Routan Is The Minivan for Young People

In my blog entries Automakers Pursuit of Youth and Top 10 Models For Young Drivers the Journalists quoted TrueCar.com. We can deduce from their reports that Routan owners are more youthful than either Odyssey owners or Sienna owners.

The study reports that 23.3% of Routan owners are under the age of 35. By contrast, when the report lists the top 30 models for youngest owners, the Volkswagen Routan was #2, but neither the Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna are listed. The 30th "Youngest Car" was the GMC Yukon with 16.2% owners under 35. So, less than 16% of the owners of Odysseys or Siennas are under 35.

The only other mini-van on the top 30 list is the Mazda 5 at #19 with 17.7% of its owners under 35.

If you don't want your father's minivan, be non-conformist like the rest of the young people and buy a Routan.

Disclosure--I own a 2009 Volkswagen Routan SEL, but I do not own stock in any Volkswagen company or any auto dealership.

Automakers' pursuit of youth

MySanAntonio.com

G. Chambers Williams - G. Chambers Williams III

Web Posted: 05/22/2010 12:00 CDT

A new study by the auto website TrueCar.com suggests Volkswagen is doing a good job appealing to youthful consumers. Its GTI compact hatchback had the highest concentration of owners younger than 34, with 23.4 percent. The Routan (above) was the second-highest with 23.3 percent. COURTESY OF VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA

… TrueCar uses the 18-to-34 age bracket in its definition of “young” and says its study showed that 18.3 of Mitsubishi's customers are in that bracket, as are 18 percent of Mazda's and 17.6 percent of Volkswagen's.

…Among specific vehicles identified by TrueCar as having the highest concentration of owners younger than 34 were the Volkswagen GTI compact hatchback and Routan minivan, at 23.4 percent and 23.3 percent, …

“Even though customer loyalty is not what it used to be, capturing young buyers is still critical to the longevity of the automakers,” said Jesse Toprak, TrueCar's vice president for industry trends. “Not only do these younger consumers buy cars for themselves, but they also often influence purchase decisions made by their families and friends.”…

TrueCar says the average age of Mazda buyers overall, 47, is the lowest in the industry. Others that come in younger than 50 are Mitsubishi at 47.2; Volkswagen, Audi and Hummer at 47.5; Mini at 48; BMW at 48.5, Jeep at 48.6; Acura and Nissan at 48.7; Infiniti at 48.9; Porsche at 49.1; Dodge at 49.6; Saab and Honda at 49.7; and Suzuki at 49.9….

Toyota came in at 51, tied with Subaru and just barely beating Mercedes-Benz at 51.1 and both Ford and Chevrolet at 51.9. Hyundai's average buyer age is 52.3, reflecting its popularity among retirement-age buyers who are also quite price-conscious. Kia, the Hyundai subsidiary, came in at an average age of 50.2…

Lexus and Jaguar were in the middle at 53.6 and 53.2, but Chrysler skewed a bit older, at 54.5.

Volvo came in at exactly 50, while the GMC truck brand was at 50.1 and the Smart minicar at 52.3.

The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III appear Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Express-News Drive section. Contact him at (210) 250-3236; chambers@express-news.net.

New 2010 Volkswagen Routan Injects Style and Excitement Into Minivan Class

Autotropolis.com

Written by Jeff Wysaski
Date : 05/20/2010

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The minivan class isn't exactly known for its stylish vehicles and impeccable driving dynamics. However, VW is trying to change this a bit with the new 2010 Volkswagen Routan. For those looking for maximum cargo volume and a family-friendly design, the classy Routan serves as a top competitor. Review the specs and features of this VW minivan to determine if the 2010 Routan is right for you.

New 2010 Volkswagen Routan Styling

The Volkswagen Routan is largely a repackaged version of the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. However, while VW has borrowed Chrysler's tried-and-true minivan architecture, several changes have been made to make the Routan feel like a wholly different vehicle. Most obviously, the VW boasts a sleeker, more attractive appearance that helps it stand out in a class that is largely filled with staid look-alikes.

The interior also boasts an added attention to detail. While similarities between the Routan and the Chrysler twins are clearly noticeable, improved interior materials, more comfortable seating and upscale embellishments all serve to give the VW van a more upper-crust appeal. One downside of the Routan over its American brothers is the lack of Stow-N-Go seating, which reduces cargo versatility a bit. However, the VW Routan still offers plenty of interior volume for the average family.

Standard features are also plentiful, with all Routans outfitted with cruise control, tri-zone air conditioning, power windows and locks, removable second-row bench seat and 6-speaker stereo system with CD and MP3 capability.

