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Comments
If you continue to have reservations about the car, then by all means sell the thing. I'm sure there will be plenty of takers.
for anything. Have you ever seen a movie that was
panned by the critics, and you loved it? Or a
restaurant that some critic didn't like, and you
had a great meal?
I would suggest that YOU drive the New 2001.5 and
make your own decision as to whether it is "over
boosted and numb; unable to complement the more rigid chassis
and sporty engines".
I would also point out here that only the 1.8T has
been *chipped*...to 170HP, the V6 2.8L 30 Valve has not changed at all. And I have no idea at all
what "over boosted and numb" means. I think
that this guy also reviews wine...
I have been reading car magazines for over a decade. Some may be of questionable integrity, but one thing for sure is that a reader can learn a lot about the characteristics of automobiles in general by reading such magazines. For instance, did you happen to know that most cars today come with a hydraulic pump for boosting the driver's inputs to the steering? Depending on how much that pump boosts the inputs, turning the steering wheel can feel too easy or too hard or just right at any particular speed.
"Perfectly weighted" steering is where you don't have to strain yourself to get the car to turn, but hard enough that you can tell what kind of road surface you are driving on. "Perfectly weighted" steering means that the steering wheel communicates to the driver what is going on where the rubber meets the pavement. It's the difference between a German car and a Toyota Camry. Camry's are notorious for having overboosted steering. Should you expect "overboosted and numb" steering if you buy a German car? I think not.
Also, Hall's statement that, "In it's present form, [the steering is] overboosted and numb, unable to complement the more rigid chassis and sporty engines," does not imply that the engines have gotten sportier with the 2001.5 (even if they have - you mentioned the 1.8T has been chipped to 170HP with the 2001.5). It only says what it says: that they are sporty. Apparantly he is saying that, with the available engines and the more rigid chassis, the steering just isn't up to muster.
I think your advice to test drive the 2001.5 Passat is incomplete. Prospective 2001.5 Passat buyers should also test drive a 2001 Passat back to back with a 2001.5 Passat to see if they notice and don't mind a degradation in steering response relative to the 2001.5's more rigid chassis. If they do notice a degradation and do mind it, they might do well to wait until the steering is re-tuned before spending the extra money that a German car costs.
On the other hand, a buyer might not have the opportunity to test drive both cars back to back. In that case, it would be nice to hear on this issue from a second source, preferably one more reputable than a car salesman.
By the way, I usually listen to what Siskel & Ebert have to say about movies I am considering seeing. I stopped going to movies that they didn't recommend because I found that the movies they didn't like, I didn't like.
Those with 1.8T and autos, are you happy with the power? I know I'll have to drive them, but it's an hour to the nearest dealer so I'm trying to throw some ideas around in advance.
erik
That news certainly could have changed though.
I replaced the Michelin tires at ~30K miles,
the front brakes at ~32K and the rear brakes
at 36K. Has anyone else experienced anything
similar? I can't believe my driving is that
bad - I would have expected each of those to
last a minimum of another 10K miles.
I want to add an in-dash cd player to my Passat. Tho Ive heard that adding aftermarket stereo components, especially head-units, can be quite a pain in the butt especially if you have the Monsoon system. Can anyone recommend an in-dash cd player that will fit and look well in the Passat? By the way, my Passat will have the Monsoon system.
Thanks
david
Last time I checked (around 30K) my brakes were fine. I'll have them looked at again at my 40K service though.
I need to know if any of you have any info on the diesel engine? I've looked thru most of the post here and didn't seem to come across anyone with such a car. Any one having knowledge of pro's & con's would be helpful. The car I'm interested in is in N.Houston - I'm in GA ... needless to say I can't test drive the car before I pay to have it transferred to a local dealer. Please help!
CAR STATS:
1998 Passat TDI (Turbo Desil Eng.)
Auto- Trans
76K miles
Good $ on it.
Thanks in advance for any info or advise that can be given.
