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Comments
Oh by the way the white looks very sharp.
Its all good, very very good
link title
I never said it matters, all I said is that there are other options. My prev car, A6 2.7T, had it up and to the left, now it is down and to the right, both 6sp. Hell my bike, BMW LT, has a completly seperate flip switch for reverse. It doesn't matter to me.
Pics a little bit back.
THe letter referred to a Market introduction week of 7/06, which let one salesman to state that the date was July (MONTH 07) rather than WEEK 7.
When running a turbo, there are 3 rules to follow:
1. Follow the service manual.
2. Follow the service manual.
3. Dang it, follow the service manual!
I would ONLY use synthetic oils as the goal is to make the bearings supporting the impeller shaft last as long as possible. Remember, turbos have been around for many, many years and advancements in metallurgy have only improved them every generation. VW turbo chargers seem to have less lag than the Japanese turbos I've had, but we're talking several years difference. I'm quite impressed with the 1.8T and look forward to the new 2.0T. I have no worries with VW's turbos. They seem to act fine after 50,000 miles, when my Japanese ones would start getting sticky. After all, they are covered under the powertrain warranty.
As far as the engine lasting, well, not every engine can successfully accept a bolt on turbo. It has got to be prepared for a turbo charger, so any factory built turbo charged engine should last just as long as a normally aspirated one. I think you would do well by trying it.
Looks like I rambled on quite a bit here, but this is something I feel strongly about. My 1.8T's have actually gotten stronger over time.
That acceleration time is quite impressive. Sounds like at least a full second faster than a Honda.
When you say for turbos you need to strictly follow the service manual, could you give a few more details. For most cars these days beyond brake pads, tires, oil changes, etc,, it's 100k before a major service. Is that less for a turbo? What exactly gets done to the turbo?
Thanks.
dbuzz: Amazingly enough Passats have had better safety records, as reported by actual accidents by the insurance industry, than Toyota's or Honda's. I read an article that said that the only car that did better than the Passat, out of all cars made, was the Mercedes E-class. I'm not sure why. Anyway, in terms of safety I think the Passat is one of your very top choices.
In terms of reliability, you should be aware that VWs have had a very mixed record for the past 30 years (ever since the Beetle left). VWs for decades have often tested very high in terms of design and performance by Consumer Reports and others, but a lot of things have tended to go wrong in the past, and VW dealers, in general, don't have a reputation for pampering their customers. I saw an interview with the new head of VW of America, however, and he said that a major effort has been undertaken over the last year or so to improve reliability dramatically. Whether this is actually working or not is the $64,000 question. Cars are so complicated these days, that I think it's difficult, even when a company is really trying, to get everything right.
Ben
Perhaps if you were to describe what you were looking for, you could elicit responses that would address your needs.
My bias is that I consider the Passat a German Sports Sedan capable in some respects of being considered as nearly in the same class as an Audi, BMW or Mercedes (A4, 3 series or C-class respectively.) The Camry and Accord are fine cars, have great reputations and have many other accolades that I am certain can be found out about them.
One of the main differences, from my biased perspective has to do with "the driving pleasure." The German cars, including the Passat, typically involve the driver in the experience of driving while the Japanese cars tend to lean toward making the driving experience feel as if it is some distance from the driver.
German cars are taught (more taught, generally, than the Japanese cars). This may or may not interest you and for some this means they are not as soft and comfortable to ride in and drive.
German cars are more designed (apparently) for the person who wants the control of the car to be direct -- sometimes Japanese cars are said to elicit the feeling that the driver is in "indirect" control of the vehicle's movements.
Some people like Steak, some people like Frog-legs (tastes like chicken don't you know?)
I would just wonder what (aside from size or price) would make you able to utter Passat, Camry and Accord in the same breath?
:confuse:
In addition, when it comes to German cars, I"m a novice. But the Passat has peaked my interest. So what do you think a good asking price for the 2006 Passat?
The Passat is one of those somewhat to very hot cars at this moment. This perhaps means sticker is not totally unheard of. Yet, this is not meant to suggest that I would guide you to assume full SRP as your best bet.
