Volkswagen Passat 2005 and earlier

tlam625

>1) Engine idles at about 1500 RPM

That's a bit high, it should be below 1000 rpm at idle.

serkinc

Thanks to all who have answered my questions. I am planning to order a 2003 1.8T GL (or GLS, depending on price) with ESP and Monsoon as the only options. I want Silverstone Gray and black cloth interior. I understand pricing for 2003s is not out yet but my local dealer said that she could do a deal anyway using invoice as the reference point. I've read all the TMV stuff on this site, but any idea what I should offer over invoice for a 2003 GL, and a 2003 GLS, with the options listed above? How about if I want 16" alloy wheels? Will I get a better deal if I wait for pricing to come out?
Thanks!

dl7265

My local VW dealer told me with our credit union i can get 500.00 over invoice on anything and i think thye have like 5.49 % financing if u let them do auto-withdrawl.Although that was before the W8 was released , dont know if they would honor it on that vehicle.

DL

lovemycar

VW of Hayward was pretty good, ask for Stephen.

vwguild

I'd look in an area with no Ad fees...

oldgearhead

Can anyone provide some specifics on this plan?
Is ther a milage restriction? Do they have a predefined price you can buy it for or does it get appraised at the end of the term?

Thanks,

Mike

pdc1

I'm new to this forum (and VW stuff, in general). Caught the recent VW commercial with the guy "racing" his kid. What's this W8 all about? 270HP in a Vdub? Pretty cool. What's the going price (couldn't find any pricing info on Edmunds). Thx.

pkradd

Welcome. About $39.000 loaded. Go to vwvortex.com for info or just scan back on this thread for discussion.

iamwhoam

I don't get the marketing of the new W8. The car has a cool W8 engine that really will attract car guys who like the technical details, but then it doesn't come with a manual transmission.

Performance buyers will see this as a negative, so VW is back to a general market for the car, but do most non-car nuts really care if it is a V-6 or a W-8? Ask most Camry owners if they have an I4 or a V-6 and I bet most won't know.

270hp is nice, but some of the v-6 engines are getting close, for almost 10 grand less in the G35. (Yeah, Yeah 4wd and German engineering.)

There are like 5000 W8's coming this year? In the current guise I think it is more of a prestige product than a real market for VW.

Has anyone heard definitely (as far as that goes with VW) that the 6spd is coming in the fall, or is that just more vapor ware?

vwguild

Only 2000 W8s available in this first intro...

6 Speed Manual, Sports Suspension, and 17"s will
be available on the 2003s...

pkradd

Vaporware only excists when people not in the know - outside of VW, make statements on these forums and elsewhere. VWGuild is the best source for info in regards to upcoming products. Also vwvortex. Of course you can always visit vw.com as well.

rayainsw

All -

I drove a W8 yesterday - and I was quite impressed with several aspects of the car.
However, the following 2 posts on VWVortex concern me:

"the final drive on the Tip equipped US models is 3.5 compared to 2.9 for the Euro model. I have the full Technical Specs sheet for the W8 and it confirms that the actual ratios are the same and only the final drive being different."
"FWIW, the VW internal tech specs also quote a 0-60 mph number of 6.5 seconds vs. the V6 at 8.2 seconds. The final drive on the Euro cars is 2.909:1 vs. our 3.50:1, so that might just make the 0-60 time reality. "

My concern is that in a recent Top Gear article they commented that the W8 had MUCH worse gas mileage than the BMW 530 and M-B V6.
With such a substantial change in final drive, I am afraid that hiway mileage may even drop to the area of 20 MPG!
So: Does anyone have enough miles on a W8 to comment on actual hiway gas mileage?
(Yes, I will post the question there, once I register, but I am hoping someone here may also be able to shed some light on this question.)
Thanks,
- Ray
Who needs to be able to at least come close to the stated EPA hiway mileage on a long trip . . .

avillanueva

Can someone explain the difference in prices between carsdirect.com and edmunds tmv for a 2002 gsl 1.8 automatic passat with luxury package? Invoice price difference is $806, MSRP difference is $1075, and final buying price difference is $380. Is it an issue of the volume buying that carsdirect.com generates? Thank you.

vbi4

I think you may have missed the extra $$ for manual v/s automatic... that is about $1075. Also the carsdirect.com prices for invoice (if you read the link that tells more about prices) includes ad fees, etc. Usually, Passats have the following additional (standard) charges $25 port preparation fee and $92 floor plan. There is an additional advertising fee that ranges from $0-200. I think if you total these three charges, you add about $300 to the invoice. Also invoice price may or may not include destination charges that are standard at $550. Dest charges + 25 + 92 + reasonable ad fees = $800.

