“I have the heart for healthcare”
2 years ago
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
2010 Volkswagen Routan Long Term Update 1
From the October, 2010 issue of Motor Trend
Image by Nevada Tumbleweed via Flickr
Image by Nevada Tumbleweed via Flickr/ By Ron Kiino
/ Photography by Brian Vance
Senior photographer Brian Vance, who spends a lot of time in a photo locker, er, minivan, when one is in our long-term fleet, isn't impressed with the VW's brakes. "We went through a set of front discs on the Town & Country, and I won't be surprised to see that happen here with the T&C-based Routan. Minivans carry a lot of weight when loaded with passengers, and their front brakes need to be heavy duty; these don't seem to be." Binders not withstanding, Vance mostly likes the powertrain and overall packaging.
"The 4.0-liter engine, though not refined (too thrashy), is plenty powerful, and the six-speed offers class-leading smoothness in its WOT shifts. It's a shame Chrysler wouldn't let VW use the Stow 'n Go, but at least the Routan retained the cavernous underfloor storage in front of the second-row seats."
2010 Volkswagen Routan
Months/miles in service
3/5734
Avg econ/CO2
17.6 mpg/1.10 lb/mi
Unresolved problems
None
Maintenance cost
$0
Normal-wear cost
$0
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Living for Two: Routan
Fashion for Two blog
Posted by Nerissa at 10:50 AM
My husband has been plying me to get a minivan since we heard the news about baby #2. I have been extremely resistant to say the least. Until I met the VW Routan. As far as minivan panache goes, it pretty much tops the pile.
I must admit, it is super easy getting the little one into her seat without bending and bumping my head on the door frame. I'm also a sucker for the remote sliding doors and remote start. It is sheer decadence to step into an already cool car on a 105 degree day!
Monthly Round-Up: August 2010
Ride With G--Auto Leasing De-mystified
Hey everyone! Welcome back to this month’s Round-Up!!! For those who are new to the site, here is a quick explanation of what this Round-Up is all about:Towards the end of every month, I examine the Top Ten leases based on the information I have collected. …Here are some ground rules that I follow:Image via CrunchBaseFYI, according to TrueCar’s “TrueTrends Report”, the best time to get a car is 9/2/2010. Truecar projects approximately 11.23% discount off MSRP on average. …
- Participating vehicles will be based on the lease rates gathered on this website throughout the corresponding month (and limited to a maximum price of $50,000). I encourage you to share the information you’ve gathered during your research so we can make The Round-Up more complete each month.
- Only 36-month/15k lease terms will be examined since it’s the ideal lease term.
- A $1650 drive-off fee will be assumed for all cars. Remember, this is ONLY an estimate, the drive-off could be lower or higher depending on the car.
- Estimates will be based on the Southern California region using Truecar.com data, so your numbers may vary.
- All estimates assume you qualify for the base rate. A minimum FICO® Score of 700
may be required.
- Sales taxes not included in order to keep things simple. Please refer to “Understanding Sales Tax” to learn how taxes affect your monthly payments.
- The rating system used is based on my Lease Calculator, which assumes that 1.09 or a monthly payment of 1.09% off the MSRP (or less) is a GREAT lease deal.
HERE IS THIS MONTH’S ROUND-UP!
MSRP $44,595
Sale Price $39,500
Monthly $405 + tax
(0.91) …
MSRP $31,790
Sale Price $26,630
Monthly $323 + tax
(0.93) …
MSRP $37,500
Sale Price $31,296.00
Monthly $351 + tax
(0.94) …
Image via Wikipedia
2010 Volkswagen Routan SEL w/RSE and NAVMSRP $39,400
36-month | 15k miles | residual 43% | .00007 base money factor
Sale Price $30,671
Monthly $384 + tax
(0.97) Big families rejoice! If you are shopping for a minivan with the works, the Routan may be for you. Assuming TruCar is not screwing with me on the “sale price”, you can knock off almost $9000 off the MSRP, making this a fantastic deal! This actually makes the residual tolerable and can even qualify this van under the “Lease-To-Buy” category! If you managed to get this deal from your local VW dealer, please come back with your comments because I am interested in seeing how you pulled it off or not. If this is still a bit beyond your budget, try the SE trim.
