Volkswagen Passat 2005 and earlier

pkradd

If you buy the GLS (entry level Passat) add auto/tip and lux package, you get a fabulous deal on price vs. other cars in its class. Sure a Camry LE is less money, but you don't get 4 wheel disc brakes, air curtains (along with front and side airbags) or the fit and finish. Passats, I believe, are being bought more by former owners of Camrys, Accords, Ultimas - even Maximas, and such cars. They are not being bought primarily by Audi, BMW or Lexus buyers. Where else can you get a German-made sedan at the price of a GLS Passat. Sure, if you upscale the car to a V6 , 4 Motion, leather, etc. the price gets up into Audi A4 range. Then it becomes a matter of taste, how one drives, and other "emotional" factors. I am a former Camry owner and find the Passat a joy. The Audi A4 adds brushed aluminum, wood accents, push buttons and such to the interior. With the bigger tires it handles a bit better. (Add larger tires to the Passat and I believe you get close to the Audi handling). BUT not everybody drives a car fast, hard, etc. For us that don't, the Passat feels incredibly agile, firm and safe.

merckx

While shopping for my Passat,I also considered a BMW. I started with a 3-series,as they get great press. I certainally liked it,but it did not overwhelm me. Also,although only 6',I felt the roof and windshield header a little too much in my line of sight-I felt a little cramped.
I then drove a 525i-a really marvelous car. But it was almost exactly twice the price of the VW,equipped the way I'd want. And I can't say it was anywhere TWICE as good or fun as the Passat.
The Passat ,to me,is one of those rare products where I think,"I'd have paid more for this." Probably the Miata is the only inexpensive car that can bring so much pleasure.
Back seat issues(Audi)-it's not really the seat,as most don't use them that often,except for those above mentioned mini-van drivers.
The real issue is the somewhat esoteric wheelbase-to-overall length ratio. This makes the Passat have something over the A4.
Short front and rear overhangs,give a car both a better ride and better handling;usually those two are mutually exclusive. The lack of extra weight at either end reduces the "gyroscope" effect when the car changes direction,Espically rapidly.(Envision a game of "crack the whip"while skating to imagine weight in motion.
The A4 handles better(or snappier or more abruptly),but at the expense of ride. It does have a flintier,youthful,less mature feel than the VW. It is more flingable.
But the soft,serene Passat(Espically a manual turbo)I've always thought a unique mixture of Cadillac and Miata-soft but fun.

deerlake7

Yesterday, I read the March Consumers Report which tested the A4, amoungst others. CR commented that both the Passat V6 and the Camry XLE V6 outscored their more expensive counterparts. I have to agree. I found the A4Q Tip to be stiff and jiggly in its ride, a back seat that cannot hold my 14 year old comfortably and not very quick. Although I would rather drive a wet and curvy back road aggressively in an A4 Quattro, I'll take my Passat V6 for 90% of my day in and day out driving. Heck, I have enough of a problem dodging speeding tickets the way it is now.

silvercrown

I have to say that I am always very impressed by the loyalty that Passat owners show towards their cars. In fact, whenever I consider my next vehicle, no matter how I dissect it and rationalize the alternatives, I keep coming back to the Passat. The Passat remains my top choice that would fulfill my needs and wants with the Altima in 2nd place. When I became interested in AWD, I even considered SUVs (for the first time ever), specifically the Toyota Highlander. But in the final analysis, I still come back to the Passat.

And especially now that I've read about this potential oil sludge problem with late model Toyotas, I'm really scratching my head and wishing that I could trade for a Passat. For the sake of affordability, I would strongly consider the 1.8T Tiptronic. I do too much city driving and urban crawling for a stick (plus I've never driven one). Lately, I've been interested in AWD, but I'm not sure I could afford it, I think that my payments would be higher than I'm comfortable with right now. But things can change, you never know what the future may hold. And it's nice to know that the Passat also offers that option. Having AWD without having to buy an SUV is very appealing to me. Great handling, a smooth ride and excellent safety features are also strong pluses.

