Versatility inside
The driver benefits from a good seating position and the expansive glass surfaces provide excellent visibility. A center console is nestled between the front seats and slides open to store valuables out of sight, but the whole unit is shaky on its base and feels fragile, just like in the Town & Country.
Does it look like a Chrysler inside? Well, a little, but VW replaced the whole dashtop and door panels with their own design, and produced a result just as good as The Cult's cover of 'Born to be Wild'.
In back, 2nd-row captain's chairs offer plenty of room, while the 3rd-row bench can accommodate three people that don't mind rubbing shoulders. However, Chrysler's handy Stow n'Go seating system isn't found in the Routan; we guess that 'verstauen und gehen' didn't sound like something you would want to sit on. Still, the middle-row seats are heated in our top-shelf Execline, which is nice.
The Routan does get Chrysler's DVD entertainment system with two screens and separate input jacks; imagine your two kids each playing with their own game console on their own screen, although there's not enough room to play Rock Band with all the instruments.
When a movie is playing, parents up front can still listen to Europe and Platinum Blonde on SIRIUS while the kids use the wireless headphones, which means peace and quiet on the road. The downside is that you'll bump your head on the ceiling-mounted consoles back there.
Competition
The 2009 Volkswagen Routan starts at a reasonable $27,975, but our fully-loaded Execline test vehicle is listed at--drum solo please, you one-armed Def Leppard percussionist--$49,975. That's a lot of dough for a minivan, no matter how well equipped it is.
The competition is no better, though, when you look at this high-priced list:
Chevrolet Uplander LT2 Extended with options, $38,855
Chrysler Town & Country Limited with options, $47,670
Dodge Grand Caravan SXT with options, $40,295
Honda Odyssey Touring, $48,890
Kia Sedona EX Luxury, $38,895
Nissan Quest 3.5 SE with options, $47,948
Pontiac Montana SV6 1SC Extended with options, $38,685
Toyota Sienna Limited AWD with options, $51,969
The driver benefits from a good seating position and the expansive glass surfaces provide excellent visibility. A center console is nestled between the front seats and slides open to store valuables out of sight, but the whole unit is shaky on its base and feels fragile, just like in the Town & Country.
Does it look like a Chrysler inside? Well, a little, but VW replaced the whole dashtop and door panels with their own design, and produced a result just as good as The Cult's cover of 'Born to be Wild'.
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| The driver benefits from a good seating position and the expansive glass surfaces provide excellent visibility. |
In back, 2nd-row captain's chairs offer plenty of room, while the 3rd-row bench can accommodate three people that don't mind rubbing shoulders. However, Chrysler's handy Stow n'Go seating system isn't found in the Routan; we guess that 'verstauen und gehen' didn't sound like something you would want to sit on. Still, the middle-row seats are heated in our top-shelf Execline, which is nice.
The Routan does get Chrysler's DVD entertainment system with two screens and separate input jacks; imagine your two kids each playing with their own game console on their own screen, although there's not enough room to play Rock Band with all the instruments.
When a movie is playing, parents up front can still listen to Europe and Platinum Blonde on SIRIUS while the kids use the wireless headphones, which means peace and quiet on the road. The downside is that you'll bump your head on the ceiling-mounted consoles back there.
Competition
The 2009 Volkswagen Routan starts at a reasonable $27,975, but our fully-loaded Execline test vehicle is listed at--drum solo please, you one-armed Def Leppard percussionist--$49,975. That's a lot of dough for a minivan, no matter how well equipped it is.
The competition is no better, though, when you look at this high-priced list:
Chevrolet Uplander LT2 Extended with options, $38,855
Chrysler Town & Country Limited with options, $47,670
Dodge Grand Caravan SXT with options, $40,295
Honda Odyssey Touring, $48,890
Kia Sedona EX Luxury, $38,895
Nissan Quest 3.5 SE with options, $47,948
Pontiac Montana SV6 1SC Extended with options, $38,685
Toyota Sienna Limited AWD with options, $51,969
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| The Routan does get Chrysler's DVD entertainment system with two screens. |