MSRP $40,065
Sale Price $35,300
Monthly $387 + tax
(0.97) …
MSRP $27,580
Sale Price $22,800
Monthly $279 + tax
(1.01) …
2010 Volkswagen Jetta S | Limited SedanMSRP $24,652
36-month | 15k miles | residual 51% | .00002 base money factor
36-month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00016 base money factor
Sale Price $21,581
Monthly $250 + tax
(1.02) Some of the Jettas are great deals right now due to the low money factors and decent residual values. Unfortunately, availability could be an issue in some areas since VW is in “clearance” mode right now. The SE trim priced itself out of the “Great Deal” category due to a higher money factor. It is still a good deal, just not a “Great one”. The Limited edition model also makes the cut as a “Great Deal”, scoring a 1.08 on the rating system.
MSRP $30170
Sale Price $27,500
Monthly $322 + tax
(1.07) …
2011 BMW 328i Sedan | 2011 BMW 328xi SedanMSRP $40,925
36-month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00130 base money factor
36-month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00125 base money factor
Sale Price $38,000
Monthly $440 + tax
(1.08) …
MSRP $28,200
Sale Price $26,000
Monthly $304 + tax
(1.08) …
Parting Shots
…Got comments? questions? Disagree with my analysis? Please chime in with your thoughts on what you think this month’s Top Ten should be.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The Volkswagen Routan: The Soccer Mom's Minivan
The Routan Offers Features and Options for a Wide Range of Buyers
Associated Content
Published August 24, 2010 by:
James J. Hilt
There are times when a sport utility vehicle just isn't big enough for a family of six, and you are forced to go with purchasing a minivan. In my four years of selling cars, I have noticed that most mothers frown on the idea of having to drive a minivan. The fact is that they just don't like them over the SUV. The number one complaint I hear is that they just don't like the way minivans look. That perspective held true until Volkswagen launched the Routan in 2009.
Image via WikipediaMy wife drove our four kids in a SUV, though we had minivans a few times over the years to her disliking, the last two years before we decided to lease a 2009 Volkswagen Routan. My dealership had an S model on the lot for several months when I called my wife and told her that I was seriously thinking about leasing this Routan S. She wasn't sure that she wanted a minivan. But after convincing her that is was in our best interest, I leased it and brought it home. I'll never forget the excitement on her face when I pulled up in the driveway. She told me that it looked awesome!
We liked the Routan so much that this past spring I traded our Routan S in for a Routan SE w/ Rear DVD, mainly for the upgraded features the SE provides. We went from having clothed seats to leatherette w/ heated seats, dual DVD players (an absolute must with having kids), back up camera, Sirius Satellite Radio, power sliding doors and rear tailgate, and power driver's seat, to name a few of the upgraded features. The sticker price on the S model was $25,300, and the SE w/ rear DVD was $33,400, a significant increase for the features but well worth it.
Volkswagen offers such great incentives on the Routan that it makes it seem a little more attractive than its rivals Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey. Volkswagen has offered 0.0% for 60 and 72 months and rebates of up to $6000 on several occasions since the 2009 model launched. The 36 month lease is also highly attractive for the low payments and for the bumper to bumper warranty and free scheduled maintenance for 3 years or 36,000 miles. The powertrain warranty is for 5 years or 60,000 miles, whichever occurs first.
In closing, the Volkswagen Routan has everything one would want in a minivan. With over $15,000 disparity from the S model to the SEL Premium model, the Routan offers features and options for a wide range of buyers. On trips to Disney and Myrtle Beach, our two Routans provided driving enjoyment each time and, most of all, the Routan makes my wife proud to be a soccer mom.
