Volkswagen Passat 2005 and earlier

dudleyr

I think the problem is the tranny - there is some hesitation/lag with the automatic. Was the 1999 an automatic? My father has a 150 hp 2000 with the manual tranny, and it is very fast. If you floor it in first you better be paying attention because you have to shift to second right now! He has had it up to an indicated 140 - in one of his senior moments.

frapzoid

Turning you in to the SPCA ;-)

Doesn't matter what engine you get. I think the Passat is a good car. Have 6600 miles on my 10 month old Passat Wagon (V6/stick) and still love the car as much as when I first drove it home.

piking

I have been looking at the Jetta, Passat, and the Honda Accord all 2003. I find the Jetta a little too small considering I am 6 ft 3 in. I also want a sun roof and alloy wheels which makes the VW GLS series attractive. Any comments or suggestions in regards to engine (1.8 T vs. the V-6) and other cars to consider will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

outrun

Drive them all. You're the only one who can decide which one is "best".

Personally, I would go with either the Passat, 1.8T, 5 speed, GLS (hey, that's what I have!) or the new 2003 Accord V6. I've heard the new 240hp motor in the Accord makes it a rocket ship.

Drive, drive, drive.

-Craig

outrun

It's politically incorrect to talk about Mexican jumping beans? They're an actual product. And the 1.8T in the Jetta has 10 more hp compared to the same engine in the Passat. The Jetta is built in Mexico. The Passat is built in Germany. I don't see where I went awry.

Anyways, the auto with the 1.8T hinders it's performance. The turbo lag, along with the typical slushyness of an auto, makes things quite boring and subdued. The 5 speed livens things up a bit (plus the extra 20/30hp the newer models get).

-Craig

bjbird2

Vocus, I just bought a 2002 1.8T automatic Passat, and it is not at all a dog or boring and subdued. Far from it , the performance is very close to the 6 cylinder Passat, and I have the bonus of getting 30mpg on the highway. I think it's the perfect combination of value, safety, performance and economy, and really a kick to drive. I researched a lot of cars before this purchase, and I have absolutely no regrets, this is one of most enjoyable cars I've owned.
Have you actually driven a 2002 0r 2003? A test drive will sell you immediately.

pkradd

That's not really turbo lag in the 1.8T Tip on the Passat. It's the gear shifting at low RPM. I had a 4 cylinder Camry ('98) that had the same thing. Also I don't believe the Jetta 1.8T has 10 horsepower more then the Passat. They are both "rated" at 170 (although some reports say they are actually 180).

P.S. bjbird2. I also have a 2002 (actually 2001.5) auto and still love it after a year and 4 months. The only problem was a burnout of the breaklight(s) on the right rear. Had them replaced.

vocus

I had a 2001 loaner Passat V6 automatic, and drove a loaner 1999 1.8T Passat automatic as well. Those are the only 2 Passats I ever drove. I find the front seats in them (cloth anyway) very uncomfortable, so I never looked at the car. I have a 2002 Jetta 1.8T I am very happy with though.

vocus

The 1.8T in the Jetta is rated at more hp and torque than the Passat's engine. It might have something to do with the transverse mounting in the Jetta vs. longitudinal in the Passat. That's the only difference between the 2.

pkradd

I stand corrected.

taveren

I am interested in getting the Passat GLX.

Can any of you report your current mileage is (city and highway)? Thanks.

vocus

I had a loaner 2001 (old style) Passat V6 Tiptronic, and I am a pretty aggressive driver. I ended up averaging something like 19.5mpg with 80% highway/20% city driving. I thought the economy was poor, because the engine doesn't feel any more powerful than the 1.8T in the Jetta, and I get 24mpg constantly, even with hard driving.

mulfomi

I saw an advertisement in my Sunday paper from the local VW dealer for a W8 for $32,999. I was shocked since I thought they were selling for close to sticker which was around $38,000 or so. Has anyone else seen similiar ads? Have sales been that slow on these cars, or were they discounted from sticker before and I just didnt know it?