If I can get some other financial issues in order this year, I may just go for it instead of continuing to torture myself. LOL And also, before my car develops an oil sludge problem. :-( Maybe it never will, as I change my oil frequently (every 3,000 miles/ 3 months), but I have to admit, it has slightly shaken my confidence in Toyota, especially their initial reaction to the problem and the way they treated the affected owners. The main reason I bought a Camry was for reliability and to avoid possible recalls for something as serious as the engine. But nothing man-made is perfect, so c'est la vie. I guess it could happen to any manufacturer, but how they handle it says volumes.

Question for the group: do you think VW will ever offer 4Motion on the 1.8t Passat? Or is that encroaching too heavily on Audi A4 territory?

prattsgirl

I may be asking a "what's the meaning of life?" type of question here...I have the opportunity to purchase a very cherry, fully loaded 1999 passat with only 13,000 miles. I know the owner, so this is no goose egg. The price is a bit more than I want to pay in general, but is very reasonable compared to what i see out in the market.

the big issues is interior size. my husband is 6'6" and drives a crown victoria (which i hate). he's comforatable in the passat and the accord and camry have comparable interior room.

can someone help me get over paying $3-5,000 more than an relatively equivalent accord/camry for this passat?

btw, i've never owned one but grew up in an alfa/fiat home.

vwguild

No, VW will never configure the 1.8T with 4MO, but
you could certainly order the GLS Passat V6 with
4Motion and save a bit over the GLX...

rebmaninbc

My wife and I recently bought a Passat GLX from Findlay Volkswagen in Henderson, NV (suburb of Las Vegas) and I'm writing to say that it was THE best experience I've ever had in buying a car. It BLEW AWAY the "other" dealership in town and I would recommend that you stay away from the "other" dealership like the plague. The test-drive was a blast, the negotiations were simple and quick (they accepted Edmunds TMV on the first try with no hesitation), and the car is awesome.

We love the car (my wife drives it all the time and lets me drive it every once in a while ! The only negatives, in my opinion, are the noticeable body roll, the lag on the V6 from red lights, and the fact that the little storage compartment in between the front seats isn't big enough to hold CD's.

Every day we find some new little function that we hadn't known about before. I disagree with the "confusing gauges" that certain reviewers always talk about. I think they're all fairly simple and intuitive. I know not everyone out there is a rocket scientist, but come on. The back is huge and the trunk even bigger. Plus, the car feels rock solid.

Overall, we give the whole experience 5 stars!

venus537

don't get me wrong, i think the passat is a superb automobile. but i don't necessary think it's a great value. for the price of the gls passat you mentioned you can get a v6 accord lx and save at least a grand and a half. add the alloys ( a must for me) though. of course the current accord sedan doesn't look nearly as nice or ride as well as the passat. but then the 1.8t (as good as it is) isn't up to the accord's v6. even though the 1.8t has good thrust, it lacks the smoothness, refinement, quietness and high speed ease of the accord's v6 or the passat's own v6.

i have said my next car is going to be either an accord 03 or another jetta. now i'm thinking of either an accord 03 or a passat. the passat is just winning me over.

i agree with you that the passat is stealing sales from the accord, camry and maxima. i just don't see too many chevy or ford owners going for a passat.

wculbert

Anybody have any idea what the real 0-60 times are for the 6 Cyl Passat?

pkradd

venus357. Being used to Camry 4's for two cars ('95 and '98) I find the 1.8T much peppier. You're right, it isn't as smooth as the V6, but there have been quite a few "red flags" concerning the VW V6 in the press. If I had my druthers I'd buy a BMW, but alas my druthers don't go that far at the moment. I'm not a car "enthusiast" but I simply fell in love with the looks and the feel of the Passat. I've just passed the 8000 mile mark and have no complaints so far. I was bored with the Camry.

pkradd

Those who have purchased the Passat may not have discovered the following (then again, you may have):

If you opted for the lux package, there's a flip down piece above the rearview mirror, on the overhead console. It covers the area between the mirror and top of the windshield to give some relief from the sun .

