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

2cats2

Can anyone tell me if if the rear seat of the 2003 Passat wagon folds down flat? Or does the front part of the cargo floor slope when the seat is folded down?

2cats2

Does the rear seat of the 2003 Passat GLS wagon fold down flat?

desertrat5

I haven’t been on-line in this topic for some time so I thought I would add my two cents re the Passat. First off for the record, this is my second VW. My first was the infamous Rabbit and mine was amongst the first year’s production. It was an unmitigated disaster. My standard line in our house as I walked in the door from work was “How many recalls did we receive today?” I learned from that car to never, ever purchase the first year of any model.

So it was with some trepidation that I entered back into the VW world. All that I could read about the Passat was favorable. I wanted a fun car to drive but it had to be practical also. And I wanted to return to my youth and have a nice manual transmission. The Passat wagon seemed a natural.

July will be the first anniversary for my GLS wagon with the 1.8T and five speed. It just passed 16,000 miles. And it has been the best new car I have ever owned. The only mechanical work (outside of routine LOF and tire rotation) was the replacement of the coil packs. I received no recall letter but I told the dealer that I didn’t want to suffer a failure out in the middle of the Arizona desert this summer. He agreed and two weeks later the coil packs were changed.

I am continually amazed by the 1.8T engine. For example, my wife and I drove from Phoenix to Flagstaff this morning. The trip was 130 miles, we averaged 68 miles per hour, and the average fuel consumption was 25.6mpg. Considering that cruise was generally set between 75 and 80, and the trip climbs from an elevation of 1100 to over 7000 feet asl, in my mind that is pretty good mileage. Typical round trips (no sidebar trips) to Flagstaff net 30 to 31 mpg. Today our return trip took us up to the Snow Bowl and then back down through Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona. The RT mileage was 28.3 over 299 miles.

Altitude doesn’t bother the engine. It pulls as hard at 7000 as it does at 1100 feet. On the way to the Grand Canyon earlier this year, the road climbs to over 8000 feet asl. My wife and I both noticed the scarcity of air molecules but the Passat didn’t. It just kept pulling. I am convinced that the engine would work well with a 6 speed, ie another higher overdrive ratio on top of the fifth gear it now has.

Lastly, the engine seem to change, to improve in power output and delivered mileage through about 12,000 miles. Commute to work typically averaged about 23 mpg initially. Today it is about 25 mpg for the same travel. Power is more subjective but it seems stronger today than at say 5000 or 10000 miles.

There are days when shifting gets really tiring. If I were to trade this car in for a similar one but with Tiptronic, would it be as peppy? How does the V-6 and Tip compare to the 1.8T with a five speed?

vwguild

Seats do fold flat in all Passat wagons FWD or 4MO...

Bottom rear seat cushion is hinged, pulls up and the forward...remove headrests, rear back cushion folds down flat as a pancake...

mauislick

carbox makes a nice liner for the back of the passat wagon ...that fits WITH the seats folded down...creating a very sizable cargo space...I use my car for deliveries and it works out quite well....... passat wagon #2.....the 2002 was rear ended and totaled.....the 2003 is enven better.......

passat16

My 2003 GLX V6 Auto Wagon is about 5000 miles now. The average mileage is very poor. Most of the time, it can not even reach 17 miles per gallon. Is anything wrong with it?

altair4

...on how you drive, where you drive, etc. I think you would need to give a little more information to get any good responses. What percentage is city driving? How far do you typically drive on your commute? What's the terrain like (hilly, flat)? What are the traffic conditions (bumper to bumper, high speed cruising, mixed)? What was your previous car (model and engine, please) and what kind of mileage did you get with it?

I don't have the V6, but I'm averaging about 22 mpg with the 1.8T. My commute is short, the terrain is hilly here, and the engine isn't at optimum temperature for much of the trip. I'm satisfied with the results.

frapzoid

I have a 2002 Passat wagon with V6/stick. I get between 25 and 27 MPG consistently.

feilo

My 03 1.8T w/ Tip was averaging low 20's at 5K - I'm at 15K now and its up to the mid-20's. I do 600 ~ 700 miles a week - I'm in sales. Its pretty flat here (Chicago-area) but volume of traffic is a problem so its a mixture of highway and stop-start driving. I am sure, all else being equal, your mpg will improve as the engine breaks in. People have speculated that the 1.8T is not really broken in until ~20K!!!???

