2010 Volkswagen Routan - Love but hate
We currently have a black 2010 VW Routan. When you first look at the car it looks great. The interior is all leather. Both of the front seats have two levels of heating for cold days. There is a large screen navigation, color reverse video view, aux inputs, CD player, as well as front access DVD player. There are two drop down screens for each of the rows. The second row of seats are two large captain chairs. The sliding doors open at a touch of a button. There is also a pull down screen to block sunlight. The back row can accommodate two adults comfortably and 3 children comfortably. The car looks great and has wonderful amenities. However, the drawbacks are all with the structure of the car and maintenance of the car. We have had several flat tires and getting the spare tire is extre... (more)
We currently have a black 2010 VW Routan. When you first look at the car it looks great. The interior is all leather. Both of the front seats have two levels of heating for cold days. There is a large screen navigation, color reverse video view, aux inputs, CD player, as well as front access DVD player. There are two drop down screens for each of the rows. The second row of seats are two large captain chairs. The sliding doors open at a touch of a button. There is also a pull down screen to block sunlight. The back row can accommodate two adults comfortably and 3 children comfortably. The car looks great and has wonderful amenities. However, the drawbacks are all with the structure of the car and maintenance of the car. We have had several flat tires and getting the spare tire is extremely complicated and requires specialized tools to lower it from underneath the car. Additionally the tire pressure monitors frequently erode and cause the tire to become flat. Additionally we have had to replace the brakes and related parts several times. Our mechanic has told us that this is common in this model.
Driving to Disney world from up north and watching a marathon of Disney movies on the way down.
Driving to Disney world from up north and watching a marathon of Disney movies on the way down.
There are many things that we love about the Routan especially since we have 3 young kids. Having the DVD screens for each of the backseat rows allows our kids a clear view of whatever movie we put in. They also have headphones that can be attached so they can hear the movie and we don't have to listen to the same Disney movie over and over again. It is easy to put the DVD in as it is right by the cup holder. One of my favorite features is the rear back up camera. It makes me feel extra safe to have that clear line of vision in what was previously a blind spot. The heated seats are an extr... (more)
There are many things that we love about the Routan especially since we have 3 young kids. Having the DVD screens for each of the backseat rows allows our kids a clear view of whatever movie we put in. They also have headphones that can be attached so they can hear the movie and we don't have to listen to the same Disney movie over and over again. It is easy to put the DVD in as it is right by the cup holder. One of my favorite features is the rear back up camera. It makes me feel extra safe to have that clear line of vision in what was previously a blind spot. The heated seats are an extra bonus since we live up north and have brutally cold winters. There is front and rear temperature controls which is great when you have young children. The captains chairs in the second row are perfect for car seats and allow you to easily take children in and out. The touch of a button sliding door entry and back hatch opening are extra handy when your hands are full of children.
Our main negative things about this car is all mechanical. We have had so many problems with the tire pressure monitors eroding and causing the tire to deflate while driving. The tire pressure monitor is over a hundred dollars each and we have already had to replace 3. In addition lowering the spare tire is quite difficult. It is under the car so you must use this specialized tool to get it to lower. Which cracked while we were trying to lower it when we had a flat tire. We ended up calling roadside assistance who would not help because we didn't have a working car specific tool. Our other... (more)
Our main negative things about this car is all mechanical. We have had so many problems with the tire pressure monitors eroding and causing the tire to deflate while driving. The tire pressure monitor is over a hundred dollars each and we have already had to replace 3. In addition lowering the spare tire is quite difficult. It is under the car so you must use this specialized tool to get it to lower. Which cracked while we were trying to lower it when we had a flat tire. We ended up calling roadside assistance who would not help because we didn't have a working car specific tool. Our other main complaint is the constant need to replace the brakes, brake pads, and other brake related parts. Our mechanic said that this is common in this model and other Town and Country like models. This is an extremely expensive expense especially when you add on the tire problems. Also since VW isn't an American made car it sometimes costs more for oil changes, materials, and labor when things need to be replaced or fixed.
2011 Volkswagen Routan - Great Family Van
I like that the car seats a lot of people without sacrificing too much in terms of handling and power. The van has a lot of power, good acceleration. It is also fully loaded with lots of different entertainment features -- I wish we had been able to pick and choose only the things we wanted versus having an all or nothing approach, however.
My favorite thing about this van is that we can bring our entire family with us, including the dog, with plenty of room left over for cargo. We use the van on road trips a lot, and drive over seven hours at a time in the van. While it doesn't have the best gas mileage, it is certainly cheaper to use the van than to fly to visit far away relatives.
This is the main family car, so it gets a lot of use, but has held up pretty well with only one m... (more)
I like that the car seats a lot of people without sacrificing too much in terms of handling and power. The van has a lot of power, good acceleration. It is also fully loaded with lots of different entertainment features -- I wish we had been able to pick and choose only the things we wanted versus having an all or nothing approach, however.
My favorite thing about this van is that we can bring our entire family with us, including the dog, with plenty of room left over for cargo. We use the van on road trips a lot, and drive over seven hours at a time in the van. While it doesn't have the best gas mileage, it is certainly cheaper to use the van than to fly to visit far away relatives.
This is the main family car, so it gets a lot of use, but has held up pretty well with only one major repair (beyond normal maintenance). It is also very easy to clean, with leather seats and plastic mats.
