VW ROUTAN vs DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

SEE ALSO: Volkswagen Buyers Guide
SEE ALSO: Dodge Buyers Guide

The Auto Channel site
HEELS ON WHEELS
By Katrina Ramser
San Francisco Bureau
The Auto Channel
INTRO TO THE ROUTAN AND CARAVAN VEHICLES
One well-known minivan – the Dodge Grand Caravan – gets pitted against a relatively newcomer to the family driving market, the Volkswagen Routan. Will German engineering beat American-made machinery? Or will the Routan be revealed as a clone or “Mini-Me” to the Caravan?

Image via CrunchBaseI drove a 2010 VW Routan with a 197-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission. Available in S, SE, SEL and Premium trims; my SE test drive featured a healthy list of standards for a step above base including an 8-way adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, power-sliding rear doors, tri-zone manual climate control, removable second-row captain's chairs, the upgraded V-tex upholstery, Bluetooth and an upgraded audio system with a 6-CD changer. The addition of the RSE (rear seat entertainment) brought a DVD player, a power liftgate and satellite radio. Total vehicle price came to $33,500. There were no add-on packages to configure.

And I drove a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan also with a 197-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission. Available in a base van, SE, Hero and SXT trims; my Hero test drive featured a trip computer, heated exterior mirrors, third-row power ventilated windows, 3-zone temperature control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifting knob and a 6-speaker audio system with SIRIUS satellite radio. Optional packages included a $1,495 Popular Equipment Group (remote start, power liftgate, passenger-side power sliding doors), a $1,875 Single Screen DVD Entertainment System (6.5-inch touch-screen display, 30GB hard drive for storing songs, backup camera) and a $220 special sliding front console with cup holders. Total vehicle price came to $29,490.
Don’t let the Routan’s slightly different looks fool you: If you haven’t figured it out yet based on engine stats, the minivan is essentially a rebadged of the Caravan. Both feature the … third-row Stow ‘n Go seating system, and identical safety features and results.
HEELS ON WHEELS REVIEW CRITERIA
Stylish But Comfortable Results: Two major interior differences were apparent: The Routan had a nicer or “leatherette” seating material and a navigation system, whereas the Caravan had cloth seating material and no navigation. The dash build inside the Routan is a little larger or expansive, which give a sense of more frontal space. [The Caravan has] the standard Stow 'n Go setup, which consists of a pair of second-row captain's chairs that disappear into the floor along with the third-row bench for a flat floor featuring 140 cubic feet of cargo room. Unfortunately, Stow 'n Go seatbacks aren't as comfortable as larger seats.
Reliability & Safety Factor: Safety features are the same – but I find it odd the Caravan charges for anti-lock brakes (ABS) in their Power Equipment Group. Powertrain and basic warranties are the same. Both feature “Good” rating for frontal and side impact crash tests with the IIHS. But the only minivan on the 2010 IIHS Top Safety Pick is the Toyota Sienna.
Cost Issues: Base price for the Routan starts at $ while base price for the Grand Caravan begins at $21,800. Look into current Dodge incentives. The most surprising thing about the Routan is how affordable VW allowed this minivan to be.
Activity & Performance Ability: The driving experiences of the V6 engines are identical – swift, responsive and quiet. The difference is in the seating. Do you want to sit up high, like a bus driver? Choose the Caravan. The Routan’s driver seat tends to cradle the body more. It has been slighted repeatedly by critics both vehicles cannot compare to the performance of the Honda Odyssey in regards to handling refinement.
The Green Concern: Both vehicles retain 16-city/23-highway driving mpg for an average of 18 mpg – to be expected with a V6 engine. The smaller 4-cylinder found inside the Toyota Sienna can get you 19-city/24-highway driving mpg for about a 2-mpg improvement.
FINAL PARTING WORDS
The Grand Caravan feels a little bland next to the VW Routan’s special German genes that make an un-cool car like a minivan into something sleek and desirable. Furthermore, consumers should not have to pay extra for some of the Caravan’s optional features like a power liftgate, remote start and special cup holders; I also l appreciated how the Routan doesn’t offer such traditional packages but just well-equipped trims. And prices are the same when you consider my Routan test drive was equipped with a touch-screen navigation system and the Caravan test drive was not.
©2010 Katrina Ramser

Related articles

• Chrysler Group LLC Celebrates Production Launch of the New 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country at Windsor (Canada) Assembly Plant (prnewswire.com)
• Lewenza questions plan to kill one minivan nameplate on eve of Marchionne visit (windsorstar.com)

New 2010 Volkswagen Routan Injects Style and Excitement Into Minivan Class

Autotropolis.com

Written by Jeff Wysaski
Date : 05/20/2010

---

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.

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. …