Volkswagen Passat 2006+

nelsoncm

So I test drove both the 3.6 and the 2.0 wagons the other day. I was surprised at how noisy the 3.6 engine was at low speeds...this high pitched whine underneath all the other engine noise. I was also surprised at how some of the controls (lumbar support, manual tiptronic) emmitted noises as they were being worked. Power was beautiful, nice steering. Anyone else have this issue with the 3.6???? Sales dude said it was the new exhaust system. The 2.0, by comparison, was quieter, though rumblier. Kind of like my old Saab (that I wish I'd never gotten rid of.) Good power though. Anyway, just wondering about the noisy engine on the 3.6. The electronics on the passats also me me a tad nervous, especially with a new model.

goodieshannon

We had the 2.0T wagon (2007) and the Steering light came on, put it in the shop and while they were working on it we test drove the 3.6T All Motion Wagon and traded up!!! I have not heard any engine noises, love the electronics on it!!!! My next door neighbor has the AUDI A6 Sedan and she says we have everything she has in her AUDI but its in our VW 3.6T All Motion!!!! I can't say enough good things about our wagon!!!!

eseir

I currently drive an 2003 Audi A6, My waraty will be up in a few months. I am not sure I want to keep it out of warraty unless I pay the $3000 for the extended, which I am not sure is worth it. I drove the A6, but I honestly do not think I want to spend that kind of money knowing that in a year, The car will be worth $30K. So I drove a new 2006 Passat 3.6 pack one and I loved it. Very very close to my Audi but a much smoother engine. No doubt! the car is great. Everything I have in my Audi, this Passat has plus more. Perhaps the quality of the materials are not all there. But Close. I was actaully looking at the Acura TLs since a Passat cost as much or more. ANyway, they are selling me the car for $27K wwith the Pack 1 Lux. because VW is offering incentives to move these 06 units. I thought that was a good deal. I know it doesnt have the cache of an AUdi, perhaps not even an Acura, but for what you get at this price, nothing can touvh it. I looked at the new Camry because of all the buzz and forget about it. A loaded 07 Camry (XLE) is actaully a little more and the interior still looks very plain vanilla. Just looking to see about your experiences.

goodieshannon

I can't say enough about the 2007 3.6T All Motion wagon - I love it! It rides much better (in our opinion) than the Audi A6 and has more room too!!! You got a great deal on the 2006 ( my husband is actually leaning toward a 2006 Passat Sedan for the good deals they are offering!!! Enjoy!

kiddingyou

25531 plus tax (765.93) tag (69.00) and doc fee (399.00)
Out the door 26764.93
Can I do better than this? Thanks a lot.

wahoobill

I bought a 2006 2.0T with < 5k miles ( so not quite new but good enough) from a dealer who does 90% on the web-- Paid 23,125 out the door-- no prep fees, no other dealer crap -- very happy with the car fully loaded - So yes I think you can do better-- I know its a 2007, but maybe u should consider 2006 to save lots of $$-- dont know what improvements they've made on 07, but im very happy-- The dealers name is donohooauto in alabama-- look them up-- I flew down and pick up the car-- Great folks, great car, great price-- Good luck..

kiddingyou

Thanks for the input. I just got another quote of 24158.20 OTD price. I think I'm going to pull the trigger.

cincyzz

just got one pricing about 2006 PASSAT 2.0T VALUE EDITION AT. It is a new car with 48 miles.

22528 OTD.

Is it a good deal?

Thanks for any suggestion!

bach63

Just wondering if the $27k deal you are getting is for a 4Motion or FWD model? If it is 4Motion with Luxury pkg 1, that is a great price; the best I have seen in my shopping is $7000 off MSRP.

bach63

Does anyone know if the dealer incentives have increased on the Passat? I noticed that CarsDirect prices on a 3.6 4Motion have decreased about $1500 from last month.

goodieshannon

I know we need to use High Test in our 2007 Passat Wagon 3.6T - but everywhere i go for gas they are all adding 10% Ethanol. Is that okay for our engines?

pat

Some posts have been moved to Volkswagen Passat - Hesitation Issues. Come join us!

600kgolfgt

> I know we need to use High Test in our 2007 Passat Wagon 3.6T - but everywhere i go for gas they are all adding 10% Ethanol. Is that okay for our engines?

