Overview & Reviews

Volkswagen has a long history of building small vans. There was the Microbus, of course, as well as the more recent Vanagon and Eurovan. However, the "hippie van" was always just that, and the later vans were just too funky to catch on with a mainstream audience. Consequently, VW has never really had a competitive modern minivan. In hopes of rectifying this situation, the company introduced the Volkswagen Routan.

The Routan was actually a rebadged and reworked version of Chrysler's minivan. Its general shape didn't stray far from the Chrysler formula, but the Routan's redesigned front and rear suggested a Teutonic makeover. In the Routan's first two years on the market, the cabin had a more upscale feel than the Chrysler vans, including more supportive seating and a partially reworked dash featuring VW's signature red and blue backlighting. Below deck, Volkswagen engineers retuned the suspension for a more refined and responsive driving experience.

As such, we found the Volkswagen Routan to be more desirable than its Chrysler siblings in these early years. However, by 2011, those siblings had implemented a series of changes that actually made them more similar to the Routan, and that previous advantage Volkswagen enjoyed was largely erased. Ultimately, the Routan was discontinued after four years of production.

No matter what year you're looking at, it's hard to make a case for buying what was essentially a Chrysler minivan from Volkswagen. Not only does Chrysler's spotty quality record remain a concern over the long haul, but competing used minivans like the Odyssey and Sienna are better buys in most respects.

Most Recent Volkswagen Routan
The Volkswagen Routan was introduced for 2009 and produced through 2012. A seven-passenger minivan, it was available in S, SE, SEL and SEL Premium trim levels.

Base S models included 16-inch steel wheels, air-conditioning, second-row captain's chairs, a foldaway third-row split bench seat, a touchscreen-operated audio system and the usual assortment of modern conveniences. Stability control and a full complement of airbags were also standard.

The SE added larger alloy wheels, power side doors, a power driver seat, "leatherette" seating trim, heated front seats, rear sunshades and Bluetooth. The SEL got you tri-zone climate control, leather seating, a rearview camera, heated second-row seats and an iPod interface. The SEL Premium added a variety of luxury items like xenon headlights, keyless ignition/entry, driver memory settings and an upgraded sound system. A rear-seat entertainment system and a hard-drive-based navigation system were available on all but the base trim.

In its first two years on the market, the Routan S and SE trim levels were powered by a 3.8-liter V6 that produced 197 horsepower, while the SEL featured a stronger (and, surprisingly, more economical) 4.0-liter V6 that put out 253 hp. A six-speed automatic and front-wheel drive were standard. For 2011 and '12, every Routan was powered by a 3.6-liter V6 that produced 283 hp.

Anyone who has spent time in a Town & Country or Grand Caravan will instantly recognize the Routan's switchgear, dash-mounted shifter and basic overall design. The materials quality moved closer to that of its Chrysler siblings, but still remained a bit disappointing compared to most of Volkswagen's other models. The Volkswagen Routan version also lacked the Stow 'n Go second-row seats, but at least its conventional seats were nicely shaped. The third-row bench folded flat into the floor, while the second-row bench or captain's chairs could be removed for serious hauling duty.

In reviews, we found the Routan's original base engine to be sluggish and overmatched -- the SEL's larger V6 (and the later 3.6-liter V6) offered much livelier performance, and so equipped, the Routan was one of the fleetest minivans available. The Routan's ride and handling were a cut above the contemporary Chrysler minivans, but the van's overall dynamics still weren't segment-leading.

There were other less significant changes. For 2009 and '10, the base S came standard with an uncomfortable second-row bench seat that was later replaced with standard captain's chairs in upper trims. These early years also lacked the Routan's standard Chrysler-sourced touchscreen stereo interface and available Garmin navigation system.

User Reviews:

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  Do not buy a Routan! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Jweldon - January 5 - 8:23 am

  Never buy one of these cars. A complete waste of money. The vehicle is unsafe and a hazard to your family. One of our children has actually gotten his head trapped in the sliding door b/c they do not work properly, they open and close on their own! VW does not care. We have had the car in for service too many times to count. It is there right now and I do not want to bring it home. I miss my Honda Pilot. This car is a nightmare.

