VW Passat TDI

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Comments

  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    It's very hard to find that kind of deal where I live, in the Pacific NW. But prices like yours seem to be common in the middle of the country, all the way down to Texas and even Florida. Makes a plane trip seem worthwhile for a serious buyer.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Most of the best offers came from the Milwaukee area.

    That is good to know. Edmund's TMV says MSRP for that area. Was it a struggle to get that price?

    Keep us posted on how you like your Passat.
  • tschwantestschwantes Member Posts: 3
    I recieved a number of online quotes, then used the low quote with others. I had 3 very good quotes before I ever went to my local dealer. Although the local dealer would not match the invoice price, I believe he got significantly less than he wanted. After I stated that I had 2 offers at invoice (by the way, one of the Milwaukee dealers agreed to deliver the vehicle free of charge!), he said they wanted to make $800 over invoice. I offered $200 over, and they counted with about $400 over. As I said, I wanted to buy from this dealer because of their service reputation, but it was nice to have some leverage.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I think I like the current Passat better than the new one...

     

    http://info.detnews.com/autosinsider/sneakpeek/index.cfm?id=15203
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    Nothing startling here - the direction being taken by the Phaeton and the Audi line is evident in all of the new VWs as well [see new Golf and Jetta].

     

    I personally find nothing especially offensive about this, but nothing seems to get a brand's crowd more up in arms than styling changes. The new Jetta has the Vortex board threatening mass suicide. Many people still haven't gotten over the current Accord, though I prefer it to its predecessor. No matter what you do at the styling studio, somebody will complain.....
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    The new Jetta has the Vortex board threatening mass suicide.

     

    I don't get that caught up in car design. I just felt that the Jetta & Passat were two of the best looking cars in a sea of ugly crap. With few exceptions the late 1990s and early 2000s have produced some of the ugliest cars in my 45 years of car buying. I think the domestics are coming back with reasonable designs in the Ford 500 & the MB E320 is not bad. I hope something comes along I like before my fleet starts dying.
  • harlequin1971harlequin1971 Member Posts: 278
    easy - 1980s had no end to fugly cars...

     

    appliance cars was a term born in the 80s, IIRC...

     

    thank you Iaccoca
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    easy - 1980s had no end to fugly cars...

     

    You're probably right. I was trying to list the vehicles I really liked the looks of and it is a short list. 1955-57 Chevy Nomad, early 1990s Lexus SC300/400, 1988-1998 Chevy PU/Suburbans. I like clean lines and most cars are cluttered. I think the new Ford Mustang and Five Hundred are going the right direction.
  • tdi_tantdi_tan Member Posts: 60
    unlike the Jetta, we haven't seen sheetmetal of the Passat yet, just photoshop'd pics. The new audi face...if it wasn't for the expanse of chrome for the new Audi face, you can easily confuse the new A6 for a Passat. The lines are shared with the Passat, believe it or not.
  • aarbenaarben Member Posts: 1
    Anybody can share experiences about the VW dealers in Austin? Are they competent?
  • yleralecyleralec Member Posts: 6
    This past week, I drove from east Tennessee to Northern Utah. About halfway, the fuel consumption increased from about 40 mpg to the low 30's. Performance seemed a little sluggish also. Has anyone else observed this? It happened before I got to the higher altitude in Wyoming. Could it be winterized fuel? Do I need to take it to a dealer for a diagnosis? Any suggestions?
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    There are fewer trees to block the wind and it can get very windy in the plains. The prevailing winds blow towards the East so you will be driving into them. Also the speed limit is higher in the midwest. 70 Minnesota 75 SD etc. Driving faster will decrease your mpg as well.

