2013 Volkswagen Routan vs. Its Competition

Martin Padgett Editorial Director

A de facto class leader among minivans--thanks to its family tree--the Volkswagen Routan has some stiff competition from the likes of the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna, not to mention the Chrysler minivans themselves.

The Grand Caravan and Town & Country are almost the Routan's carbon copies, but have added features like stow-away second-row seats and in-car wireless internet.

The Honda Odyssey scores for its very large interior and good handling; it has the best gas mileage in the class, but only on the most expensive, six-speed-automatic version.

The Toyota Sienna now comes only with a V-6, which raises its price and drops fuel economy across the lineup, but it's still a functional winner, with excellent safety features and quite good road manners.

The same is true for the Nissan Quest, but in most other ways, the Nissan minivan has fallen behind the rest of the class, with a smaller interior, less flexible seating, and fewer tech features--not to mention a lower score in the IIHS' roof-strength test.