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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  Best looking interior among all minivans - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Krishna - August 24 - 9:13 am

  The drive on this minivan is absolutely fantastic. The drive feels manly and more like a car. I drove Honda Odyssey for 10 years and I loved it as well. But, it has that minivan feel which most of my friends used to joke about. Routan doesnt make you feel like you are driving a minivan. Also, the seating really helps towards that feel. I was not looking to won Routan as I wanted to stay with Japanese maker as I never had any issues with my 2000 Odyssey on which I drove over 200K. For a change I wanted to buy Sienna and almost got it but the promotions on 2009 Routan made me go to the dealer to check it out and once I test drove and saw the interior design there is no going back to Sienna.

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  A Dodge with VW emblem - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Kfry - June 20 - 7:50 pm

  Purchased for cross country trip and move to Hawaii. When the vehicle arrived at the dealership (we ordered it to our specs) we were excited. That didnt last long as the steering pulled left. Dealer tried to fix but unsuccessful and we were stuck with it pulling slightly left (dont take your hands off the wheel!) The drive cross country went well. In Hawaii we started have transmission problems. We took it to the dealer 4 times and had the trans replaced twice. It seems to work now. Horrible gas mileage. How can VW tout this van as one of their products. I have owned 2 other VW and loved them. This was the biggest purchase mistake I have made. If I wanted a Dodge I would have gotten one.

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  Cool Family hauler - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By St John - June 9 - 4:36 pm

  We love the Routan or as my wife named it Rudy. So many family frendly features. The style is unique, sporty and not too common. GET the 4.0 v6 w/ 6 speed. The engine is quick and smooth. We get 22 mpg on hwy & 18 city. VW has been great to work with too.

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  Watch the oil level - 2010 Volkswagen Routan
  By fshifteh - March 7 - 1:35 am

  This is an update on my previous posts. Recently at 28000 miles I noticed the oil pressure light was flashing in my Routan. After inspecting the dipstick I was surprised to see that the car had very little oil, so I ended up adding 2.5 quarts of 5W-20 oil. I was surprised because I have never missed any of my scheduled maintenance. When I took the car to the dealer they said that they have seen this issue with these vans. And the recommendation was to check the oil level every 3000 miles. They said these vans burn oil in average 1 quart every 3000 miles. For your info, I have changed my engine oil in average every 5500 miles when the light had indicated that it is time to do so.

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  like the interior a lot - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By korax - November 25 - 3:40 pm

  We like many of the attributes of our VW Routon SEL. Recently however there has been trouble with the transmission. We again are very happy otherwise, and the repair is covered by the warranty. The kids love the entertainment system and the roominess is fine.

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  almost there in MV leadership - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By sid - October 7 - 3:33 am

  We bought our minivan three months ago. We have put on almost 3500 miles traveling long distances (NJ to NC and back) and we love the ride and ample storage ...our kids love the rear ent system . My gripe is with the design of the DVD player and the environment controls...too hard to read when driving. Yes I know this is a T&C with German suspension however I wish VW had input on enhancing the dash.

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  i love this minivan since i buy it - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By Deisi Morales - September 13 - 8:24 pm

  i love my minivan great space nice to ride so far i dont have no mechanical problems but i have a recall about the ignition switch since then twice a week every time wen i start the van all the dash board lights go off like crazy i have to turn it off get the key out open the door and keep trying until it works fine other than that its a good vehicle

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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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  Lovin it - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By JenniferW - August 14 - 8:26 am

  When we first started looking at minivans, the Routan was not even on out list. After test driving one and reading the reviews, we decided that it would be a good choice for our family. We were so right! It is so much fun to drive, and the passenger comfort is fantastic. The amount of storage space is phenomenal, as well as the drive. The only problem we have had is arguing about who gets to drive it! A great vehicle!

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  Made it Okay to Drive a Mini-Van - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By boilerup - July 31 - 1:36 pm

  I kept resisting a mini-van, but with 3 young kids it became a must have. I was hesitant to get the Routan because of the re-badged Chrysler persona and just it being the first model year. However, Ive been very impressed so far. My wife and I have owned 6 VWs and we can definitely say it has that VW feel and drive to it. It is a dream to drive versus our other car, a Honda Pilot. We also checked out the Odyssey, but it just didnt have a good driving feel to it and suffers the usual interior rattling weve had on all of our Hondas. So Im glad we went with the Routan. It definitely has more VW to it than I expected.