The Routan's a large minivan with seating for seven--in other words, it's in the thick of the four-way battle for minivan sales between Chrysler, Honda, Toyota and Nissan.
Chrysler's minivans are nearly identical to the Routan, but they offer fold-away second-row seats that strike us as more flexible than the Routan's removeable second-row captain's chairs.
In that sense the Routan's more like the Odyssey and Sienna, which have better handling but most often, higher pricetags, and their second-row seats slide but do not fold into the floor.
At the bottom of the pile is the latest Quest, which has less interior space and lower gas mileage than almost every minivan on the market, and a less flexible interior.
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 2012 Volkswagen RoutanBrowse Used Listings |  2012 Chrysler Town & CountryBrowse Used Listings |  2012 Dodge Grand CaravanBrowse Used Listings |  2012 Honda OdysseyBrowse Used Listings |  2012 Nissan QuestBrowse Used Listings |  2012 Toyota SiennaBrowse Used Listings |
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| Quick Specs | |||||
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The Volkswagen Routan isn't very different from the Chrysler minivans--and that means top safety performance and features, with a little less than best-in-class flexibility. |
The 2012 Chrysler Town & Country isn't substantially different from the Dodge Grand Caravan, but it's fully equipped and a significant bargain compared to well-equipped minivans from Japan. |
With its worst penalty-box trim neatly excised, the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan is a high-functioning box on wheels. |
The 2012 Honda Odyssey is the priciest of the minivans, but innovative seating and excellent handling set it apart from all the rest. |
It's less spacious and less flexible than before, but the 2012 Nissan Quest drives better than other minivans. |
It's not as flexible as some minivans, but the 2012 Toyota Sienna is large, safe, and still has options for four-cylinder power and all-wheel drive. |
| MSRP From | |||||
| $27,020 | $29,995 | $20,995 | $28,375 | $25,990 | $25,060 |
| Gas Mileage | |||||
| 17 MPG City / 25 MPG Hwy | 17 MPG City / 25 MPG Hwy | 17 MPG City / 25 MPG Hwy | 18 MPG City / 28 MPG Hwy | 19 MPG City / 24 MPG Hwy | 16 MPG City / 24 MPG Hwy |
| Engine | |||||
| Gas/Ethanol V6 | Gas/Ethanol V6 | Gas/Ethanol V6 | Gas V6 | Gas V6 | Gas I4 |
| EPA Class | |||||
| 2WD Minivan | 2WD Minivan | 2WD Minivan | 2WD Minivan | 2WD Minivans | 2WD Minivan |
| Style Name | |||||
| 4-Door Wagon S | 4-Door Wagon Touring | 4-Door Wagon American Value Pkg | 5-Door LX | 4-Door S | 5-Door 7-Pass Van I4 FWD (GS) |
| Drivetrain | |||||
| Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive |
| Passenger Capacity | |||||
| 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Passenger Doors | |||||
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Body Style | |||||
| Minivan | 4 Door | Passenger Van | 4 Door | 4 Door Minivan | 5 Door Reg WB |
| Transmission | |||||
| Automatic w/manual shift | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic | Continuously variable ratio | Automatic |
| Detailed Spec Comparison | |||||
| 2012 Volkswagen Routan vs. 2012 Chrysler Town & Country | 2012 Volkswagen Routan vs. 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan | 2012 Volkswagen Routan vs. 2012 Honda Odyssey | 2012 Volkswagen Routan vs. 2012 Nissan Quest | 2012 Volkswagen Routan vs. 2012 Toyota Sienna | |
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