VW Passat Wagons (GL, GLS, GLX & W8)

slopnick · May 2001

I was told by a dealer in Virginia Beach, Virginia that the 2001.5 V6 wagons aren't even being produced yet. They don't expect any until August. This would be a 2002 then wouldn't it? Does anyone know what the deal is?

spellbound · May 2001

Obviously the dealer is not telling you the truth. I and a number of others have already taken delivery of 2001.5 V6 wagons. It's true they are in short supply and may have ceased production of 2001.5's for 2002's.

hamajun · May 2001

I was told by a dealer(A) that 2002 Passat will show up in late June or early July. I asked him to find a GLS 1.8T AT Blue Silver, Gray Leather and LuxPkg. He suggested me to consider a GLX 4 motion in his inventory. Another dealer(B) told me there is a gray cloth one which he can locate for me but requires a deposit. I live in SF Bay Area, California. I really don't know which story is true. Is there any way to know real inventory and ETA of 2002 model??

mauislick · May 2001

I've been told by my friend VWGUILD the car I have been waiting for was built in week 19 as a 2002 model year. IT was shipped approx 11 days ago and will arrive in San Diego on June 5. It will then go through whatever cars go through to get in the country and shipped to Hawaii
SO it seems all cars shipped after week 19 will be 2002 and start showing up in ports in June to be distributed out so July sounds about right. Mind you "passat wagons are scarce" so the US distrubution mangager says. they are upping the percentage of them made for the 2002 model run.
Of course your dealer wants you to buy the 32,000.00 glx 4 mo. and not a 26,000.00 GLS ask youself "DO I REALLY NEED A 4 WHEEL DRIVE 6 cyl gas eater?"

hamajun · May 2001

Hi Mauislick, thx for the info. I'm leasing a '98 Mercury Tracer and the contract will be expired in late June. I extended it up to max so that I have to return the car anyway. GLX 4M is certainly nice but it's not affordable to me. I'm still wondering if there is a sort of inventry tracking system for public like UPS one.

izabelajohn · May 2001

I posted this question last week and had no responses so I'm trying again:

We are considering getting a 2001.5 or 2002 4motion GLX Wagon but the dealers we visited don't even have one to look at or test drive. If we decide to factory order or let the dealer locate one, what can we expect pricewise? Is there any room for negotiation or do we have to pay MSRP? We are in Connecticut.

mauislick · May 2001

I just saw a 2001.5 glx at our dealer here on maui: msrp of about 31,000.00 add 1500.00 or so on for 4mo. That's msrp........

check it out, how's the economy in your area? is it an Affluent neighborhood? ARe people spending 33,000.00 on VW's? are you willing to wait a LONG time for what you want..use Kelly or Edmund to find out the cost and make an offer.

I got a deal via the internet from Local dealer on OaHu for 500.00 over dealer cost on a car that had to be ordered. (dealer cost inlludes some BS charges) none the less, my cost of car is 100.00 over the TMV on same car......Ive been waiting just about a year.... Passat wagons are SCARCE
supply and demand comes into play

hamajun · May 2001

I live in SF Bay Area, California. It seems to me that there are more GLX than 4cly in inventory. Especially most of dealers hold GLX 4 motion for a while. On the other hand, 4clys come and go real quick. The price range is here 5% addition from invoice. Good Luck!

raybear · May 2001

All wagons are in short supply. May be best to hold off until they are plentiful. Otherwise, order at MSRP and wait, unless you've got a better offer.

59er · May 2001

I have a variant on the way for about 2% over invoice (including all fees). I think the dealers are dealing. Get the invoice price from Edmunds and work from there. I used CarBargains and got a great price to begin with and haggled down a tad even from there. My guess is that I did not even need Carbargains but can't be sure. I think if you go to enough dealers ( in person or via fax) you should find a decent deal. Best of luck.

kelf · May 2001

We are thinking about a new station wagon with one goal being to have reasonable room behind the rear seat for a 72lbs lab. Doe the Passat have enough room in the rear? How would you compare Passat with other station wagons? Which one do you think is the most dog friendly?

hiwaysanity · May 2001

but for the money, you could get 2 Passats!

glxwagon4mo · May 2001

If you're looking at the cargo space behind the second row of seats, the Passat has the most (39cu.ft) followed by the Volvo (37.5), then the two BMW's (32.7 and 27.3). You should also consider the Saab 9-5 wagon as I believe its cargo space is comparable to the Volvo and the Passats.