aaross

New guy here. I'm the proud owner of a week old 2003 1.8T 5 speed GLS Passat Wagon. Love it! Initially I was looking for the V6 5 speed, but none were to be found. However, I am not disappointed, the 1.8T is a little rocket with the manual transmission. Everything about the car is beautifully finished inside and out. My one concern is about mileage, which is supposed to be very good. I just did my first fill up the other day and was surprised to see the gas needle go down so fast. It's leveled off at the halfway mark so I'm hoping it stays there for a while.

altair4

I've found the fuel gauge to be very accurate in our 2003 wagon. But it's behavior is markedly different from any other car I've owned. The needle starts to drop almost immediately upon driving the car...unlike our Honda, in which the needle stays on the "F" marking for many miles (perhaps 50 miles on the highway).

With our Passat, as someone else wrote on another forum, you don't "bask in the glow of a full tank" for long. Based on this comment, I believe the gauge behavior to be common and normal.

It's something that you get used to, along with the very early warning to refuel (my warning chime sounds and the MFA text warning appears when about 12.25 US gallons have been consumed (what's that, about 46 litres?). You'll adjust to that, too. Enjoy your new car!

aaross

Thanks for the reassurance altair4. I filled up before I got the “early warning chime” and like your Honda, my Mazda would stay full for ages but once it got past half it would plummet in a hurry.

I’m like a kid at Christmas, just read on another post about the compartment under the steering column being for the owner’s manual. Up until now it’s been taking up space in the glove box where it was when I first got the car. I‘m sure the dealer salesman didn’t know about that one.

sschilf

Most fuel takes are not symmetrical. They have to be shaped in certain forms to fit in the desired space. It is like drinking from a 1 gallon milk container. As you drink, the level drops fast at first (the milk container is narrow at the top) and then slows down as you approach the widest part of the container. It is the same way with the car's gas tank.

When the low fuel light comes on, how much gas is left in the Passat's tank?

Thanks

sschilf

In my opinion, they are a waste of money on todays cars! Why do car manufacturers continue to build these useless analog instruments (see above msg) and just incorporate a digital measure? Well, I will stop moaning!

dudleyr

I much prefer analog from all the gauges in my car to my watch etc.

Passat does have a digital fuel gauge in a way - just use the trip computer.

altair4

aaross - Yep, the space for the manual is handy, especially since the glove box is not exactly cavernous. And, apparently more than your salesperson don't realize it's there.

sschilf - On our wagon, the fuel light goes on when about 12.25 US gallons have been consumed. I believe the fuel tank's total capacity is 16.4 gallons, so that leaves a little more than 4 US gallons or more than 15 litres of fuel. Also, I've found the gas gauge readings to be pretty linear, so I guess, using your example, the tank must be pretty uniform is shape (I dunno for sure - I've never really looked at it).

Personally, I like analog fuel gauges for the same reason I like analog speedometers and analog clocks...they give you the most information for the least amount of "look" time and thought to process the information. In other words, a quick glance is all that is needed, with little thought to process the meaning of what you saw. YMMV.

revka

Edmunds' review of the 2003 Volkswagen Passat is now available. Hope you enjoy!

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

sschilf

Has anyone towed anything with there wagon? weight? Can the wagon towe a small to medium boat? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

curlyrip

After months of car shopping we've decided on a 2003 GLS 1.8 manual. Trying to get one by the end of the month since the color selections and options choices are rapidly dissipating as the 2004s will soon be arriving.

Anyway, even though it will be my commuting car, we would still like to plop the three kids in the back seat from time to time. Anybody had any luck or experience in install three, that's right, three carseat??

P.S.
Please say yes its no problem. I really want this car and I've located a graystone with gray leather!

allhorizon

curlyrip,

3 carseats are a tight fit in many cars - but it depends a lot on the type and brand. I bet many won't fit. Bring your favorite three carseats to the dealer and try yourself! (Ask a friend if you don't have three, yet).

- D.

vwguild

Owner's Manual..."Technical Data" And the Index
under "TOWING"

mauislick

I found the gas mileage to get better in the 1.8t well after break-in also I was running synthetic after 5000K in my first one...gas mileage in my 2003 doesn't seem to be as good...yet, but I still have dino oil in until the 10k service......

oldshoe

Somebody explain to me exactly what a side curtain airbag protects against AND is it really worth it if you are carrying small children...the thought process here is that with small children in child car seats they are not tall enough to be at risk with making head contact with the upper part of the doors are they ???