     
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    When I had a 2000 Jetta TDI, my avg. mpg would drop by at least 5mpg on winter blend fuel. Between that and head winds, you may have your answer.
  • warrior23warrior23 Member Posts: 2
    I just bought a 2005 Passat TDI last month. I had an older gas Passat in Germany for 4 years, drove the heck out of it and was very impressed with all aspects of the car which led me to buy this one (I’ve also had a VW van and a diesel Rabbit). The only complaint I have with this new car is a harmonic buzz that is heard at certain times in the interior, mostly during acceleration and sometimes at cruise. It seems to be coming from where the driver’s seatbelt goes into the door post and sounds like a small spring vibrating. It is not very loud, probably only heard in the driver’s left ear. Has anyone else experienced this? Anyone had a dealer look at or fix this problem? My dealer is 100 miles away and the noise is so low that I hate to run up there and have them think I’m being too picky. I do, however, plan on asking about it at my 5000 mile service when Ill be there anyway.
  • ilovemytdiilovemytdi Member Posts: 4
    Any news on the options for the new jetta/passat...i think vw is way behind in this area. I love the tdi's but bought a new accord v6 240hp, leather, heated seats, dual climate control, voice activated dvd navigation that also controls the heat/air, xm radio etc for 27k.

      

    I am in the market for another new car and would love to go back to a tdi, since i owned a 2000 jetta tdi until about 1 year ago. If im going to shell out the money I expect the dvd nav and keyless start...i read on the passat it will have the keyless start option, but have not read anything on the dvd nav system?
  • luggyluggy Member Posts: 3
    I just bought my wife an '05 Passat TDI Wagon. Now I realize the silly window sticker reads 38 mpg on the highway, which everyone knows those numbers are bogus anyway, but I'm reading that you get 80 highway 20 town. Are you talking speed? Because I "know" you're not talking MPG. Please clarify.
  • luggyluggy Member Posts: 3
    Which dealership did you purchase from: Broadway Chebbie or Van Dyn Hoven. I bought my wife a 2005 VW Passat TDI Wagon. We placed the order back in September, the car wasn't due to come in until February. We picked it up Wednesday evening. Paid just a "little" under invoice...not much though. Now we have to sell her 2001 Honda Accord EX V-6..all the bells and whistles. She loved her Honda, but she's in sales and puts on about 40k a year and the mpg on the Honda are not the same as the Passat. If you know of anyone in the Green Bay/N.E. Wisc. area looking for a very clean Honda Accord EX V-6, leave a note here. By the way, she LOVES the Passat!!
  • velvetvelvet Member Posts: 1
    Could you please share some specifics about what dealers in Milwaukee you went to and what you had quoted? I live in Mequon and plan on purchasing this car soon...

     

    Thanks so much
  • cosmocosmo Member Posts: 203
    My guess is map2 is referring to 80% highway and 20% town driving to average 36 mpg, which is reasonable. I have almost 6,000 miles on my TDI wagon, and I have averaged 28 mpg in city-only driving, 38 mpg in freeway-only driving (65-75 mph), and 40 mpg in secondary highway driving (45-60 mph). Overall, I've averaged 34 mpg. That's based on fuel pumped, not on what the overly optimistic trip computer reads. Not bad for a mid-sized station wagon with more torque than a Durango V6 and not fully broken in yet.
  • avenger1avenger1 Member Posts: 90
    If you are interested in the new passat/jetta soon to be released, you may get sticker shock. Reports are that the top of the line Passat (v6/awd) will top out at $38K+. Many die hard vw fans are not fans of the new increased pricing.

     

    The good news is that you should be able to get the turbo 4 w/less options for around the same as the current. No word if the TDI will be available and when (or how much).
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Passat (v6/awd) will top out at $38K+.

