alot better than any Chrylser, Toyota or Honda badge any day of the week. Even if it is still a Chrysler. The average Joe doesn't know that. In fact, most no body knows that unless they bought one and then freaked out to discover it later. Go figure.


----------



## Steveaut (Sep 16, 2010)

VW1JETTA:

I forgot to say that I agree with you about VW's senses. What was VW thinking? Not in a million years would I have ever imagined that VW would buy a Chrysler and sell it as a VW. I don't think anyone would believe it until they saw it with their own eyes. It's unthinkable. But maybe the folks at VW are smarter than I realize. It may turn out to be a great idea. Time will tell.


----------



## 58kafer (Jun 27, 2007)

I gotta tell you the whole Chrysler/VW rant is tiresome. If you don't research your vehicle purchase shame on you, but don't fault Chrysler or VW for what has been done here, they are both in business to MAKE MONEY. Could we have gone out and bought a Chrysler or Dodge van Yes, do I like Dodge, Yes. I have an 01 Ram with a Cummins 5.9 24V Turbo Diesel with 217,000 on the ticker------guess what----- the original trans! Only things it has needed are Front ball joints (4WD), fuel pump upgrade, water pump, and thermostat, regular oil changes, brakes, and the recommened scheduled maintenance. It's not a Dodge engine, they went to one of the BEST diesel manufactures to source the engine. Just as VW has gone to one of the BEST to source their minivan. Ford and GM discontinued their minivan sales and VW saw an opportunity to take up some of that market w/o much capitol outlay. These cars are target towards families, or people looking to get something a bit larger in size to move more. Our Passat wagon was just not cutting the mustard size wise any more (two kids, 2 dogs etc.) A Toureg is too small (no third row) and the Audi Q7, well...... to expensive and in my eyes geared towards families with older kids.
Do I like VW, sure do I have a 58 ragtop bug that I restored, I have had a 91 fat bumper A2 Jetta, 2000 Passat GLS wagon 1.8T, 2005 Passat GLS wagon 1.8T, and now the Routan. Am I upset that VW is re-branding a Chrysler product----not in the least. 
Do some of you remember the Dodge Omni or Plymouth horizon----guess what that was produced on the VW production line in New Stanton,PA and was powered by the same motors in the rabbit, they even looked like the Rabbit (sort of). My father had the horizon and loved that sh!t crate. This is not the first time that VW/Chrysler have been in bed together. Many cars cross platforms like the recent Trailblazer/Saab 9-7X, how happy would the owners of the Saab be if they knew they were driving a chevy chassis, I'm sure most wouldn't care because they are driving what they like. Ford had the Merkur Xr4Ti that was made by Karmann. Go back many years, Karmann made the converitbles for VW. This sort of re-brand is nothing new.

I love my Vdubs, are they the end all be all of cars, nope, do they have issues, yep. My 91 Jetta Digifant car sucked thru 3 brains for that fuel injection----how many revisions of that brain box did they have--numerous and you could supposedly only use the same revision in your car that it came with. 

To some the Routan is not a PURE VW, its not, most are aware of that, but it still wears the VW badge. Would I like to have seen the revamped Microbus hit the street--hell yeah, but guarenteed it would have been pushing 50K and out of most families budgets.

We have only owned our Routan for a few weeks now, and are completely thrilled with it. It's a great Ger-Merican van. Would I buy it again.......YES, dollar for dollar you can't beat the current deals on them---better than the deals at Dodge and Chrysler.

And to VW1Jetta, Chrysler was plagued with tranny issues in the early minivans, and problems in the Routan which I think so far has been fixed by a software flash.