Another question...we have two small children...are they going to be safer in a Volkswagen Passat because of the side curtain air bags or the Subaru Forester because it rides higher and has the safe side impact reviews (Passat has not been ranked yet I think from IIHS) ....any thoughts or opinons would be helpful as my wife is trying to decide between these two vehicles... I actually have a 03 Forester that I got last week and she loves it and is considering buying one as well, but she also loved driving the Passat...just trying to get the safest car for the kiddies..

JO

frapzoid

Side curtain air bags protect your head from injury. If you ride high you still will sustain possible head injury if you get into an accident and you don't have the side curtains...One of the many reasons I got a Passat. After 20k miles I am still happy I got the Passat instead of some of the less attractive alternatives.

merlin666

I've been interested in getting a Passat Wagon since late last year '03, but have not been in any rush. The 2004 GLX seems to be the way to go given all my desired features, but I'm up in the air about going with the tiptronic or manual. I currently have a Golf 5 spd and love the control and mileage (28-34mpg), but don't know whether a manual trans in this Passat will kill the resale and if the tiptronic offers the 'thrill' of a stick and control. Any opinions from the 2003 wagon owners? Anyone one know if any changes to the trans to the 2004's? What's the gas mileage difference between the tip & man (I'm generally city & 'burb driving)?
Thanx

markjenn

I don't own a Passat, but I'll make a couple points about the Tips.

First, I wouldn't worry about resale on a manual Passat. Car salesman love to talk about the need to order every car with leather, sunroof, and automatic otherwise you'll get "killed on resale", but the fact is that the money you save up front will vastly outweigh any resale advantage down the road. A manual tranny Passat may, in fact, be more rare and more desirable in a few years. Buy the car for yourself, not for some hypothetical buyer three or four years from now. (If you're truly worried about resale, I think the best thing you can do is order a car with a common color combo, with light colors outside and darker colors inside (e.g, silver/charcoal). These are the cars that look the best in a few years and don't turn off buyers with trendy colors that are popular one year and out of style the next. Go for colors that look more classic.)

Second, few clutch drivers find using a manu-matic very satisfying. You've still got a big, sloppy 'ol torque convertor between the engine and the wheels, and downshifting is never very satisfying since you can't match revs. 98% of manumatics are left in D all the time.

Bottom line: if you like driving manuals, get one. That's the cool think about the Passat - they offer it.

- Mark

allhorizon

... I concur with that.

Let me comment because I have both (a Golf 94 MT and a 2000 GLX AT 4Motion Wagon).

I only bought the wagon in the (4Motion) AT because that's the only option VWoA considers us worthy of (unless you get a W8 - now). As far as AT and tiptronic, it is nice, smooth and works well. I use the tiptronic perhaps 10-20% of the time. In comparison to a MT car,

- it shifts slowly at times (2/10 or 3/10th of a second)
- it is a torque converter, so, driving WOT at low rpm is impossible, and some of the energy always gets sucked up in there
- you probably lose 20 to 30 hp compared to the MT
- you get penalized 4-6mpg compared to the MT if you can drive a MT well
- it really does not feel at all like the control you have in a MT.

If you are driving in the city a lot *and* have a lot of stop-and-go traffic all the time, the AT may be worth considering for that reason. Yet, if you are young (at heart? < 70?) and athletic, that may be irrelevant.

- D.

dieselbreath

I agree with the last 2.
VW, like BMW and Porsche, attract performance-oriented drivers, and the standard is not a problem.
But it would be a different story if you were buying a Chev .....

dudleyr

W/ an MT you will have fewer buyers on resale, but the ones you have will be more likely to buy because they know what you have is rare.

profvh

In response to merlin666 question on tiptronic vs
manual trannys, we have a '02 Passat wagon 1.8
with tiptronic. In 20,000 of driving it has per-
formed very well and is very smooth shifting. Gas
mileage runs in the 20's but I am not very con-
cerned about gas I guess. I would like a stick for myself but my wife insists on the auto. Either
way is a viable option from my point of view. It
is a great car, well-made, trouble-free and most
of all fun to drive. More enjoyable than any of
the 5 Accords I have had in past years. I also
drive a 5-speed auto Mercedes and the two cars
trannys perform much the same--very well.