     

    I cannot imagine buying a Passat gas that gets 22 mpg combined on Premium. It will be interesting to see if they bring out the 4motion with TDI. It should be a big hit in the snow states.
  • sdjones1sdjones1 Member Posts: 1
    I test drove a wagon Tdi last night, and overall was impressed. What is your impression after two or three weeks driving? May I ask what your dealer's invoce price was, and how you find these things? I haven't bought a new car in a while, and am never sure how these things work. BTW, my other car in a 1999 MB e300 turbodiesel. I bought it used, and it has been the best car I have ever owned. Mileage, performance, reliability, the entire package.
  • map2map2 Member Posts: 4
    no 80 % highway driving and 20 % town driving time
  • map2map2 Member Posts: 4
    Sorry for the confusion , you are right 80 % highway and 20 % town driving. My engine seamed to brake in"limber up " at about 12,000 miles. milage jump 1 to 2 mpg's

     

    Since I only fill up every 500 miles "ain't that cool" check you tire pressure regualary for best fuel millage!
  • gator228gator228 Member Posts: 3
    We got our first TDI Passat on New Year's Eve. Went with the GL (upgrading from a Jetta TDI).

     

    I'm getting a little wind noise on the driver's side, window area.

     

    I heard the Passat's cabin was well isolated from outside noise and wind. Anyone else getting this problem? Is this because of the GL model (intro vs. others with more standard options).

     

    Thanks.
  • ngjagragngjagrag Member Posts: 4
    I bought my GLS tdi wagon on 12/28/05 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at Hall Imports. On my 780 mile trip home to NE Pa I drove on a combination of roadways, interstates, beltways,the loop in Chicago during rush hour, two lane roads in Indiana and mountainous roads in Pa. I altered speeds, accelerated and decelerated frequently and followed the rules about break in of the engine. I averaged 42 mpg. The car was great. It was silent in operation. If the rest of my ownership experience is as good as this trip, so good. I experienced no noise.
  • holenone79holenone79 Member Posts: 20
    I just bought a 2005 GLS. I traded in a 2002 GL. The

    GL had several rattles from the dash area and pillar

    area. Wind noise was somewhat pronounced above 80mph.

     

    The new car has an interminttent rattle in the drivers door and I do hear wind noise, more so than my 2002. In the 2002, as the car aged, it developed more rattles. My 2002 had the following problems--all covered under warranty:

    daylight running lights burnt out twice

    brake rotors warped out at about 17000 miles

    oil leak

    radio stopped working and was replaced

    dash bubbled and was replaced

     

    On balance, the car was fun to drive. I guess I could have bought a battleship tight camry or accord, but there is something about the vw passat that I really like.
  • gator228gator228 Member Posts: 3
    Thank you for the input ngjagrag. I bought in Mandeville, LA, just north of New Orleans. We drove interstate from the dealership home.

     

    There was a slightly pronounced wind noise level. Your post helps me much. I will speak with the dealer to see if they missed something.

     

    Thanks again.
  • gator228gator228 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks to you also holenone79. The ` 01 Jetta TDI I had before the Passat TDI `05 didn't have this wind noise. I thought it strange.

     

    But like you say, there's something about the Passat I like too. Probably many on this forum likes as well!

     

    With all the horror stories you read on the VW's in general, it seems the TDI versions work pretty well. I know my Jetta did. And I hope this Passat keeps the same track record.

     

    Oh, by the way..we were ready for the Accord too. Just couldn't pass that TDI Passat! Take care and good luck in your Passat TDI travels
  • bbvenbbven Member Posts: 1
    I just took delivery new GL wagon on 17th Dec. and drove from Florida to CA no noise problems very quite at high speeds. I'd have dealer check the door gasket.
  • big daddybig daddy Member Posts: 1
    By invoice are you including base + options + freight only, or are you also including advertising, dealer prep, or anything else?
  • cingreen1cingreen1 Member Posts: 5
    Greetings sd; Thank you for your post (#631). Did any body give you there thoughts after driving for weeks? Wanted to e-mail you but your info was n/a, which is fine. Would you mind posting again or e-mail me. Am curious as to your opinion/comparison/mpg of your e300 vs. tdi passat wagon. e-mail@ cingreen1@aol.com thanks, Tim. As for me, I drove tdi passat wagon/sedan ? don't remember which and then atdi jetta sedan. Tried to drive the jetta as I had the passat and went onto the gravel on one curve. I want the passat but I want the Jetta's fuel mpg.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Posting your email address is an open invitation to be flooded with spam. The automated email harvesters - "spambots" - will pick it up and sooner or later you will be inundated.