----------



## 09Routan (Oct 2, 2009)

Yes, I would buy the Routan again. I spent 4 months researching and studying every mini-van. Honda, Mazda, Dodge, Chrysler, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota. I was all set to settle for the Dodge version due primarily to cost. I really preferred the design of the VW but the extra cost on the sticker just wasn't worth it the extra $ in monthly payments. However, when I started telling the VW dealership that I had already negotiated a very good price on a Chrysler and two other Caravan models, they happily offered me a competitive price. VW actually offered me more for my 04 Dodge Caravan trade-in than the other dealerships. So basically I was able to purchase the van with the best looks inside and out for less than the other flavors. I owned the 09 SE for a few months and traded it for the 10 SEL. I can not mention the reason for the change. What I can tell you is that the bigger 4.0 motor gets better and worse gas mileage than the 3.8 If you are on an extended run - I've gotten 25-26 MPG. If you are in the city for an entire tank, I've seen 15-16 MPG. In the smaller motor I got a best mileage of 24 and a worst of 17. I also preferred the cloth setting. There is more side support in those than the leather trim. Plus the leather is becoming difficult to maintain. I've yet to find a good product to use on them. With the cloth, it was simple to scotch-guard them and forget about it. The leather doesn't weather well in the sun and is easy to scratch. I had a roof rack on the 09. I liked the way it looked but never used it. I would like driving lights up front and puddle lights on the mirrors. The SEL center console's size is nice when you need to store more stuff but it is in the way when you need to move from the front row to the 2nd row to tend to our newborn. I like the motorized rear folding seats over the manual option in the SE. I've had them hiccup a couple of times but it was easy to reset them and start over. The remote start on the SEL is great! I've found that our family doesn't utilize the DVD as much as I had hoped. After the new wore off, they would rather listen to the headphones than watch the DVD. I would probably opt for the more headroom if I re-purchased. I do not like the placement of the odometer and computer buttons. It is difficult to reach those buttons while traveling. It would be best to put those either on the steering wheel or in a place on the dash that is easier to reach. The brakes are horrible on both models, but I've often reminded myself that this van is much heavier than my 04 so I allow for more stopping distance. The Turanza tires are simply horrible. My first upgrade will be a better set of tires. They roll too much when in a corner and this top heavy van needs all the help it can get to remain planted. Sure it has its quirks, but all of the vehicles today do. I don't know if we are ever going to have total 100 % reliability with all of the electronic gizmos and creature comforts that we all think we can't live without. The 2011 redesign will NOT be worth the extra $ spent. If you have your heart set on purchasing a 2011 model, I suggest you wait until the end of 2011 when the discounts start rolling in. That way you will pay what the van is really worth. BTW, A $36k price tag can be negotiated down 11-12k if you are willing to be patient. I also encourage you to make the purchase at the end of the month when the sale managers are competing for those last few sales and are more apt to give the customer deeeeep discounts.


----------



## Steveaut (Sep 16, 2010)

I agree about the discounts on the 2010. Unless you have money to burn, why wait for a 2011 only to pay a lot more money. But I say get the SEL Premium. If you can find one, they are a great deal. 

I have the same experience on gas mileage. I got 26mpg on an 1800 mile trip on the freeway fully loaded. But my city mileage is lower than my Dodge Journey. I am getting 18 in the city. I believe it's the low end torque curve designed into the motor to give it better off the line response. Great low end power, but at the cost of increased consumption in city driving. I have 6k, no problems on the brakes yet. Everything works perfect thus far. I prefer the leather seats. I love the leather in the Routan, its better than my last three Dodge vehicles. And I have found that the leather holds up much better than the cloth seats. Easier to clean up and care for with my kids. My kids seem to love the DVD dual screen. Especially during our big trips about once per month. Finally, we had a Dodge Journey that we traded in for the Routan SEL. We used to have to put our luggage and gear in a Thule car top carrier. We have so much more room in the Routan, more than we can use. But I would like the car rack for our kayak and car top carrier for camping to keep the dirty stuff out of the vehicle.
Take care, steve


----------



## 09Routan (Oct 2, 2009)

Another thing I thought of that may explain the better highway mileage... On the 3.8 at 75 mph I would be turning 2k RPM. On the 4.0, 2k RPM translates to 80 mph. So there must be a different gear ratio for the two engines.


----------



## luckeydoug1 (Feb 11, 2001)

Very definitely would buy the Routan again. For our family needs, it is the best thing going.