Without any hesitation whatsoever - yes.

standard_chimp

Let me start out by saying I love this car . . . EXCEPT for the wipers. I have a 2006 2.0T. I bought the car in July and think it was in August when the wipers went wild &#150; turning on and off on their own, changing speed, and just being all around annoying &#150; on a bright sunny day. I do not have the rain sensing wipers. The dealership fixed the problem by &#145;resetting&#146; the computer. So last Friday I am driving through pouring rain when they suddenly slow down, start working intermittently, and then quit altogether. I managed to pull the car off the road, shut it off, and when I restarted the wipers still didn&#146;t work &#150; they were frozen in the upright position. I got out in the rain and they moved back to their base position fairly easily, but when I hit the wiper paddle they shot straight up and locked. I have not been able to get them working again and am headed back to the dealership in a few minutes.

Has anyone else had wiper problems?

rsorganize

Unexpectedly back in the market for a wagon that will last a long time (30,000+ miles/year), be fun/comfortable to drive and makes me feel/be safe in winter New England driving. Last 3 vehicles: 99 Volvo XC70 (great drive, huge repair bills), 2005 Subaru Outback VDC (fun/great vehicle, felt a little small-ish as the miles piled up) and Acura MDX (nice ride, lots of toys, pleasant/comfortable but kind of dull - and, oh yes: what was I thinking on mpg??!!).

Looking to get smaller/better mpg, but have expectations - again: fun,comfort, safety and some of the 'toys'.

Hope to act soon. Right now, looking at leftover 2006 Volvo 70R (reliability/repairs??)...2007 Subaru Outback XT (lots of fun to drive, now has VDC and a few tech upgrades new since 2005)...VW Passat (reliability?)...9-5 Sportcombi (what-no side curtain airbags??)...and, 9-3 Sportcombi (biggest concern is lack of AWD - even with stability control, will it match the other awd models in the huge amount of winter driving I do?).

All thoughts and experiences will be much appreciated.

krzyss

If "2005 Subaru Outback VDC (fun/great vehicle, felt a little small-ish as the miles piled up)" then 9-3 is even smaller if I am not mistaken.

Do you need larger wagon or smaller one? Do you need ground clearance of Outback or Legacy GT wagon is OK?

If you drive a lot in winter have you considered winter tires? AWD does not help turning or braking.

Saab 9-5 is the oldest design (10 years old ?) so I do not think it is a good choice.

Krzys

ivan_99

moving off topic: Mazda CX-7

qbrozen

what mileage are you seeing in your MDX? We used to get 20-21 in our Pilot, so I assume you are at least close to that.

For one thing, the V70R is not going to get you much better mileage. It is, after all, 300 hp and AWD. Expect low 20s on premium gas. And, yes, when you do have repair bills, they will be big.

rsorganize

Well, the specs. say that shoulder room - front and rear - is greater in the 9-3. It also felt bigger - seat, hip, shoulder room.

I do worry about the ground clearnace of the 9-3 Aero, which I like better than the 2.0.

I have always used very good winter tires (Turanzas on my OB VDC and Nokians on my MDX, for example) and would do so on whatever car I buy next.

I agree on 9-5 - wish it were more up-to-date because I like the size.

Peace.

rsorganize

Not sure if I have ever broken 20 mpg. Low 20's would be better...both use premium. I will admit that my parsimony is somewhat neutralized by my interest in performance. And, I do worry about repair bills.

What do you think of the Passat wagon?

Peace.

qbrozen

What do you think of the Passat wagon?

I don't have any personal experience with it. I just haven't heard good things about VW reliability around these boards, which is why i would be looking to lease, personally.

goodieshannon

I like our Wagon - overall - i am still adjusting to the smaller seats (coming from a Pathfinder it is an adjustment) and we had the hesitation problem resolved (although there still is a very minimal hesitation (really minimal) on some takeoffs. The having to use High-Test gas is a bummer too. The dealer does not tell you that. It is fun to drive and has lots of room in the back (we have a house and do need the space for hauling stuff). What else can i say, the cost is the main concern for some! Do your homework and shop around, they are a little higher than some of the others! Good Luck!

krzyss

I had 97 VR6 wagon which auto transmission started to fail around 137K and 7 years and I have 03 1.8T wagon with 65K.
I maintain cars per spec (03 with 0W40 Mobil 1 that meets VW 502.00 spec). No problem so far.