Hope this helps. It may not because you are now looking at extra $$$ and if you were hoping that the web-site with the lower numbers was right and the other one was wrong. Well...anyway the Passat is a great buy (and ride too) for this price.

pkradd

Exactly one year ago today I drove home in my new 2001.5 Passat. Reflex Silver, grey cloth interior, 1.8Tip, Lux Package, Monsoon and Homelink (doesn't seem to work with my garage door, unfortunately). Other then the Homelink problem, my car performs as well as it did the day I picked it up. I have never had a car that I still look forwarded to driving in as my Passat. Oh yes, when I purchased my car there were few "new" Passats around. That has changed dramatically in the last year and there are at least 6 or 7 owners in my area alone Not bad for Camry country (South Florirda)..

hoodornament

Brought in my Passat for 10k service today and checked out a W8 on the lot while getting my 10k service.

The sticker said $37k plus, but previous posts are correct that there is little "visually" externally or internally that distinguishes it from a Passat GLS. Nicer engine, 4mo, and the toys are all there. But in my mind there should be something major to visually differentiate two cars that are $15k apart. I am sure it drives beautifully though.

merc1

I'm pulling for VW to get this car right for 2003. Keep it under 40K (though it should base at 35K) while adding the sports package, some sport seats, and a manual trans, though the latter makes no difference to me. VW is messing up the cars chances by launching it half-baked. Anyone bought one yet?

M

Kirstie_H

As we all know, the purchase price isn't all that's involved in the true cost of a vehicle. Check out the article and new tool at Edmunds.com:

True Cost to Own (TCO): Revealing the Hidden Costs of Car Ownership

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/specialreports/articles/59897/article.html

kirstie_h

Roving Host

Edmunds.com

markcincinnati

My local dealer got one W8 in yestderday -- it is not yet claimed. I'm going to check it out, if it is still unsold on Saturday.

News at 11.

georgek44

Fitzgerald (www.fitzmall.com) lists one each sedan and wagon at $339 under MSRP. Earlier in the week they listed two or three sedans, so they must be selling.

oldgearhead

The .9% offer is back on the VW website. Does anyone know if the other rates (2.9,3.9 etc) are also in effect?

redlantrn2

does anyone know if a sport package will be available on the 2003? If so, what does it entail? I really like the look of the Passat, and feel 17" wheels would improve the overall appearance and handling of the car.
Thanks for any info.

barkasy1

Yes, I called VW of America today and the 3.9% for 48 mos. is good until the end of May. It was my concern too because I have a deposit on an incoming vehicle.

Dave

5speeder

RE: your deposit on an incoming car, when I started shopping for a Passat wagon last week (last month) I asked a couple different dealers who wanted to sell me cars "on the boat" if I could take advantage of the low financing available in effect in April even though I wouldn't be able to take delivery until May. They both said yes, if I ordered by April 30, I could "lock in" the rates up tp 30 days even if the rates were eliminated on May 1. Were you told this, too?

vwguild

2003 W8 will be available with 6 Speed Transmission, 17" wheels, & Sport Suspension...
$1550 Option...Don't forget to subtract out the
Tiptronic @ $1073.00

barkasy1

My Dealers never committed. They "eluded" that they would take care of me on financing, but they also told me when I put the $ 1,000.00 deposit (check not credit card) down that I should have the car in 10 working days.

Well, that was April 19th and I think the car just hit port this weekend. I may still be a week or two until I actually get it.

I tell you one thing, WAITING STINKS!! I finally make up my mind on the car I want, then on the colors and such, I then find a dealer that can get the car, I negotiate the deal, I then leave the deposit and fill out the credit apps., and ack!!! U.P.S. can tell me EXACTLY where a $ 50.00 friggen bowling ball shipped "Ground" is, but can my dealer find the car I order?

Dave ;^)

ejhom

What should I pay for a 2002 Passat 1.8T AT Luxury package vs. the 2002 Passat V6 AT Luxury Package.