If you were to fold the second row of seats flat, then the Saab edges out the Volvo, followed by the Passat, then the two BMW's. Another consideration is that the Saab and BMW's have a Cargo net/cage available to keep fido confined to the cargo space. Not sure about the Volvo. Passat owners have found aftermarket sources.

George

georgek44 · May 2001

are available from your VW dealer, I have one. High quality, reasonably easy to put in and take out, but rather expensive at around $300. The aftermarket ones I looked at did not inspire confidence. I would not trust them to work well in a crash.

ednev · May 2001

I read in the June issue of Car and Driver (p. 92) that one reviewer recommended an aftermarket tweaking of the engine controller to boost horsepower and torque on the Passat 1.8. Does anyone know anything about these types of services? Is anything like this available for the V6? What if any affect on the VW warranty, the engine, gas mileage, etc?

rersk · May 2001

I owe this message board some gratitude for giving me some clues on how to find a GLX 5spd stick shift wagon, so I thought I'd follow up with the details on my experience in hopes of helping others. I live in upstate NY, and all VW dealers within 50 miles just didn't have enough
inventory to get a rare GLX 5spd. I called around to the suburban dealers in the NYC metro area, and one of them traded with another dealer for a Silver GLX with black leather (not my first
choice of color, but the car does turn heads).

I traded in my '96 Passat and paid $28K for the wagon. That seems consistent with the
2% over invoice someone else mentioned. One thing I should mention is that I bought a
vehicle from this dealer 2 years previous, so my return customer status may have helped.
The dealer told me that their high sales volume gave them strong inventory, which added to
their ability to make mutually advantageous swap arrangements with other dealers.

Having test driven the 4 cyl and now owning the 6 cyl, there isn't a huge amount of difference
in the driveability. They are both agile. The 6 just has more quiet muscle and doesn't work
quite as hard at highway speeds. Good luck to all Passat Wagon Hunters!

timcav · May 2001

Am in the process of negotiating for a 2001.5 LX 5-speed and have arrived at $28,500. Part of me wants to negotiate carder on the price. Part of me wants to make the deal based on the limited availability of the stick wagons. Can this car be had for much less?

hamajun · May 2001

I made a deal with Dirito VW in Walnut Creek CA for 4cyl AT Silverstone/Gray Leather/Lux/Monsoon/HomeLink at $26,440. I could not beat TMV $26,193 but happy about the price. Whole issue during negotiation was other dealers don't have the same car. I did not mention but was afraid of someone takes the car in this weekend. I was about to give up Passat Wagon, but eventually got one.

jimjps · May 2001

The HP boost chips primarily increases the turbo boost pressure. The 2001 1.8 turbo is rated at 150 hp (but it is commonly held that this is underated). The boost chip is good for maybe 185 hp. Then better flow exhaust gets you a few more hp. For 2001.5 VW boosted up the pressure and the engine is now rated at 170 hp, so the reason to modify is diminished.
However, the 1.8 is a tuners dream and as long as you got the will and the cash you can crank it up to over 300 hp, this involves a lot of modification including a higher capacity turbo. I am not aware of chips for the V6. In Europe, I am told, the 1.8 is a favorite of the performance crowd.

hamajun · May 2001

What would you suggest me? I'm thinking about VW's or Weathertech's.

sniper5 · May 2001

I live in michigan. Is there a luxury tax on a 30 grand glx wagon? VWGUILD, when should I order my GLX to ensure that I get an 02 with factory CD?