Friday, August 20, 2010
TLC Sends The Volkswagen Routan On A Brady Family Vacation
Social Car News
2009 Volkswagen Routan SBy Richard Read Reporter August 19th, 2010
Enlarge Photo
As a general rule, we're not big fans of web-based TV series and their "webisodes" (terrible word, BTW). They frequently end up trying to be something they're not, like a sitcom or TV drama. When they don't live up to our expectations, we stop watching. They also tend to get lost in the internet shuffle, meaning that it's very hard to find them in the first place. But we're cautiously optimistic about "The Great Getaway".Remember those Brady Bunch vacation episodes -- the ones always done as two-parters, where the entire family sets out for some remote destination and ends up crushed by a demonic surfboard? Well, Volkswagen and TLC have taken all that grooviness, packed it in a Routan minivan, and sent it hurtling down the highway in a new reality series for the web called "The Great Getaway".
The premise of the show is pretty simple: an average American family heads out for a summer vacation in their Volkswagen Routan. With five children, the Woods clan is probably bigger than most; many families of that size can't even afford to take vacations, and those who can often find the process daunting. But the Woods' kids are well-behaved, the mom is likable, and the dad is, too (though that shot of him eating frosting from a tub is kind of grossing us out). And of course, likable characters are what make a reality series watchable.
Even better, the Routan is made a very soft-sell. (That's a good thing.) Yes, it's prominently featured, but since the series is clearly sponsored by Volkswagen, it's not quite as egregious as "stealthy" mentions on other reality shows -- like, say, when Top Chef contestants "casually" name-check the Toyota Sienna, or when Work of Art participants are asked to design something inspired by Audi. Blech.
Bottom line: we're mostly onboard with "The Great Getaway". Well, apart from the fact that the series' videos aren't embeddable -- evidence of real stupidity on TLC's part -- and the punch-dub commercials that run before each episode. Still, we look forward to seeing more. Fingers crossed that the Woods end up locked in a ghost town jail soon.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Volkswagen Takes Family Road Trip with TLC
MediaPost Publications
by Karl Greenberg, Yesterday, 3:28 PM
Volkswagen of America is touting its Routan minivan via a partnership with Discovery's TLC.com around family and travel. The Herndon, Va.-based automaker will be premier sponsor of family travel content on TLC.com, and will feature an original Webisode series titled "The Great Getaway," plus family-related travel information from destinations to tips for packing powered by Discovery-owned website HowStuffWorks.com.
"The Great Getaway," which launched on Wednesday, follows the seven-member Woods family on a road trip through Sedona, Ariz. The series, done reality-show style, begins with a segment showing the family bouncing around their ranchy house trying to get their act together, find iPods and the like, before hitting the road.
The automaker and TLC.com say the webisode series will run throughout the next three months, highlighting the family's travels and associated foibles as well as the antediluvian wonders of the Southwest, petrified trees, fossils, deserts and all. According to TLC, the Woods family was chosen through a casting call by TLC's talent resource center. The series was a joint project of TLC.com, Volkswagen and VW’s AOR for media, Deutsch.
The Routan minivan gets a starring role in the series, with the vehicle's features, such as roomy seating, foldaway seats, and storage capacity, and getting special attention when, for instance, the family is loading up and rolling out with their "Fun not foolish, safe not sorry" Tony Robbins-esque motto floating on the breeze as the car rolls away to Sedona.
Volkswagen will bookend the series with 30-second Routan TV spots before the segment, a drive to VW.com after, and a banner next to the video window. The Family Travel section on the TLC Family vertical will be VW-branded as well. The destination offers family-related tips and advice.
Harold Morgenstern, SVP advertising sales at Discovery Communications, tells Marketing Daily that VW is advertising on all Discovery's digital properties, including contextual and behavioral targeting.
VW launched the Routan in 2008 under the Das Auto banner with Brooke Shields as spokesperson. The campaign has continued with "Dub Punch" ads suggesting the minivan has a soul of a VW bug.