I bought it used (only 12,000 km) from a dealer. The car is great except for one irritating problem. When I go beyond 100 Km/hr I can feel a vibration throughout the car. I can feel it on the floor, seat and steering wheel. It feels like vibrations happening at a high frequency - kinda like a vibrating chair! I have 16"perelli winter tires on it which may contribute to some vibration but I don't think this is the problem.
The dealer has rebalanced the front tires but the problem still persists. It is still under warranty (one year left) so I'll keep bringing it back until they get it right but in the meantime maybe you could suggest what you think it could be. According to the dealer it was not in an accident. The dealer says it's just the snow tires but I am skeptical.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
I've had my 1999 Passat wagon (4-cyl turbot Tiptronic) for 20 months now and just went past 50K miles. I replaced the fast-wearing (1 grossly defective) Continental tires that came with the car with Michelin Pilots at 35K miles. No problems with the Michelin at all.
I got stuck in the snow once last year. Backed into a snowbank a little too much, so left rear was caught in the snow. There was no evidence the traction control was working, the right front tire spun and the left front never made an effort to move. It happened again this year. Got into it a little too deep again this year. Again, no evidence that the traction control was trying to get the left front wheel to move. My outside man said the only wheel moving was right front. Tried easing on the brake a little but still nothing to the left wheel.
Initially dissapointed with 26 MPG but once I stopped using the inboard computer and went back to the old gal/miles computation with a calculator(or the dreaded long division), it increased about one MPG, permanently. So on a good day I can touch 28 MPG.
At 40K miles the glove compartment door jammed shut. The dealer insists they don't repair these things, and that it would run me about $300 SD for a new glove box. I figured that just wasn't good value for the money. Too many other things to spend it on, so I got it open and now it's held shut with tape.
Car continues to run great and is very comfortable. Very responsive, a pleasure to drive. Initial episodes of engine check light have not returned in more than a year. I burn 91 octane and very rarely have any pining.
AM band on radio not too good due to noise from alternator when headlights are turned on.
That's all I got.
TomVT
all 4 Corners...
The real fact is that you probably do not even
need them.
Make them stand by your warranty...
Regarding the Edmunds Town Hall spelling checker: I agree, it's worse than not using a spelling checker at all.
I just picked up my new VW passat today. Could someone recommend a good alarm that will work well in the Passat while still giving me the opportunity to use the keyless entry that VW provides?
Thanks,
David
with it, and what was the bottom line?????
Slope
apathy...If this is the Dealership that sold you
the Wagon...Call the GM, and ask if this normal
treatment for Service Customers...
Im very happy with my new Passat. Im looking to add an in-dash cd player to my Monsoon system. I tried audio dealers but they're suggestions sounded too extreme for me, and anyways, a non VW cd-player wont let me control the sound from the multi-function steering wheel. So Im going to go with the in-dash factory CD player. I have a question about this player, does anyone know if it plays CDR's?
Thanks,
david
Is there and option to extend the VW bumper-to-bumper warranty to 36 months/50,000 miles rather than the 7-10 year/100,000 mile term I see discussed often? I would prefer a VW-sponsored program, but am interested in learning about any available program.
VW Masterguard program...Call the F&I Manager at
the Dealership where you Leased the Passat...
quite frankly I am surprised that this was not
taken care of for you at the lease signing; to save
you time and another trip to the dealership...
payment could have been incorporated into the lease.
The 10/100 goes with the car...not the buyer...
When you return this Passat the next driver will
get the balance of 5/50 or 14months/14000 of the
Complete Powertrain Warranty...not bad for a *used
car*...Or if a family member wants to buy this Passat from you at lease end they would get the
balance of the 10/100...7years/64000
Any feed back from current passat wagon owner would be much appreciated!
I pick up the car next week and I have not asked the dealer about warranties yet. I did not want to introduce another issue in the negotiation process. I will negotiate the warranty sometime between now and next week and pay with a lump sum up front. I can't imagine the cost to be more than a few hundred dollars.
