Topic: 2006 VW Passat 2.0T

[lucid0703]

Sorry for the poor quality of my pics. Many of them were taken by my phone, and others were taken in a very dark place..resulting in shaking and noise.
I hope I can take some good pics with my digital camera some other day..

[quadzilla]

Welcome to the madness.

Nice car. How long have you had your Passat?  What options did you get?

That has to be the largest gas gauge (area not size) I've ever seen. 

[Bullet Blue]

Cool looking shot of the interior. The whole car looks pretty classy. The Passat is one of the few VW's that I would ever really consider buying from their lineup. I like it. How do you find the drive so far? Is it an MT?

[Shnak]

Nice car!!! 

Let us know how you like it as the weeks go on!

[lucid0703]

Welcome to the madness.

Nice car. How long have you had your Passat?  What options did you get?

That has to be the largest gas gauge (area not size) I've ever seen. 

Thank you for welcoming!
I've been driving it for one week. I picked up the car on Tuesday last week
I have AT, Convenience Package, and Luxury Package.
Convenience Package includes 6-CD changer, heated washer nozzles, spling folding rear seat, etc, etc.
It is really worth it for $1170.
The Luxury Package was a bit expensive for what it offers.
It consists of power sunroof, 16" alloy wheels, and homelink.
Well, I wanted a sunroof and my mother, who stays in Canada for a few months every year and likes to drive my car for her stay, wanted alloy wheels.

Cool looking shot of the interior. The whole car looks pretty classy. The Passat is one of the few VW's that I would ever really consider buying from their lineup. I like it. How do you find the drive so far? Is it an MT?

Thank you.
I would say Passat is a family sedan, yet it feels like a sports sedan. It is surely no comparison to Audi A3/A4 or BMW 3 series, but it was really different from most of the family sedans I've testdriven.
So, do I like it? Hell yeah, I'm in love with the new car
Oh, by the way, I got an AT. Well, I'm not really an MT enthusiast, so didn't mind getting an AT..

Nice car!!! 

Let us know how you like it as the weeks go on!

Thank you! I'll keep posting what I feel about the car.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

HEY! I think I've seen you post before somewhere 

Finally some shots of the car. Lookin' great! Material quality has arguably been lowered a notch, but I really like the extra emotion they've added to the new Passat interior and for me it really makes the car standout.

One thing I don't like about North American spec is the front amber turn signal lenses in the bumper. The clear ones available in other markets looks much better to me, and it'd be something I changed if I owned the car.

Your friend has the new Camry. Anything you can share that you or s/he has noticed comparing between the two?

[lucid0703]

HEY! I think I've seen you post before somewhere 

Finally some shots of the car. Lookin' great! Material quality has arguably been lowered a notch, but I really like the extra emotion they've added to the new Passat interior and for me it really makes the car standout.

One thing I don't like about North American spec is the front amber turn signal lenses in the bumper. The clear ones available in other markets looks much better to me, and it'd be something I changed if I owned the car.

Your friend has the new Camry. Anything you can share that you or s/he has noticed comparing between the two?

Haha, you even remember what my friend's car is!
I'm glad to see you here
About the turn signal lenses, honestly I didn't really notice it. The thing I really don't like about the car is the front cup holder! Everything else inside the car is just nice and sleek, but what happened to the cup holder!

Ok, I've been in his Camry, and he's been in my Passat.
He was surprised with how the interior looks..especially when the illumination is turned on. He said he really feels like he's in an luxury family sedan..particularly such as something from Audi.
Well I saw the interior of Camry, on day and at night, it was not bad, but people will agree its interior is not as fancy as the new Passat's.
Driving experience? I'm sure everyone will have a different taste about the two cars. They drive in totally different ways.
The Camry is surely the most popular family sedan, and there are many reasons for it. It drives so smooth and quiet. Sometimes we can't even distinguish if the ignition is on or off..(with a bit of exaggeration ) Once I accelerate it goes like a beast. His V6 has much more HP and torque than most of other family sedans. It was fast, but yet quiet and smooth.
My Passat was very different. Compared to his Camry, We hear the engine sound all the time. Not that it is noisy, but it is not something like Camry. But the handling and the acceleration were more responsive and they gave us kind of a "sporty" feeling.

Both were great cars. It is just that my personal taste picked up the Passat. However, Camry is still a quiet beast.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I should have mentioned the cupholder too. It really is the biggest disappointment. I'm getting the GTI, and again, they've given North Americans a specific ugly exposed cupholder (versus one with a sliding cover with a bottle opener). In the Passat I think it's even worse because it's fuzzy, and on beige vehicles the cupholders are black! Sticks out a lot, looks like an afterthought that doesn't belong, and is really disappointing in an otherwise well finished interior. Not so bad with the black interior tho. I was looking into getting the parts for the Euro cupholder, but installing means taking apart a lot of the lower dash which I'm afraid of. Also, most of the time while in the car I don't look down at the console between the seats, so not as much of an irritant; still, difficult imagining they went thru the trouble of changing... for that.