Krzys

nelsoncm

I had an 02 Saab wagon, left for a domestic suv, and just bought an 06 saab wagon again today, after looking at VW, volvo, dodge and acura. Yeah, it doesn't have AWD or rear side curtains, but they're hugely popular in the northeast where it snows like crazy, so they must be on to something. And I've heard more than one story about a Saab saving someones life in a terrible crash. They are due for a major overhaul, complete redesign in late 08 or early 09.
I'll tell you why I didn't like the other wagons and what brought me back to Saab:
VW -- my husband is a died in the wool VW man, and I've seen him deal with a fair share of electrical issues on his 03 Passat. His old Jetta was fine. I liked the new Passat wagon, but felt they loaded it with too much stuff that would break. And the v6 was noisy. If I went with VW, I'd go for the 2.0 turbo, because it drives like a Saab!
Volvo -- again, rep for electrical bugs, and I could never get fully comfortable in those seats with the non-adjustable headrests. Cramped back seat, too. Wanted to love it and buy it, but not quite there.
Dodge Magnum - oh man, was this fun to drive! I drove the R/T with a Hemi for a day (can I get off the ride now????) and the SXT with the 3.7 v6. I prefer the latter engine, who needs 340 HP to drive to Starbucks in a wagon, you know???? But then I read the user groups and I see tranny problems and this and that problems. It has way better utility up front (great storage space), and with a Jeep for a trade it, it would have been a simple deal, but Saab has the quality, for the most part. This was probably my closest competitor to the Saab in the end.
Acura MDX - the new ones are nice, but too new, overpriced and I was gun shy of another SUV. So I'll wait to see where they're at in 2-3 years.
If you can get past the lack of storage space for all the crap we Americans have to drive with (drinks, cell phone accessories,etc.) and can live with a 4-cyl, albeit a powerful turbo, the Saab is great. Better cubic feet than any other wagon mentioned above (especially in the cargo area), great visability (Dodge was especially bad in the rear), wonderful on the highway, supremely comfy seats, great back seat room, and hands-down the best audio system of any cars I've ever owned! Sorry to ramble, but if you knew how many cars I've looked at over the years...As for the 9-3 wagon, it just seemed to small to me -- I haul a kid around every day. But if you don't, might be worth a look, it's saab's better seller and has great crash test ratings (so does the 9-5.) Good luck!!!!

rsorganize

Thanks. Very helpful response. Actually, I really like the Volvo V70R seats - incredible. But, you are right about problems: had a '99 XC that I loved driving and spent way too much on repairs. I really like the R, but will be careful.

Drove the 9-3 AportCombi Aero, again, today. Very nice, didn't really seem too small. Ususally, I am alone; but we do a lot of skiing, with my teen son and friends. Missing a few of the toys I like, even though this was the 'loaded' model. Pre-owned - 8,000 miles - but like the 100,000 certified warranty, as a high mileage driver.

So you bought the 9-5? Just can't do it, if they cannot make the effort to do the full complement of airbags.

Where are you located in the northeast? I'm in WMass, near the VT border.

Thanks, again.

Peace.

nelsoncm

No, I'm in SoCal....I haven't owned a car yet with the rear airbags, and since I tow my 6 year old all over the place, I suppose I should have considered that huh? Bad mommy! Does the 9-3 have that???? I know the Acura MDX did, and I think it was an option on the Magnum, can't remember, I looked at too many cars. But at least I have a car that maneuvers fast and easy and hopefully I can avoid an accident.....Best of luck to you.

robbo1973

thinking about byin a passat tdi 2006 but a bit apprehensive dont no wot security is fitted does this car come with factory fitted alarm and immobiliser

dcmachead

I bought a 2007 VW Passat Wagon earlier this year and I was orally promised the first oil change for free. My wife heard the salesman say it, too. Today, I brought the car in for its first scheduled service appointment and I was charged for the oil change. I questioned the charge, the service advisor got my salesman and the salesman presented a sheet of paper and he said, "If I said that, I would have included it on a sheet of paper like this."

I replied, "So you're essentially saying that I should not take you at your word." The service advisor knocked 20% off the charge of the service--the power of public humiliation (in front of several other customers).

