2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI Long-Term Road Test

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2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI Long-Term Road Test

Do you connect your phone via Bluetooth while driving?

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fordson1

Um, yeah. I do because it makes talking on the phone while driving much easier, somewhat safer, and because it's the law in NY State that you have to use a hands-free phone solution. I think it's the law in CA, too...also this is still another scenario in which a car owner has a different situation from the one that you staffers have, rotating among all the cars in the LT fleet. Most car owners will "bother" pairing up a phone maybe once or twice a year, not every day, like you folks do. Is it worth pairing up a phone once or maybe once in awhile to be able to use Bluetooth for phone and music from then on? Hell, yeah.

fordson1

Um, yeah. I do because it makes talking on the phone while driving much easier, somewhat safer, and because it's the law in NY State that you have to use a hands-free phone solution. I think it's the law in CA, too...also this is still another scenario in which a car owner has a different situation from the one that you staffers have, rotating among all the cars in the LT fleet. Most car owners will "bother" pairing up a phone maybe once or twice a year, not every day, like you folks do. Is it worth pairing up a phone once or maybe once in awhile to be able to use Bluetooth for phone and music from then on? Hell, yeah.

zimtheinvader

" very rarely talk on the phone while driving." --- I too am no fan of talking on the phone but I paired my phone with the car and I guess in 10 years when I get another car I'll have to do it again (or have the implant just under my ear by that point in time so I won't have to bother)

expensivehobby

There are badly engineered systems which are too much trouble and therefore distracting. I won't use them. The Passat has a good system, in fact the best I have used so far.

agentorange

I have Bluetooth in one car and a headset for use in the other. I almost never call out and only answer the phone long enough to tell the caller I'll get back to them when I'm not driving. Yes, it drives some callers nuts, but it's my neck on the highway so it's my rules. Anybody who gets sniffy about it goes to voicemail for a month if I'm driving. Yakking on the phone and driving is a bad plan, Bluetooth or not.

credd

Bluetooth connectivity to a car's audio system for calls and music is a welcome convenience feature. iOS 7 makes it convenient to switch on or off the Bluetooth radio on the iPhone. My company car, a Venza, has this feature and it's my second favorite feature; the V6 is first.

eclogite

I've paired my iPhone to one of our two work trucks - the one I use most often - because it's so much more convenient to take calls that way. Also, company policy says we're supposed to go hands-free or pull over to take calls while driving.

If I had a car that I could pair my phone to (some day), I'd do it.

aaceljo

yes I do and it's very convenient and much safer than answering the actual phone

desertguy51

I have a Jetta Sportwagen and do use Bluetooth when I absolutely need to make a call when driving. I too am not a big fan of talking while driving and usually keep my calls very brief. In fact, I'm one of those who'd like to cite all of those I see talking and texting on hand held devices. The California law is useless, apparently not being enforced, so what's the point.

But back to VW Bluetooth, I had some problems getting my phone paired. Initially, it turned out my last cell phone had a software problem. The new smart phone still wasn't pairing, so I took it into the dealer who paired it in, uh, 10 seconds. So much for my tech savvy.

I only use the voice activation feature, and frankly, I find it somewhat time consuming. There seems to be a big lull between activating the system, listening to the list of possible options, and actually initiating the calls. Amusingly, I find the robot's pronunciation so weird, that sometimes I think it's retrieving contacts out of the blue.