     

    If you want others to be able to email you, the thing to do is make your address public in your profile. That way registered, logged-in Forums members can obtain it, but no one else, including the spambots, can get to it.

     

    If you'd like me to delete that message so you can repost omitting your address, just drop me an email - click on my profile to get my address.

     

    :)
  • fungus440fungus440 Member Posts: 21
    I'm curious as to whether or not include a TDI as a vehicle to consider to buy. I've followed this board as well as one of the other TDI boards for a while.

     

    The $1,200 cost of the diesel versus the 1.8T is not an issue to me.

     

    I drive about 18,000 miles per year about 60% city driving. I tend to hold on to vehicles as I've put 115K miles in the past 6 years on my '95 Dodge Spirit that just rolled 200K miles, last week. The car before that one I kept 8 years. I like tinkering with cars, but I know my limit, too.

     

    So is 18,000 miles/year enough justification to get the TDI? If I didn't purchase a TDI, I wouldn't get a VW. But I'd purchase something that would get 22 mpg or so and would run on regular unleaded.

     

    I understand that in order to keep the intake soot free that it'd need to get blown out on the freeway regularly. Thanks for your time.
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    18K a year in my honest opinion does not justify buying a diesel vehicle. I do not own a diesel VW, but have an older diesel Mercedes and diesel availability in an emergency can be a real issue. Moreover, the price of diesel is outrageous right now, at least here in Florida - it is about 10 cents a gallon more than premium 93 octane!

     

    Unlike my 83 300SD, the new VW diesels are computer controlled and much more prone to all kinds of problems. I drive about 30K miles a year, but I like my gasoline Japanese cars better than this Mercedes diesel. German cars require much more expensive maintenance, period. There are way too many rubber parts on this Mercedes that fall apart with age: engine and transmission rubber mounts, air cleaner rubber mounts, differential rubber mount, driveshaft flex disc, subframe mount bushings, guide rod bushings, rear axle CV boots, lower balljoints with plastic dust boots, hundreds of plastic clips all over the car holding things together. For some reason Germans do not like external screws so hidden plastic clips hold everything in place. And you must know exactly how to remove those parts with plastic clips, all you will break them. I suspect that VWs share this German design philosophy too.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I drive about 30K miles a year, but I like my gasoline Japanese cars better than this Mercedes diesel. German cars require much more expensive maintenance, period.

     

    You need to be telling us that when you have a Japanese car that is still running after 22 years of 30k miles per year. I doubt any of them would come close. I have seen a handful of Japanese cars that made 200k miles. Most are rusted away by 150k miles. 200k miles on a VW TDI or MB diesel is just getting broken in. I have better luck with Chevy's than Japanese cars. And I have bought at least 8 new ones over the years. At 100k miles Toyotas and Honda's are ready for the junkyard. Plus Japanese car parts are way more expensive than American parts. Not sure about German cars, as the last new VW Bug I bought was in 1967 to replace a very unreliable 1964 Toyota Land Cruiser.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    "At 100k miles Toyotas and Honda's are ready for the junkyard"

     

    Haven't you been told a million times never to exaggerate! ; ^ )

     

    I have never had (nor anyone I know) a Honda or Toyota that did not go 200k miles with ease and still run well. Rust is not an issue on modern cars of any make - unless you regularly submerge your car in salt water and never wash it.

