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First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Routan (http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=603176&topart=vans)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/routan.jpgKirk Bell - MSN Autos - Sept 25, 2008

And FE is... A paltry 19mpgUS combined :( -- Ed.

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Volkswagen last sold a minivan in the United States in 2003. That vehicle, the EuroVan, was far from competitive. Wanting to expand its North American presence, VW turned to Chrysler to build the next VW minivan. Based on the Chrysler Town & Country/ Dodge Grand Caravan, the 2009 Routan is a seven-passenger minivan with a VW-quality interior, but without some of the innovations that set Chrysler products apart.

Lineup

The 2009 Volkswagen Routan is available in S, SE, and SEL trims. The S is equipped with such features as cloth upholstery, air conditioning, cruise control, manually adjustable front bucket seats, a two-passenger reclining second-row bench seat, third-row stowable split-folding bench seat, manual side doors, and P225/65R16 tires on steel wheels with wheel covers.

… http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=603176

Scathing words have been written about this vehicle, but looks-wise, it passes as a VW.

I wouldn't be surprised if it became the most reliable vehicle in the VW lineup.

The eurovan with a 2 liter tdi would have been much better.


@aca2983

I doubt it given dodges reliability.

The eurovan with a 2 liter tdi would have been much better.
I don't think there is a Eurovan anymore. What I would like to see is the Touran or any other small MPV from Europe. Imagine something similarly sized to the Mazda 5, available with a 1.9 or 2.0 TDI and getting 38mpg US in the NEDC tests.

Why does the 4 liter get much better mileage than the 3.8 liter? The big problem with this machine is it uses a Chrysler engine. Definitely agree that this would have been the perfect place to put a 2 liter diesel.

"The SEL’s 4.0-liter V6 is the better engine. With a 0-60 time of 8.9 seconds, the 4.0-liter V6 can get you out in front of traffic and provide confident passing response. It’s still not as modern or powerful as the V6s offered by Nissan, Honda and Toyota, but it’s at least competitive. The engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that can sometimes hunt for gears."

It's at least competitive?! It has a under 9 second 0-60 on a minivan! Who cares about 0-60 on a minivan anyway?!

I'm underwhelmed.

Harry