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HOP ON THE BUS; VW TAPS CHRYSLER, AND THE ROUTAN IS NO MICROBUS.(News)
Byline: JIM HENRY
The problem with the 2009 Volkswagen Routan isn't so much what it is as what it's not. What it is is VW's restyled version of the newest-generation Chrysler minivan, introduced last year.
What it's not is a VW Microbus. Apparently, we have to wait a few more years for that, maybe coming someday from VW's new U.S. factory in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The Routan is nice enough. It handled fine over interstate highways and suburban byways at a media introduction, starting from the brand-new Volkswagen of America headquarters in Virginia. (Until recently, VWoA was based in Auburn Hills, Mich.)
The Routan didn't handle like a European sports car, but hey, it's a minivanand a good one at that. It has all the storage bins, nooks and crannies of its Chrysler counterparts without some of the gimmicky features.
There's no swiveling second row, for instance. The swiveling bench seats sound like a good idea, but in rear-facing mode, they make seating cramped for both front and middle passengers. There's no Stow "n Go seating; in practice, most people use the bins underneath the floor to stow, not to go, rarely, if ever, folding the seats into the floor.
The Routan also skips the base 3.3-liter V6 in the Dodge Caravan in favor of either a 3.8-liter V6 in the Routan S or SE or a 4.0-liter V6 in the SEL. Both Routan engines are from Chrysler. The more powerful 4.0-liter actually gets better gas mileage, since it's a newer-generation motor.
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