     

    I like VW's. I had a 1980 Scirocco go 180k miles (though it was burning oil at that point). My Father has a 2000 Passat with 130,000 miles and no issues.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I have never had (nor anyone I know) a Honda or Toyota that did not go 200k miles with ease and still run well. Rust is not an issue on modern cars of any make

     

    I am more interested in a car that lasts 15-20 years. It is pretty easy to go 200k miles on a 5-8 year old car. I don't see that many Japanese cars in nice shape that are 20 years old. Ours are 15 and still look good but neither has 90k miles on them. And the 1990 Lexus has 81k miles and never spent a night outside. We just painted the 1990 Mazda 626 for the second time. It only has 84k miles and is always parked outside. The paint just flakes off of them. I have had several GM vehicles that went many more years sitting in the sun without needing a paint job. My 7 year old Suburban has always been parked outside and the Indigo Blue paint looks like the day I bought it.

     

    On rust there is a very prominent MN poster with a 2004 Prius II that said he is seeing rust on the under carriage of his car, less than a year old. Any place that uses salt on the roads, rust is an issue.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    "I like VW's. I had a 1980 Scirocco go 180k miles (though it was burning oil at that point). My Father has a 2000 Passat with 130,000 miles and no issues"

     

    I would really like to get a Jetta or Passat Wagon TDI for our place in Hawaii. Rust was an issue with VW/Audi in the past. The 12 year warranty is a help to ease my mind with a car that close to the ocean.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    My 1990 Acura Integra has never been garaged a day (or night). It has 185,000 miles on it. My wife bought it new in PA, but has it has been in SD for the last 10 years. It has started when it was -35 (actual temperature), and run fine with the A/C when it was 112 (actual temperature). It looks nearly new, and runs like a champ. Some people plug their cars in during the winter, but we have never done this. We have had spells where it has not been above zero for a week, and that is extremely hard on an engine. Still no problems. I do use synthetic oil though, but that is the only special treatment.

     

    It does have a very small oil leak (about a quart every 2-3,000 miles) at the rear main seal. I have not fixed the leak because it makes no sense to do all that work without replacing the clutch, but the original clutch is still fine.

     

    I also had a 1990 Corolla wagon that looks fine as well - no rust. I sold it a few years ago, but it is still running around town with 170,000 miles on it.

     

    Starting in the late 80's cars started getting a lot better with finishes and rustproofing. Yes you see a lot of rusted '75 Corollas, but that says nothing about newer cars. I think any car made by the mid nineties will be pretty impervious to rust unless it is abused.

     

    My brother currently drives a 1994 G-20 with 230,000 miles. It is not 15 years old yet, but it still runs fine, and no rust either.

     

    Don't know about the Prius - that seems odd. I do know that some steel alloys are designed to get a weathering coat of rust, and then they rust no further. Kinda like when copper turn green. I
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    For those of you who may not be aware of high maintenance requirements on S class Mercedes diesel cars, here are some examples:

     

    1. To replace the A/C evaporator, it is necessary to remove the entire dash of the car. It costs at least $ 2000 for this repair,as it requires at least 18 hours of labor plus cost of parts. And evaporators do go bad in these cars.

     

    2. Replacement of rear axles CV boots requires special tools and is very time consuming, and most places will not even attempt to do this. So you need to buy rebuilt axles for about $ 350 a piece plus installation labor, which can run the bill up to $ 1000, and a lot more for new axles from an MB dealer.

     

    3. Lower balljoints dust boots fall part prematurely, necessitating replacement. Even though the parts are not that expensive, the labor to install them is - hundreds of dollars.

     

    4. The wood dash trim on these cars delaminates with age. You cannot buy any aftermarket replacement for these 126 chassis cars and Mercedes dealers sell only a three piece matching set for your dashboard for a mere $ 950.

     

    5. Dashes on these cars have a tendency to develop cracks. Replacement of the dash will cost upwards of $ 1000.

     

    6. Rear windows on 80s model 126 chassis cars delaminate along the bottom corners and develop ugly stains as water get between glass layers. The cost of rear window glass from Mercedes? About $ 750 just for the part. You also need a $ 90 seal for it. So about $ 1000 to replace the rear window.