The Camry really is a comfortable, quiet car. I absolutely despised the look and feel of the outgoing car, but the new one is a dramatic improvement I actually like quite a bit. Nice syling, more room for my knees in the interior, still very quiet and smooth (and fuel efficient). They've kept the good attributes of the previous Camry and ditched the bad very well. Does he have the 4-cyl or the V6?

[lucid0703]

I should have mentioned the cupholder too. It really is the biggest disappointment. I'm getting the GTI, and again, they've given North Americans a specific ugly exposed cupholder (versus one with a sliding cover with a bottle opener). In the Passat I think it's even worse because it's fuzzy, and on beige vehicles the cupholders are black! Sticks out a lot, looks like an afterthought that doesn't belong, and is really disappointing in an otherwise well finished interior. Not so bad with the black interior tho. I was looking into getting the parts for the Euro cupholder, but installing means taking apart a lot of the lower dash which I'm afraid of. Also, most of the time while in the car I don't look down at the console between the seats, so not as much of an irritant; still, difficult imagining they went thru the trouble of changing... for that.

The Camry really is a comfortable, quiet car. I absolutely despised the look and feel of the outgoing car, but the new one is a dramatic improvement I actually like quite a bit. Nice syling, more room for my knees in the interior, still very quiet and smooth (and fuel efficient). They've kept the good attributes of the previous Camry and ditched the bad very well. Does he have the 4-cyl or the V6?

His Camry is a V6. Yeah, the exterior styling of the new Camry is really surprising. I have never thought that someday I would say "This Camry surely looks good!"..which is what I said as soon as I saw my friend's Camry waiting for me.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Now there's a swanky Avatar in action! 

[lucid0703]

Now there's a swanky Avatar in action! 

Hehe, this is something I've always wanted to have when I get a car with a cool looking tachometer. My old car had that typical ugly green illumination..

[JSCC]

Who can resist the elegent and aggresive, blue on red needles! 

[JSCC]

Passat 2.0T AT with luxury package is our best selling Passat model.

[AVToller]

Who can resist the elegent and aggresive, blue on red needles! 

Me for one - I really dislike the look. 

[ovr50]

lucid - welcome to the Forum and thanks for posting pix of your new Passet. Sharp looking car in black (aren't they all in black?!) and I like the instruments in the blue/red. 

[lucid0703]

Who can resist the elegent and aggresive, blue on red needles! 

Me for one - I really dislike the look. 

Hehe, yeah, I've always loved the cool look of VW/Audi's instrument panel and the tacho/speedometers.
AVToller/Hmm you are the only one person that I've known of who really dislike it. But, well, it's just a matter of personal taste after all. 

Passat 2.0T AT with luxury package is our best selling Passat model.

I'm not surprised with that. I always thought most people will want alloy wheels anyway. And EVERY Passat I see on street has a sunroof. It makes me assume that a Passat with Luxury Package is the most popular Passat. 
Also, budget-wise, I think 2.0T offers more.

lucid - welcome to the Forum and thanks for posting pix of your new Passet. Sharp looking car in black (aren't they all in black?!) and I like the instruments in the blue/red. 

Thank you for welcoming. I saw many Passats in silver, gray, or shadow blue. 

[onearmed]

We were about to get a new passat but in the end my father wanted AWD and all those little luxury features.  Good luck with your car, glad you  have a lot of passion for it!   

[JSCC]

We were about to get a new passat but in the end my father wanted AWD and all those little luxury features.  Good luck with your car, glad you  have a lot of passion for it!   

That brings up a point that makes me unhappy.
Me and most of my coworkers believe VW should have made the 4Motion as an available option for the 2.0T (@ $3000)
I have lost a few deals to the Subaru Legacy beacuse the V6 4Motion starts at $45,000.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Rumour was the 2.0T 4MOTION is coming sometime next year.

Passat VR6 pricing is too high by a good $2,500+ IMO. 

[lucid0703]

We were about to get a new passat but in the end my father wanted AWD and all those little luxury features.  Good luck with your car, glad you  have a lot of passion for it!   

Thank you. Yeah, it's sad 2.0T doesn't come with 4motion..

That brings up a point that makes me unhappy.
Me and most of my coworkers believe VW should have made the 4Motion as an available option for the 2.0T (@ $3000)
I have lost a few deals to the Subaru Legacy beacuse the V6 4Motion starts at $45,000.

Rumour was the 2.0T 4MOTION is coming sometime next year.

Passat VR6 pricing is too high by a good $2,500+ IMO. 

If 2.0T offered 4Motion, I would definitely buy it even if I had to give up some options for the price.
3.6L 4Motion is just way too expensive for a person who wants a decent affordable family sedan with AWD.