The sunvisor can be extended on it's rod by pulling it (both driver and passenger ones).

The center console storage cover can be moved forward a few inches. It can also be lifted up in several positions to give the driver a resting place for the right arm .

As I mentioned before, the doors can be opened in 3 different positions and stay there.

markcincinnati

Price wise, it is very possible to configure a Passat 4Motion and an A4 1.8T quattro for similar money.

I do think they compete somewhat, but as has been pointed out above, the A4 is engineered, packaged and marketed to a different customer than a Passat V6/w/4Motion.

The thing I have found, however, is the possible confusion in the minds of potential A6 3.0 quattro buyers when contrasting that vehicle with a Passat GLX 4Motion with "all the toys."

Moreover, the soon to be here Passat W8 will have to take some Audi A6 3.0 quattro customers away from Audi of America. In December, my friends 1998 A6 2.8 quattro came off lease -- he looked at an '02 A6 3.0 quattro and a Passat GLX w/4Motion. He leased the VW instead of the Audi -- and there was some financial motivation from Audi to boot!

I asked him why the Passat -- he claimed that he drove the two cars (and his '98 A6) back to back and that the Passat seemed closer to an A6 than an A4 (more lux less sport, i.e.). And the price therefore made it a no-brainer.

I have read and even said that the Passat seems like it could be called an Audi A5 is such a car existed -- my friend made the Passat (when compared to the bottom rung Audi A6) seem like an Audi A5.5.

I assume the Audi had greater content -- e.g., the Audi had ESP, the Passat didn't (to me that is so important, I would not consider the Passat -- to my friend the AWD was enough).

I assume the Audi rode better, handled better, overall performed better -- but if it did, it was, in my friend's mind (and wallet) an insignificant difference. A W8 for $37,900 versus an A6 3.0 V6 -- what is VW and/or Audi thinking, I wonder? Perhaps even an A4 3.0 fully loaded (which is north of $38K) will be cannibalized (although I think this is less of a problem due to the A4's more sporting image and reality).

wmquan

I would agree that the Audi A4 3.0 is likely to have a more sporting nature than the Passat W8, though mostly in terms of handling. This is, of course, pending test drives. The Passat W8 is probably tuned more toward passenger comfort and reasonable handling.

But I do think that VW is confusing the delineation between VW and Audi. At $38k loaded (including ESP, more room, and a good amount of power and other goodies), the W8 looks like a better buy than the A4 3.0. Only if I couldn't trade off extra handling would I turn down the W8 in favor of the A4 3.0. The power and torque of the W8 engine provides a different kind of sportiness too.

charles15

I always try to get the most for the least in buying a car so after much research I bought a GLS Passat with the only options being a Tiptronic and a 6 CD changer for $22K even. I gave up the luxury package with the idea of buying a 7year 100k platinum extended warranty later. I have had five VWs and love them but they are expensive to repair when you need parts. Do not miss the sunroof all that much and may add wheels later. I believe that I got a lot of car for $22K.

markcincinnati

On Sunday's I go to Barnes & Nobel and browse and browse the "Transportation" section, in addtion to the subscriptions I have to Car and Driver and Road and Track and Autombile, I browse and often buy European Car, Car, Audi and other similar magazines and newsprint style magazines (most of them are, of course, from Europe). I somehow signed up for several e-mail alerts from the automotive press too.

Recently I read in one of these publications that VW has decided to release the upcoming W8 with a "sporting" suspension. This sporting up was in response to the initial customer responses pertaining to the W8. Apparently, VW had dialed in way too much comfort and way too much body roll/lean. The suspension engineers have tweaked the production Passat to be slightly lower, have slightly stiffer springs and sway bars -- also the car will have 17" wheel and tires that will at the very least be high performance (and probably for the US, all season, HP) tires of a low profile (relatively) of at least 55 series (perhaps lower, or perhaps there will be a summer tire option which will be ultra high performance).