New 2010 Volkswagen Routan Performance

For the price, the 2010 VW Routan is likely to be the minivan of choice for those looking for a spirited and agile drive. VW has tuned Chrysler's suspension to provide a sportier feel. The base engine – a 3.8-liter V-6 – offers 197 horsepower. This should be plenty of muscle for the average commuter. However, for those looking for a little extra oomph, an upgrade 4.0-liter V-6 that makes 256 horsepower is also available.

Interestingly, the larger engine is actually more fuel-efficient than the less powerful base engine. EPA estimates put the 4.0-liter engine at 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. The 3.8-liter musters 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. These figures are on par with other top minivans for the year.

New 2010 Volkswagen Routan Safety

As a family car, safety is of course a point of interest when looking at the new VW Routan. Standard safety features include side curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control. In crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the VW Routan earned a top score of "Good" in both frontal and side collisions. However, it should be noted that rear crash tests resulted in a rating of "Marginal."

New 2010 Volkswagen Routan Pricing

Base MSRP for the Routan comes in at $25,900. This is a bit more than the Chrysler Town & Country ($25,175) and Dodge Grand caravan ($23,175). However, the improved fit and finish and boost in stylish appeal help make the higher price more than justifiable.

If you like the Routan, you might also consider test-driving the 2010 Honda Odyssey or 2010 Toyota Sienna. Both offer similar interior comfort and decent performance.

VW AG: A Repeat Prescription from Dr Piech.

investment-auto-motives blog

[NB Amorok is a JV programme using the renowned Toyota Hi-Lux as a base for VW efforts to create a presence in the (large global) 1-tonne pick-up market, so expanding its involvement and credibility within the commercial vehicle sector. This, investment-auto-motives believes could lead possibly to a shared Toyota-VW production agreement at Toyota's US Mid-size & Large truck manufacturing site in San Antonio, Texas, since Tundra sales have not met the N.A. forecast.
A fundamental rationale may also be argued that in a shrinking US & global SUV market that the VW-Toyota alliance could be formed for many if not all SUV & Pick-Up development programmes, thus reducing capex drag and increasing unit margins for both parties and provide a dual attack on both GM and Ford market masters – though this would take a great deal of strategic planning and corporate willingness for a long-term battle . Additionally VW may wish to access Toyota's large Minivan products as a replacement to the FIAT-Chrysler sourced Routan].

Toyota’s lapses haunt industry. Congress will mandate technology, impose new regulations

Ferman BMW of Tampa's Blog

WASHINGTON — Toyota’s bungled reporting of safety defects has created a group of innocent victims: Everyone else in the industry.

This year, Congress is certain to pass auto safety legislation that will impose more requirements on the industry and make vehicles more expensive — perhaps several thousand dollars per car, according to one lobbyist.

The eventual law is sure to require brake override systems and crash data recorders in all new light vehicles, auto industry lobbyists said….

Industry impact

The impact of a brake override system requirement on the auto industry would be minimal. All major automakers either have them on all their cars or have announced plans to install them. Only Honda hasn’t done so….

The impact of a black-box requirement would be more significant.

Two of every three new vehicles are equipped with them, a NHTSA spokeswoman said. That leaves, most notably, German manufacturers Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen, which typically don’t provide black boxes, and small companies such as Ferrari and Jaguar,

Controversial provisions

The House and Senate bills, which are similar, seek to improve vehicle safety, increase NHTSA’s authority and resources and make safety information more transparent to the public….

The mandate of electronic brake override systems stems from Toyota’s problems with unintended acceleration. Those safety defects have led to recalls totaling 9 million vehicles worldwide since September, as well as reports of 52 deaths that are under federal investigation.

Brake override systems automatically cut engine power when the gas and brake pedals are both depressed. They can be installed with an inexpensive software fix, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has said.

About 20 percent of Toyota’s U.S. vehicles have brake override systems, a company spokesman has said. Toyota plans to install them on all new U.S. models by 2011.

Black boxes

Black boxes, which can be stored inside instrument panels or under front seats, record speed, acceleration and brake information immediately before and during a serious crash. They can be used by regulators, plaintiffs’ lawyers and automakers to help understand what happened to a vehicle and how the safety systems performed.

Plaintiffs’ lawyers have complained that, unlike the Detroit 3, Toyota has blocked or limited access to its black-box data….

A number of German manufacturers still have not installed black boxes because of concerns for owner privacy….

Volkswagen has black boxes only in its Routan minivans, which account for 1 percent of U.S. sales. …

Where Are VWs Manufactured?

