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Saturday, April 16, 2011
Routan seeks to fill VW's van vacuum
By Ken Walston
Of the Journal
It must have been the ultimate buzz kill.
Counterculture types for years revered their simple, trusty Volkswagen Microbuses, using them for rolling parties, transporting — ever so slowly— friends and gear to camping sites and rock festivals.
Over time, "improvements" brought bigger packages (the Type 2, Eurovan and Vanagon), increased power (water-cooled engines!), much more comfortable interiors and up-to-date safety equipment. But since 2003, in America at least ... nothing!
Bummer.
Hints recently resurfaced, in the form of fresh rumors from Wolfsburg, of possible production of a retro-styled van, a modernized version of the original Bus much as the New Beetle aped the original Bug.
But in the meantime, VW took the more prosaic route and contracted with Chrysler Corp. to build a Dodge Caravan-based minivan cosmetically tweaked inside and out to give it a veneer of German-ness.
Hence the Routan, introduced in 2009.
There are a few distinguishing traits from the Dodge/Chrysler versions, such as unique front- and rear-end styling and different alloy wheels. The cabin's interior seems a bit more upscale, especially the center-console ventilation controls and the design of the seats (very comfy, those).
Fortunately, the Routan for 2011 also gains Chrysler's new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, a vast improvement over the previous engines. More power, better fuel economy and increased refinement make for more pleasant performance overall.
The Routan's handling seems a bit more responsive and the ride less pillowy that earlier Dodge/Chrysler versions I'd driven. But for the 2011 model year all three share a number of revisions, so now the difference is probably negligible.
In addition, the 2011 Routan — and presumably its two brethren — seems to benefit from much-improved build quality and fit and finish overall. On the downside, among the Chrysler innovations Routan does without are the second-row Stow 'n Go seats that fold into the floor.
2011 Volkswagen Routan SE
VEHICLE TYPE: Four-door, seven-passenger minivan
BASE PRICE: $34,750
PRICE AS TESTED: $35,570 (incl. delivery fees)
POWERTRAIN: 3.6-liter, DOHC, V-6; 283 horsepower; 260 lb.-ft. torque; six-speed automatic transmission; front—wheel drive
WHEELBASE/LENGTH: 121.2"/202.5"
CURB WEIGHT: 4,595 pounds
EPA FUEL RATING: 17 mpg city/25 highway (regular grade)
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