2009 Volkswagen Routan SE
By Melanie Droz
Although I don’t have kids, I am always excited to test drive a van. I appreciate the comfort, safety and luxuries atypically standard with a sedan or SUV. Therefore, I was thrilled to have the 2009 Volkswagen Routan SE for the weekend. Not to mention, I was babysitting my 3-year-old niece Jayden.
On the way to pick up Jayden at Oregano’s in Tempe, the Routan, which gets 16 city/23 highway, proved to be a smooth ride. The V6 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission made the 25-minute drive seem effortless. I put it in cruise control and coasted along the 202.
At lunch, I was holding Hudson (Jayden’s 7-month-old brother) and entertaining Jayden wondering how people do “it.” Parents must find it difficult to relax with kids. If they had the 2009 Volkswagen Routan SE, they may find it easier to attain peace, since Volkswagen offers a carefree maintenance program covering scheduled maintenance and roadside assistance at no charge for 3 years/36,000 miles.
Once we finished dinner, it was off to the Padres spring training game. It was so easy to transfer the car seat into the Routan due to the power operating sliding doors and Lower Anchors for Child Restraint Systems (LATCH). It took a few seconds to get Jayden nestled in, and she was, indeed, comfy in her reclining captain’s chair. She had control over air conditioning, the power window button and she loved the sunshades.
After splurging on cotton candy, Jayden asked a Padres player to throw her a foul ball. She yelled “GO PADRES” until the next one came our way. He called her out and she ran to fetch her official MLB baseball. The excitement on her face was priceless. A bit more costly is the $29,600.00 price tag on the Routan. The van I test drove came equipped with the power sunroof, power adjustable pedals, towing preparation and roof rails for another $1,985.00.
By the end of the 7th inning, Jayden was exhausted. Once we got her back into her throne in the Routan, she was asleep within seconds. With dual front and side curtain airbags, Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS) and 5-star ratings, Jayden slept much better in the van than she did at our place. That night, Jayden awoke twice crying; I only wish those captain chairs were removable.
The following day, we took the 2009 Volkswagen Routan SE to the zoo to walk for an epilepsy fundraiser. After the walk, Jayden rode a camel, went on the carousel and played with goats at the petting zoo. When she asked me if we could take one of the goats home, I actually considered because the Routan has a third row foldable bench capable of holding a family of goats. Then, I realized her dad wouldn’t be too happy about that, so instead I bought her a plastic monkey.
I was happy to get back to the Routan after an exciting morning at the zoo, because my back was killing me from holding Jayden most of the morning. The 8-way power driver seat was extremely helpful in readjusting my back. However, the day was not even close to being over. We had lunch with Aunt Julia and Uncle Damian and went swimming all afternoon.
I was so tired by the end of the day, but it was time to drive 35 minutes to take Jayden home. Despite the fact I probably drove the Routan 300 miles in two days, I enjoyed every minute of it. However, I still think I’ll wait a few more years to have kids.
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