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Would appreciate everyone's thoughts. Thanks!!
I always thought the VW’s, generally speaking, had the odds and ends (or nickel and dime) items go out; other than the coil fiasco.
VW reliability. Hmm. You need to understand one important thing concerning this and I'm surre most will agree. When you buy a VW, you are not buying a "normal" car. Sure, for German standards, it is a normal, everyday car. But compared to what we manufacture and what you get from Japan, it is very different. It is a certain feeling you get from driving one. They are engineered to feel sure-footed on the road. For years, you couldn't even get a center arm rest in them. The steering wheel was positioned in such a way that you didn't need one. It never felt right unless both hands were on the wheel. And in was comfortable like this. When they say a "driver's car," it means that this is a car that makes driving to work enjoyable each morning. There is a certain sound from their little 4-bangers that does not sound Japanese. The doors feel and sound different when you close them. You need to have one for a while to understand it. Can't be explained. I'm on my 3rd one. My 97 Jettea GLX was a wonderful car. The VR6 was the most wonderful engine around. Never a problem. My 02 Jetta wagon 1.8t had the coil problem. Oh man, what a problem. Taken care of though. My Passat wagon 1.8t has zero problems. So, just like any car, you have your lemons out there. The only problem VW has is VWoA. They are the enemy to be loathed. It all depends on who picks up the phone on any given day
The number of vehicles that are offered with both autos and sticks is decreasing.
This either is a supply or demand issue, and my bet would be demand (despite the fact that admitting this galls me.)
If VW's Passat with the nifty high output 6 would come with a manual transmission, my guess is they would have a difficult time selling them -- which in turn leads to a reluctance to order them for "inventory."
I mean when even Ohio's largest BMW dealer will not stock manual versions of the 3 and 5 series sedans, well, you have to at least suspect it is a "demand" issue.
The W8 Passat sport version was HEAVILY discounted and it just sat on the dealer's lot despite a great 8, stick shift, some ground effects, glitzy wheels, etc.
And, for the record, my wife claims that any man who drives an automatic is driving, "an old man's car."
I love VW and Audi products for the most part -- in June when I picked up my new Audi A6 3.2, there was no Passat 3.6 with all the toys for sale -- it "coulda" been a contender, since I was being forced to go with an automatic (since the A6 only comes one way.) My previous car had a 6spd (an allroad) manual, but the pickin's for such a car are slim, slimmer, slimmest these days.
Pardon me while I cry in my beer.
As for them being the "Best in the world"..., well I suppose the folks over at Getrag might could well have a few things to say about that comment. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
Anybody know the EPA mileage on the 2.0t with the manual transmission?
Best Regards,
Shipo
The trick to this technique (and what wifey type people are so good at) is figuring out what the critical ingredient is that will trigger the change in thinking. Good luck. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
I mean it didn't get me some guy's mint Corrado, and who on this earth could pass that one up? :confuse:
Best Regards,
Shipo
I want to cut all through that and get to the bottom line:
VWguild and other VW insiders in the know..please answer the following as correct or not (as I believe I have seen it expressed in other forums) :
It is not difficult to get the exact car you want, including a manual. You need to get in touch with the Internet sales specialist at your favorite dealer, establish a relationship, and they can custom order the car as you want it built, according to what is available. True or False?
Best Regards,
Shipo
DISASTER!! Dont they teach the following in Marketing 101:
Customer is King! Give the customers what they want.
Is there anybody in Wolfsburg that would like to take a marketing course??
If you have an automatic you can depress the gas with the brake (as the auto mags do) to get your revs up this way when you let go of the brake you’re closer to your max power range.
If you’re cruising along the highway you’re already in your meaty power band.
The 2.0T makes its max torque around 1800rpm or so (Edmunds shows 4700, not sure what that’s about) and it’s a high compression engine (10.3 or so) especially for a turbo, so even before you’re at your max output, you’ve still got some power available.
For example a Subaru WRX has an engine compression around 8.0; try running that (automatic) at high altitudes (Denver) and it’ll feel like the parking brake is on before the turbo kicks in.
Most people say there is virtually no lag in the 2.0T, with some reporting it is minimal.
