I just know, deep down, that on the day the Routan was scheduled for delivery at Jalopnik's offices for test driving assignment, Ray was receiving sick day call-ins from Jalopnik writers with about the same consistency as a local Sheriff might the morning of a high school chemistry final.
Ford and VW teamed for a nice minivan - thought they did a good job of it. But then you expect more of Ford of Europe. Think this is a horribly bad teaming of brands not worthy of VW.
Before we bought the Town & Country I drove the Routan (out of morbid curiosity) about 15 minutes after testing the T&C. If you do this test you'll see there is a difference between the two. VW did some suspension tuning to this and you can feel it. The Routan felt more composed and planted around curves that the T&C, not dramatically so but not insignificantly so either.
However, we would have had to pay $5K more for the Routan equipped with the same features as the Chrysler, ChryCo was/is offering a lifetime power train warranty on 2009 MY vehicles and "slightly better handling" was not worth worth the difference. I mean, it's a freakin' mini van. How good can/should it handle, anyway?
@FP - Activity resumes!: Hmmm, I like the way you think! But yeah, Comrade's right. Bye bye lifetime warranty.
My newly dead W123 is still sitting on the street in front of my house, though. I'll bet I can get a small block inside that thing. But what to do about the rear end? At any rate, talk about your sleepers!
@Brian B and Comrade Clockwork: Ah, right, brand new van. Never mind. If you can't pull it off and make it look normal again in a few minutes, don't add it.
As a former Car & Driver reader, I couldn't really buy a minivan without knowing the skidpad and 0-60 numbers.
And why do you yanks get this crappy SE/SEL etc. nomenclature? North of the border, we can go Trendline, Comfortline, Highline, and Execline. Do you want to be trendy, comfortable, high, or an executive? Why not all four, I ask?
Apparently, 15% of all trendy, high, comfort seeking executives leave VW brand to buy a minvan, which is why VW decided to sell them a Chrysler without stow-and-go.
@Comrade Clockwork: So the Canadians get real American trim levels (Mainline, Custom, Brougham, Deluxe, High Sierra, Grand Puba, Sadat X, Lord Jamar, Limited, Super Sport, Squire, etc.)? Cool.
@FP - Activity resumes!: I want to buy a Mercury GrandMa and get ALL of those trim levels installed. Just so I could put all the badges on my C-pillar. Together.
As a lifelong VW owner and now the owner of a kid, with the conversation of a possible second coming...this is in the realm of possibility...Where is it built? My current GTI was built in Wolfsburg, my guess this is isn't..
Anyone else suspect this Routan is supposed to be a place-holder in the minivan segment to make people aware that VW actually has a minivan... while they spend their time developing one? Kind of like the first generation Odyssey. It was an unmitigated piece of crap, roundly mocked my magazines, journalists and the competition.
Then the second-gen Odyssey came out, and everyone went silent, except for one guy way in the back who accidentally let slip a "aw, crap."
I'm hoping there's going to be a similar progression for VW, here.
Since there's no way VW is going to award my little ad agency any part of their business, I feel I can speak freely.
I was intrigued by this car before I found out it was badge-engineered (probs one minute after I found out about the car itself). I mean, why not just keep flogging the Eurovan and its many variants?
The funny thing is that I have a soft spot in my heart for VW. The first car I had all to myself was a VW (Scirocco 16V). I've owned 3 total, plus 2 other VAG products. And last night I even took a CC for a test drive (I liked it, a lot). But it's tough to love a company that does this sort of thing.
@Al Navarro: I like my GTI, a lot (I hope its got all its quality issues out of its system though). I feel like VW is trying to take a bigger share of US sales by being more American instead of improving on what they're good at. If they can bring prices down and quality up then the sales will come. If they continue to use old GM-esque tactics they'll only lose their character and become a more expensive flavor of vanilla.
I don't like this sort of thing at all myself, but most automakers do it. Honda did it for a while with the Passport, which is why it was such unreliable crap.
Although, why a company as large as VW would resort to this is beyond me. Maybe it's a temporary move until they can offer a minivan on their own platform. Although, even then it's a stupid move considering they're not helping their brand with this.
@MaWeiTao: Oh dammit, you beat me to it. I believe someone is now required to sing me a song about how I failed to read far enough down -- even though I was probably typing my response while you were posting yours.
@Al Navarro: Instead of the Eurovan, why not the diesel people hauler available in Australia? This was a dumb move by VW to get easy increased sales capacity. Too bad it is quickly falling in sales numbers and the line had to be shut down twice, once for a short period before the fall of Chrysler in fact.
@Al Navarro: Having been a passenger in a T3 camper driving and camping in Colorado, I think I would chose a diesel VW Caddy towing a pop-up trailer instead, but this is pretty cute (also from Australia).
@Al Navarro: As much as I hate to say it, I can't help but wonder if this will still sell better than an EuroVan would've.
Off hand, I can't tell you when they last sold those in the US ('00?) and can't remember the last time I saw one on the road.And that's here in LA where if it's available, I see 1 a week (saw a Tesla yesterday).