Ballpark figures are what I'm looking for here

I was offer the 1.8T atMSRP of $25,730 plus $211 in fees and $1867 in taces ~ $28,000 total.

markcincinnati

I couldn't agree with you more, waiting does stink -- but there is also something of a "thrill of the hunt" in buying cars -- at least when you reach this class and country of origin. Owning many Audis (24) a few VW's (3) and one (1) BMW since 1977 (my wife and I together, that is) -- I can tell you that only once (we bought the owner's BMW 325 ix in 1988) did we not have to wait at least four months for one of these fine cars. We waited for over a year from the time we put our deposit down for my wife's 1.8t 180HP Pearl Black Audi TT (model year 2000). I ordered a 1997 Pearl White Audi A8 in 1996 and it took over 5 months to come in -- but I kept getting updates from AoA -- once they sent me a video tape of "my car" going through the paint process narrated by "Hans" der herr in der paint factory. Every month my anticipation grew -- the delivery process after such a long wait was the personfication of the gratification of anticipation (Carly Simon [sic]).

You are now involved in not buying a car, but buying a lifestyle -- at the very least the process of deciding on a Passat might be likened to the process of building a custom house out in the country with an architech named Bardwell. Enjoy it -- unlike building the dream house, you can with some regularity repeat the process of building your new dream car every few years.

Enjoy it, savaor it.

ghia1

I'm planning on buying a 2002 Passat 1.8t, tiptronic, luxury, leather, monsoon, etc. Has anybody tried running regular or midgrade fuel and what have your results been? Also, why does VW recommend premuim fuel for the 1.8t in the Passat, but regular fuel for the 1.8t Jetta? Thanks!

pkradd

VW says Premium, 91 octane or better for the Passat. If you use lower octane you'll have reduced mileage and probably poorer performance. If this concerns you and you can't afford the extra $$ for the right gasoline you should consider not buying the car. Over the course of a year the additional fuel cost is minimal and it will be ofset anyway by your filling up more often. Just my opinion.

markcincinnati

. . .is a false economy. If you really want to do something that wastes money, just light a $5 bill on fire every once in a while. Running these engines on regular or super regular is just about as thrifty as that. And, although the computer will try to help you if you use lower octane fuel, you will absolutely have poorer performance. On the other hand, if you are able to find, say 93 or 94 octane (without alcohol in it) you will notice slightly improved performance and, if you're good (i.e., don't "get into it") even better milage. But we are talking small improvements on the plus side, but larger degradation on the minus side -- especially in milage.

5speeder

Say a little more about the "93 or 94 octane (without alcohol in it)". They sell lots of gas with methanol in this part of the country. Are you saying it will damage the engine, or is it just not equivalent with the alocohol free at the same octane level?

markcincinnati

As far as I know no damage will occur -- those days are past. As you said, "it just not equivalent with the alocohol free at the same octane level?" Octane, as I understand it, has to do with "preignition" point -- 89 octane gasoline will more likely cause engine "ping" than higher octane gasoline (and the engine computer does try to compensate for this by what is in effect retarding of the spark -- and as we know when the spark is retarded, generally speaking, the power of the engine is likewise retarded). Audi used to rate its turbocharged 20V 5cyliner engine based on the octane of the fuel put into it (the torque numbers were higher with higher octane gasoline). I think both VW and Audi have dropped this practice since the engine managment computer does try to compensate somewhat for octane differences.

However, therefore, notwithstanding -- it still does not make any financial sense to use lower octane fuel in your VW or Audi (based on the owner's manual recommendations). It is, i.e., as I said before, a false economy. But I do believe there are really no reasons any more for concern about ethanol enhanced fuels actually doing damage.

lkuav8r

Hi,

I finally got my 2002 1.8T 5sp lux,leth, blue anth/black int. passat last week and I am loving it [still].

Having owned/driven nothing but pickup trucks the past two years, I guess you could say the change was/is refreshing from a driving perspective. I love to hear that soft whistling noise as the accelerator is pushed And I like the illumination on the instrument panel.

I have some questions/comments to share.

I haven't completely reviewed all of the documentation...

(1) I have mentioned this before... is it ok to turn the car off w/o any "spool down/cool down" period?

(2) Somebody said something about replacing the floor mats with ones that are little more hearty? I have noticed that the way that I drive, with my heel digging into the mat, has already "made an impression" on the factory mat.

(3) Somebody said something about the monsoon not being wired correctly?

About the only complaint I have so far about the car is the arm rests. I can't seem to find a position where I can relax my arm(s) while holding the wheel.

miamimarc

Has anyone had experience ordering Eibach handling/suspension kits for 2001.5 Passat? 2 dealers in my area told me to drop by and pre pay so they can order the 1.2" lower springs.
My mechanic tried as well and was told the upgrades for the '01.5 were *not* available.
Any experiences out there worth noting?

pkradd

The center console cover can be ratcheted up in several positions. It also can be moved forward with a little tug.

vwguild

First of all, Congratulations & Welcome to the
Volkswagen Family!!!!