     

    7. Without exceptions, the OEM Becker Mexico radio cassette players break prematurely, plus these radios have horrible AM reception.

     

    8. Sunvisors with built-in illuminated mirrors fall apart on these cars from exposure to sun and age. The replacement cost? About $ 1,000 a pair from your friendly MB dealer. And I do not know of any aftermarket replacements. BTW, small clips that hold the sunvisors in place break frequently. The replacement cost: merely $ 16 a piece.

     

    9. Plastic inner door handle retainers break easily, causing the handle to come loose. The replacement cost is about $ 30 a retainer. And you need one for each door.

     

    10. OEM Behr radiators with plastic tanks are notorious for weak necks which can break off and ruin a completely good diesel engine in minutes.

     

    11. Tach amplifiers fail frequently, causing the tachometer to quit working.

     

    12. The climate control system temperature controller box made only by Bosch, which usually fails on older cars, retails for $ 1200 from your friendly MB dealer.

     

    13. Door panels develop cracks from exposure to sun over the years. The replacement cost for new door panels: Over $ 600 a piece just for the part.

     

    14. Auto tranmsission shifter bushings have tendency to fall apart with age, which can cause to car to shift itself into neutral and move inadvertently when parked.

     

    15. The electric clock inside the instrument cluster typically stops working after so many years. It is integrated with the tachometer, so to replace the clock, you must buy the whole assembly. The cost of the part is about $ 450.

     

    16. Speedometers on many of these cars like to quit around 120K miles.

     

    17. Fuel gauge senders like to act erratic or quit after several years

     

    18. Dash light dimmer rheostats go bad routinely on these cars.

     

    19. The 5 cylinder turbodiesel engine requires valve adjustments every 15k miles.

     

    I hope that after reading this you will understand my remark why I like Japanes vehicles better from maintenance and repair cost standpoint. Without any doubt, a Mercedes 300SD, when properly maintained, will outlive most Japanese cars by a wide margin, however, it will not be cheap to keep it in top shape. My advice to all those who contemplate buying a used MB diesel is: buy a one owner vehicle in best possible condition with all maintenance records and stay away from multiowner, cheap cars, as they will surely be a money pit. Typically, many people who buy these cars used will not maintain them properly and trash them, so they will become extremely expensive to maintain and repair.

     

    BTW, concerning Japanese car longevity: our local Nissan dealer services two vehicles with over 600,000 miles each on the original engine and tranmission: a 4 cylinder Nissan pickup and a 4 cylinder Nissan Sentra. They both have a manual transmission.
  • avenger1avenger1 Member Posts: 90
    Most cars today are well engineered compared to cars 20 years ago.

     

    For the most part, any car can last (almost) forever if WELL maintained, regardless of make.

     

    If anything, you would have to worry less about the engine and more about the transmission and chassis components like control arms and bushings. Lastly, the interior quality over 20 years will be a factor, like sagging head liners, tears in seats, carpets worn thin, etc.

     

    If anything, a TDI will have two advantages - first the fuel acts more like a lubricant than regular petrol. A TDI is always well lubed! Second, the interior quality in terms of materials may hold up better than say a Toyota. More focus (and money) is spend on interior materials. Honda has really stepped up to the plate on this front though.

     

    So it's more about personal choice...it's your car, drive what you want.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I hope that after reading this you will understand my remark why I like Japanese vehicles better from maintenance and repair cost standpoint

     

    That is an impressive list. I won't bore you with the repair and maintenance on my wife's 1990 LS400. I think what I see from your list the dealers are rip-off artists on parts and labor. I just recently found a great shop that works on Lexus. Up to this time my wife always had her service done by the dealership where she bought the car. The last time she had it in they gave her a list of items that needed repair. It came out to about $5,500. An example to repair the faulty fuel gauge it was $1200. I searched until I found this shop that specializes in Lexus. We had them do everything on the list. Not all the items were as Lexus indicated. The total bill was $1,100. That included parts and labor. He told us that Lexus usually doubles the price on parts from the factory MSRP. He is able to buy from Lexus at wholesale and charges MSRP for the parts.