Not interested in buying one, just surprised and curious. Got to have that 5 spd. (Yes, I know the 2003 will have a 6 spd available. - Still too rich for my blood.)

wmquan

But was the W8 a (heavily used) dealer demo?

kingk1

Just bought a 2002 Passat Sunday and it is in the shop Tuesday morning with a shuddering sound out of the engine on a cold start. The sound soon went away after about 20 sec. Then, I noticed the computer was resetting my avg mil per gallon every time I turned the car off.
The dealer says a tech bulletin from VW just came out a couple of weeks ago diagnosing this problem. They are installing a new computer in the car with new flash memory and are confident that the problem will be fixed.
Anyone heard of this? And, for laughs, the real kicker is the loaner they gave me is not a VW, because they are out, but, it is a Chevy Cavalier--is that service or what? I have been waiting for the part for two days and it could take up to 5+. This is painful, and has me a bit worried. Thoughts?

pkradd

Is it a 4 or 6 or W8? Manual or Auto? I've had no such problems with my 2001.5 1.8T Tip. Also, if the dealershp knew of the problem why did they deliver you the car without checking it or fixing it? If you can, when the car is fixed take your warranty business elsewhere.

kbtr

Buying a new Passat. Best price I've found to date is $24,600 for the Passat with leather, heated seats, monsoon, and all the other options. Is this good or should I hold out for better?

hoodornament

Run with it my friend.... welcome to the Passat Posse !

HO

outrun

1.8T or V6? Manual or Auto?

Those are big options to choose from.

In April, I paid $24k even for '02 GLS, Leather, Luxury, Monsoon, 5 speed, 1.8T.

Also got $8k for our Accord trade in.

-Craig

outrun

pkradd,

The Tip can't be launched anywhere near as well as the 5 speed. There's no way to bring up the revs high enough to get around the lack of low RPM oomph. Turbo lag can be defined a few ways. One way is the point at which the turbo gives significant power to the engine from a standstill. The other is how long it takes the turbo to give power in an on thottle/off throttle/on throttle situation (spool, unspool, respool).

In my former '98 Volvo S70 T5 Auto (with the "big" turbo), off the line, I didn't have any power until 3,000rpm. But after that, I was a rocket ship (some serious power). Even standing on the gas and brake off the line didn't help things much. I consider that a lot of turbo lag. In the Passat, this is around 2,000rpm (due to the smaller turbo).

One can stand on the brake and gas at the same time to get the rpms up in an auto, but that'll do wonders for the torque converter over time.

And even then, the ECU will cut off power at engine when hitting the brake and gas at the same time for a long enough period of time. Found this out a few days ago when I was trying to dry out my brakes after driving through an unexpected 6-8 inch puddle (more like a lake) of water. When traveling about 30mph, I usually hit the gas and brake at the same time to get the water off the discs/pads. Well, when I did it in my Passat, it worked for about 5 seconds, and then the engine cut power and I started slowing down, until I let off the brake, and everything was normal. Damn German engineers.

-Craig

kingk1

Good question on why the dealer never checked the issue. Dealer said it is not a recall, but is the official VW solution for a problem they have been seeing on a few passats and jettas.

The car is a new 2002 black with tan cloth, 1.8T manual tranny, and everything on it but leather. I paid 21,900 for it--a great deal to say the least. Unless, it has many more of these problems.

kelvinleung

I can't find any dealer here in Arizona carrying the GLS 1.8T manual with ESP (Electronic Stability Programm). I guess it is a good feature and how come there is no such combination? Might need to special order it.

jpnwdc

I test drove both the 2003 Passat 1.8T (auto) and the GLX (V6, auto). I don't know anyone could describe these two as close in performance or driving pleasure. The 1.8T was sluggish and noticeably louder. There was a whole lot of racket going on but not much acceleration. Believe me, I wanted to like the 1.8T since it's quite a bit less expensive and gets better gas mileage. However, I found the extra money for the V6 well worth the price.

kelvinleung

I guess the 1.8T requires manual transmission to perform adequately. If you prefer auto, V6 is the way to go. Also, acceleration is relative to different persons.

pkradd

The Passat is sold with the 1.8T and Tip more then any other model. All of us that buy this version must be the dumbest people on earth. So it would seem from the bashing going on here. I have no problems with my car. I do not need to beat the guy next to me to the next light. 2 seconds, he beat me by 2 seconds - my manhood has been destroyed! ;-). We all have different needs in a car.

outrun

The 1.8T is best matched to the manual transmission. That's been known ever since it was introduced in 1998.