Although your Passat's turbo is water cooled as well as intercooled, both of these systems shut down as soon as you turn off the car. For local,
around town driving a cooling off protocol is
unnecessary, but if you have been doing some real
hard driving it is a good idea to park the car in the garage and let it idle while you gather together your stuff, or turn off the sound system,
put the cd back in it's case...whatever...it will
only take 30-45 seconds or so to allow cooler oil
and water to circulate thru the turbo reducing
it's temp...a good habit to get into...

While it is nice that VW provides carpet mats in
all of their cars, but like any carpet mat, at the
end of the day it is a dirty carpet mat...VW Monster Mats or WeatherTechs are available and
will serve you well...

Have not heard anything about mis-wired Monsoon
Sound systems.

The center arm-rest is a challenge...and requires
some patience. Try lifting it up and sliding it
back and then forward again...This has been redesigned, but obviously not soon enough for those that have to deal with it today...

vwdriver23

Hi,

If anyone could give me some advice on how to replace a VW headlight bulb on a 99 Passat I would greatly appreciate it...

Thanks...

vocus

I do not have a Passat, so I don't know how. But I can tell you that you need to be wearing gloves when you replace these bulbs. Oils from your skin that are naturally there will cause the bulb to burn out quicker.

markcincinnati

Oh, oh, oh, pick me, pick me -- I have the answer!

Take it to your dealer. Sorry I couldn't resist -- on a car this "young" why not let the dealer do it? Then if they screw it up or blow up one of these expensive bulbs -- they eat it, not you.

I panicked!

dl7265

Made a visit to The Volkswagen Store in Richardson today. Took a pretty good spin in a Silver/Grey w8. First off, other than a belt line trim and emblem its hard to tell from a regular glx. Now for the real disapointment 270 HP, where is it ??? i kept looking to see if i had left the parking brake on, consider it had 100 more HP than my 3er if felt reallllly slow. Also the W8 brochure states performance :
sedan 0-60 6.5
wagon 0-60 6.7

On the plus side the Dealer is wonderful, no pressure very polite and easy to work with.and m-f service stays open til MIDNIGHT!

another cool note was some modified Passat's with way lowered suspension, cool 17 " wheels, spolier, tint ect... IMO a better head turner than the W8.

Regards
DL

da_cheng

I bought a GLX 4Motion this Feburary. It had this
problem that when the speed exceeds 40Mph, there
is very noticable wind noise, like whistling. I
posted on this board, and someone suggested to
ask the dealer about this when taking it in for
first scheduled service.

Now I have to take it to the dealer way ahead of
schedule, at only 1300 miles. About 3 weeks ago,
the car's stereo stopped working. It just refused
to be switched on. I called the dealer and made
an appointment to have this fixed, and I had to
wait for a week. So I parked the car in garage
for a week. (I have an extra car, and don't like
to drive 40 miles commute in silence.)

At the time of appointment, I asked my wife to
tak the car to the dearler. But she called,
and said the car would not start. So I had to
cancel the appointment that day, and make another
one (another 10 days wait).

Later I found out the battery was totally drained
of power. I can jump start the car, and drive around. But let it sit for a night, the car needs
jump again. The stereo started working again
though.

Sigh, so much for German engineering. The 6 other
cars (3 Nissan, 1 Mercedes, 2 Acura) I've driven
never had this kind of quality problem.

merckx

Where's the extra interior space coming from? The wheelbase hasn't changed,nor has the arched roof.
The seatback could have been scalloped to increase rear kneroom,but it wasn't.

arupsarkar

I just bought a new Passat GLX 5-speed and took delivery Tuesday. I love the car and was very happy and that's why I stretched the budget a bit to get it, but by Friday morning the monsoon stero quit. Well actually, it comes on every now and then - sometimes for a couple of minutes sometimes for a couple of seconds by itself then shuts off again. The dealer said the head unit is bad and has to be replaced. Unfortunately they don't have one in stock. I still have my old car so I parked the Passat and have been driving the Chevy for the commute. This is quite annoying in a new car. In addition my seat heaters only seem to work in the #4 and #5 positions. 4 is about body temp and 5 is warm but 1,2, and 3 don't seem to do anything. In fact I accidently had it on number 3 all day Friday and didn't even realize it. Finally, our city streets are pretty bumpy and by friday I had developed a rattle coming from the dash over admittedly rough road, but still I didn't expect a rattle so soon. I hope these are just teething problems and not a sign of things to come.

