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- Strong V6
- Classier interior than Chrysler counterparts
- Comfortable seats
- Cramped driver's footwell
- No Stow 'n' Go 2nd row seats
- Pricier than Chrysler counterparts
- Less refined than rivals
Basically a Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country body with a Volkwagen face, the 2011 Volkswagen Routan is a moderately more upscale version of its Chrysler cousins. For the 2011 model year, all Chrysler (and, consequently, Volkswagen) minivans received a new V6 engine to power all trim levels. Compared with its Chrysler and Dodge siblings, the 2011 VW Routan features a more extensive trip computer and a less expensive optional navigation system. The 2011 version of the Volkswagen Routan is little changed from the 2010 iteration. For more information on this minivan see our full report on the 2010 Volkswagen Routan (Base MSRP: $25,900 to $42,500).
The 2011 Routan is powered by a new 283-horsepower, 3.6-liter, flex-fuel V6 mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. When burning gasoline, it's EPA-rated at 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway and 20 combined. On E85 ethanol, the numbers are significantly worse: 12 mpg city, 18 mpg highway and 14 mpg combined.
Safety features include traction control, stability control and antilock brakes, as well as front, front-side, driver-side knee and three-row side curtain airbags. A backup camera is an available option. The federal government's stringent new crash-test regimen had yet to be performed on the 2011 VW Routan when we checked, but the 2011 Volkswagen Routan gets a 4-star rollover-resistance rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) bestows its highest front- and side-impact rating, Good, on the Routan. IIHS has not yet tested the Routan for roof-crush strength.
The 2011 Volkswagen Routan is available in four trim levels and pricing starts at $24,930 for the base model. Top-end models start at $43,240. Reviewers are almost unanimous in determining that the 2011 Honda Odyssey (Base MSRP: $28,075 to $43,250) and 2011 Toyota Sienna (Base MSRP: $25,060 to $40,570) are superior vehicles at that price level. These conclusions can be found in the various comparison tests that involve the Routan; these are linked in our full report on minivans.
Our Sources
1. Edmunds.com
For succinct vehicle reviews, model-year updates and trim-level rundowns, Edmunds.com is hard to beat. A short road test, pricing info and styling critique are also included.
Review: 2011 Volkswagen Routan, Editors of Edmunds.com
For our full review of the Volkswagen Routan see our report on the 2010 model. It had different engine choices, but the discussion about the interior features and comfort continue to apply.
Review: 2010 Vokwagen Routan, Editors of ConsumerSearch.com, April 2010
The Environmental Protection Agency fuel-economy ratings for the Routan's 3.5-liter V6 are 12 mpg city, 18 mpg highway and 14 mpg combined when burning E85 ethanol; the numbers rise to 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway and 20 combined when burning gasoline.
Review: Untitled, Editors of FuelEconomy.gov
4. SaferCar.gov
The government made their crash-test procedures more stringent for the 2011 model-year. The Routan's complete results weren't available when we checked, but it scores 4 stars in rollover tests.
Review: 2011 Volkswagen Routan, Editors of SaferCar.gov
5. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The 2011 Volkswagen Routan completes independent crash-tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety with aplomb, garnering the highest rating for front- and side-impact tests.
Review: Volkswagen Routan, Editors of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
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