Discounts of 5% "ought" to be common and higher as the newness and hotness of the new Passat fades, cools and becomes somewhat more passe.
I have been a fan of VW and Audi for years and I put my money where my mouth is (but I will not pay more for the VW Audi group cars than other cars that have similar SRP's.)
I almost slipped off the German wagon and almost went with an Infiniti, but at the 11th hour, Audi of America came up with a great savings off of MSRP -- amounting to OVER 10% on a $53,000+ Audi A6.
I have driven the 2.0T engine -- wow!
Like I said, ask VWGUILD for his advice pertaining to "the deal du jour."
Good luck.
:shades:
Dbuzz
Since we're on the subject, when I bought my first 1.8T (a Jetta Wagon) the maintenance chief told me the main reason for performance problems (other than the coil slip up) is people babying them too much. They need to be opened up and ran hard. It's made for that, otherwise they wouldn't put them in the Audi TT. :shades:
That is right! You buy a sports sedan and therefore it wants to be driven at least once in a while harder. I don't want anyone to get a ticket, and I also believe that it would be pretty cool to see once in a while what your car can do on the track...
I had an 1987 Jetta for a few years and that car was a blast to drive. It was loud, and went to the dealer a seemingly endless number of times, but when it worked it rocked. I'm sure the 06 Passat is outstanding squared compared to that car.
rwatson: Thanks for the turbo info. Do the new engines still stay with timing belts rather than chains? Honda, Toyota and other have moved to chains, which last pretty much the life of the engine. Still, the jerk of power you're describing sounds like fun. It's not something I get with my 02 4 cylinder Accord. I do get it more with my 1988 Olds 98! I think the secret is the torque at low rpms.
dbuzz: On the price of the Passat the thing you have to really watch out for are the options. The base car even at full list price is a pretty good deal. It is loaded with features at $22.9. The thing is that many people want the auto, the super nice stereo, sunroof, V-6, etc. I've heard that fully loaded a Passat can go to $35k, although for a car that's in some ways better than a base BMW 5-series (45k), that still might not be such a bad deal. I think if you want one at $22.9 you may need to special order one from the dealer, because the number of "Value Editions," or whatever they call them, may not be large.
If not, is it coming with adaptive cruise control as standard or optional? when? any extra cost (US$)?
VW international mentioned about adaptive cruise control but I haven't read anyone mentioned about it.
Please let me know. Thanks.
Plus, you have chain tensioners that start tapping (sounds like a valve tappet/lifter problem) when they start up and that's a sound that gets on my last nerve.
The option thing is pretty sick if you ask me. I want fog lights, but they can't be had without the VR6 option. Last I remember, even 4 bangers run into heavy fog from time to time. Sunroof? get the luxury package with the automatic :sick: . I want the manual. And yes, on long treks I like to smoke and have a sunroof vacuum out the haze. They're good for that
I heard that modern chains, 90ish on up, don't suffer from that problem anymore...or as often.
What I mean by that is you will be able to make a less subjective evaluation if you map out a "test drive loop" in your current car and drive the loop several times to get a feel for it. The loop should contain primary and secondary roads and streets; Interstate / freeway segments and residential areas too. If you play the sound system in your car, I would urge you to pick a CD and play the same tunes in each car. Also set the climate control and virtually all user adjustable bits to reduce the differences in the cars. If you test drive one on a rainy day and one on a cloudy day and one on a sunny day, there will be differences that are even more highly subjective.
Some people like everything better when the sun is shining, kind of thing.
If you are keen to test 0-60 times, well do it with all the cars at the same place and under "identical" circumstances. If you test drive the X alone, remember that if you test the Y with your wife and kids in the car, it will perform differently than if only you were in the car.
So many times people say, "this car seems different" than when I test drove it.
Doh!
What can happen is you test drive the new SUX 6000 in an unfamiliar area of town and it seems great. But when you drive the same car in a familiar part of town it may seem better or worse.