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  Stay away... Dont buy this car!!! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By baseball33 - December 5 - 10:51 am

  This was my first VW and my last. From the moment I bought this van I have had it in the for repairs. Or should I say I take it in for repairs but the van is never fixed. The sliding doors are extremely damerous. My chidlren are scared to get in & out. It hit my arm and let a nice bruse. Brakes and roaters have been replaced three times and still do not work right. Power seats have a mind of their own. And the paint job is horrible, one little bump the paint falls off. Spoiler has had to be completely re-painted. Now it doesnt start all the time. Wow. I dont have enough characters to explain what is all wrong. VW customer service isnt much help, suggested buy new VW van. No thank u

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  Do not buy a routan - big mistake! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Omid - June 8 - 11:43 am

  Unless you want to spend a lot of time at the VW service dept, do not buy this minivan. We bought new 9 months ago and it has been serviced numerous times for same malfunctions: electrical, brake rotors, sensor failure, seats getting stuck, steering wheel vibration, and most importantly safety issues which VW and the dealership fail to recognize. The electric sliding door pinned our 2 year old son and the sensors failed to re-open the door. Others have experienced the same issue and yet VW keeps saying the doors are safe and the sensors work fine. Also, no alarm sounds if the doors are open and the car is in motion. This is quite unbelievable from a German manufacturer!

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  Very Impressed - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Hawkster00 - May 29 - 11:36 am

  There was no way I was going to buy a "mini-van" but my wife convinced me so I got her one for Christmas. Needless to say I was very impressed with all the features you get with a SE model. It drives like a dream and my daughter loves watching movies on car rides to the grocery store. Dont buy a mini-van, buy a Routan.... :-)

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  not bad for the price . - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Chris Muldoon - April 25 - 1:30 am

  I got my van new in 09 , and its been driven coast to coast with little or no trouble , so far the only part I had to pay for was the coolent temp sender . Yes it has had some recalls and I to have had the brake wear issues but if fixed that by installing power stop extreme towing and hauling pads and rotors, no problems after that . I think alot of people are just bashing it , for the price you cant complain , I paid 26k for a fully loaded van with 2 dvd players and 3 screens , go look at a Honda of Toyota and they coast over 40k at the time, in todays money thats over 50k , all in all Im happy with my fake VW and she just keeps trucking .

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  FAV VAN FOR THE FAM!!! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Emilee Jacobs - April 8 - 12:26 am

  Yes the 2011 VW Routan is a borrowed body and design concept from the Dodge Caravan but its overloaded with German engineering and thats exactly what I needed and wanted for my family. My four children and my Mother are seated comfortably on every trip, theres lots of room for our items and activities and I wouldnt want to drive anything else except for the Amarok but unfortunately those arent sold here in the U.S. We also enjoy our 2003 VW Beetle TDI (Diesel). My child plan on driving their own VWs when they become of age. YAY!

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  2010 Routon REL - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By no_more_vws - March 14 - 3:06 pm

  Bought a used (20k miles) one and its nothing but problems. Doesnt start all the time. New battery, new starter...wont start. While in gear and idleing forward it shakes the vehicle. At highway speed it surges like tranny slipping. Rear electric seat stopped working and its rarely used. Sliding door on passenger side makes a horrible noise when opening, was told its fine. Pulls to the right. 2 sets of tires in 40k miles. 3 alignments. I think this vehicle was wrecked and they didnt tell us. Bought one year old from dealer for $29k (less than book value) one year and 20k miles later its worth $19k??? WTF!! still owe $26k. Odyssey is next.

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  VW Routan is King! - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By James - January 29 - 2:53 pm

  We bought this van a month ago and have put over 2000 miles on it already. It rides and performs very well and I would recommend this to anybody. The rear entertainment system or VES as they call it is the best with two boys. The van is comfortable to ride and handles very much like a car. We test drove the Chrysler and then the VW and wow what a big difference. If anybody is looking for a minivan you must look at this. VW was offering some great rebates on the van as well and we saved over 10,000 dollars off MSRP!

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  Needs to be more of a VW - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By RAS5 - January 19 - 2:20 pm

  This is a nice van and I am happy with it for the most part. I do wish the two following improvements arte made. 1) needs to be a bit sharper on handling and have a more european ride 2) where is the wonderful 3.0 TDI engine to improve economy?. I bet sales will double if that engine was available.

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  Great look. Poor workmanship. - 2010 Volkswagen Routan
  By rigosauce - November 27 - 3:51 am

  We liked that the Routon did not have the "typical" look of a minivan and being that my wife and I are relatively young, we thought we could drive it and not hurt our pride. It drives well and is rather comfortable especially if you have small children. the DVD system along with the inputs for my sons xbox were utilized to the max. we became disheartened when the van started to shake while braking. We took it ito the dealer and the front rotors were going out...at 20k miles! they fixed it but, 7k miles later, the shaking began-again.This time its the back rotors. We decided to trade in the van because we did not want to chance any more breakdowns in the future.