2012 Routan compared with 2012 Chrysler Town & Country

Safety
The Volkswagen Routan has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous. The Town & Country doesn’t offer Daytime Running Lights.

Both the Routan and the Town & Country have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four wheel antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

Warranty
The Routan comes with free roadside assistance for 3 years 36,000 miles. Volkswagen will send help if you run out of gas, need a jump start, lock your keys in or need any assistance on the road. Chrysler doesn’t give free roadside assistance for the Town & Country.

The Routan’s corrosion warranty is 7 years and unlimited miles longer than the Town & Country’s (12/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Routan for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotation, lubrication and any other scheduled maintenance. Chrysler doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Town & Country.

Reliability
J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler vehicles. J.D. Powerranks Volkswagen 29th in reliability. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chrysler is ranked 30th.

Brakes and Stopping
The Routan’s stops shorter than the Town & Country.

Chassis
The design of the Volkswagen Routan amounts to more than styling. The Routan has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .298 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Town & Country (.33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Routan get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space
The Routan has .4 inches more rear headroom, .6 inches more rear shoulder room and 4.9 inches more third row legroom than the Town & Country.

Ergonomics
The Routan’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Town & Country’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

Economic Advantages
Insurance will cost less for the Routan owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Routan will cost $610 less than the Town & Country over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Routan is less expensive to operate than the Town & Country because it costs $245 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Routan than the Town & Country, including $321 less for a water pump, $296 less for an alternator, $76 less for a fuel pump and $21 less for a power steering pump.

Intellichoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Volkswagen Routan will be $924 to $3535 less than for the Chrysler Town & Country.

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