Anyway, the W8 will be more sporting than lux so says the press. This, in my mind, still makes it more likely to do damage to an A6 3.0 quattro (which as I recall only comes with one suspension, unlike the higher performance A6's, which can be had with either comfort or sport suspensions). Not that I entirely disagree with the notion that some A4 3.0 potential customers won't consider a W8 mind you. I think that most people that would spend $38K on an A4 3.0 quattro probably want the extra sportiness that such an A4 will have over the W8 Passat.

Now, if VW offers a sport package on the W8, it seems like some A4 buyers MIGHT consider the Passat -- and like my friend -- a sported up W8 for say $39,900 versus an A6 3.0 quattro -- it seems the A6 will be hurt the most. I have always purchased Audi's and VW's without regard to the image issue -- which IMO is true of many Audi VW customers. That is, my VW and Audi driving friends don't automatically think the car with the little blue propeller is better just because it is a Bimmer.

A potential Audi A6 3.0 customer who wanders across the showroom floor or across the street to the VW store may be tempted, strongly, by the W8 Passat. Certainly for anyone who takes the time to compare them "back to back" and sticker to sticker, the VW will make a compelling and persuasive argument (just as it did with my friend who ended up with the GLX 4Motion).

I just don't get the marketing strategy -- my dealer friend (owns an Audi store, used to own both an Audi store and a VW store -- but they were miles apart) thinks that Audi will be hurt. My VW dealer friend (he used to own half of the Audi store) is thrilled because he feels he will have a much broader line of cars, from VW, than he would with Audi (remember the Phaeton will be here in the near future, too). By his reconing he will have cars from the teens all the way to $70,000+ -- of course this makes me wander if the VW dealer network is ready to handle the expecations of car owners in the over $35,000 range.

It will be interesting to watch this play out in the market place.

I am a very loyal Audi owner, and I must say that a W8 Passat with a 6spd manual transmission would at least merit a test-drive; and if the competition is, for example, an A6 2.7T, which can be optioned to north of $50,000, well. . .it just makes me wonder.

markcincinnati

Oops -- reckoning and wonder not the way I typed it!

buckeye13

I have a 2002 GLS with around 1200 miles. The car has luxury and leather packages with the Monsoon stereo. Lately when starting the car there appears to be a clicking noise coming from the dash to the left of the steering wheel. It clicks between 5 and 10 times before going away. It sounds like a relay switch going on and off every 20 seconds or so. I haven't been to worried about it (annoyed yes, worried no) until I restarted the car the other day after stopping to pump gas and the stereo wouldn't work. Has anyone experienced this? I have a service appointment scheduled for next week.

The stereo started working after I pulled the fuse and re-installed it, then restarted the car. (The fuse was not blown).

btempest

I have the same clicking on my 2002 GLS, 2500 miles. Noise started around 1800 miles. No problems with stereo. I'll be interested to hear what they find. Good luck

nschulz

To those with the dashboard clicking, try listening when you corner from left to right and back. My 2002 GLS w/ 3500 miles has recently started clicking, and it seems to happen most when the car is making the transition into or out of a turn. This leads me to believe that as the body flexes, something in the dash area is also being caused to flex and is making the noise. I don't get the noise much when going straight, or when the car has stabilized in a long steady corner. I am going to the dealer tonight to get my emissions light checked, I'm going to ask them about the clicking as well.

pkradd

Just out of curiostiy, where were your Passats built. Mine was at the Mosel factory. I have a 2001.5 GLS with Tip and Lux package. No clicking yet after 8000 miles.

teddytrac1

I have a 2002 Passat GLS, I was wondering if anyone experiences any engine noise when turning the car on in the morning or after its been off for some hours? It goes away after a few seconds, but it's a little annoying, but if this is normal I guess I can live with it.

vocus

I had the same problem with my 2002 Jetta. It must be some sort of defect in the radio itself. Mine just stopped working once when I started the car, and the system's anti-theft light was blinking like the car was turned off or something. I took the car to the dealer the next day, got a free loaner, and picked my car up the day after that. Everything was fine. Weird.

mbros2k

To those experiencing clicking noises under the dash: Bounce your front end up and down and listen for the noise. Then visually inspect your front shocks. Apparently, Passats are shipped with orange plastic spacers inserted at the top of the shocks. They should be removed at prep but mine weren't. I didn't notice anything until a spacer broke and I fished out a piece that was rattling around. Luckily there was no damage as the plastic will probably give before the shock or spring does.

