# Would you Buy a Routan again (any model)?



## Steveaut (Sep 16, 2010)

Here is a poll on would you buy a Routan again?


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## routan (Aug 2, 2010)

*The only "No" so far...*

Sorry Yes's. I am not satisfied enough to buy another one. You guys are troopers for sticking with the Routan. Brakes, Transmission, Quality of build.... 

I do however love the 4.0L power, ride, and fuel economy. I just think that it has a long way to go...



2009 SEL
Just broke 20K


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## 2005cts (Oct 17, 2010)

Sorry to hear you have had issues with your 2009 Routan...but there have been continuous improvement in the 2010 and the coming 2011. Glad to hear you like the 4.0L V6. I think it is a great motor and expect even better things from the 3.6L V6.


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## ben55124 (Apr 29, 2009)

So far, my 2009 Routan has sold me on the Chrysler platform. I would have never considered a Chrysler before the Routan. Now I would consider Chrysler if they offered a better overall deal than VW -- probably not what VW was hoping for.

With pre-paid maintenance, VW enhancements, and incentives, the VW is the best overall deal for me.


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## liquidmachine (Oct 30, 2010)

*Happy*

I'm pretty happy with it. Because of the Routan I would recommend a Dodge or a Chrysler. It's funny how people complain about the Routan being an American car in German clothing. So what. I think the Town and Country is a great van. I do agree that the VW incentives like being certified adds value. One complaint is that I bought a pretty base SE version. If I need DVD screens then it would cost me an arm and a leg to get OEM. Same goes for bluetooth and iPod control. But that's not a complaint about the van but a complaint about our budget.  And yes, cheers to all of us Routan owners that actually like our vans regardless.


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## Jedidub (Oct 6, 2010)

I have owned over 20 air & water cooled VW's and I've loved them all. I currently own a '08 passat wagon 2.0t & a '10 TDI jsw, but I would never buy something built by Chrysler I hate their quality control, and have never been impressed with anything they've built in the last 3 decades their vehicles are crap. I feel volkswagen made a huge mistake. Just my .02 cents.


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## thavok (Jul 19, 2003)

UCME2 said:


> I have owned over 20 air & water cooled VW's and I've loved them all. I currently own a '08 passat wagon 2.0t & a '10 TDI jsw, but I would never buy something built by Chrysler I hate their quality control, and have never been impressed with anything they've built in the last 3 decades their vehicles are crap. I feel volkswagen made a huge mistake. Just my .02 cents.


So you don't actually own a routan? I though this thread was if you would buy again...


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## defender90 (Nov 10, 2010)

*The second "no"...*

Sadly have been very disappointed with the purchase overall. Ironically, no major problems like others, just a lot of minor annoyances--some with the car, some with VW, some with the dealer, etc. I have a 2009 so hopefully these are outdated if they are now to 2011 but I doubt it.

For me the car-related issues come down the fact that I believe it feels really cheap. I used to think the center console between driver/passenger seats were removable because it does not feel secure. Hit your hand on the hollow plastic around the sunroof and you remember it's really an American car. Tell me that in 2009 for that model year there was not a better interface for the NAV/Radio system? That thing is horrible. And when I have to floor it to speed up on the freeway it does this gear shift thing that makes me feel like the engine is about to come unglued.

Admittedly we're spoiled having a BMW and Infiniti as our other cars. They are solid. But the 2002 Infiniti QX4 SUV cost less than the 2009 Routan even after the fire sale on New Year's Eve last year. It just doesn't exude quality. And I don't get other people's happiness with the gas mileage. Maybe something is up with ours but we seriously seem to get like 10 miles to the gallon around town. I feel like I can watch it go down while I'm driving.

If I thought I would get anything more than $15k for my car I might consider selling it but just assume given the poor sales and lack of history that it's not worth selling...

Sadly after 11 months, I can say my best memory was putting the seats into tailgate mode and driving to an abandoned lot in Redondo Beach to watch the fireworks with my boys. Good luck.


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## routan (Aug 2, 2010)

defender90 said:


> Sadly have been very disappointed with the purchase overall. Ironically, no major problems like others, just a lot of minor annoyances--some with the car, some with VW, some with the dealer, etc. I have a 2009 so hopefully these are outdated if they are now to 2011 but I doubt it.
> 
> For me the car-related issues come down the fact that I believe it feels really cheap. I used to think the center console between driver/passenger seats were removable because it does not feel secure. Hit your hand on the hollow plastic around the sunroof and you remember it's really an American car. Tell me that in 2009 for that model year there was not a better interface for the NAV/Radio system? That thing is horrible. And when I have to floor it to speed up on the freeway it does this gear shift thing that makes me feel like the engine is about to come unglued.
> 
> ...



Finally, someone that agrees. I thought that I was alone there for a while.


