
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.
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Quick Specs | |||||
Top safety scores and spaciousness are in place, even if the VW Routan doesn't have all the same utility and tech options of the related Chrysler minivans. |
The 2013 Chrysler Town & Country is tops in safety, flexibility, and features--the things that matter in minivans--though it's pricey. |
Function reigns supreme in the Dodge Grand Caravan: it has the best seating system and infotainment features of any minivan, and gas mileage and safety scores are excellent. |
A thoughtful interior, innovative seating, and excellent handling make the 2013 Honda Odyssey a standout among minivans--although it is the priciest of them all. |
Road manners are good--but when it comes to core minivan duties like seating and safety, the 2013 Nissan Quest falls behind every other minivan on the market. |
The Toyota Sienna has excellent power, safety, and seating, and only narrowly misses the class benchmarks in flexibility and gas mileage. |
MSRP From | |||||
N/A | $30,620 | $19,995 | $28,675 | $25,990 | $26,585 |
Gas Mileage | |||||
17 MPG City / 25 MPG Hwy | 17 MPG City / 25 MPG Hwy | 18 MPG City / 28 MPG Hwy | 19 MPG City / 25 MPG Hwy | 16 MPG City / 25 MPG Hwy | |
Engine | |||||
Gas/Ethanol V6 | Gas V6 | Gas/Ethanol V6 | Gas V6 | Gas V6 | Gas V6 |
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 V6 L 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 | Passenger Van | Passenger Van | Passenger Van | 4 Door Minivan | Minivan |
Transmission | |||||
Automatic w/manual shift | Automatic w/Manual Shift | Automatic | Automatic | Continuously variable ratio | Automatic |
Detailed Spec Comparison | |||||
2013 Volkswagen Routan vs. 2013 Chrysler Town & Country | 2013 Volkswagen Routan vs. 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan | 2013 Volkswagen Routan vs. 2013 Honda Odyssey | 2013 Volkswagen Routan vs. 2013 Nissan Quest | 2013 Volkswagen Routan vs. 2013 Toyota Sienna |