Which model do you have? The SEL has the larger, more efficient 4.0L V-6. I find it plenty powerful for my purposes.

I tested the liftgate on myself. It doesn’t move fast enough to do much damage. I don’t remember it hurting (that’s either good or bad–it knocked my out?

The 2nd row seats fold up tight against the front seats when you remove the headrests. I never need that much hauling space, so the lack of Stow-N-Go is a non-issue. My middle seats are sat in almost everytime the van is used, so I’m thankful for the extra padding the Routan has.