Golf Surge

As of May 2010:

1. Golf, GTI and Tiguan final assembly in Wolfsburg, Germany

2. Touareg 2 final assembly in Bratislava, Slovakia

3. All Jettas and Beetles final assembly in Puebla, Mexico and engines from Poland

4. All Passats and CCs final assembly in Emden, Germany

5. EOS final assembly in Palmela, Portugal

6. Routan (a rebadged Dodge Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country with better interior) final assembly in Windsor, Ontario, Canada

10 Types of People

Daily Buffet

May 18th, 2010 by Jason Leave a reply »

This weekend, Amy, Alex and I went out to test drive some VW vans!  No, … it was not the classic hippie vans.  It was the newer Chryslerish model – the Routan.  …    Anyway, the van was great and all, but there was something that I found particular peculiar and interesting.  … I was drawn to this one aspect – the fuel gauge.

It did not have an E for Empty and an F for Full, but instead had a 0(zero) for empty and a 1(one) for full.  Like I said, other cars may have been doing it this way for years, but for me it was a first, or at least the first time it hit me.  It reminded me of two things.  First the good old geek joke that there are only 10 kinds of people in the world, those you understand binary and those who don’t.  ( for those of you in the second category, 10 is 2 in binary.  Like this 00 = 0, 01= 1, 10 = 2, 11 = 3, yeah ok whatever).

Secondly it reminded me once again of this idea of being lukewarm, as there was a ½ in the middle.  But really, I want to be a 0 or a 1.  Off or on?.  And really I want to be obsessed, I want to be on, I want to be 1.  And maybe that’s why I noticed it so much, as the zero and one concept made it so black and white, so binary.  It was not empty and full, it was on or off.  It was just another stark reminder of how we should be living our lives.

Average Discounts Expected to Rise for Memorial Day

AutoRemarketing

May 17, 2010

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — With Memorial Day coming in two weeks, analysts from TrueCar.com believe the projected average discount could rival the highest at any point in the year.

According to the site's TrueTrends Report for May that aggregates this data, the average discount off of a new vehicle is projected to be at least 6.9 percent during the next 30 days. Analysts pointed out how the average percentage is near the high for all of 2009, which was 7.5 percent.

They went on to note the 2010 models with the steepest discount off of MSRP, with the top one being the Chevrolet Cobalt at 25 percent. Other new models with substantial discounts include the Jeep Grand Cherokee (18 percent), Hyundai Sonata (18 percent), GMC Sierra 1500 (18 percent) and Toyota Avalon (17 percent).

… TrueCar.com analysts also highlighted which vehicles have the best Price Flex Score, a composite reading of total incentives, greatest percentage below MSRP, greatest price drops and days in inventory.

A pair of 2010 vehicles each was given scores of 100 in this report segment, the Ram 2500 and Hyundai Accent. Trailing right behind with scores of 99 were a pair of Mitsubishi vehicles, the Galant and Lancer, as well as the Volkswagen Routan.

Vehicles that TrueCar.com gave a Price Flex Score of just 1 included the Audi A5 and the Lincoln Navigator. Audi's A4 received a score of 2, while a pair of large SUVs, the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition, each got scores of 3.

Analysts noted that the TrueCar Price Flex Score measures how elastic the transaction price is for a particular model. A high Flex Score means a possibility of a great swing (high or low) in the price from MSRP, while a low Flex Score means the price is far less negotiable and that the transaction price range is much narrower.

Moving on to more discussion, the site also shared the top five vehicles with the greatest price drop since April. Leading this category was the 2010 Lexus 460 4WD with a decline of $987.

The other 2010 units TrueCar.com mentioned with price drops of at least $680 were the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 4MATIC, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Routan and Cadillac CTS. …

Finally, TrueCar.com determined the new vehicles that have been in dealer inventory the longest. Continuing to pace this category was the Hyundai Sonata, now at 157 days. Six other vehicles have been stuck in dealer inventory for at least 100 days. This cluster included the Ford Mustang, F-250, F-350 and Transit Connect, Mitsubishi Galant and BMW 135i.

TrueCar.com wrapped up its projections by noting Memorial Day, May 31, as the best day to buy a vehicle and June 10 as the worst day during the report time span.  
"Memorial Day signals the real beginning of the summer buying season," noted Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry, trends and insights for TrueCar.com.
"Manufacturers and dealers shift their focus to late spring/early summer at the beginning of the year so they can start reaping the benefits as soon as possible," Toprak continued.

"With a continued boost in incentive spending as well as additional sales ‘carrots,' we can expect to see more steady growth in sales," he concluded.