jtobitt

Anyone heard yet what the prices for 2003 Passats are and when they'll be here? How about a definition of the new trim options?
Jamie
San Diego

ghulet

I personally think the W8 Passat is the classic 'answer to the question nobody asked'. I mean, the V6 Passat is already pretty powerful and pushing the limits pricewise for a 'non-luxury' car, IMO. A fully loaded V6 GLX 4-motion is about $32k. I don't think people are going to flock to showrooms over a $38k VW with a body design that is now five years old (last year's freshening notwithstanding). Perhaps if this were an 'all new' car, but it isn't. I guess we'll see.

markcincinnati

I agree that content and performance (perhaps performance) of the W8 will be less than an Audi. There are other differences, to be sure.

But the W8 6spd manual with sport package Passat -- which will be here in a couple of months will be at least $8,000 and up to $10,000 less than an A6 2.7T. Price weighted the Passat exceeds the Audi's content and performance. For to get the price closer, the Audi A6 that one would be comparing the Passat W8 to would be an Audi A6 3.0 quattro -- and you would still have several thousand left in your pocket if you bought the Passat.

Arguing that an A6 is "bigger" is accurate. I would also argue that the A6 is "better" -- but let's deck out an Audi A4 3.0 with several toys -- it zips right up there to $38+K in a heartbeat. The manual W8 Passat has a 0 -62 mph time of 6.5 seconds -- it exceeds the Audi A4 3.0 in this respect and is actually closer to the performance of the 2.7T -- then there's that big price difference.

And, when compared to an A4 the Passat is bigger (not that that is a good or bad thing). So the "more car for the money" argument is (superficially) strengthened.

Jack is correct -- Jack also owns a Lamborghini (so perhaps he is more financially able to buy the best content and performance period -- and not be as concerned about price) -- my most expensive car ever was $70K and that was an Audi A8 with everthing on it. My current car, an Audi A6 4.2 was $54K -- a fully loaded A6 2.7T is $50K -- and while I 100% agree that I would rather have the A6 2.7T over the W8 sport Passat -- well the $10,000 does at least get my attention. And remember I agree with Jack -- I think the Audi is the "preferable" car for my tastes. But a W8 equipped sport package with manual 6spd and 4Motion Passat "could be for the unitiated, especially," a contender for their purchase dollars.

An expanded commentary is over on the A4 sedan board.

The pricepoint of the W8 Passat is darn close to a well equipped A4 3.0 -- I'll bet blindfolded, many new to the marquis potential customers will say "Make mine an 8 cylinder!" Especially when there is a sport package version available.

mbnut1

Edmunds articulates the W8's place in the market well

"The Passat starts at $21,000, and that includes such premium features as tilting-and-telescoping steering wheel, side-curtain airbags, height-adjustable headrests for all three rear positions and rear seat vents. It makes perfect sense at this price, but perceived value suffers when the same car lists at almost twice the price. When you pit the Passat against its luxury-laden competition, its luster becomes somewhat dulled. Not many of them have eight-cylinder engines, but many of them don't need one. The Passat's interior also seems rather ordinary when compared to cars such as the Lexus ES 300 or Audi A6."

ghulet

I think on a point-by-point basis, the W8 could be perceived as a 'good value', based on numbers alone versus almost any Audi. At the end of the day, though, I don't think too many people are going to want to spend 'Audi money' on what is, more than essentially, a gussied up Passat. The (mis)perception will still exist that you have the 'same car' as your neighbor with the $23k 1.8t Passat, which in the luxury class is a definite 'no-no'. For the totally pragmatic luxury car buyer, if such a thing exists, the W8 makes a lot more sense than a $45k A6 3.0, for sure. There are just a lot of intangibles at work here, maybe too many to allow this car to be a success in the marketplace. Also, most VW buyers have never been the type to 'shop cylinders'; if they were, the 1.8t would not have been successful as it has versus V6 Camrys, Accords, Maximas and the like that frequently cost the same. I also don't see much point in selling $38k Volkswagens when you can still get a (base A4) Audi for about $25k, there's just too much overlap, IMO.

markcincinnati

You and I, believe it or not, are in violent agreement. Which is why I keep saying "what are they thinking (over at VW and Audi AG and VW and Audi of America)!