vwguild · May 2001

At this point in time I would suggest ordering mid-July...Week 32 is the
current commencement date of that *running change*. Feel free to email me
for any changes to that schedule...

jimn5 · May 2001

Here in California, children under 1 year old are required to ride in a rear facing carseat. Just bought a 2001 Passat Wagon and can't install my 10 month old's carseat. The rear middle seat belt secures the base alright, but in the rear facing position, there doesn't seem to be anything to tether the top of the carseat. The built in tethers in back of the rear seat will work fine for a front facing carseat, but I need something in the other direction. In many other cars, the tether for rear facing car seats is attached to a part of the base of the front seat which anchored to the frame. Anyone know anything about how to solve this in the passat wagon?

dervish · May 2001

I always love that nice, clean, understated look of this wagon until now. Just checked one out at the dealer and was very disappointed. VW put too many bright and "chromy" parts on this car. The tail lights are so distracting, especially on a darker color body. Also, the nose seems to stick out a bit too long.

Why?

glxwagon4mo · May 2001

The hood is stretched out apparently so the new W8 engine will fit. As for the overall new look, you're not the only one with the same feelings about the chrome etc --- the new look was meant to give the Passat a more "upscale" appearance. My sense is that half of VW enthusiasts like it, the other half don't.

George

bay734 · May 2001

Passat wagon won't accelerate evenly for 40 secs.when cold. Runs fine warm. Service has no answer. Anyone with this problem? F.

linab · May 2001

I have just started to shop for a new car and thought that my dream car was a Passat GLS -- good price and safe. Then I test drove the GLS in Arizona when it was 100 to 104 degrees. First, the driver's seat was not especially comfortable. Second, the A/C was only slightly better than my 1988 Volvo. Granted it had been sitting in the sun on the lot. Next we drove the GLX, just to drool. The driver's seat was infinitely more comfortable -- to the point that I decided that I couldn't buy the GLS. The A/C was far superior as well. The GLX had been sitting in the shade, but it was over 100 degrees. Is the V6 that much better at cooling? Is there really a difference in the driver's seat or did the heat affect me? Anybody else have any experience with this? Also, since I probably won't buy until the fall or winter, is the 2002 a better car? The CD trap on the 2001 (I don't really need a 6 CD changer for more than $500, but I'd like a CD player in the car) makes me nuts and I've heard that WV is improving the warranty. Thanks.

hamajun · May 2001

I felt the same thing. I bought a 2001.5 GLS in last weekend. I live in Nor CAL, the temp is around 85-100F these day. As far as A/C, my 98 Mercury Tracer is better than the GLS. I think that's because of Passat is bigger room than the A/C can take care of. I would recommend make it dark-tinted.

59er · June 2001

The seats are the same on the GLX as on the GLS. The only difference is that the GLX has power controls-- so maybe you were able to adjust them more quickly to your liking. Certainly, stting in the sun would be a big factor as would the color of the cloth or leather, as well as car exterior color. Some on the VWvortex site have reported needing a shot of coolant to get their a/c up and running. I am not aware of complaints on that site regarding A/C on the 1.8 engine but you could post over there and find out.

sartorio · June 2001

My dealer in Brooklyn located a GLS 6 wagon/lux/monsoon/homelink. It has been in port (Delaware) since May 18. Any estimate on how long to get to Bklyn? Is $26,091 a fair price? Also, I've called around the tri-state to find out when 2002's would be in the dealerships and I've been told from early-August to November. Any insights on this? What is the difference between 2001.5 and 2002's?
Thank you in advance for your help.

vwguild · June 2001

Will be happy to help...Tell me more about your Variant...Tiptronic or 5 Speed?
Leather or Cloth? And both Exterior & Interior colors...and is your Dealer Bay Ridge
or Kings? Feel free to email me with the details of this very specific issue...

mweixel · June 2001

I have gotten very frustrated looking for Passat wagons in central and western PA. We have checked with some 15 dealerships, virtually none of which are interested in looking around for a 5sp LS. GLXs with 4Motion seem to abound, but lower-end models are nowhere to be found.

