CTC Medium-Term Review: 2007 Passat Wagon 2.0T

[CD_Editor]

Picture Gallery:  2007 VW Passat Wagon


Intro

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Since our article on the VW Passat 4Motion garnered so much interest, Volkswagen has sent us a medium-term tester to keep in our fleet until May.  I picked up the vehicle from colleague and senior writer Paul Williams today, who had a chance to drive it to Toronto last weekend.  His first comment to me was that the gas mileage was outstanding, with more than 645km on the odometer and over a quarter-tank of fuel remaining.More ...

[Jay]

Does it squeak?  There's a huge thread on vwvortex about squeaks and rattles in the '06 Passat. 

[onearmed]

I can somewhat confirm the nice highway mileage.  If i remember correctly, our ride to florida in an Audi 2.0T quattro with 3 people and full luggage averaged about 8.0L/100 (hand calculated, trip computer would say avg 7.5L/100).  We hit approx 675km on a tank when the gas light would pop on.  Still gotta fill premium though.

[Loudpedal]

Where is this button located?  The trim adjascent to it looks incredibly worn, or is it my eyes?
http://www.canadiandriver.com/ctc_gallery/index.php?level=picture&id=1448 

[onearmed]

Where is this button located?  The trim adjascent to it looks incredibly worn, or is it my eyes?
http://www.canadiandriver.com/ctc_gallery/index.php?level=picture&id=1448 

Looks like water/frozen water ...

[G0dspd]

Where is this button located?  The trim adjascent to it looks incredibly worn, or is it my eyes?
http://www.canadiandriver.com/ctc_gallery/index.php?level=picture&id=1448 

Looks like water/frozen water ...

I think it's the button for the hatch automatic closing mechanism thing on the rear-gate.  Maybe it's frozen water (that close to electric components?) but it does looks like paint chips or scratches.

[wing]

That's frozen water on a rubber seal.  It is the button for the hatch.

[MKII]

Very insightful of VW Canada to recognize the value of Car Talk.

Also the price as tested seems acceptable, at $37000.00 IMO the equipment level is on par with other vehicles at this price point. If VW Canada has a strong enough advertising budget, they should pour lots into this vehicle, as Canada is a strong market for wagon variants.

Look forward to CanadianDriver's comments.

[DoubleClutch]

Although this car is about $16,000 less expensive than our previous tester, it is still optioned up to $36,665. The saving grace? It is still equipped with leather, heated seats and that wonderful power rear lift gate.

I'm confused what trim is equipped on your test vehicle? According to VW.ca $36,665 gives you the 2.0T with Luxury package. To get leather and the power lift gate you'd have to get the leather luxury package, which is $39,275. I went to the Calgary auto show last week and it had a base 2.0T which also had the power lift gate (but I believe leatherette) I think VW now has the power lift gate standard on the 2.0T. Does anyone know??? (JSCC/SirA). Wing, i think you're confusing the leather with leatherette.

[wing]

Thanks for the info DoubleClutch, I believe you are correct and our tester has leatherette  I'll add those 4 letters

Thanks.

[safristi]

  "ETTE_ME"...................

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Although this car is about $16,000 less expensive than our previous tester, it is still optioned up to $36,665. The saving grace? It is still equipped with leather, heated seats and that wonderful power rear lift gate.

I'm confused what trim is equipped on your test vehicle? According to VW.ca $36,665 gives you the 2.0T with Luxury package. To get leather and the power lift gate you'd have to get the leather luxury package, which is $39,275. I went to the Calgary auto show last week and it had a base 2.0T which also had the power lift gate (but I believe leatherette) I think VW now has the power lift gate standard on the 2.0T. Does anyone know??? (JSCC/SirA). Wing, i think you're confusing the leather with leatherette.

Yeah, his unit has Climatic so should have leatherette at that price. Latest VOG I see says power liftgate is reserved for leather models. Don't know what happened there, whether it's a running change or a nice misbuild. That's VW for you.

[Blueprint]

VW often mixes up features.  Prior to buying my 2001.5 Passat 1.8t, a similar base car I test-drove had the rear sunshade from a package that this car did not have.  The car I bought did not have that, and the sunshade never got listed as "std" in the base car.  Go figure !