Morgenstern says Discovery has a long-standing relationship with Volkswagen. “Volkswagen approached the marketplace to help launch the Routan. Similarly, TLC.com was introducing their TLC Family vertical, which provided a perfect promotional platform for the Routan,” he says. “We proposed and created the webisode series specifically to and for the Routan.”
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
TrueCar.Com Releases August TrueTrends™ Report
Image via CrunchBase TrueCar BlogTrueCar Price Flex Score
TrueCar uses several methods to identify the best new car deals of the month. Not only does TrueCar track vehicles with the greatest discounts, but 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 actual sale price from MSRP, while a low Flex Score means the price is far less negotiable and that the transaction price range is much narrower. Consumers have the best chance of obtaining a discount with the most flexible scores.
Most Flexible 2010 Models
Vehicle Categories
Model
Score
Subcompact Car
Nissan cube
100
Sport Car
Mitsubishi Eclipse
99
Midsize Car
Suzuki Kizashi
98
Small Car
Kia Forte
97
Midsize SUV
Kia Optima
97
Large Car
Chrysler 300
96
Small SUV
Kia Sportage
95
Minivan
Volkswagen Routan
93
Large Truck
GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid
91
Van
Chevrolet Express Cargo Van
77
Small Truck
Ford Ranger
75
Large SUV
GMC Yukon
35
Monday, August 16, 2010
Day 1: Lancaster, PA – Road Trip With The Family – VW Style
New York Chica
Posted on August 14, 2010 by Lisa
OK, so it’s been a long 49 days since our family road trip with the star of the trip, the Volkswagen Routan.
I know, I know. That was way over a month ago and you must be thinking, ok, why is she writing about this now? Honestly, life got in the way especially when there’s kids involved and well, it was also a sad moment when the vehicle was picked up.
Really it was.
Just thinking about the extra leg room we had, the luxury of dual tv screens with wireless headphones, automatic door and trunk opener, leather seats, a built-in GPS, satellite radio, emotions can indeed get in the way. The biggest surprise was that during the whole road trip, our 3 kids did not fight at all!
That alone was the icing on the cake. No doubt about it.
Compared to our Kia Sorento (where my kids are cramped and bicker ALOT!) , the Routan is a fabulous minivan. It doesn’t even feel like a “soccer mom’s” vehicle. The Routan has the speed, the style, the kick, the look, the luxury, the “everything” that a well-made vehicle has to offer. This is definitely our next vehicle.
::Sigh::
I really miss the Routan. I really do.
Ok so back to the road trip. Sorry, I got sidetracked for a moment.
Day One
…Our first stop was to Lancaster, PA.
…We arrived to Lancaster around one so we did pretty good on travel time. The first thing we did was check in to our hotel and leave our bags in the room. We met up with my sister, my mom and her boyfriend. … we headed out to Walmart to get some gardening tools and flowers so we can plant them next to my dads tombstone.
After our visit to the cemetery, we headed out to a local park where my family decided to have a picnic just for us (can I get a awwwww….lol). They made a huge deal because of us.
How sweet. My aunts and cousins arranged a huge picnic at the park (the same park where my dad, my sister and I ate crabs) with food, drinks and goodies and all we had to do was to bring ourselves.…
I was so amazed and grateful they went out of their way for us.
After spending some quality time with my family and doing some eating and drinking, we decided to go back to our hotel room to rest for our early rise to Philadelphia, PA.
What a long day but it was all worth it.
PLEASE stay tuned for Day 2: Philadelphia, PA – Road Trip With The Family – VW Style.
Disclosure: The Volkswagen Routan was given to us as a loaner for review purposes only. It was made possible by the MWW Group. Thank you so much for making our road trip “extra special” Amy.
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Kohlers: Serious Updates...
Kohler Keepsakes Blog
this BEAUTY!
