Blings:

• The exterior, though simple is quite attractive.
• The interior dashboard is simple and elegant
• Seats are excellent, especially the 2nd row seats
• Handling and ride quality are good and an improvement over its Chrysler cousins
• Good power and fuel economy

Dings:

• All the knobs and electronics are Chrysler quality and not up to VW standards
• Chrysler’s “stow and go” and “swivel and go” seating options are not available
• Sliding doors are a bit noisy when opening and closing.
• There are odd, as in huge storage compartments found in the floor and on the ceiling of the Routan
• It doesn’t differentiate itself enough from the Chrysler.
• Pricing rebates and deals of VW will not be as aggressive as Chrysler’s
• It was named by the same group that gave us the Phaeton and Passat

Introduction
When a family has more than two kids in this country they tend to stray away from the VW mark. Even VW loyalists are lost to the clutches of Honda, Toyota and Chrysler minivans. The convenience of the power sliding doors is alluring and the potential of transporting part of the soccer team or the extended family is inviting.

VW felt they had to offer a minivan in their line-up so they partnered with Chrysler for the task. Designing and building their own van did not support the economics and timing, so Volkswagen worked with Chrysler to create their version of the Chrysler Town and Country or Dodge Caravan.

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Here’s some news that’s not all that surprising, Volkswagen’s Routan minivan, essentially a rebadged Chrysler minivan, is on the chopping block. You could pretty much see this coming from a mile away, almost before the Routan was rolled out. Rather than design and build their own minivan (a class of car that VW invented with the Type II way back when) VW decided that a better route was to take Dodge’s Caravan, change the trim here & there, add a VW badge and give it an Euro-sounding name. The Routan was built alongside its Chrysler Corp. counterparts at Chrysler’s Windsor, Ontario, plant until last December, when VW asked Chrysler to stop production. Apparently, not a single Routan has rolled off the assembly line since, and there are no immediate plans to resume production according to sources.

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PURCHASE VOLKSWAGEN’S ALL-NEW ROUTAN AND HELP FUND YOUR CHILD’S COLLEGE TUITION

Volkswagen partners with Upromise® to provide customers $1,500 when they buy or lease a Routan

Not a bad deal if you are considering a new minivan. You can get a new car, use it to haul the kids around town, apply some funds to their college education, and then use the Routan to move their stuff from home to their dorm room when they go to college. Functional, economical, and parentally-responsible. Did I miss anything? (Editor)

HERNDON, VA.—Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today a partnership with Upromise, the country’s largest private source of college funding contributions, to provide $1,500 to customers who purchase or lease a new 2009 Routan for their child’s future education savings.

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