5speeder

My sense is that the resale market for the Passat is different than it is for say, the Camry market or the Accord market. I have no data to prove it, but I think people in the market for Passats are much more likely to actually want a manual as those looking for used Camrys, Accords, Tauruses, etc.

bronsonb

Another thing to add to the resale debate...consider where you live. I had had manual tranny cars up until my last two. I had a five speed Saturn, and my wife had a five speed Nissan NX. When we sold each one (on our own through the paper), it seemed to take forever. Each person who called was more interested in an automatic car. We live in the Atlanta metro area, and automatics seem to be the car of choice for the long commutes.

Granted, the people who finally bought each car were looking specifically for 5 speed manuals, but we did take a ding on overall value as well. Of course, I never would have bought a Saturn SL in automatic. Talk about a dog on acceleration...

Anyway, there are times I wish I had gotten a 5 speed in my 2003 Passat 1.8T wagon, but then I think about how often I have to pass milk or a cracker or something else back to my son in the backseat and I thank God that there is one less thing I have to think about while driving. Just a thought...

wdubs

curlyrip: I have a Passat Wagon and have 2 Evenflo Triumph 5 carseats in the back. Those seats are bulky and wide so there is no way for me to get a third carseat back there. However, I did see a Passat Wagon in a parking lot with 3 front facing carseats in the back. Your best bet would probably be to go to the store and measure the width of the carseats and get 3 that are real narrow. BTW, the Passat Wagon is a great family car! We have a 2003 1.8T 5 speed with almost 11,000 miles. The only problem we have had was a piece of chrome trim started to come off of the door. It was replaced under warranty.

tlr5

I'm in the market for a wagon and was sold on the 2003 Passat GLX AWD (@$32,000) when I found a 2000 iAt wagon with all the bells and whistles, 50,000 miles, almost perfect condition, with a 2 yr/50,000 mile warranty for $27,000. I loved that, too. Do you have any advice about what to consider as I make my choice? Any wise insights or enlightening experiences?

Many thanks!
------------------------------------------------------------------ -------

glxwagon4mo

Both are great cars...but I guess it depends on what you are looking for.

If you are going to be hauling 4 people around most of the time, taking trips to Home Depot or Costco....get the Passat.

If you want the prestige and the sportier handling...then go with the Bimmer. The rear seats in the BMW wagon suffers from the same problem as in the sedan - I wouldn't want to ride back there for more than a cross town trip. Is it a certified pre-owned BMW? If you really want to get the BMW, see if they let you take it out for the day to make sure it will serve your daily needs.

Service might also be an important issue to - neither are up to Honda/Toyota standards, but the VW probably has a slight edge. Having said that, if I ever need to have my Passat serviced, I'm fortunate to a dealership that services both VW and BMW - the service is excellent!

George

damax07

Would you care to give any inputs or advice regarding your 1.8T wagon. That is the vehicle we are closely considering.
Thank you,
Damax07

wdubs

Damax07: We really like our Passat Wagon. It's worked well for transporting us, our twin boys, and our 2 dogs. The engine performs well and the car is extremely smooth at any speed. I've owned Japanese, Korean, American, and German cars and the German cars just seem to drive so much better. I've driven the car in all types of weather without a problem.

Do you have any specific questions about the car?

damax07

Wdubs,
Thank you for your response. My concerns are really regarding the reliability. It seems there is a constant electrical problems, ignition coils, etc. D you have any of these issues?

Thank you,

Damax07

georgek44

I think that all cars are fairly reliable these days, but that whether any one vehicle is reliable amounts to the luck of the draw.

My 2000 1.8 GLS wagon with Tip has been the most reliable vehicle I ever have owned or used regularly. At 98,000 miles it has never failed to run, never left me stranded and never needed repairs other than those resulting from being rear-ended at about 10 mph by a BMW 323i.

The check engine and Emissions Workshop lights came on at 96,000 miles. Replacing the mass air sensor and some vacuum system parts came to around $400 and seems to have solved the problem. The car now runs as smoothly and has as much or power than when it was new.