We call her Rudy. She's a 2010 Volkswagen Routan and we LOVE her! Actually, my love was more slow growing than Eric's. The man who swore he'd never drive a minivan couldn't leave the dealership without her. He's infatuated. I refused to drive her for about 3 days, terrified that I'd wreck her, but Eric finally left me no choice. The Monday after we got her, Eric took Braden to work with him and Brielle and I ran errands all over town in the van. That's when my love began. We're definitely spoiled. They kids love her too. I think Brielle's favorite part is just that she can see out the windows. She went spastic the first time we drove to Grandma Sharon's and she saw the horses by her house. Who knew? And everyone at the dealership kept telling us we got a killer deal, they've never seen a van go that cheap before, yadda-yadda, but I think that's what they all say to make you feel better about giving them such insane amounts of money.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
2010 Volkswagen Routan Arrival
Image via WikipediaTeutonic Town & Country Joins Our Long-Term fleet
Motor Trend
From the September, 2010 issue of Motor Trend
/ By Rory Jurnecka
/ Photography by Brian Vance, Mike Shaffer
Click to view Gallery
Believe it or not, we're big fans of the minivan here at Motor Trend. Sure, a seven-seat family hauler is rarely a first pick for a stress-busting weekend drive up Pacific Coast Highway, but the truth is that the versatility, comfort, practicality, and carrying capacity of the modern minivan means that at least one staffer will find it his best option each night. Extended family visiting? Going to a beach party? Picking up a new television? The minivan is a great choice. Add in the fact that minivans are staff photographer favorites for loading gear and snapping rolling action shots, and it's no surprise we try to keep one in the fleet perennially.
With the departure of our long-term 2008 Chrysler Town & Country late last year, we found ourselves once again on the hunt for a new people-mover. That T&C had earned itself a strong reputation over its 32,244-mile stay as a capable, comfortable people and gear hauler, despite a few incurable creaks and rattles. So what better vehicle with which to replace it than its German-revised cousin, the Volkswagen Routan.
Click to view Gallery
Produced on the same platform as the beloved T&C, the Routan shares the Chrysler's engine and transmission, but body panels, interior trimmings, and suspension tuning have all been engineered by Volkswagen to provide a little Teutonic refinement. To that end, the Routan looks a little sharper and rides a little sportier than the Chrysler. Interior materials are a notch above Detroit's minivan, and the Routan offers a hint more engagement to its driving dynamics. Our Routan, an upscale SEL model, features a high-grade standard equipment list. Power-sliding rear doors, a sunroof, three-zone automatic climate control, expanded instrumentation, a hard-drive-based navigation system, rearview camera, second-row captain-style seating, heated first- and second-row seats, and a 251-horsepower, 4.0-liter V-6 are all on the spec sheet.
Click to view Gallery
Add to that our tester's lone option, a Rear Seat Entertainment package ($2000) consisting of an extra DVD player along with second- and third-row monitors. Total price? $39,300, a couple thousand dollars more than our previous Town & Country.
With just under 5000 miles on the odometer so far, the Routan is already proving a valuable member of the MT fleet. It's been tapped by one staffer to help his girlfriend move into a new apartment, and it developed not one squeak or rattle in the process.
Will the appeal remain strong a year from now? Stay tuned to find out.
Our Vehicle
Base price
$36,500
Price as tested
$39,300
Vehicle layout
Front engine, FWD, 7-pass, 2-door minivan
Engine
4.0L/251-hp/259-lb-ft SOHC 24-valve V-6
Transmission
6-speed automatic
Curb weight (dist f/r)
4544 lb (55/45%)
Wheelbase
121.2 in
Length x width x height
202.5 x 76.9 x 68.9 in
0-60 mph
8.1 sec
Quarter mile
16.2 sec @ 85.1 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph
136 ft
MT figure eight
29.0 sec @ 0.56 g (avg)
EPA city/hwy econ
17/25 mpg
CO2 emissions
0.98 lb/mile
Total mileage
4865 miles
Average fuel economy
22.0 mpg
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