The V6? Well, it's best matched to an Audi.

-Craig

pkradd

Well, that's an opinion. Most reviews I have read have praised the 1.8T with Tiptronic while being less than enthusastic with the V6 with Tip. Again, I'm satisfied with my 2001.5 Passat as are tens of thousands of others. You like manual transmissions, good for your and the others that do. To each his own!

bjbird2

I've never seen a review , nor have I experienced anything on mine that indicated that the 1.8T 170hp with automatic was a slouch. I think it's very close to the 6 cylinder in in performance, just slightly noisier, but I like the sound of the turbo. I'd like to see the actual acceleration numbers for both models.
The low end 0-40mph seems to be particularly good with the 1.8T.

outrun

I'll put a "IMHO" in front of every sentence I write to satisfy the masses and not offend anyone.

-Craig

pkradd

We all have opinions. Those that post with what reads as definitive facts when they are not just need to be more circumspect. If you are an agrressive driver and insist on getting off the line faster then the person next to you then do it. It wastes gas, puts more wear and tear on the car and in the end rarely gets you to your destination that much sooner. Here in South Florida people do it all the time. I always catch up to them at the next red light. I guess they don't get it :-)

scrubsbear

Hey all! I've seriously been looking at the 2003 Passat GLX w/ 4motion and will probably purchase one in the next few months. I definitely wanted the V6 and Tiptronic, but I'm not so sure about 4motion. Has anyone has any expericene with it? Any known problems? I know it adds weight and decreases performance. I did notice that the car has a better feel. Also the 4motion would decrease my insurance premium more so that the standard GLX. In addtion, what is a good price to pay for either the GLX or GLX 4motion in the St Louis area?
thanks
kevin

steveiowa

Scrubs,

I just turned over 31,000 miles on my 2001 GLX with 4Mo. Last winter was pretty mild, so I only "got" to drive it in the snow a few times...it was SWEEEEET. I commute 60 miles round trip, so I feel a lot better with 4Mo in the Iowa winters. You lose some gas mileage but, eh, so what?

The 4Mo really makes the car feel stable and safe on wet roads too. I'm trading this Passat next year for another...I may go with the variant (wagon) but I'll for sure get the 4Mo.

steveiowa

I was at the local VW/Audi dealership and took a test drive in the new A4. This was a $41,000 automobile and it confirmed for me what a great value the Passat GLX is. My Passat has more room and more power than Audi for ten grand less. I was giving serious thought to trading "up" next year to the A4 but after driving the A4, no way. I ain't paying $2500 per ring for the logo.

sampson4646

I have a 1998 Passat with 75,000 miles and it runs great. I'm the original owner and have changed the oil about every 4,000 miles and its time (I think) to do the following: Change brake fluid, sparks, and Power Steering fluid.

Can anyone recommend do anything else (V-belt and timing belt) The owners book is not very helpful.

Thanks for your help.

SAMG

vwguild

The BIG ONE is at 80K...www.VW.com has a pretty
comprehensive menu....

goblue99

I factory ordered ESP, and ESP was listed on my Window Sticker, and I picked up my car at Farrish VW on 9/13/02 (2003 GLS 1.8T Variant).

However, now that I've read the manual, I've found out that I should have an "ESP" button on the dash where the "ASR" button used to be. However - my button still reads "ASR".