When we were driving up to Northern California from Southern California, there was a mudslide blocking the freeway. We were stuck in traffic for a very long time, but thankfully the van has a great entertainment system with XM radio, which helped us even in the middle of nowhere. So, even though we were all still kind of bored (who wouldn't be), we were able to have a little sing along in th... (more)
When we were driving up to Northern California from Southern California, there was a mudslide blocking the freeway. We were stuck in traffic for a very long time, but thankfully the van has a great entertainment system with XM radio, which helped us even in the middle of nowhere. So, even though we were all still kind of bored (who wouldn't be), we were able to have a little sing along in the van while we sat in traffic.
The seats have a lot of adjustability, especially the driver's seat.
The van is "fully loaded" with lots of features, including entertainment, navigation, heated seats, DVD players, XM radio, a back-up camera, and more.
Seats seven! Still has a lot of room in the back of the van. The kids have a lot of activities and the back of the van has enough room for all their dance and sports equipment and my service dog.
Handles well. Good acceleration.
Looks good -- metallic sparkly black color.
Did I mention the heated seats? Because those are amazing!
The seats have a lot of adjustability, especially the driver's seat.
The van is "fully loaded" with lots of features, including entertainment, navigation, heated seats, DVD players, XM radio, a back-up camera, and more.
Seats seven! Still has a lot of room in the back of the van. The kids have a lot of activities and the back of the van has enough room for all their dance and sports equipment and my service dog.
Handles well. Good acceleration.
Looks good -- metallic sparkly black color.
Did I mention the heated seats? Because those are amazing!
There isn't much wrong with it, so this is a hard section to fill out. Because it is a larger vehicle, the gas mileage isn't the greatest, but that is only to be expected. Sometimes, the front passenger seat is a little uncomfortable because it feels a bit too high off the ground. I can adjust that on the driver's side but not the passenger side, and I would be much more comfortable if it were lower, because I am short. The front bars on either side of the windshield also create blind-spots for a shorter driver, and that can be quite annoying. However, it is a common issue across many... (more)
There isn't much wrong with it, so this is a hard section to fill out. Because it is a larger vehicle, the gas mileage isn't the greatest, but that is only to be expected. Sometimes, the front passenger seat is a little uncomfortable because it feels a bit too high off the ground. I can adjust that on the driver's side but not the passenger side, and I would be much more comfortable if it were lower, because I am short. The front bars on either side of the windshield also create blind-spots for a shorter driver, and that can be quite annoying. However, it is a common issue across many makes and models and I have yet to find a van without these issues, so I continue to recommend this van for all the good things it has.
Also, many features are bundled together, so you cannot pick and choose what extra options you want. So, we are stuck with the DVD players, which we don't use, in order to have GPS navigation and a back-up camera. I wish we could have purchased only the options we wanted.
2010 Volkswagen Routan - Do not buy this van!
The VW Routan is not up to par with the typical VW car. Our minivan has had several things go wrong in the four years we have owned it, including costly EGR replacement and an entire circuit board replacement, totaling over $2,000 for those two alone. Add in poor braking system that requires brake replacements every 20K miles and rotors every 30K miles and you will spend more money than you bargained for on this minivan!
The VW Routan is not up to par with the typical VW car. Our minivan has had several things go wrong in the four years we have owned it, including costly EGR replacement and an entire circuit board replacement, totaling over $2,000 for those two alone. Add in poor braking system that requires brake replacements every 20K miles and rotors every 30K miles and you will spend more money than you bargained for on this minivan!
Having the radiator hoses come loose and cause black billowing smoke to come from the engine as radiator fluid was shot all over the place.
Having the radiator hoses come loose and cause black billowing smoke to come from the engine as radiator fluid was shot all over the place.
This is practically identical to a Chrysler Town and Country. It is spacious, practical for families with children, and comes with many great amenities. The automatic sliding doors are a life save with young children, and the rear entertainment system is a nice addition. The storage is plentiful, including under foot storage compartments and rear, stow-and-go seating. It includes a back up camera, GPS system, and heated seats, which the parents will enjoy while driving in the winter.
This is practically identical to a Chrysler Town and Country. It is spacious, practical for families with children, and comes with many great amenities. The automatic sliding doors are a life save with young children, and the rear entertainment system is a nice addition. The storage is plentiful, including under foot storage compartments and rear, stow-and-go seating. It includes a back up camera, GPS system, and heated seats, which the parents will enjoy while driving in the winter.
The maintenance costs on this minivan are far worse than any other minivan out there. TPMs are connected to the tire stem, and break easily, causing your tire to flatten immediately. This happened twice while driving, nearly causing an accident. In 100,000 miles, it has required four front and three rear brake replacements, three sets of rotors, an entire circuit board, six TMP's, EGR system, radiator, and many other minor repairs. I have spent over $8,000 on maintenance more than twice what I have spent on my other car with 150K miles.
The maintenance costs on this minivan are far worse than any other minivan out there. TPMs are connected to the tire stem, and break easily, causing your tire to flatten immediately. This happened twice while driving, nearly causing an accident. In 100,000 miles, it has required four front and three rear brake replacements, three sets of rotors, an entire circuit board, six TMP's, EGR system, radiator, and many other minor repairs. I have spent over $8,000 on maintenance more than twice what I have spent on my other car with 150K miles.
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