With regard to your other gripes, I recommend that you never ever ever sell your car at the dealership--they'll give you a lowball price every time. I would recommend that you detail your car and take it to CarMax--when I say detail, I mean strip the wax, claybar it, and do some anal retentive cleaning. You'll spend less than $100 on material and you'll get a much better price than a dealer would give you (assuming your car is in decent shape to begin with, doesn't have a bazillion miles on it, and isn't 10 years old).

You might want to take a peek at http://www.carbuyingtips.com, too. I've found that to be a very helpful site in purchasing my past 2 cars.

dcmachead

I've got the 2.0T version and it's been delightful. I have not had any problems with it in the first 6 months of ownership. I went through the same exercise as you with regard to model selection. Volvo you'll have big bills, Saab you'll get big bills. You may want to take a look at a couple of other models, if you're concerned regarding reliability, gas mileage, and maintenance costs:

1) Mazda CX-7
2) Honda CR-V (bells and whistles galore with Nav)
3) Toyota RAV4--the only reason I didn't opt for this one is they didn't have a V6 with Leather seats.

The VW Passat Wagon has tons of space, good looks, and a tremendous amount of value for the money. I would be wary of extrapolating comments on this board too far, as people tend to vent frustration more when commenting, but puff their experience when rating.

kcejfan

Did you ever locate a trailler hitch that is compatible with your 2007 VW Passat Wagon -- please let me know what you selected and where you had it installed. I am ordering a new VW Passat wagon this month to arrive sometime in Feb. 2007 and I will also need a hitch installed for my bike rack to attach (2inch receiver) I had to have one welded on my current 1995 VW Passat Wagon but it does not look very attractive and I would hate to scare up a beautiful new 2007 wagon with a botched hitch attachment...any advice would be greatly apprecitated -- Thank You!

pat

prasann, "Volkswagen Passat Oil Changes & Issues" #60, 11 Nov 2006 11:23 am

valleybull

I have had my 2007 Passat Wagon since June 2006. I love the performance and the comfort, but I am disappointed in the build quality. In the past 4 months I have dealt with:
- Squeak coming from drivers door frame - solved with expanding foam
- Squeak in roof - cased by broken weld - corrected with adhesive tape??????
- Defective Radio - replaced, except now the dash and center console squeak incessantly, but the Regional VW Service rep tells me that those squeaks are 'within specs'
- Bi-xenon headlight became disconnected and failed - unit and harness replaced
- Drivers Sun Visor dropped out of the head liner, twice - recently fixed
- squeaks and rattles everywhere now.

If you are thinking of buying a VW Passat, I would suggest that you turn an run away, very fast and very far. The build quality is the worst that I have ever seen, especially for a $40,000 (canadian)vehicle.

Please take my advice, don't get stuck with a piece of junk, I've got 42 more months to go with my lease.

goodieshannon

I am sorry you had so many problems. We purchased a 2007 3.6T All MotionWagon in August and we love it! I noticed you paid $40,000!!! You got screwed! We paid a lot less! I can't say enough good things about our 3.6T All Motion Wagon - maybe you should trade up? Good Luck

robr2

I noticed you paid $40,000!!! You got screwed!I believe he said $40K Canadian.

ivan_99

which is 35K USD

robr2

And??

Canada is a different market than the US - you can't compare the 2 prices and declare that someone got "screwed".

prasann

I have 06 passat and noticing small wind noise leaking through at/above 70mph. Interior is usually so very quiet that this tiny leak is very noticeable to someone like me. I've read something like this in one of the reviews and was just wondering if anyone else noticed this.

ivan_99

There's no &#147;and&#148;...just saying it was 35K USD.

I don't know if they got &#147;taken for&#148;. They may have negotiated well below MSRP...I do however know that 35K USD is a lot of money (especially if you're having problems)

fmayberry

kcejfan - After some research I did come across several hitch options for 2007 VW Passat Wagons except for the 4Motion model. Seems no one builds a 4Motion hitch because of the dual exhaust. All of the hitches built in the USA are bolt on and require no removal of the bumper. The European hitches bolt to frame supports and appear to be more sturdy.

There are also issues with wiring the lights as the Passat uses LED tail lights with limited voltage. But there are converters available but need to be hooked directly into the 12v power system. I saw one article where the person connected the converter to the 12v lighter socket in the rear of the vehicle.