     

    The point is all high end cars are more expensive to maintain. Japanese cars are more expensive to maintain than their US made competitors.

     

    I also know that cars are all going more miles without problems than they did 20 years ago.

     

    PS

    The Lexus needed a new power steering pump within a year of the warranty running out, charge $1,549.
  • avenger1avenger1 Member Posts: 90
    who wants to consider a new car purchase (or used) will need to factor the cost of replacement parts. It's pretty clear that domestic parts will for the most part by cheaper than imported parts, due to proximity and supply. People also need to consider the marque as well, as luxury parts will cost more than plain jane parts (even though lexus and toyota are the same brand).

     

    As long as people are aware of the costs of ownership, there should be no problem. It's really a personal choice, and no choice is better than another simply because someone else disagrees. Life is too short to worry about what your neighbor pays for their water pump.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    Lets discuss VW TDI's here not Mercedes. There's quite a difference, VW's really aren't that expensive to deal with. What IS expensive compared to similarly priced vehicles, is VW labor. It's still far less than Mercedes/Jaguar/Lexus/pickyourluxurybrand dealers, but it's still expensive and generally you'll find incompetent mechanics to boot. Stay away from the VW dealers and you'll find a relatively cheap to own vehicle. Of course that applies to many brands. My $600 30k mile service on my first Toyota taught me not do trust these guys and always know exactly what they're going to do.

     

    I've spent about $200 in repair parts on my '00 TDI which turned 100k miles recently. It's not nearing the junk yard. It's also tighter and has been less expensive to operate (repairs/maintenance) than my last three Toyotas. Nevermind my daughters '02 Toyota that has been the biggest heap I think I've ever owned.
  • fungus440fungus440 Member Posts: 21
    Sebring,

    You and moparbad have been constant contributors to this and the other TDI forum that I've been reading.

     

    So, I'd appreciate you reading post 643-"Whether or not" and let me know your thoughts. Thanks.
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    Are cloth seats available on this car? Are they standard epuipment? So far I have only seen leatherette seats or the optional leather seats in these cars.
  • fungus440fungus440 Member Posts: 21
    The '04 Passat GL TDI had cloth seats, if I remember correctly. Seems the '05 TDI is only available in GLS trim, which is leatherette or leather.

     

    Is the leatherette just a fancy name for vinyl or vinyl with leather inserts?
  • mrjettemrjette Member Posts: 122
    I have an '05 Passat GLS TDI with dark gray cloth seats. I must say the newer cloth is much better than that in my '02 Jetta. The old material was like a lint brush, while the newer material is less textured and seems to have more of a synthetic feel. Either way, it attracts less lint.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    IMHO, it comes down to how much you like the car and exactly are you looking to "justify"? I'm somewhat like you, because if I wasn't driving my Jetta TDI, I'd likely have something like a V6 Camry or such that gets substantially less mpg but is still comfortable, good features, good power, etc.

     

    From a fuel standpoint, you're probably going to burn about 250 less gallons. The cost of that will depend on geography. Might save you $300 a year on fuel. So if you're giving up something to get the Passat TDI (i'm not sure what unless you're shopping for a luxury car) it may not be worth it.

     

    I think the Passat's are great cars and I'll probably move to one soon. Or not, so far my Jetta is alot of fun, super reliable, and cheap to operate. The Passat isn't any more comfy for the driver (i rarely if ever have any passengers) so beyond some new gizmos my Jetta still works just fine for me.

     

    As for soot issues, hard acceleration will clean it out more so than highway driving. There's other ways around that soot getting there in the first place. I'm over 100k miles and mine has never needed cleaned, but I've taken precautions.
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