CTC Medium-Term Review: 2007 Passat Wagon 2.0T

[slybry]

     Sorry I just find these mileage claims hard to believe. Driving Television had a Passat wagon (with auto tranny) for a long term test and averaged 11.4L/100kms. They thought that was pretty good. Realistically that is more in line with what I would expect to get in overall driving.

     

[wing]

I averaged around 11L/100km while I had the car, on the highway it is excellent though in the 6.5 range.

[mmret]

I averaged around 11L/100km while I had the car, on the highway it is excellent though in the 6.5 range.

Is that 120km/h with the cruise on?

[wing]

Yup, it was amazing!

[Jaeger]

I got it in the luxury leather package (in Black, and rear side airbags as an option). I chose the Tiptronic auto option. (I decided not to get the swivel bi-xenon headlights that change direction as you corner...never had it so I won't miss it).

It was on my shortlist along with the Audi A4 2.0T, and that too was an excellent car, but I saw more value in getting the Passat considering it was much larger, had the same 2.0 turbo engine and felt more stable at high speeds. Obviously the Passat lacks the 'prestige' of the Audi, but I preferred it's discreet elegance and I felt so much more at home during the Passat test drives.

Bought from VW Brampton dealership and this is my first VW vehicle. All I need now is an umbrella that will fit the door. 

They make airbags optional?? 

Jaeger

[JSCC]

I got it in the luxury leather package (in Black, and rear side airbags as an option). I chose the Tiptronic auto option. (I decided not to get the swivel bi-xenon headlights that change direction as you corner...never had it so I won't miss it).

It was on my shortlist along with the Audi A4 2.0T, and that too was an excellent car, but I saw more value in getting the Passat considering it was much larger, had the same 2.0 turbo engine and felt more stable at high speeds. Obviously the Passat lacks the 'prestige' of the Audi, but I preferred it's discreet elegance and I felt so much more at home during the Passat test drives.

Bought from VW Brampton dealership and this is my first VW vehicle. All I need now is an umbrella that will fit the door. 

They make airbags optional?? 

Jaeger

Yup front, side, and curtain is standard, rear side is optional ($450).
Audi does the same thing for more money ($500).

[UmroAyyar]

I think the VW's have the best optioning system. You can get ESP or Side Airbags separately without ordering an expensive package.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

They make airbags optional?? 

Jaeger

They are rear side torso (the curtains are std), which is rarely available on most vehicles at all.

[mmret]

I think the VW's have the best optioning system. You can get ESP or Side Airbags separately without ordering an expensive package.

Yup, the piecemeal optioning is really very nice, at least on paper.

I guess it could make it difficult to find a certain configuration in your color though as there are so many combinations.

[onearmed]

I think the VW's have the best optioning system. You can get ESP or Side Airbags separately without ordering an expensive package.

Yup, the piecemeal optioning is really very nice, at least on paper.

I guess it could make it difficult to find a certain configuration in your color though as there are so many combinations.

I love those certain options piece meal.  For example

I can get a city golf with side curtain, esp(includes tranction control) with auto, air, and power everything for a VERY reasonable price.  Without throwing alloys,  sunroof, or heated seats

14900
+410 Side and side curtain airbags
+450 ESP (Traction control incl)
+740 power everything
+2500 auto + air
=$19000

That is a pretty damn good options for a "cheap car"

[Mitlov]

They make airbags optional?? 

Jaeger

They are rear side torso (the curtains are std), which is rarely available on most vehicles at all.

Not to mention that they're something that not everybody wants.  A rear side torso airbag, unlike a side curtain airbag, would be dangerous or possibly deadly to a young kid in a rear outboard seat.  Rear side airbags are great for folks who carpool with three other adults, but terrible for parents.  I'm very glad they're not standard.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

They make airbags optional?? 

Jaeger

They are rear side torso (the curtains are std), which is rarely available on most vehicles at all.

Not to mention that they're something that not everybody wants.  A rear side torso airbag, unlike a side curtain airbag, would be dangerous or possibly deadly to a young kid in a rear outboard seat.  Rear side airbags are great for folks who carpool with three other adults, but terrible for parents.  I'm very glad they're not standard.

Yeah, I wondered how they would affect a bulky child seat, but maybe they blow up into a relatively compact space. I don't have people in the rear seat often enough to justify it, nor do I feel they are as important as head curtains. But certainly wouldn't turn them down if they were free 

Actually, here's a photo of the airbags on a Golf GTI 3dr (we only have the option on the 5drs, interestingly enough)... http://www.vwvortex.com/gallery/albums//Volkswagen/Golf%20-%20GTI%20-%20Rabbit/Golf%20V/GTI%20-%20EU/057.jpg

...and the Passat http://www.vwvortex.com/gallery/albums//Volkswagen/Passat/Passat%20VI/Passat%20Sedan%20(Europe)/062.jpg

[Blueprint]

The Passat 1.8t manual I (briefly) owned averaged 10 l/km in urban mixed driving, but we rarely took it out of town so I don't have any real world highway fuel numbers.

Wing, at least the dead fob battery (was it that simple ? ) saved you from too much embarassement when the alarm turned off.  You don't mention if the fob started working again...

[wing]

^ Chris wrote the article not me..

[chrischasescars]

Blueprint, the fob did work perfectly after that, just as it had before. No idea what caused it, but I'm just glad I knew how to get into the car. It's not obvious how to get at the lock cylinder; I remember reading about it somewhere online.

[davidm]

We had the rear side bags on the A4 (we wanted the car, it had this extra option which we got for "free").  Dealer and several safety/car people I talked to recommended having the bags turned off by the dealer for children in car/booster seats.

Rationale - if you read the warnings, these bags are fine if you are facing forward, but if you are, say, hanging out the window (or leaning on the door, etc.) they can cause a problem.  Given how fidgety the average 2-year old is it is considered risky to leave them on with kids in the backseat (or at least so I was told).

[Name]

The only way the price for this car of 37K can be considered reasonable is when you compare it to the Jetta prices or the V6 version. Consider the alternative you can get a fully loaded 2006 Saab 95 wagon with 20K for 30-35K. Saab is faster, bigger, a lot more reliable (going by consumer reports), has more equitpment and even looks better, at least to me. You need a wagon check out the Saab 95.

[lucid0703]

I don't understand how you can get a 9-5 wagon(SportCombi) at that price. Last time I checked, a 2007 9-5 SportCombi starts at over 45K. Do you mean a used car by "2006"?

[JSCC]

I don't understand how you can get a 9-5 wagon(SportCombi) at that price. Last time I checked, a 2007 9-5 SportCombi starts at over 45K. Do you mean a used car by "2006"?

Just ignore, comparing a used car to a new car solely on price is not a fair comparison.

[trandell]

Do not let the Saab sticker give you major concern. There should be lots of room to negotiate. I leased a new 2006 Saab 9-5 last July and the payment was lower then that for a similiar equiped 2006 Passat 2.0T at the time . The Saab has the Aero (sport) package with the manual transmission. The comparable configeration is not possible with the Passat since sport package is for 3.6L and is only available with auto. This fact alone pretty much eliminated it from serious consideration. In US they can however buy a 2.0T with the sport package, go figure?