If You Want World Peace, Buy a Volkswagen

I have seen a couple more posts decrying the "violence" of "Punch Dub" and the desecrating of "The Andy Griffith Show."

First off, as to desecrating Opie, those people who watched the first runs and re-runs of "The Andy Griffith Show" also watched "The Three Stooges" and Warner Bros. cartoons. The things that happened to Wyle E. Coyote almost makes "Saving Private Ryan" seem tame. Even more damning, those same people also played "Punch Bug."

Pay close attention to these commercials. None of the passengers or owners of Volkswagens hit anybody. The Routan commercial that plays the "Andy Griffith" theme shows a family engaged in a common activity--it's their neighbors who are teaching the kids to be violent.

If VW or "Punch Dub" violence bothers you so much, start riding in a VW. And you must also avoid TV, movies,commercials, and discussion of the Bible's "End Times" if you want to insulate yourself from violence.

Record Month of April for Volkswagen Canada Sales

living our present blog

Volkswagen Canada announced today that it set a new record for sales in April with a total of 4,394 new vehicle deliveries (2009: 3,496), resulting in a 25.7% increase versus the same time period last year.

As in March, new models again contributed to this sales increase, including the new Golf with a 112% increase, and an 87.5% upswing for the Golf GTI. Other Volkswagen models which enjoyed rising sales during the month were the Jetta Sedan (+62.7%), Tiguan (+36.9%), Routan (+56.1%), Eos (+15.5%), New Beetle (+77.3%), and Touareg (+156%).

The Volkswagen Brand increased its overall share of the total Canadian light vehicle market for the month of April to 2.94% (2009: 2.43%) as industry figures released today showed an increase of 4.0% against the same time period in 2009.

…

It is very, very European looking!

belligerent man blog

See...I told you it was very stylized.

Ok we bought a minivan.  A Volkswagen Routan to be precise and I have to say I love it.  I of course said many years ago and many times that I would never buy a minivan but the 3rd one pushed it over the edge.  On top of that we always have the Big R in tow with us so we are transporting 3 adults and 3 kids (3 car seats!) most of the time and a SUV is just not an option.  Plus you throw in 2 kids/1 adult with motion sickness and you are talking about a level of car shopping complexity that is beyond a normal sane man.

We looked at the usual suspects (Honda/Toyota) and they were nice but the Routan was the only one that actually felt like a grown up car on the inside and hey I still have some dignity/pride left.  Got the price and features we wanted with no hassle and boom…their goes a juicy commission.

Took our first mini road trip with it this past week up to WI and it was fantastic.  No kids touching kids.  No kids waking up babies and vice versa and an overall quiet happy ride for all.  Now if I can get that incessant Alice In Wonderland music out of my head I will be even more elated.

Top 10 Models for Young Drivers

Truecar.com

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 8:39 am

We've all heard the comments: I don't want to get a Cadillac, that's my grandfather's car!

Well, now TrueCar can tell you what the grandkids are driving.

A new study recently completed by TrueCar.com, showed that Mitsubishi,Mazda and Volkswagen have the highest concentration of younger buyers. The study was completed in May 2010 and looked at the last full year of available data. TrueCar also identified the best deals* on models for this demographic based on current actual transactions.

The list, which shows the brands with the highest percentage of buyers that are 18 to 34, is topped by Mitsubishi (18.3%), with its young skewing list of models that includes the Lancer and the Eclipse. Mazda (18%), with the popular Mazda3 and Mazda6, and Volkswagen (17.6%), which features the list topping GTI and Jetta, were next with Nissan (15.6%) and Mini (15%) rounding out the top 5. The industry average was 10.8%.

On the flipside, the brands that have the lowest percentage of buyers in that age range are Detroit mainstays Buick (3.6%), Lincoln(4%) and Cadillac(5.1%). Those three makes manufacture eight of the 10 vehicles with the lowest percentage of buyers under 34 in the study, with the Cadillac DTS(1.1%) at the very bottom of a list that includes two Cadillacs, two Buicks and four Lincolns.

Making this information more valuable for consumers is TrueCar.com's list of the Top 10 Models for Young Drivers that includes the potential discount from MSRP. Topping the list – which is made up of models with the highest percentage of 18-34 year olds within the make – is the Mitsubishi Lancer which shows a possible discount of 25%†. Both the Nissan Titan and the Jeep Commander are showing potential discounts over 30%.