I Hope this helps. You sure don't want to start tearing the dash out unless you absolutely have to.

birdboy1

Hi,
Last week I posted a plea for advice and help. I appreciate nathan taking time to share his malfunction light experiences with me. I am a bit disssapointed that no one else addressed my problem as of yet .We passat owners must support each other. My 2002 Passat 1.8T mil lamp came on when I hit 5000 miles. As the service rep suggested, I tightened the cap, lowered the octane to 89 and drove another 500 miles. thelight is goes on and stays on . I have an appointment for service on Friday. Any suggestions, similar experiences??? Thanks in advance. Allan

pkradd

I have not had the problem with my 2001.5 Passat 1.8T with Tip. I have 8100 miles so far. I use 93 Octane (Mobil), tighten the gas cap and things are fine. Sorry you are having problems. I suspect there's nothing wrong except for a possible electrical malfunction. I share your frustration, particularly with your VW dealer not knowing the cause. They seem to be clueless sometimes. Let us know whhat happens after Friday.

mbros2k

The engine noise and vibration is normal upon start up and disappears after a few minutes. Lots of posts about this concern. I've read that it's related to heating up the catalytic converter but I'm not sure. Maybe it's just a cold start valve opening. Anyone know? The 1.8 idles very smoothly after that, pretty amazing for a 4 cylinder with 20 valves!

moonbeem

Birdboy...I had an MIL light come on yesterday, upon start up the car was idling rough. Took it the dealer and they found out it was a faulty spark plug. Which I am suspecting was caused by them whenever I took my car in for 5,000 mile service 3 weeks ago. It could be anything though...these cars have all kinds of sensors so I wouldn't worry.

If you want a better response as to your questions/issues, I would post your responses to www.vwvortex.com. It is a great site for VW owners. Keep us informed of what the dealer says about your car...good luck!

slobodan

What type of fuel should I be using for my 2001 Passat (old) 1.8T 4 cyl?

Based on the advice from the dealership, I've been using the mid-level octane (89). I've finally got around to looking through the manual and it clearly says to use fuel with a minimun rating of 91.

Most of the premium fuel I see has a minimum rating of 93 so, unless I'm missing something, I should be using this premium fuel. What do other folks use? I haven't noticed any performance problems but wonder if I've been harming my car or reducing it's performance. Can anyone confirm which type of fuel I should be using? Thanks.

pkradd

A good question. I have a 2001.5 1.8T Tip Passat and use 93 Octane. Car runs well and I get about 23 mpg av. in city driving. The manual and sticker inside the gas door do say 91 Octane or higher. I get the feeling that VW service personal simply don't read what VW suggests. Why they would say use a lower rating is beyond me. It seems to me that some of these VW dealerships are lazy and simply don't want to be bothered with fixing problems and try to "blame" it on the consumer by telling them to change fuel octane or change oil type, etc. Who knows better, the manufactuer or the dealership? I'd take VW's suggestions myself. VW of America has a long way to go in getting their act together. Perhaps with the increasing sales of the Passat and Jetta they'll get with the program. Right now, after my warranty period ends (I haved an extended one for 5 years) I'm seriously thinking about going to an independent shop in my area when I need service or repairs. (They're cheaper also and use geniuine VW parts).

vocus

I don't know about the Passat, but my 2002 1.8T Jetta's manual says 87 octane is ok for all engines, but 93 is recommended for best performance (even with the 2.0 engine). So I have been using 87 octane in my 1.8T. Gets the same mileage as it did on 93 octane, and the same power too. Of course, I am only on my first tank...