Have any of the rest of you bought a car with ESP, but received a car with the "ASR" button?

yanker

Anyone who is interested in VW should read the book "Getting the Bugs Out" It is the sorriest account of ineptitude and arrogance on the part of VW management in Germany you can possibly imagine. They built junk for years and I for one don't trust them yet.

plaaaaane

COOL, Yanker. Guess we wont be seeing any of your postings here again.

My '03 Jetta TDI, is by the way, far superior to the cars I've bought in the past: an '00 QX4 (JUNK!), a '89 Continental (JUNK 2!), '00 Grand marquis (OK for a slug if you can take "off center" seats), and now my wife wants to dump the '00 RX300 (fat rolly polly slug) for a JETTA TDI! She wants one more sports car before she dies.

I've never had a car without one single problem before the jetta, and I loved my Subarus beginning in'75 (until the '83 screwed me with a frame that turned to red rust dust). AC in FLA is no TDI problem at all either! I cant get over going up the Sunshine Skyway bridge at 80, and just touching the pedal nearing the top to pass. My gas engines used to require flooring them to downshift.

Im HOPING I can stall wife until, Ive heard, '04 brings us a Passat TDI.

Anyone have any information on that?

Dave

vwguild

Yes, I delivered a 2003 1.8T Jetta Variant...ASR on the Dash, BUT...1AT on the Code sheet, and on the Monrony...I asked if they had problems with
ESP buttons...maybe printed EPS? Never got an answer...the key though is that code sheet and that it matches the Monrony...

outrun

She wants a sports car and is looking at a Jetta TDI? Isn't that something like 11.5 seconds to 60?

I guess it's sporty compared to a bicycle.

But the '00 RX300 (we have the refreshed '01 model) is faster than a Jetta TDI. Much faster.

-Craig

outrun

I don't really think those that accelerate faster are in it to "get there faster". Those would be the dolts who drive 110mph in a beat up K car on the highway.

I accelerate "briskly" due to the enjoyment of being pushed back in the seat, the sound of the engine, changing gears quickly, and the rush of the turbo. I'm not peeling out at every stop light and picking on little rice boys to race (my stop light racing days are behind me). I bought a Passat because it's more of a drivers car than a Honda Accord. And it's a family car. And it's safe. And it's fun to drive (with a manual).

No auto is going to provide the sense of total control over a vehicle that a manual gives.

Is that clear enough?

Oh, please insert IMHO in front of each sentence.

-Craig

merckx

I couldn't agree more. I've got a manual(my first)1.8T,and I'm loving it. It adds a level of involvement and therefore enjoyment I'd been missing. So I'm not "fast and furious" either,but I can't recommend the manual enough.
It's made my Passat thr best car I've owned.

vocus

I am very curious to test drive the newer Passats now. The loaner I had was a 1999 model, so it had 20 less horsepower. The new ones sound pretty fast. I need to go check one out, so I know how the ones you all own feel on the road.

vocus

I think "sporty" would refer to the handling. Not everything counts on 0-60 times. Also, the TDI will be 2x more economical than the RX300 is.

krzyss

(at least with factory setup - I think that TDI is quite nose heavy) but it is more sporty than RX300.

Krzys

8u6hfd

RX300 also has a higher Cg

feilo

Aren't we comparing apples to oranges? A Jetta/Golf (& eventually Passat in '05 I hope)TDI is a completely different vehicle than an RX300. As someone eloquently put it in a past post; if you are shopping for a VW(TDI), you shouldn't be looking at a Toyota/Lexus (RX300) and vice versa.

faraday

Hi, just got my GLS 5 speed last Tuesday. I was looking for a 'sporty car' and the classification of the Passat as a 'family car' turned me off. However, I liked the looks and with the 1.8T engine and the 5 speed, I'm very happy with the performance and handling. I was amazed how difficult it was getting a 5 speed here in Southern California!

outrun

I wouldn't call the Passat with a 1.8T/5 speed "fast". It's quick for a family sedan, and probably would classify as fast only with a chip and exhaust.

But it's sure fun to drive (and economical).

-Craig

vocus

I can not WAIT to get my chip and exhaust on my 2002 1.8T Jetta tiptronic.