I also spent $1000 replacing the timing belt, water pump and rear brake pads and rotors. The original front brakes and rotors still are within spec and passed the 2003-2004 PA inspection.

wdubs

I've owned the car for 10 months and have over 11,000 miles on it and have not had any reliability issues. There have been 2 recalls during this time. The first was regarding the passenger side rear wheel well lining. Apparently if you have a blowout due to low tire pressure, the tire fragments could puncture the wheel well lining and then the fuel filler neck. They replaced the wheel well lining with a thicker one. The second recall is for the ignition coils. I'm getting those replaced in about 2 weeks. I haven't experienced any problems with the coils in my car. I know there were a lot of owners out there that experienced problems due to the faulty coils but fortunately I wasn't one of them.

I think most cars today are reliable and that every manufacturer can occasionally produce a vehicle that is plagued with problems. I'm know people who have owned problem cars from BMW, Honda, Hyundai, VW, Chevrolet, Saturn, and Chrysler. Just because someone purchased a brand new lemon doesn't mean that all the cars these companies produce are lemons.

All I can say is that I am completely happy with my Passat. Based on my experience so far, I'd buy another one. Just buy whatever car you like and hope the manufacturer stands behind their product if problems should arise.

Bill

bft4x4

I am leasing a Passat Wagon this week. The dealer informs me the $1,000.00 Dealer Cash is only on the Sedans and not on the wagons, although Edmunds says Dealer Cash is on all models. Anyone else shopping the Passat Wagon ?
Thanks Sue in San Diego CA

lancerfixer

I've heard runblings and musings on this and several other boards about excessive oil consumption from the 1.8T motor. Has anyone has any experience with this?

dieselbreath

I have friends with Audi A4s with 1.8t engine from before it was available in VWs, and they have no issues, even with high mileage on the cars now.

This engine is on WARD's 10-BEST ENGINE LIST for many years ... I don't think it would be there if there were problems.
http://wardsauto.com/ar/auto_wards_best_engines_3/

BTW: VW/Audi is the only auto maker with 2 engines in the world's 10-best list!

jrosasmc

Is the Passat wagon roomier inside than the Legacy/Outback?

lancerfixer

The short answer is, "It felt that way to me."

altair4

I have the 1.8T in an 03 Wagon. No oil consumption issues at all for me. In fact, I watch several Passat and VW forums and the only oil consumption issue that has regularly come up involves the V6, not the turbo 4.

It's amazing how shocked people can be when the "STOP" message appears on the MFA message board on the instrument cluster!

Regardless of engine, I'd recommend following the recommendation in the owner's manual..."check your oil at every fuel filling."

burrsr

I will soon be in the market for a new Passat. However, given the model and options that I want, I fear that availability may be an issue. Due to the deals to be had as 04's arrive this fall, I want an 03 GLS Wagon (5-sp MANUAL), with Leather, Monsoon, and ESP. This may be a relatively rare combination (especially 5-sp manual + wagon), and I'd like to be able to search for cars that meet these criteria within, say, a 500-mile radius from my house (Cincinnati). Does anyone have any suggestions on good web sites or means of "searching out" for this particular car? I'd like to do as much as possible on my own before involving a dealer...

Thanks in advance.

5speeder

I too have a 5speed wagon. Here's what I did: Go to the VW website (vw.com) and click on Dealers. You can search for all the delaers within a specified radius of you. Many of them put their inventories on their websites.

It's kind of a pain serching the dealer inventories because they don't list wagon vs sedan or auto vs manual. All they list is model (Passat, Jetta, etc), color and MSRP. You have to click on each one to see what it is. A shortcut I used was to configure the car I wanted at edmunds and find out the MSRP. Then I could tell from the MSRP on the inventory lists which ones were 5 speed wagons.

Good luck!

ncvol

You can probably do a "build your own" on the VW site, and they send the specs to dealers near you to see if any have one. Otherwise, you can probably pre-order one set to your specs, but will have to wait for it several months.

damax07

I also have a 5 speed wagon GLS with ESP, Moonsoon.
I went through the Internet Sales Manager in order to locate one with the options I wanted. In the meantime, I also went directly on the dealers web site, which are located in my region to see what was the available. You can only based yourself on the MSRP on the vehicle you want in order to know if they have it. Just like 5speeder mentionned. Lucky for me, they found one two States away (North Carolina), they delivered the car on a flatbed truck 36 hours later in South Florida. I was able to get the car for $22647 plus tag and tax.

Although I feel I could have got it for a slightly lower price, I am satisfy with the process and the service.
Damax07