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## redzone98 (Jun 10, 2004)

The Fitment on the car is my only complaint, both interior and exterior... Just WISH they used better plastics and Better Molding techniques.

Gas Mileage is a Solid 17 "city" and 27 Highway

my other issues (brakes, transmission) all have been resolved.

Just over 23K now


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## Karpediem (Nov 12, 2010)

redzone98 said:


> The Fitment on the car is my only complaint, both interior and exterior... Just WISH they used better plastics and Better Molding techniques.
> 
> Gas Mileage is a Solid 17 "city" and 27 Highway
> 
> ...


SE or SEL with that mpg?


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## redzone98 (Jun 10, 2004)

Karpediem said:


> SE or SEL with that mpg?


Just a SE with the 3.8L, Zero Mods to the motor... Just Synthetic Oil.

But, as with ANY car... the majority or the MPG is from the Driver and the Environment...

I live in Rural Cape may county, and drive the way you SHOULD drive with 2 babies in the car...

i DID notice when i took the Van into Lower Manhattan, my mileage bottomed out at a good 15.1


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## Steveaut (Sep 16, 2010)

I can't complain about the mileage at all with my Routan. 18-19 city and easily 26-27 highway even when fully loaded and at 80-85mph. Better than my smaller Journey by far. 

6k mileage and no problems thus far. I regret not getting an SEL Premium though and in black instead of the dark blue color. I am happy with the purchase, but I still wish it were a VW. And I wish my Journey held its value better than it did. At least they are at bargain prices. 

The dealer I bought mine from claimed there will be no 2011s. They had 10 Routans three months ago and have not received any new ones. They are down to 2 new ones now.


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## johjhas (Aug 14, 2011)

*transmission issues*

did you have the hard shifting issue? how did they fix it?


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## VWroutanvanman (Feb 12, 2011)

*Maybe*

This Routan SE is Chrysler van #8 for us, so we have had the vans exclusively since the '80s, except for a Suzuki Aerio 3 vehicles ago (too small). The quality has gotten better with every purchase, and this Routan is the best so far. I test-drove a 2011 Dodge R/T van and can say it felt and looked well-screwed together. But the question was would we buy another Routan? And the answer is: Maybe, could be, might. What would be the deciding factor: PRICE. We got a good deal on this Routan, but the CT&C & DGC have lept ahead of the Routan for 2011, and I really liked the black interior of the R/T. VW is going to have to step up more in 2012 to keep up with the upgrades that Chrysler did to their vans. And they'll continue to lose sales to the C&D twins unless they upgrade also. No trans problems with this SE.

Some websites have discussed the 2012 Chrysler vans, and not much is new except a reshuffleing of the options and model names.


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## Zambee500 (Jun 23, 2011)

VWroutanvanman said:


> But the question was would we buy another Routan? And the answer is: Maybe, could be, might. What would be the deciding factor: PRICE. We got a good deal on this Routan,


I agree with this. The Routan seems, to me, to be the third best MV choice behind Toyota and Honda. Until Honda and Toyota recover from the tsunami, then the Routan wins on price. We buy vehicles 2 years old, and the tsunami has caused the used vehicle prices on Hondas and Toyotas to sky-rocket so they can keep their lots full. When we purchased a few months ago, the '09 or '10 T&C, DGC, or Routan with 30-40k miles were going for about the same price as '06 and '07 Hondas and Toyotas with 80-100k+ miles, similarly equipped. I just couldn't justify that price premium - we even did better with a $0 deductible 4-year / 55k excluded items warranty going with the Routan compared to a high mileage Honda or Toyota.

So would we buy one again? Definite maybe on that. The Routan drives like a van, rather than more like a car like the Toyota/Hondas. VWoA dealership support with a Chrysler vehicle. The power-sliding doors have their issues, and VWoA won't stand behind their recall work. The transmission has developed a severe clunk when cold with very slight acceleration. As someone else mentioned, the fit/finish issues seem very un-VW-esque. The brakes suck. The MPGs have been way below the EPA figures. But supposedly Chrysler/VW have addressed many of these issues - the '10 MY supposedly has better driveability, and of course the new 3.6L is supposedly leaps & bounds ahead of the prior engine choices.

But until the bubble bursts on pre-owned Hondas/Toyotas, and their prices come back down to reality - yeah, we'd buy another Routan if we totalled this one tomorrow. But if we can make it until the '13 MY, I'm very interested to see what VW comes out with to replace the Routan when the contract with Chrysler expires. And if it's got a TDI under the hood, forget about Honda or Toyota.


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## redzone98 (Jun 10, 2004)

routan said:


> Sorry Yes's. I am not satisfied enough to buy another one. You guys are troopers for sticking with the Routan. Brakes, Transmission, Quality of build....
> 
> I do however love the 4.0L power, ride, and fuel economy. I just think that it has a long way to go...
> 
> ...