[Mike s]

Buyers should consider purchasing this car without the auto, you can save $1400 and make use of the abundent & useable low end torque / HP coupled with a great manual that is shiftable with two fingers.  It's unlikely you could ever purchase a value engineered Japenese car with a 4-cylinder & manual because of the extreme absence of torque or power in day to day driving.  Furthermore, Car & Driver reported 0-60 in 6.9 seconds - unlikley acheivable by many V-6's in the market that usually only come with auto's.  Then consider the mileage: here what I get with mine:  130kph - 7.7, 120kph - 7.3, 115 kph - 6.3, 110kph - 6.3, wow!.  The leatherette is a gift for anyone with kids, more durable, more comfortable and less expensive than leather.  If you don't mind shifting gears, I don't think you can match the performance, efficiency, comfort & utility this wagon offers.

[simonsez]

Nice comment Mike, so this leatherette, how does it compare with the real stuff? Any drawbacks?  Also, the mileage your getting seems exceptional, are you dumping premium in it, I was told by a dealer that although premium is required, the engine can take regular??? Any truth to that?

[MKII]

Leatherette is easy to care for and  will age much better.

[mike s]

Yes I agree the leatherette was standard on Audi's for years (and still is?).  I see no drawbacks with it; I think its an exceptional upgrade from cloth and does not require the buyer to purchase leather.  The mileage was measured on a summer trip (not winter) using 91 Octane gas between Niagara Falls and London, Ont.  (The car comes with two trip computers so I used one for the resetting between speed measurements, and the other for overall mileage.  I then measured the fuel used via the computer with the fuel I needed to refill to ensure the computer was accurate - it was bang on.

Some other points for you to consider:

I know on the surface this car might seem expensive, but when I bought I looked at the Honday Odessy & Volvo V70.  Equally equipped (less the automatic for the Honda) the Odessy was $5,700 more including including their freight cost and extra years warranty to match the VW 4-year; it offered a V6 but I'd being paying through the nose on gas for years to come.  The V70 was $12,000 more and offered a marginal entry level engine with no low pressure turbo and no direct injection and only 5-speed manual.

[JSCC]

Although this car is about $16,000 less expensive than our previous tester, it is still optioned up to $36,665. The saving grace? It is still equipped with leather, heated seats and that wonderful power rear lift gate.

I'm confused what trim is equipped on your test vehicle? According to VW.ca $36,665 gives you the 2.0T with Luxury package. To get leather and the power lift gate you'd have to get the leather luxury package, which is $39,275. I went to the Calgary auto show last week and it had a base 2.0T which also had the power lift gate (but I believe leatherette) I think VW now has the power lift gate standard on the 2.0T. Does anyone know??? (JSCC/SirA). Wing, i think you're confusing the leather with leatherette.

Yeah, his unit has Climatic so should have leatherette at that price. Latest VOG I see says power liftgate is reserved for leather models. Don't know what happened there, whether it's a running change or a nice misbuild. That's VW for you.

Power gate button on all the wagons (even base) since day 1.

[Spheric]

Based on my recent test drives and good reviews on this site and others, I took the plunge and have ordered the sedan version of the Passat (2.0T with luxury leather package). Right now, it's on the ship from Germany. I'll keep you folks posted on the main forums.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Although this car is about $16,000 less expensive than our previous tester, it is still optioned up to $36,665. The saving grace? It is still equipped with leather, heated seats and that wonderful power rear lift gate.

I'm confused what trim is equipped on your test vehicle? According to VW.ca $36,665 gives you the 2.0T with Luxury package. To get leather and the power lift gate you'd have to get the leather luxury package, which is $39,275. I went to the Calgary auto show last week and it had a base 2.0T which also had the power lift gate (but I believe leatherette) I think VW now has the power lift gate standard on the 2.0T. Does anyone know??? (JSCC/SirA). Wing, i think you're confusing the leather with leatherette.

Yeah, his unit has Climatic so should have leatherette at that price. Latest VOG I see says power liftgate is reserved for leather models. Don't know what happened there, whether it's a running change or a nice misbuild. That's VW for you.

Power gate button on all the wagons (even base) since day 1.

Strange (but good). They should really revise the price list on VW.ca then.