Does anyone (VWGuild?) have any feel for how quickly (or slowly) things are coming to this area out of the port? If the only recourse is to order something, I might have to go back to considering Outback...

Thanks in advance.

maulana · June 2001

we also live in upstate New york.

May I ask you what dealer you went through to get a GLX for 28,000?

I would love to be able to get a smilar rate.

thanks,

maulana

evilizard · June 2001

GLX 4 motions in abundance eh? Must be nice.
Recently we tried (hard) to get a GLX 4 motion wagon in TX. Could not be had. The conditions for purchase were
Full MSRP
No control over Interior Color
No Control over exterior color
No gaurantee of delivery time (aside from not within 8wks).

The Subaru VDC I wanted was on the lot for 3K less. Identical feature set except for the spiffy keys and tiptronic trans. Bigger trunk to boot

Try Texas, we have quite a few GLS's floating around. They are nice cars.

sartorio · June 2001

Sorry, I forgot to give you a lot of info. Thanks for replying so
quickly.
We are dealing with Bay Ridge. It's reflex silver on gray cloth and
it's 5 speed (which we were seeking). Ideally we were looking for a 5
speed GLS / 4 cyl / no options (flexible on exterior and int color). We
contracted this for $22,100 (this includes destination). But of course
this was near to impossible to find. 2 months later this V6 showed up
in port, so we agreed to it, even though we compromised a fair amount.
Any advice and insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank again

zeusman · June 2001

Just got an 01 1/2 Passat GLS, the AC is fine down here in sunny Florida, but the gas milage has been not what I anticipated. Getting 16 mpg combined and that's driving gingerly. That is big SUV numbers, not happy was wondering if anyone else is experiencing the same. Our is the 1.8 T with auto Tranny. Like the wagon otherwise.

vwguild · June 2001

An automobile...any type...Needs, at very least 1000 miles of *break in* before
you can begin measuring MPG. And then you need to do it over the course of a month,
in a variety of driving conditions that are normal for you for that period of time.

MPG are also directly related to How You Drive...

hiwaysanity · June 2001

Just returned from a 1,500 mile trip, all freeway, in a 2000 GLS V6 Tiptronic, and averaged about 30mpg. That was in cool weather, no A/C, and driving for mileage (mostly cruise control, 70mph.) When broken in yours should beat that.

Wind has a big effect. Beating into a headwind was about 3-4 mpg lower than with a tail wind.

mcbuddah · June 2001

I lived in Slovenia for 8 months and fell in love with the new Passats. I am a grad student and likely could buy two 4motion Passats with my loan debt. So, how can I convince my mother she needs to buy a new Passat Wagon 4 motion so in 6 years I might be able to afford to buy it from her. She luckily finished her lease on a 1995 Trooper. I personally think she would love a Passat GLX 4 motion wagon, but the 32k is too high for her! Ok, so maybe she doesn't need the 4 motion and GLX.

In any case someone tole me that they don't import 4motion 5 speed Passat Wagons to US, is this true? Maybe I will have to go to Wolfsburg some day (when loans are paid off).

chris

echiburu · June 2001

We just bought a 2001 Passat Wagon (love it!). The manual says that using a cell phone will interfere with the computer system in the car and could cause electrical problems. It says I should buy a special antenna (for about $100). Does anyone know about this? My sister says that is silly and uses the cellular all the time. Please let me know what you are all doing.

echiburu · June 2001

One more question: What type of gas is recommended for the 2001 Passat LS V6?

glxwagon4mo · June 2001

"Owners manual not to use cellular phone" Now there are valid reasons for not using a cell phone while driving (unless you have a hands-free setup)...but causing electrical failures is NOT one of them. We've had our '00 GLX 4Motion for a year and have had no electrical problems whatsoever -- and we use our phone in the car.

BTW the recommended fuel for your V6 is 91 octane or better.