Make	Model	Trim	% of 18-34 Year Olds	Discount off MSRP
Mitsubishi	Lancer	Sedan Manual	18.3%	-25%
Mazda	3	4dr Sedan Man	18.0%	-5%
Volkswagen	GTI	2dr HB Man	17.6%	-3%
Nissan	Titan	2WD King Cab	15.6%	-37%
Mini	Cooper	2dr Coupe	15.0%	-3%
Audi	A3	4dr HB MT	14.9%	-3%
Jeep	Commander	RWD 4dr Sport	14.0%	-30%
Honda	Fit	5dr HB Man	13.9%	-1%
Subaru	Impreza	Sedan 4dr Man	13.5%	-5%
Acura	TSX	4dr Sedan I4Auto	13.4%	-6%

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Just as interesting as these great deals is what TrueCar discovered about actual average age of ownership. While it is fairly well known that Buick, Cadillac and Lincoln are mainstays at the bottom of the list, who would have thought that smart and Hyundai would be over 50 and BMW and Audi – traditionally older, more expensive brands – would be under 50. The whole list:

MAKE	AVERAGE AGE
MAZDA	47.0
MITSUBISHI	47.2
VOLKSWAGEN	47.5
HUMMER	47.5
AUDI	47.5
MINI	48.0
BMW	48.5
JEEP	48.6
ACURA	48.7
NISSAN	48.7
INFINITI	48.9
PORSCHE	49.1
DODGE	49.6
SAAB	49.7
HONDA	49.7
SUZUKI	49.9
VOLVO	50.0
GMC	50.1
KIA	50.2
TOYOTA	51.0
SUBARU	51.0
MERCEDES-BENZ	51.1
FORD	51.9
CHEVROLET	51.9
SMARTCAR	52.3
HYUNDAI	52.3
JAGUAR	53.2
LEXUS	53.6
CHRYSLER	54.6
CADILLAC	57.1
MERCURY	57.3
LINCOLN	58.7
BUICK	61.0

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And, in case you were curious, here are the top 30 youngest and oldest make/models. There may be some surprises on both lists, so enjoy the read, check your age and hit up TrueCar for a pricing report on a Volkswagen GTI, immediately.

TOP 30 YOUNGEST

Make	Model	Percent
VOLKSWAGEN	GTI	23.4%
VOLKSWAGEN	ROUTAN	23.3%
MITSUBISHI	LANCER	22.4%
NISSAN	TITAN	20.9%
SUBARU	IMPREZA	20.6%
NISSAN	ARMADA	20.5%
AUDI	A3	20.2%
MAZDA	3	20.2%
NISSAN	XTERRA	19.9%
VOLKSWAGEN	TIGUAN	18.8%
NISSAN	PATHFINDER	18.7%
MAZDA	CX-7	18.5%
TOYOTA	YARIS	18.5%
MAZDA	6	18.2%
TOYOTA	SCION	17.9%
VOLKSWAGEN	JETTA	17.9%
MAZDA	RX8	17.9%
MAZDA	5	17.7%
CHEVROLET	TAHOE	17.7%
ACURA	TSX	17.5%
AUDI	A5	17.2%
BMW	M3	17.1%
VOLKSWAGEN	CC	16.8%
DODGE	CHARGER	16.7%
NISSAN	CUBE	16.6%
NISSAN	ROGUE	16.3%
AUDI	S4	16.3%
VOLVO	C30	16.2%
GMC	YUKON	16.2%

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TOP 30 OLDEST

Make	Model	Percent
JAGUAR	XK	6.0%
MERCURY	MILAN	5.9%
INFINITI	M35	5.8%
MERCEDES-BENZ	E-CLASS	5.7%
VOLVO	XC70	5.5%
MAZDA	MX5	5.3%
LINCOLN	MKX	5.1%
MERCEDES-BENZ	S-CLASS	4.9%
VOLVO	C70	4.9%
VOLVO	S80	4.9%
CADILLAC	SRX	4.8%
CADILLAC	CTS	4.6%
LEXUS	ES	4.6%
AUDI	A8	4.4%
FORD	TAURUS	4.2%
PORSCHE	PANAMERA	4.1%
CHEVROLET	IMPALA	4.1%
HYUNDAI	AZERA	3.7%
ACURA	RL	3.6%
LEXUS	LS	3.2%
LINCOLN	MKZ	3.2%
LINCOLN	MKT	3.1%
LINCOLN	MKS	2.9%
BUICK	LACROSSE	2.2%
LINCOLN	TOWN CAR	2.1%
CADILLAC	STS	2.0%
TOYOTA	AVALON	1.9%
MERCURY	GRAND MARQUIS	1.4%
BUICK	LUCERNE	1.2%
CADILLAC	DTS	1.1%