So if you are getting a non-4Motion wagon, you should have no problem finding a hitch. If you are getting a 4Motion, then custom built is necessary unless you want to import a hitch from Europe (very costly). I am looking at the custom built option at this point, although I have not yet found anyone willing to build the hitch in the Washington DC area. Good luck.

kcejfan

fmayberry -- BLESS YOU...I also live in DC Metro (Silver Spring MD) so I would GREATLY appreciate if you could share who you decide to go with for your receiving hitch on your 2007 VW Passat Wagon and if you would recommend them after installation. If you have any URL links from your research including the European options I would love to get those also...I was having NO LUCK in my research so far so this is very promissing...I will not have the 4-Motion issue as mine will be a 2.0T Wagon. I am still waiting to place my order with Annapolis MD Fitzgerald VW -- they said probably end of November because VW Germany will not start taking orders for the Adaptive cruise control option until then....I am getting very excited as it has been 12 years since I had a new car. -- Thank You and have a Great Thanksgiving.

fmayberry

kcejafan - I have not found a hitch for a 4Motion 2007 VW Passat Wagon made for the US market. Seems this is something only available in Europe. If you have a non-4Motion, then there are several available hitches with installation instructions. If you look at etrailer.com, you can see the available models and get an idea of prices.

If you want to see more information in European hitches, go to you favorite search engine and enter "towbar UK". You will get lots of info on European hitches available in the UK with the descriptions in English.

I did have a hitch put on my other car. I used Restless Wheels in Manassas, VA. Their price in that instance was competitive with doing it myself.

standard_chimp

A little cold this morning, mid-20's. Anyway my low tire pressure warning light goes off. I didn't have a pressure gauge handy but I stopped and all the tires looked good. I drove for about 20 minutes and it stayed on &#150; but again, the tires looked just fine.

Any experiences with cold induced low pressure warnings or this indicator in general?

The Chimp

goodieshannon

i have a 2007 Wagon and my low tire pressure warning lite came on this morning too. I checked the tires and they are all fine. i will go by the dealer on Saturday and have it fixed. I had the sensor lite come on once early in the fall.

krzyss

just put some more air into tires?

Krzys

standard_chimp

I plan to try that and see what happens. But if they don't need air and I don't think they do, it's not much of a sensor.

As luck would have it I got my state inspection yesterday at the dealer.

The Chimp

ivan_99

Don't have a Passat, but I experience it on my Nissan.

For me, when the tire pressure gets below 28 PSI I get a tire flat warning.

Since the cold air is denser...the pressure is lower. I usually add more air in the winter...though you could argue the under inflated tire provides more traction; at a loss to mileage, road feel etc.

Sometimes I wish I never had a tire pressure monitor...I think I'm developing an obsessive compulsive disorder...constantly checking my tire pressures

birdboy

My light also went on when the temps dropped into the 30's. I took out my gauge and was surprised that three tires looked ok, but were indeed low in pressure. did not even know that I had this feature and was pleasantly surprised as several of the options I thought I was getting with the 06 2.0t with pack 2 and leather were never on my car as the first ad brochures showed features such as auto dim mirror, door footlights, rear sunshade etc but were available only with the 6 cylinder model and the brochure nor the salesman informed me otherwise. That aside , I am happy with the car , however with frequent interstate driving I think an auto dim mirror these days is a saftey item for nighttime driving as most SUV lights are blinding and not a convienence along with fog lights. If I could install an auto dim mirror I would..

standard_chimp

When I got home last night I checked my tire pressures and all four were right on 30 PSI. Now I could try to overinflate them and see if the light goes off but that doesn't really solve the problem - if I have a warning light I expect it to work!

So it is back to the dealer for the third time since I bought the car - all for electronics.

The Chimp

goodieshannon

i know how you feel, i love my 2007 Wagon but have been to the dealer so many times for the malfunctioning warning lites! Now my low tire pressure lite is on again, so back it goes! Last week it was my Airbag Malfunction Lite, not too cool, they said they had a voluntary recall bulletin on that one! I have never seen a voluntary recall bulletin on any VW recall. I actually gather all of my info right here on this link!

krzyss

How long did you wait after driving to check pressure?
Posted PSI are for cold tires.

Krzys