MotorMouths

VW fans are likely to be disappointed in the Routan’s “german engineering.” The brand name is Volkswagen, but the Routan leans heavily toward Chrysler.

The 2009 VW Routan is a a painfully derivative version of a merely adequate product in a segment buyers are fleeing like a burning theater.

There was no single feature that made me like the minivan. It was the total package that the 2009 Volkswagen Routan offered that makes me appreciate it.

Tt is difficult to understand why anyone would choose the 2009 Volkswagen Routan over the minivans from which it is derived — the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country.

The Volkswagen Routan rides smoothly, but handling and power are not as good as that of its competitors. And yet pricing matches the tops in the class, so the Routan may not be the best value in a very competitive market.

Driving experience? In a minivan? Yes, if that minivan is a Volkswagen Routan. It combines all of the expected minivan virtues with VW’s character and driving experience.

Like an arrogant teenager, no matter how fabulous the features and gizmos the Routan threw at me, I couldn’t help but respond with a signature apathetic roll of the eyes and shrug of the shoulders.

We could easily imagine a young family taking trips in the Volkswagen Routan just for the pleasure of driving, with the probably vain hope that views of the countryside might even tear the children away from the optional rear-seat entertainment system.

Although the 2009 Volkswagen Routan is a fine van, the target buyer for this is fairly limited. It’s not a ground breaker in any category.

While the Volkswagen Routan doesn’t have the agility or the tight-gripped feel drivers love VWs for, it’s fairly athletic in its handling, braking, and accelerating for a car that transports a family of four and their three Great Danes.