Overview & Reviews

The 2009 Volkswagen Routan is all-new -- um, except for all the parts it shares with Chrysler's minivans, that is.

• Perfect crash-test scores, comfortable seats, powerful optional V6 engine.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 112.00

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  Turn and never look back - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By tn_sunshyne - August 22 - 10:16 pm

  This van has been plagued by numerous problems, rotor/ brake issues (replaced 4 times on the front and 2 times on the rear), check engine light/ thermostat issues 4 times, drivers side window problems, remote start problems. Has been in dealer repair shop for more then 30 days since owning it 15 months. Poor gas mileage. Trying to enforce the Lemon Law. It may be pretty on the inside and outside, but buyer beware, once warranty goes out,its going to cost a lot to keep this vehicle on the road. This is not German Engineering at its finest. My Nissan Quest I traded for this was way better and more reliable then this van. Ive learned my lesson the hard way and an expensive one at that!

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  Used Routan - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By fq - February 1 - 10:03 am

  Purchased routan because my wife did not want a minivan feel. This certainly does not, great suspension, reasonable engine, great technology with dual rear seat entertainment. I wanted the Sienna but my wife did not like the cush drive. The routan is tight but not rough.

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  Great so far - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Sean - August 1 - 9:30 am

  So far, we love this van. We have put 4,000 miles on it. The seats on this van are very comfortable and it has plenty of power. Performance is fantastic and it takes sharp corners like a well-tuned sedan. Gas mileage does fantastic on the highway (27 mpg), but it only gets 14.7mpg in the city wthen the A/C is running. Rear ceiling height is a problem if you get the moon roof. The moon roof needs room to slide back, so you lose several inches of ceiling height. This means that the rear seat TV is low enough to block the rear view mirror and that the rear seats cant tip forward because they hit the ceiling. We have had four 8 hour trips with the family and we loved every minute.

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  Its a Chrysler Town and Country - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Barb - July 23 - 10:13 pm

  I vowed to never own a Chrysler product have having 2 lemons. So far nothing major has gone wrong. The brake petal squeaks, the doors are creaky, and the back bumper panel is coming off. The entertainment center is top notch, one of the best I have seen. the storage is great. Gas mileage has been horrible, 14 MPG in the city and 22 MPG on all freeway driving. I am getting better gas mileage in my truck.

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  Best minivan ever! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By luvveedub - May 12 - 10:31 am

  Yes, I know the criticism -- the Routan is a Town and Country disguised as a Volkswagen. No matter. I am a Volkswagen loyalist (this is my 3rd VW -- also have a 2008 Rabbit) and this is a GREAT minivan. Comfortable, smooth, great seats, attractive, even powerful (4.0 engine). Really, whats not to like? Sure it isnt as nimble as my old Passat or my Rabbit, but I didnt expect it to be -- I mean it is a minivan, after all. Yet, I think VWs suspension tweaks do make it superior to the Town and Country and - - dare I say -- the Odyssey and Sienna.

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  Not bad, but a few glitches - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By ontheroadagain - September 8 - 6:36 pm

  It is a very comfortable ride. The 3rd row folds flat giving enough room for a familys week worth of luggage and a 100 lb dog with extra space left over. Mechanically, we had moisture buildup inside one of the headlights. That took an entire day for the dealership to fix and they only do it during the week. The sliding doors randomly decide when they want to close. Of course, this never happens at the dealer. We dont get notices about recalls. We find out when we take it for oil changes. So far, we are at 5 total. These surprise "campaigns", as VW calls them, add unexpected time at the dealership - and extra trips when the parts arrive.

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  We vowed never to get a minivan... - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By peninroutan - August 29 - 10:50 am

  ...but we gave in after we had our third child. We looked at the Odyssey and Sienna, but these were ubiquitous and not very interesting to us. The Routan? Looks good, drives well with its stiffer VW suspension, and has huge amounts of space. We know its essentially a Chrysler, but the interior has enough VW feel to be fun. The dual-electric doors are great (Toyota Siennas seemed to offer only one electric door on some models). The exterior has strong lines. Will have to follow up later with a detailed review of reliability. Basically, its a minivan for those who promised they would never get one. As a guy, Im OK being seen driving it, which is worth a lot.

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  follow up, not as nice as I thought.. - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By nich617 - September 10 - 7:53 pm

  I wrote a review shortly after purchasing this van. While I still like it, I am very disappointed that we have to get ALL seven seats replaced because they are all tearing at the seam...even on some of the seats we dont sit on! First the passenger seat went and they replaced that seat. We went back to the dealership (not the dealer we purchased from - I am sure we wouldve gotten better service from them but they are much farther away) 2 months ago to show them the rest of our seats. We are still "waiting" for the parts to come in. I hope this doesnt happen to everyone else...

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  Beware of this beauty... - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By VW-BAD - July 25 - 7:13 pm

  I have owned my 09 Routan SEL for around 4 mo and about 4000 miles and disappointed does not begin to describe my state of mind!!! My brakes have been squealing since about the 1000 mile mark and it is "normal" according to a qualified technician. Both of my sliding doors have given me numerous problems, including not closing properly and I have come back to a vehicle with an open door. Gas mileage is atrocious. This vehicle has been a nightmare to deal with (especially with two young kids). Yes it is beautiful, but at what price?

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  The Good and The Bad! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By thayes82 - February 10 - 12:13 am

  I have had my Routan for exactly 30 days. On day 28 I was traveling with a friend and 5 kids. The transmission acted up and wouldnt go out of first. We were stranded in small town. Mind you my van only had 1050 miles on it. Anyway, the good is VW roadside was Awesome, they picked up the van delivered it to the nearest dealership and are fixing it now. They gave us a rental so I am impressed with VW service. They are replacing the valve body on my van and hopefully there will be no more issues. I love my van and am very hopeful nothing else goes wrong and this was just a fluke!