Not too long ago, Chrysler Group LLC went by the name DaimlerChrysler. The joint venture of Chrysler and Daimler-Benz helped create some special vehicles across the globe. It also caused some problems that helped contribute to the fall of Chrysler a couple of years back. With that setback in the past and Chrysler now its own company, it is fighting back with a plethora of new models and refreshes. Chrysler has worked with so many other manufactures that their history can get hard to follow. While they were DaimlerChrysler, a partnership with Volkswagen resulted in order to help the German company build the ultimate vehicle for the masses: a minivan. What resulted in 2008 was VW’s first North American minivan since 2003 and it has continued on to the 2011 Volkswagen Routan.
When Daimler-Benz split off from Chrysler in 2007, plans for the VW minivan were already in the works. Chrysler stayed with VW and production of the Routan began in 2008, alongside the fifth generation Chrysler minivans: the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country. From 2008 until 2010, the VW Routan was, simply put, a Chrysler van wearing Volkswagen clothes. The engine and transmissions were pulled directly from Chrysler’s parts bin as the Routan was and still is built at Chrysler’s Windsor, Canada assembly plant. The 2011 model year refresh that created the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan we tested a few weeks ago also affected the Volkswagen Routan which received the same treatment.
Riding on Chrysler’s RT platform, the Routan shares the same 121.2 inch wheelbase as the Grand Caravan. Just like the Dodge we explored recently, our Routan tester was fitted with Chrysler’s current shining star: the Pentastar V6. Loaded as a 2011 SE with RSE and Navigation, our Routan test van featured no additional options and ran out the Canadian door with a MSRP of $35,575 with destination charge. That is right above the $34,890 MSRP of the Grand Caravan we tested but still less expensive than a similarly equipped Nissan Quest. For that base price, the Routan features standard options such as the U-Connect touch screen media system with Garman supplied navigation, dual rear seat DVD viewing screens, rear climate control, leather seats with up-front heating and a power tailgate and sliding side doors. The Routan’s interior hasn’t changed much since its 2008 debut, but what has changed can be found under the hood.
Using Chryler’s new 3.6 liter DOHC Pentastar V6, the 2011 Routan produces the same 283 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque as the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. Matched to the same six speed automatic as the Chrysler vans, the Routan performs just the same in a straight line as the Dodge we previously tested. Acceleration is ample and the Pentastar sings a sweet song, even if pushed hard. Merging on the highway is not a problem and holding steady with traffic is a rather easy task to accomplish. But sadly, just like the Grand Caravan, the six speed automatic in the Routan was a little slow to respond to downshifts. And if not at full operating temperature, the Routan’s shifts were a little on the rough side.
Just like the 2011 Chrysler vans, the 2011 Routan features a revised suspension and steering system. As a result, the Volkswagen handled in a manner that was simply surprising. The lower suspension is perfectly set up for the van’s heft and the tighter anti-roll bars let the Volkswagen corner in a way that shouldn’t be allowed for a minivan. On tight and twisty back roads, the Routan actually managed to encourage spirited driving. The wide windshield allows for massive outward vision and the steering actually gives a driver confidence as to what the front end is doing. Just like the Grand Caravan, the VW handles in a way that smashes previously conceived notions about minivans. The Volkswagen Routan, along with the other Chrysler vans it shares so much with, are easily some of the best handling minivans on the market today.
Looking past the Routan’s fantastic dynamics, it is still a minivan and must be able to do minivan things. Like the Grand Caravan, the Volkswagen features easy access sliding doors, comfortable captain chairs and a surprisingly spacious third row that folds flat in four, clearly marked steps. Once the third row is flat, a driver would assume that the second row would follow suit just like the Dodge and its Stow’n Go system. That assumption is simply wrong as the Volkswagen does not feature the Chrysler’s option. In order to make a completely flat cargo area, the second row seats of the Routan must be removed and left at home. This is honestly a large disappointment as the Stow’n Go feature makes minivan living simply simple. Having to remove the seats adds one more step to loading and gets in the way of hauling.
The absence of Stow’n Go is not the only difference between the Volkswagen and Chrysler vans. Where the gauges of the Dodge Grand Caravan we tested were clear and easy to read, the ones featured on our Routan tester were not as well planned out. More times than not, the red area that housed the accessory lights would become difficult or impossible to read, especially if hit by sunlight. Glare is an issue with the Routan’s “German” gauges where it was never a problem with the Grand Caravan. The Routan also felt more “industrial” on the inside and less comforting than the Dodge. The dual rear DVD screens (one more than the Dodge) were a nice added touch and a pleasant, no-charge feature. And just like the Grand Caravan, the Volkswagen’s media operation and touch screen is remarkably user friendly.
The Volkswagen Routan spawns a very perplexing issue. It is an excellent minivan as it manages to blend cargo capacity, comfort and driving pleasure into a reasonably priced package. But for some odd reason, it lacks features that can be found in the van it shares almost every mechanical piece with: the Dodge Grand Caravan. The addition of a second DVD screen doesn’t seem to outweigh the absence of Stow’n Go seating. The Volkswagen may look a little more “mature” and up-scale than the Dodge and that might just be the answer to problem at hand. With such similar prices, economy (the Routan returned an average of 20 mpg) and performance, choosing between the Grand Caravan and Routan might be decided by looks. The Volkswagen has a much more confident aura on the outside but doesn’t impress more than the Dodge on the inside. Serious consideration needs to be taken before picking the VW over the Dodge, but purchasing a 2011 Volkswagen Routan will never be a bad decision.