The warranty you recommend results in a the total coverage period being 3 years or 36,000 miles, correct? I plan on having 36,000 miles on the car in about 27 months and I'd like to be covered for the every mile of my 36 month lease period. What is the next longest mileage amount offered by Masterguard?
What is the MSRP on the 3yr/45k Masterguard plan? Is this something I should buy now or should I wait until my 2yr/24k warranty is near expiration? Does it get more expensive as the car gets older?
An interesting byproduct -- because I bought the car used, I asked for a history of the maintenance done on the vehicle which they were able to produce. Apparently there was a tie rod recall done on the vehicle. I was not aware of such a recall -- I checked the following recall site and couldn't find it. http://apps.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/recalls/search4_e.asp
Anyone aware of such a recall?
By the way, thanks everyone for their feedback on this.
do a little better doing at the lease signing...
$425-$475...and just roll it into the lease...
I just noticed a Passat wagon on the cover of the latest Consumer Reports - Passat GLS is rated a Best Pick for reliability. The reliability chart shows the 2000 Passat has CR's "much better than average" reliability rating in all areas except electrical where it's rated a slightly lower with a "better than average".
I've had my 2000 Passat for 14 months now with no problems whatsoever, extremely reliable.
Can I purchase a VW Masterguard warranty from a VW dealer other than the one from which I purchased my car? It looks like the price goes up at 6000 miles, so I have some time to do some comparison shopping.
Ok, as I mentioned before I just leased a brand new Passat a few days ago. I was very happy with the car at first but then I started noticing a problem. When I accelerate from a red light or a stop sign, I hear a cranking sound, its not loud but I can hear it. This doesnt happen at fast speeds. It only happens when I go from 0 to about 20 or 25 MPH. A friend of mine told me it could be bad cv joints/axles.
Bottom line, this shouldnt be happening to me during my first couple days of owning a car. I know I know, "cars are not perfect machines, ect.." But for me, I dont want a car thats giving me major problems from the get go. What I would like to know is what options do I have. Is it possible to request another car? Would it be harder for them to give me another car since this is a lease? Please advise, because Im going to VW tommorow. I will be giving them a piece of my mind.
Thanks,
David
Dealer...email me and I'll give some MSRPs on them.
and make an appointment with Service Dept. and
have the Service Advisor go with you so that he
can hear the noise as well...that will make it easier for him to explain to the Tech what to look for...you are getting the cart way out in front of the horse...
I am looking at purchasing a used Passat GLX. I am looking at 1998 thru 2000. I understand any year after 1998 is a better model over previous years. Do all these models offer a fold down rear seat? I sometimes travel a lot and this is a very important feature. And what are the advantages of the newer models.
Thanks
One buyer just reported picking up a 2001.5 GLX for $600 over invoice--that's $2000 BELOW MSRP!
New 2001.5 Passats CAN be had for hundreds over invoice--though the dealers who post here will say anything and everything to discourage you from expecting this.
In the same vein, remember that Edmunds TMV does not represent the BEST that you can do--it represents AN AVERAGE. This means that you can do much better than TMV--and balance out those who got sucker-punched by a dealer...
Agree with TMV comment : For a really insightful read, everyone should read these sites before even thinking about buying a car !!
Read : http://www.carbuyingtips.com
and : http://www.carsos.com
Im bringing my Passat in tomorrow to fix a problem with the Trubo valve. Im also going to have the VW in-dash cd player installed. Does anyone know it if plays CDR's (copied cd's)? If not, then Ill have to get the cd changer that I know plays CDR's for sure. Please let me know ASAP, because Im dropping my car off tomorrow.
no problems playing CDs that you burn, but there
may be a problem with CDRWs...PS
The change in design is very impressive...not just the exterior (chrome striping/front and rear light design) but the interior...(cup holders farther back, near arm rest, even arm rest seems slightly larger/as well as the glove compartment)...seemed like everything a buyer nit-picked at over the 2000-2001's have been addressed here. LOVIN' IT.
Price sticker 26,495.00...gotta go back to deal with getting a deal...
If someone knows for sure please post your message. Thanks
lenny