This method of test driving is tedious since the dealerships may be miles and miles apart -- but if you want to get as objective as possible of an impression, you need to fully vet your test drive in your current car (take notes if something seems relevant or important) to get the feel for the route. Then you need to test each and every car (if possible) on the same route.
Remember, too, if one car has a great sound system, you may think it is the better driving car. If you test a car that is NOT the car you may buy and it has the basic sound system, see if it is possible to at least get a demo of the upgraded system that you know you would want. This, too, is another reason to bring a CD with you (one that you are familiar with.)
The Acura dealer is "sneaky" here in Cincinnati -- the sound system in the TL (and the RL) is one of the best factory systems you will ever hear. So when I drove the Acura I thought it quick smooth that the sales rep put in a demo DVD-Audio disc -- one that had classical, country, rock, jazz, blues and new age tracks. WOW, the system nearly sold the car -- then we turned the system off and drove the car again and were totally turned off by the massive torque steer (this was in the TL) of the car with the stick shift.
From that point on we carry Brian Wilson's Smile CD and a Mark Anthony CD (greatest hits) just to make certain we are comparing each tested car under very similar circumstances.
Not to start an argument, but under such a testing routine, I would think the taughtness and "driving" attitude of the German cars will be a less than subtle differentiating factor. Now, this does not mean to suggest you will find the German car to be superior to the Japanese. In fact just the opposite may happen. But, you never know, perhaps the German car will "hit the spot." The sweet spot.
Drive it like you live.
:shades:
I think you are right re: the $22.9 price. I bet dealerships are using the whole "Value Edition" phrase to get consumers in the door. So thanks for the pointers. So its (the loaded Passat) is as good as BMW 5 series?!? Wow!
Back to the Passat.
dbuzz: Perhaps I was stretching the point by saying it was almost as good as a BMW (and a BMW fan probably wouldn't agree), but that might not be too far off the mark. We can look it up, but I think the optional v-6 on the new Passat is larger and more powerful by quite a bit than the standard engine on the BMW. And, if you option a Passat up to $35k, you'll find that it has almost all the features (and perhaps more) of a base BMW.
One place where the new Passat may not measure up is in the "electromechanical steering." This is a new kind of steering that is cheaper and simpler for manufacturers to make, but apparently gives less precision and feel of the road than the traditional electro-hydralic system (or whatever it would be called). GM has put electromechanical steering in the Pontiac G6, and as a result the steering is seen as on of the weakest points on what is otherwise a pretty good car.
Ben
PS My one last and biggest worry, probably needless, is about whether there's a chance that someday VW would pull out of the US. Back in the 1990s VW sales were so low that I guess there was some thought about pulling out. But the New Beetle, Jetta, and Passat really pulled sales up by a huge amount. Because of all of the reliablity problems people have had with VWs, even thought they look so good and drive so well, sales have been slumping for the past 2 years. I saw a newspaper article that said that VW lost a stunning one billion dollars in the US just last year, and that this simply cannot stand. If they keep losing that kind of money, can they continue to survive in the US. If I bought a Passat I guess I'd have a smalll worry that it might become an orphan car.
The interiors of recent VWs have been compared, not without some reason
On the contrary, If you looked at some of the road tests conducted by Road & Track, Car & Driver, etc., one of the articles mentioned that in terms of electromagnetic steering precision and feel, GM and other automakers should "take some lessons from VW"..
It swallows baby strollers like a minivan and handles like a sedan.
Krzys
Plus, what kind of marketing genius tied auto to everything????? :mad: Wan't leather - auto, Package 1 - auto, Package 2 - auto. Even on 2.0! Manual [non-permissible content removed]! No soup for you!
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Could it be that someone else has the same sequency of the remote key??? So when they operate their viechle, mine opens???
Really puzzled. Anyone has heard of this type of story before? PLEASE help!!
Every customer is different, as is every Dealer..some have big inventories; some are small...who is to say who one is dealing with or what their situation is...What is their "Business Plan"? High volume/Low Gross...Too many variables to count.