I opted for the SE, since the air ride is now standard on the SEL and SEL premium. This was a deal breaker for us. It just messes with the handling way too much. I love leather, but the vinyl in the SE is just fine. I would have preferred the 4.0 engine, but every mechanic (both VW and Chrysler) I have talked to told me the 3.8 is a more reliable engine. I would have liked the memory seats, but can live with out them. I have added fog lights and the Premium center console. The Monroe load leveling shocks will hopefully be installed this weekend. That just leaves the 19" wheels with Pirelli tires upgrade to be performed. I would have like the HIDS, but not at the requirement of the air ride and headroom eating sun roof. The cruise set up took a bit of getting use to and I still grab for my paddles on the steering wheel to change gears (then I remember that this isn't my R32). We still have under 800 miles on the vehicle. 18 mpg around town and over 23 on the highway so far. On longer trips I expect to do much better. The current incentives were great. I took the $5k as a down payment rather than the 0% financing. We love the Neptune blue with gray interior.


----------



## Cool Dub (Aug 25, 2010)

*Yes we recommend the Routan.*

Owned our Routan SEL for over a year and have enjoyed this fun family hauler ! 
_Get the 4.0 V6 or new Pentastar engine. _VW has serviced at no charge with a loaner available. Happy motoring!
:thumbup:


----------



## vw1jetta (Sep 9, 2002)

58kafer said:


> And to VW1Jetta, Chrysler was plagued with tranny issues in the early minivans, and problems in the Routan which I think so far has been fixed by a software flash.


Well i was just relaying the information I was given about them from the Technicians at 5 different dealerships in 5 different cities , Here in NE TN we have 3 dealers 2 of wich i was a certified Tech at for over 8yrs , 3 yrs before that I was A chrysler/GM Tech at another dealer , in the 2 dealerships I worked at outta the three here in the Tri-Cities there has been over 15 cases of Tranz failure on the Routan and they range in milage from coming off the Delivery Truck to 5k pulling into the shop for its 1st schedualed maintaince visit to over 50k , and in Knoxville TN talking to a friend of mine there at the dealer they have had over 10 cases of Tranz failure , and from several different Techs in Chattanooga TN there has been well over 50 cases of Tranz failure ,now Im not saying that the Tranz is crap but you have to take into account Chryslers Track record here on their Tranz problems that they have had looming over their heads for the last 20+yrs . Yes there are good tranz out ther that are made by Chrysler and from the ones I tore down to rebuild back in my years at the Chrysler Dealer 99% of them could have been prevented from the factory , due to a minor miss adjustment of the Drum Brake that slows down the main shaft spinning inside the tranz to allow for smoother shifting , if was adjusted to loose and there for burnt up the tranz units , now if Chrysler has come out with a reflash that takes care of that I have no Idea as I nolonger work for a Factory Dealer I now work at an Independent VW/Audi Shop in Knoxville , And I know we wont touch the Routan , due to the fact we dont have a Chrysler Scan tool and have no way of diagnosing them , But Back to the Tranz issue , all The Techs I have spoke to VWoA is having them Tear Down the Failed Transmissions and rebuild them due to Burnt up Failure of the Drum Break just like the older Caravan/T&C's from back in the early 2000's . 


Dont get me wrong it is a Very good looking Van And I would love to have one but after my personal experiences with Dodges Transmissions I will not buy one untill VW puts its own power plant in it and accompany it with one of their DSG units or a simple Asian Tranz . 

I know that these Car manufactures mix and match and cross breed their products with each other to make their pockets fat and extend and test their products with out having to develop a whole new line of poduct , I just Hope that VW is using this to Test it out to see how sales go and will eventually make it a True VW so it can wear that Badge with Pride and honor and for those of us who are Brand Loyal will not mind driving it cause we will know that it is what it advertizes its self as !!!


----------



## TheOtrain (Nov 4, 2010)

I would buy mine again. Both the wife and I love it. One thing I noticed was that the new Sienna (2011) seemed small, especially the third row. Seems like it was made really for kids only I think. Honda (2011) was nice. Big difference in price in comparison to the 2010 Routan. My suggestion would be to test drive all of them and get the biggest bang for the buck.


----------