chewyman

I have the same clicking sounds. It started right after I got the car but it is intermittent. I have 5200 miles. When it starts it is a very regular clicking sound, like a metronome, it is to the left of the steering wheel just as buckeye describes. It is very light but it sounds like a turn signal indicator but it is much more muffled. It happens going straight as well and seems to occur for no reason. It just starts clicking away. After some time it just stops. I asked service about it and they have no idea what it could be. It doesn't always happen. It drives me crazy when it starts up but nothing has blown up yet. But I'm sure it will. Anyone else have the clicking syndrome?

nlm2

I now have close to 2000 miles on my Passat, and have had the clicking for about the last 1000 miles. Mine also is to the left - kinda near the A-pillar. As NSCHULZ mentioned, I've a feeling it's due to body flex. Almost all the time it's set off by going over a bump - large or small. My clicking is more erratic - sometimes clicks fast & sometimes slow. Once it starts it's normally with me the rest of the drive. Then I'll occasionally have a day where it doesn't click at all (even driving over those same bumps). Seems to be getting more frequent now. I haven't looked into the orange spacer thing that MBROS2K mentioned - maybe will do that this weekend. Don't want to take it in for service until it's doing it constantly because I know for sure if I take it in now - they'll drive it and it will be quiet as a mouse!

venus537

you must have a different manual then mine, because that's not what my manual says. when do you plan on getting your passat? i'm thinking about doing the same thing.

vocus

I have only had the Jetta for 3 months, and just turned 9000 miles this morning on the way to work. I really don't have the money to upgrade right now. Maybe in another year or so. But then again, I am thinking about going to a cheaper car as to lower my monthly expenses. We shall see.

delia21

Pkradd... What red flags re: the V6?

Loving my Passat! 2001.5, manual, V6, Indigo, lux. Am still debating getting an extended warranty. Only problem after 7K miles was where the trunk would not latch with remote or the key. Bummed out a little that 2002s get CD and longer warranty at no additional charge it seems. Alas my 13 year old Celica was tired.

Also can someone tell me if an in-dash CD changer is available for the 2001.5 models.

avillanueva

seeking decent Philly VW dealerships with whom to do business with for purchase of new Passat. Thank you.

pkradd

Several reviews stated reliability of the engine was below average. Some posters on this link also mentioned it. However, perhaps those issues have been addressed since the engine came out in 1998 or so.

lobeck

As far as I know, the only option re: 6-disc CD changer (at least as far as getting one through Volkswagen goes) is a trunk-mounted one...

birdboy1

Thank you, PKradd and Moonbeem for sharring with me. Brought it into service today and the diagnosis was a pin hole sized leak somewhere in the emission sys towards the rear of the car. Do I believe it?? Not sure, however the tech told me If it comes on again they will be quite a job to repair it. My anwer to that was thats why we have warranties. They claim their new high tech diagnostic equipment picked up the location and problem. Why did they not fix it today?? He said it would take a few days . Anyhow for now the light is off. He also gave me a volkswagen pamphlet "Understanding Your Maslfunction Indicator Lamp {MIL}" Will keep everyone posted.
Thanks.

cdwhite240

RE: Dash CD - I took a trunk mounted 6-Disc changer out of my '99 Passat when I sold it and put it in my 2001.5 that I purchased last summer. I also had the dealer install a dash mounted single CD player for $300. The single player fits into the tray between the stereo and climate control. Additionally, the single CD player has a "Select" button that switches the CD play mode b/w the single player and the 6-Disc changer.

RE: Clicking - I didn't have clicking my in '99 Passat (40k miles) or my 2001.5 (10k miles). However, the dealer did leave the suspension chocks in my '99. I noticed a vibrating sound coming from the wheel well every time I hit a bump but not a clicking noise. Interesting side note, the Passat cornered much better with the chocks in than out, but the ride was stiffer (obviously).