Sadly, there is very little opportunity for the Automobile Dealer's sales people to impart any value to their customers today...at least with most brands...cars are now a commodity to the customer at large..."give me your best price", that seems to be all that matters today. I cannot tell you how many times I have had Internet Customers sign contracts and written checks and had no idea of the features and benefits of the car they just bought...How sad is that??? No concern whatsoever about "how will I be treated after the sale?" Will my sales person be my advocate?" Sure...
Go out and negotiate your own best price, and garner all of the benefits that come with it...
If you've got an issue with something, drop me an email - we'll work it out!!
Good luck and keep us posted on how things go.
No "issues" at all...But a Dealer posting info on pricing would certainly be considered soliciting.
In addition, it cannot be said too many times that every car deal is as unique as the individuals involved...The trade in is unique, credit, inventory levels vary, was an extended warrany included, or a maintenance warranty secured...The Dealer in Texas will probably be in a different position than the Dealer in LA or Miami...
I have posted several times over the years that the practice of exchanging prices paid, or purportedly paid, for any car is dangerous. It can set up levels of expectation that may simply not be possible to meet.
After 10 years on the Retail side of this business, I can say without qualification, that the happiest customers are those that have a genuine appreciation for what they are purchasing, have developed a level of rapport with their sales person, understand the policies for the best maintenance experience, and finally believe that they have paid a fair price for the value received...
I must tell you that from my perspective most dealer representatives don't know very much about the products they sell. They seem almost not able in any meaningful way to add value to the process.
One small example -- my wife and I were buying her a new car. Long story short we did end up with ordering a 2005 BMW X3 with "almost" all the option boxes ticked off (just south of $47,000 before adding two "accessories" and Sirius.)
Two days after placing the order, I ran across (here on Edumunds perhaps?) an article about the X3 and "servotronic" steering.
I did indeed know, already, what servotronic steering was. On the BMW X3 it is a stand alone option, it is list priced at $250. Not only did we add this to our order, not only did adding it to the order reduce the lease payment by $3.00 per month, the hapless sales rep "almost" discouraged us from altering our order until it was determined that it would not derail our 48 hour old order. When it was determined that altering our order would not be a "re-do" of the whole process, our salesrep was only too happy to "take our money."
No mention of the benefits of servotronic were even discussed.
Now, on the other hand, when the car was delivered to us (which is an entirely different person if the car so delivered has Sirius, Premium this that and the other thing and Navigation). . .the delivery person "raved" (heck, he nearly ranted) about that little bitty $250 option . . . "I've been begging management to order all of these X3's with Servotronic," and so on. Now, to complete the story, all the dealer's stock X3's are equipped with Servotronic.
The reps, not all of them, of course, are virtually transient. VW reps are particularly ephemeral -- at least here in the Queen City of Cincinnati.
We will talk with our pharmacists for 10 minutes about a $2.99 box of OTC cold pills -- rarely do we speak about the cars (specifically) that long with car reps.
I am NOT faulting car salespeople -- I am not faulting customers. Probably both are at fault for getting to this point. But in the days that seem to be dawning of "a deal's a deal" it would seem that product information and education would be vital for consumers of $20,000 - $70,000 cars (below that and above that, IMHO, there are many different reasons and customers, so the process may be different.
:confuse:
I remember that in '98 & '99, the time frame that VW first really embraced the internet, when I responded to an email inquiry; the first thing that happened was that I got a phone call thanking me for responding...bread was broken and a dialogue began. Of course computers were much more expensive then and obviously the client was a bit different. Today it is certainly a changed story...The computer is a ubiquitous thing, and there is as much good information out there as bad...
The ready availability of pricing info has certainly been good for customers, but the dramatic decline in grosses has also dramatically reduced the number of dedicated professionals and increased the number of transients.
At the end of the day, it is the customer that has to decide what is better ...a one time saviings, or beginning a relationship...Customers For Life by Carl Sewell is the other side. This book has been out in paperback for 3 years now and first published probably 12-18 months prior...Certainly pre 9/11 when GM,
Ford & Chrysler started 0% financing and the run up to a computer or two in every home.
We are evolving, for better or worse...