We already know subpar product still sell in profitable droves...at the cost of long-term brand image.
What we don't know is how much this particular subpar product will erode the brand.
It's sub-par, but in line with what Americans are used to, whereas the notoriously underpowered Eurovan would be that "weird, foreign" subpar that tends to drive people away from brands as well.
The only way there's gonna be any German in that thing is if I get in.
Whatever happened to the Microbus concept. What was that, 2002, 03? I no can haz? Dammit, that was so much nicer a vehicle, a little odd-looking but when you decide to turn to VW, you've already resigned yourself to looking odd. It's part of the package.
As long as we're bringing The Wire into it, you want me to buy a Caravan in drag instead of an Odyssey, just to get some kind of whacked-out Fahrvergnugen snob appeal? Sheeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiittt.
VW is way overplaying the whole "German Engineering" thing. There was a time when that meant a whole lot, but no longer. Now it just means "overpriced". The Japanese and even sometimes the Koreans and the Americans have cars that compete quite well with "German Engineering". But go ahead, VW, keep leaning on that phrase while you produce more marginal vehicles. Eventually it's going to bite you in the ass.
@redman042: To me "german engineering" means the following:
1) It's probably available with a stick and disc brakes. (good)
2) You'll probably never be able to get to any of the bolts with tools that you currently own.
3) When you do reach those bolts, the replacement for the part they fasten will cost 2x as much as the domestic equivalent.
4) System-wide there will be tons of unnecessary complexity and electronic gizmos that are bound to fail in confusing, annoying and expensive ways.
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However, we would have had to pay $5K more for the Routan equipped with the same features as the Chrysler, ChryCo was/is offering a lifetime power train warranty on 2009 MY vehicles and "slightly better handling" was not worth worth the difference. I mean, it's a freakin' mini van. How good can/should it handle, anyway?
08/26/09
08/26/09
My newly dead W123 is still sitting on the street in front of my house, though. I'll bet I can get a small block inside that thing. But what to do about the rear end? At any rate, talk about your sleepers!
08/26/09
Outside of those "German" suspension bits.
08/26/09
And why do you yanks get this crappy SE/SEL etc. nomenclature? North of the border, we can go Trendline, Comfortline, Highline, and Execline. Do you want to be trendy, comfortable, high, or an executive? Why not all four, I ask?
Apparently, 15% of all trendy, high, comfort seeking executives leave VW brand to buy a minvan, which is why VW decided to sell them a Chrysler without stow-and-go.
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Then the second-gen Odyssey came out, and everyone went silent, except for one guy way in the back who accidentally let slip a "aw, crap."
I'm hoping there's going to be a similar progression for VW, here.
08/26/09
I was intrigued by this car before I found out it was badge-engineered (probs one minute after I found out about the car itself). I mean, why not just keep flogging the Eurovan and its many variants?
The funny thing is that I have a soft spot in my heart for VW. The first car I had all to myself was a VW (Scirocco 16V). I've owned 3 total, plus 2 other VAG products. And last night I even took a CC for a test drive (I liked it, a lot). But it's tough to love a company that does this sort of thing.
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I don't like this sort of thing at all myself, but most automakers do it. Honda did it for a while with the Passport, which is why it was such unreliable crap.
Although, why a company as large as VW would resort to this is beyond me. Maybe it's a temporary move until they can offer a minivan on their own platform. Although, even then it's a stupid move considering they're not helping their brand with this.
08/26/09
Agreed. But see Dearthair's comment above. I can only hope this is true.
08/26/09
I expect the song on my desk within the hour.
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Probs because I heart the Westfalia....
08/26/09
@Al Navarro: Having been a passenger in a T3 camper driving and camping in Colorado, I think I would chose a diesel VW Caddy towing a pop-up trailer instead, but this is pretty cute (also from Australia).
08/26/09
Off hand, I can't tell you when they last sold those in the US ('00?) and can't remember the last time I saw one on the road.And that's here in LA where if it's available, I see 1 a week (saw a Tesla yesterday).
We already know subpar product still sell in profitable droves...at the cost of long-term brand image.
What we don't know is how much this particular subpar product will erode the brand.
It's sub-par, but in line with what Americans are used to, whereas the notoriously underpowered Eurovan would be that "weird, foreign" subpar that tends to drive people away from brands as well.
08/26/09
Whatever happened to the Microbus concept. What was that, 2002, 03? I no can haz? Dammit, that was so much nicer a vehicle, a little odd-looking but when you decide to turn to VW, you've already resigned yourself to looking odd. It's part of the package.
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[OMBUDSMAN'S NOTE: Genius. More like this, please...]
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1) It's probably available with a stick and disc brakes. (good)
2) You'll probably never be able to get to any of the bolts with tools that you currently own.
3) When you do reach those bolts, the replacement for the part they fasten will cost 2x as much as the domestic equivalent.
4) System-wide there will be tons of unnecessary complexity and electronic gizmos that are bound to fail in confusing, annoying and expensive ways.
(2-4 are bad)
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VW used to be for drivers on budget who actually knew what "handling" and "throttle tip-in" were.