RE: Fuel - Both the dealer who sold me the '99 Passat and several mechanics I know said it's okay to put 87 or 89 in a car requiring 93 if you're consistent from the beginning. I always used 89 (somehow I thought it was ok to split the difference but didn't have the guts to use 87) in my '99 and have continued to use 89 in my 2001.5. I averaged 24 mpg in the city with '99 and the same is holding true with the 2001.5.

gmongold

This past December, I installed a VW in-dash 6 disk CD changer that I ordered from www.pgperformance.com which is a dealer in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (see photo there). It is pricey at about $530 American ($750 Canadian plus custom fees). I don't think I can justify spending that much money on the particular product except that I decided that I really wanted it. I found out about it reading the forums on vwvortex.com which is a great VW enthusiast site. The VW in-dash 6 disc changer only became available in the fall (I got my car in July) but is not available in the states at all (since VW began making the double DIN size CD/radio/cassette standard equipment in the 2002 Passats sold in America). It sits above or below the radio/cassette. It was pleasant and easy dealing with pgperformance.com on their toll free number and they explained the price and customs fees and sent web links to photos of the installation. It was straight forward and I'm happy. I don't suppose it would cost too much more to get the single in-dash plus the trunk mounted changer from your local dealer and it's certainly cheaper to just get the single CD as mentioned in another post.

kramer99

Hi, New to the forum......

I have decided to buy a 1999 Passat GLS but not sure as to what engine to go for.
I would appreciate any comments comparing the 1.8T 4 to the V6 with AUTOMATIC transmission.

I have test driven the 4cyl and was impressed with performance but really want to know if it is worth the extra $ for the V6.

Thanks

markcincinnati

IMO, this is easy since you said Automatic -- go for the V6 -- the 1.8T in 1999 with an automatic seemed a bit anemic. With the manual, the character of the car changed from decaf to caf.

rwr1708

I, too am new to this forum, and was wondering if you guys might be able to answer a few questions for me. I am interested in buying a VW. I am just coming out of college, and do not yet have a wife, kids, etc. I looked at a GTI, but insurance rates are astronomical on that car for someone my age. I really liked the look of the Passat. I was wondering if the 1.8T with the auto moves pretty well. I drove a Jetta with the 180hp 1.8T with auto (I realize that it's a lighter car with 10 more hp) and it seemed to move pretty well. I'm wondering if a 2002 Passat with the 1.8T and auto would be that much slower.

My next question has to do with the upholstery. I have heard that the cloth seats in the Jetta are "lint magnets" and are virtually uncleanable. Can this also be said for the Passat?

Thanks in advance for any further info you can provide.
Have a nice weekend.
Rich

mbros2k

The 1.8 is strong and quick and the cloth vacuums easily. And I am picky.

blue35

I am looking to buy a 2002 Passat GLS V6. Anyone out there who can recommend a dealer who gave them a good price in th Dallas metro area. Something like 500 or less over invoice?

pkradd

They are fine. Very well made and easy to clean. For lint build up use a lint roller once a week if needed. Wear clean clothes! Seriously, cloth has advantages... breathes and never gets hot and can be cleaned and vacuumed. My 1.8T Tip is perky and actually makes the Passat more manuverable then the V6. Also you can get a dealer installed sport package... stiffer shocks, wheels, etc. The2001.5/2002 Passat is not a sport sedan but a "sporty" sedan. I love it.

mbros2k

You want a Passat for about $500 to 800 over invoice? Go thru AAA or Costco or your credit union. No haggle and a new car in a few hours. And pass on ALL fees except tax and license. The dealers will complain, but they'll do it. Be prepared to walk if they refuse. 500 is a good profit these days and they also get a factory incentive. I like to buy local, but you can get a deal everywhere these days.

kramer99

for the information....time for the test drives!

nlm2

Blue35 -

We live in the Dallas area and got ours through Rusty Wallis VW. Can't remember the exact $$ we paid over invoice, but it was around $500. Our salesman was Adam Bradford - who was very good. Actually most of the dealing was done over the phone - called looking for a GLS 1.8T 5spd with only the Homelink & Monsoon as options. He said that he didn't have anything like that but would search the Texas database. The closest thing he found (in Houston) was what we wanted but also had the lux pkg. So that's the one we ended up buying (about 6 wks ago). A few days earlier we visited Lewisville VW & the salesman was OK but didn't offer to look outside their dealership for what we wanted (I didn't think about asking him to at the time). Hope this helps you out. Good luck!!