When is Volkswagen Really A Chrysler?
Question From Micheal: Why are the Routans selling for $10,000 less than sticker?? Is it the economy or the quality? Should I consider one?
Queen of the Road: Michael, the Volkswagen Routan is really a Chrysler similar to the Dodge Caravan or Chrysler Town & Country Minivan. They are actually manufactured by Chrysler in Windsor Canada across from Detroit. According to Wikipedia:
The Routan resulted from a 2005 partnership between Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler. Prior to the agreement, Volkswagen had no minivan model for the United States or Canadian markets. VW announced in an early 2008 projection that the company intended for the Routan and other models to help achieve significant expansion of U.S. sales. The Routan is Volkswagen’s first van offered in North America since discontinuation of the Volkswagen Eurovan in 2003.
It is very common for vehicles to be rebadged but usually it involves a luxury brand and a non-luxury brand. Similar to the VW Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne….VW and Audi….Toyota and Lexus….and there are plenty of more examples.
You should consider the Routan if you don’t mind its a Chrysler. If you want to save extra money than buying a Dodge Caravan or Chrysler Town & Country will be less in price. However, if the Routan’s attractiveness to you is due to it being a VW then we would recommend passing.
The question to you….. are you looking for the best value or are you set on a particular vehicle?
October 18th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Volkswagen has made some improvements to the Chrysler Town & Country. They improved many of the interior materials, the comfort of the seats, and they tweaked the suspension. They also added a new nose and tail.
If you want a stripped down model, maybe the Grand Caravan is the way to go. But if you were planning on upgrades, Routan packages them to give you value for your money. Volkswagen has the money to buy their entry into the market, and their dealers can often bargain better than the Chrysler dealer. Also, here is an opportunity to get a Town & Country with 3 years of free maintenance and backed by a financially strong company.