George

davidfoster · June 2001

I picked up my 01.5 GLS 1.8t 5spd last Wednesday (6 weeks from the assembly line in Germany to my driveway, as promised by the dealer). In short, we love it. Can't comment on the AC (we've used it, but it's been cool in MA) or mileage (we're just closing in on 1k miles). But we love love love this car. Even my wife, who seldom expresses feelings for motor vehicles, comments on it.

The buying experience was less than I hoped for (bait and switch in the extreme; being bounced between three brothers (family dealership), two rounds apiece, in the course of an hour's worth of shopping. Ultimately, a fair price, so why all the [non-permissible content removed].

Went to pick it up. Salesperson was indifferent, at best. And I know it's a little thing, but I wasn't even "handed the keys". It was left running outside the service bay after it was inspected. Well, not running, really. It stalled. And then it ran rough. And then it stalled again. VERY disappointing: new car and I can't even safely get it into traffic. So, back it goes. More indifference by salesperson. (If I had just made a sale and the owner couldn't get the car out of the lot, I'd be all over him making sure he was as happy as could be. The following day, he leaves me a voice mail expressing his sorry and offering a free detailing when I'm in for the 5k oil change. Whatever.) Turns out (after 90 minutes of diagnostics and test drives) that two of the plugs had fouled -- a result, the tech thought, of all the stopping and starting as the car was shuttled around the dealership in preparation for its happy owner. Everything has been fine (flawless) since then.

Thanks again to VWguild for his help to me (I learned more about the status of my car from him than I did from the dealer) and his contributions to the list.

vwguild · June 2001

Congratulations!!! Sorry to hear about the less than perfect Delivery, but glad to
hear that all is well now...Enjoy! And Welcome to the Volkswagen Family...

hiwaysanity · June 2001

"Uncle Whitney"?

passat_owner · June 2001

My girl friend has a 99 Passat GLS Sedan and needs to replace her VW-provided tires. Does anyone have any recommendations for good replacement tires for her model that might help it handle as good or better than the factory-provided tires? She drives curvy roads in Northern CA, so she doesn't need tires for snow. But it does rain there a lot in the winter.

Also, I'm trying to find a 2001.5 Passat GLX Wagon with a manual transmission. (No dealer in CA has one on their lot so I might have to wait for a 2002.) My question is: Has anyone with a GLX Wagon tried using a lower profile tire and have they found it to improve handling? Or is it best to stay with the same profile and size as the factory-provided tires? This question also applies to my girl friend's 99 GLS, which I believe has smaller diameter tires on it, right?

sniper5 · June 2001

Paul, Get in touch with vwguild. He has an email and web site. I was chating with him the other day and he had a 5sp glx silver stone grey/elk leather in port at San Deigo. I was looking for a automatic and he may be helping me with that.

vwguild · June 2001

I would suggest www.tirerack.com, no doubt, the best in the business for
all thing relating to Wheels & Tires.

spellbound · June 2001

The GLS models come with 195/65/15 sized tires while the GLX upgrades to 205/55/16. I agree with VWguild, check out www.tirerack.com, they have a very good selection of tires & wheels and a very nice website with customer ratings etc. Even if you don't buy there it's a good place to shop. For the stock size on the GLS I believe the Dunlop SP5000's are popular.

Do you know if she has the luxury package and therefor the alloy wheels? The reason I ask (shameless plug)is that I live in the SFO bay area and recently purchased a 2001.5 GLS V6 wagon with the lux package. I've since upgraded my wheels and tires to 16" from the tirerack and am looking to sell my stock "Wellington" alloys and tires. They have only around 900 miles on them and are equipped with 195/65/15 Goodyear Eagle LS tires.

Please email me at spellbnd@pacbell.net if you are interested.

passat_owner · June 2001

Thanks for the info about tirerack.com! What a gold mine of data. I'm going to recommend that she buy the Yokohama AVS db tires, which are highly rated by the tirerack tests.

VW Passat Wagons (GL, GLS, GLX & W8)

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles