2009 VW Routan and CC at the Georgian College Autoshow

[!!!TED!!!]

Here are pictures of the 2009 Volkswagen Routan and CC. I took these today at the Georgian College Autoshow in Barrie, Ontario, Canada.

The Routan is pretty nice for a dressed up Chrysler. Open the hood, and it could be a Caravan though.

The CC (no longer called Passat CC) is by far one of the sexiest cars this year. It was my favorite of the show (as well as at NAIAS), and one I would pay to own. Simply put, my favorite car of 2008!

[!!!TED!!!]

And thats me! LOVE THIS CAR!

[regfootball]

thanks for the pics Ted. the routan, its amazing how they got it to look so nice compared to the dodge, etc.

cc is nice too. Now, if VW could get a rep like toyo they'd be on to something.

[ltdaniels]

wow, thanks for all those pictures. i actually do some work with volkswagen, so i'm loving all the photos. i especially like the routan, it's one of my favorites - it's got a nicer exterior than the honda odyssey, and people love VWs. it could completely dominate the minivan market. what do you think?

[CSpec]

The interior on the Routan is surprisingly Chryslery (ie bad). But the exterior looks quite good. The CC is a pretty good looking car except for its masses of cutlines, but they should have given it a new model name rather than just a Passat trim.

[regfootball]

i test drove a routan on friday. really nice van. i should post a writeup...always need more time

[Bigmikelakers]

Im getting a chrysler vibe from this

Edited September 30, 2008 by Bigmikelakers

[Intrepidation]

Im getting a chrysler vibe from this

That's one of the reasons why I like it...reminds me of the LH cars.

How's the interior in the Routan?

[regfootball]

the routan interior is possibly the nicest and simplest of all the minivans.

still bulky and dowdy.

there is really nice soft touch plastic on the dash top. the doors etc. are the same as the T&C so there's no improvement there. the leather, same deal, its T&C spec mostly. the sliding center console and switchgear is all Chrysler mostly but to be honest I liked it. The dash shifter is ok but feels Detroit cheap in operation even if the leather on the knob is nice. The position of it did not bother me like I thought it would.

So no, its not 'teutonic' aside from the really nice dash top. At the same time it is a desirable upgrade from the Dodge. Those who like the Sienna will probably think the Sienna is still nicer. Its definitely nicer than the Kia. The gauges are perfect and the view is panaramic. The seats are a little unshapely, i hope they fix that.

It was fun hustling the van at high speeds on cloverleafs. Seriously, the Routan is nearly as nimble as my Taurus X, and even while still feeling a bit top heavy, is more athletic than many of the large crossovers I drove. Of course, this was the SEL.

I had driven the 4.0 Pacifica with 6 speed before and knew it was a nice powertrain, easily the equal of other vehicles like this. My only reservation is it sometimes delays a downshift....no biggie. I couldn't figure out how the manual shift mode worked with the weird shifter placement. The Pacifica got a bad rap as a crossover but truth is if you can find one with the 4.0 and get a deal on it, its a sweet powertrain at a low price.

Honda is upheld as the best van but I disagree. The honda rides hard and noisy, feels fragile on bumps, has a terrible interior, and all of that. I would take the Routan with 4.0 over the Honda every time. Personally I think the Odyssey is kind of crappy. Now I actually might take the Grand Caravan 3.8 out for a spin.

VW might have scored a hit here. The van looks way better than its Chrylser brethren, and has a good ad campaign and lease deals out of the chute. This might be the van that makes vans cool again, for those who are too snobby to drive Asian or American brands.

Edited September 30, 2008 by regfootball

[Intrepidation]

I think I am going to go test drive a CC when they become available...I really like it.

[regfootball]

agreed. the CC is really nice.

[ltdaniels]

as i'm working with VW, i test drove the Routan earlier this week as well. i was really impressed by the seats and the steering - i had heard that VW spent $100 million on the suspension alone, so i wanted to try it for myself. the 2nd and 3rd row were surprisingly comfortable (as they typically are not in the Caravan and the Town & Country). the third row is awesome - that it folds into the car is obscenely convenient. i took some pictures as well:

[regfootball]

awesome pics lt. thanks! the routan is a nice surprise in the van market. it lacks the dowdiness of the dodge twins. the dash is cleaner and more attractive. It drives decently, even if its not as aggressive as i would like. the brooke shields as spokesperson is marketing genius.

I compared the way it drove to the Ford Edge. the steering is lighter and a little quicker than the edge, and aside from a longish wheelbase, the routan felt fairly nimble. the quest might be a bit more lively, and the odyssey for sure feels more skittish, but the routan is a nice blend. its very quiet...where the honda is not. the honda van really has been far overrated. I really think if enough folks drive the Routan, it could spur a minivan renaissance.

[regfootball]

question. can the CC be had with a manual trans?

[pow]

You know, actually, I have no idea which people hauler I like best.

I've had lots of experience with the Odyssey. It's packaged extraordinarily well, and I happen to like the way it drives. The powertrain is done very well - always in the right gear, responsive when you floor it, smooth throttle-tip in, no jerks, no jolts.

The Quest looks like no other minivan, and even though the third row is useless and the second row uncomfortable, I like the avant garde interior design. It has friggin' skylights and lounge chairs!

The Flex has really cool styling - it's Americana, it's the quintessential road trip vehicle. There are some compromises made from the styling, but who cares?

And finally there's this Crouton. Parked next to the Flex, especially, it really isn't a pinnacle of design. But I'm a VW-whore, so I already like it, even if it's a Chrysler underneath. I look forward to trying one out.

[pow]

question. can the CC be had with a manual trans?

Yes, but only in base (Sport) trim:

17" Phoenix alloy wheels with 235/45 R17 self-sealing "Nailguard" All-Season tires; Sport suspension; Climatic manual air conditioning; Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter; "Comfort" heatable 12-way adjustable power drivers' seat and 8-way power adjustable passenger seat; 3 Power Outlets; Multi-function steering wheel with Aluminum trim; 2-DIN 8-speaker Premium VII AM/FM stereo with in-dash 6-disc CD changer, MP3 compatible, Aux-in located in armrest; ABS with front and rear disc brakes;ASR; ESP; TPMS; Airbags (dual front, front side thorax, front and rear head curtain).

Unfortunately you can't get Xenons, panoramic roof, bigger alloys, navigation, or rear camera with the manual trans.

[ltdaniels]

And finally there's this Crouton. Parked next to the Flex, especially, it really isn't a pinnacle of design. But I'm a VW-whore, so I already like it, even if it's a Chrysler underneath. I look forward to trying one out.

it's tough to compare minivans with crossovers, in terms of exterior design. volkswagen did some changes on the front and back to give it a VW look, but they put in a lot of changes that aren't immediately apparent. like i said before, they re-did the suspension completely - you have to sit in the car and get behind the wheel before you can start noticing how its different.

[regfootball]

You know, actually, I have no idea which people hauler I like best.

I've had lots of experience with the Odyssey. It's packaged extraordinarily well, and I happen to like the way it drives. The powertrain is done very well - always in the right gear, responsive when you floor it, smooth throttle-tip in, no jerks, no jolts.

The Quest looks like no other minivan, and even though the third row is useless and the second row uncomfortable, I like the avant garde interior design. It has friggin' skylights and lounge chairs!

The Flex has really cool styling - it's Americana, it's the quintessential road trip vehicle. There are some compromises made from the styling, but who cares?

And finally there's this Crouton. Parked next to the Flex, especially, it really isn't a pinnacle of design. But I'm a VW-whore, so I already like it, even if it's a Chrysler underneath. I look forward to trying one out.

if i ever was interested in the CC, as you said it was specced would be fine. a buddy at work bought a used 07 or 08 quest and SURPRISE! he's already had it back to the dealer. When i read the rap on quests it more or less permanently scare me away from that one.

Honda's Ody is a sporty minivan, but i think the Routan is a nice player for a sporty van also.

If you compare the Routan to the Chryco offings, the Routan dashboard really is a nice advantage, even you give up the sto n go.

got the wife into the saturn showroom this wkd and if i was shopping vans, i think i would just get an outlook. she was digging the 3 row setup and the awesome front row with floor shifter in the outlook. the lambdas are the way to go for the best combination of close to van capacity and sedan like cockpit.

Routan was a great drive but it still had a little of that driving a bus aura to it.

Edited October 6, 2008 by regfootball