The Older this Chrysler gets, the more it shows its cost cutting and lack of Fit and Finish. Sorry, but i need to Vote NO for Another Routan. just 31K miles


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## VWroutanvanman (Feb 12, 2011)

I should have mentioned that I recently also drove a 2011 Honda Odyssey and found it to be a quality piece, but the $3K to $5k premium probably means a no go next time it comes to buy a new van. The 2010 Routans were much better than the '08-09 Routans, and the '11s are even better still, so give them a try before you say no to a new Chrysler van. Not much new on the '12s, so far. Our intent was to look at a '12 Dodge R/T, but if VW comes out with a new "VW" van in '13, we'll probably wait to see what they offer.


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## Trail Ryder (Jul 18, 2011)

VWroutanvanman said:


> I should have mentioned that I recently also drove a 2011 Honda Odyssey and found it to be a quality piece, *but the $3K to $5k premium* probably means a no go next time it comes to buy a new van. The 2010 Routans were much better than the '08-09 Routans, and the '11s are even better still, so give them a try before you say no to a new Chrysler van.


The Odyssey is a quality vehicle, but I found them to be about $10K more than a comparily equipped Routan. Plus I think the new Odyssey to be FUGLY.

For $10,000 I will put with a lot.


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## 58kafer (Jun 27, 2007)

If our Routan got totalled tomorrow, hands down, I'd get another one. We love this thing. Only issues we've had are the brakes(who hasn't), squeaky door (resloved by wrapping the door pin) I can adjust the door pin, but don't want to see the paint disturbed(I'm :screwy: like that), and finally I just noticed the black stripping that runs down the length of the roofline is peeling (so would I in 100 degree heat for a week or so, happened to our Passat too). As far as fit and finish I must have got a good one, everything inside is great, the bezel around the shifter seems low but is uniform in depth, no major rattles, no leaks and minimal windnoise. The outside, all door gaps are nice, could be a bit tighter, but are uniform in gap, body lines are all in line, door trim lines up. The 2011 Honda Oddity is fugly! What's up with the kinked door, that's just wrong--I think it's so they can fit the spare tire in the van not under it. I should mention, I wouldn't even consider an asian van---even for a better equipped or same or lower price. I'd buy a "VW" van (in 6-7 years) if the option was there preferably TDI, but that far down the road we might not need the van anymore. I think all these van have their issues (brakes, trannies) you name it.


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## JETwagen (Mar 1, 2002)

Given the current options on the market, I would by another Routan or a '11 Grand Caravan because of looks and price/features. The Honda and Nissan are fugly to me as well as being over-priced like the Toyota. When VW debuts their own Routan replacement, then things might change... until then, I am enjoying my '10 Routan SEL. opcorn:


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## Ondaora20 (Apr 19, 2010)

As most of you regular readers on this forum will remember, we had so many mechanical issues with our '09 SEL Premium that VWofA agreed to get us another one. We received the replacement '11 Premium in April. We are on our second round trip to Florida in less than a month dropping our youngest off at school in Delray Beach, and have just gone over the 10,000 mile mark already.

All in all, just a beautiful ride....23-25 MPG at 75 mph van fully loaded. So to answer the question in this thread...yes, we would buy another.

Our '09 was a nice vehicle in spite of its problems. But the '11 has been as good as it can get with a car. There have been significant improvements -mechanically and otherwise- to the car, and it clearly shows.

The only two things I am still unhappy about are the lack of a telescoping steering wheel and the ancient, cheap looking gauges our vans still have vs. the jewels Chrysler has put into their vans. And it appears VWofA isn't going to rectify those shortcomings for the '12 model year.


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## Cool Dub (Aug 25, 2010)

*Routan is a winner*

4.0 & Pentastar engines are solid. We would buy again. Our dealer has been 1st class with zero out of pocket so far.


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## plrhlco (Aug 21, 2011)

*Routan Poll*

Yes, I would purchase another one. The ride is much better then my 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan which was loaded as well with the touring suspension. The fit is better when the sliding doors shut. The seats are far more comfortable in the first 2 rows. The gas mileage is better then the caravans too. I was not impressed by the mechanics at Dodge either.


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## early74B (Feb 18, 2009)

*Sadly No --*

Our '09 Routan SEL has only 17K (just finished the 18K service) and while we did enjoy driving it on long trips, I just don't think it will last as long as either of our Dodge GC's that we've owned and that saddens me. I'll update what the dealer found (or didn't) during my last service visit on another thread I've started but perhaps due to the tech or 'first year' issues, etc. I will not be buying another one. It's too bad because after all it has a very nice interior (Nappa leather seats), and decent power from the 4.0 L but I just think the little stuff will continue to drive us nuts. Luckily, it's not things that prevent you from driving but do prevent you from feeling secure that nothing else will go wrong --


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