I thought the “old” 1.8T didn’t have any lag with the manual. This engine is supposed to be a significant improvement over the old one.
So, to answer your question:
How much turbo lag is there when you stomp on the gas? 0.1 seconds, half a seconds, what?
Probably not much
Dealers buy the cars from VW that they have "reason to believe" they can sell most rapidly. Experience is or has been a good teacher one would imagine. My local BMW dealer will NOT inventory any manual transmission cars, because they "sit and sit and sit" on the lot waiting for a customer and then finally are discounted (which is a double whammy on the dealer since he had to "carry it" while it took up space on the lot or showroom floor.)
We row your own types are dinosaurs.
The lack of manual transmissions (assuming they are actually built for SOME market) is a function of the market -- OUR market [apparently] demands an insufficient quantity of manual transmission cars to make it economically viable. What else could it be?
Now, why oh why VW would couple or bundle leather and auto trans is beyond me. But, without too much fear of contradiction, I'll bet it is good old economics 101 at work here too. People who buy leather will probably overwhelmingly buy automatics. If the reverse were true, it is my belief that VW is not in the business of NOT taking your money for the features and options you want.
I guess all of you can call me Godzilla, then... :shades:
VW marketing expertise does seem to be lacking in pricing, product availability and services. You want proof! Please refer to their sales data ! Not only in USA but in Europe and China. Inept marketing does seem to be the main reason for their sales decline.
But my questions remains...
Once the 2.0t manual is "officially" available, whenever that may be...will the driving enthusiast be able to order one in the color and option package they want through the dealer internet specialist? Or perhaps with carsdirect.com?
Or...will the reality be that dealer lots will have nothing but automatics available and it will be impossible to get a stick with the B6 in North America, no matter how you go about it?
It is however, my considered opinion, that Passats IN INVENTORY with manual transmissions will be few and far between.
If you want one and they are indeed available, what is the issue with ordering the car EXACTLY as you want it and waiting 10+ weeks or so?
Most people won't think twice about ordering "other stuff" some less and some more expensive (a couch for example ordered from XYZ usually takes a minium of 30 days, and sometimes longer, a custom house may take months to nearly a year or longer to build -- yet we wait for THAT.)
Cars are very high ticket items, do we buy them "NOW" and take what we can get off the lot?
If you go into a high end home theater store and order separate components for your AVP, AMP and other stuff, it is rare that it is in stock (although usually it will come within 10 days.)
I would personally hope that dealers would have an example of everything for me to see, drive and "play with" -- I could care less if they have it in stock.
For example, it took 7 weeks to get my wife's new custom made BMW X3 built in Europe and shipped to Cincinnati. It was pretty painless.
$30,000 cars (and higher) are now the objects of immediate gratification?
Get what you want -- if they have it in stock, great, buy it, if not order it -- it is twice as much fun to order it and pick it up, it is almost like getting a new car twice!
But, as usual, I could be wrong.
As far as the manual trans is concerned, I agree, it is more fun to drive in the country. In the city it is a hassle because of all the stop-and-go traffic and the auto is a better fit.
I suppose that's a matter of conjecture. When I got my first stick shift I lived in San Diego in the summer of 1977, it was a 1970 Dodge Challenger. Of course back then San Diego wasn't all that crowded so I moved to Los Angeles in 1978 while at the same time putting a 3,500 pound pressure plate in the Challenger. Geez that was fun in L.A. traffic. :-/ In 1979 I got transferred to Atlanta and then three months later transferred to Detroit, still with the Challenger, however, I bought a 1979 Scirocco 5-Speed to use as my daily driver while I was restoring the Challenger. In 1980 I got sent to Cupertino for 6 months of training and then relocated to Chicago once training was over. The Scirocco followed me to both cities however I waited until I was fully setup in Chicago before I went back to Detroit to fetch the Challenger. Nearly thirteen years, a Dodge Turbo Daytona 5-Speed, a Chrysler LeBaron GTC 5-Speed, an Audi 4000 5-Speed and an Audi Coupe GT 5-Speed later I cleaned house, shed all of my cars and moved to NYC. My car-less-ness lasted only about 6 months before I picked up a Mazda MX6 5-Speed while living on the upper East Side and reverse commuting to suburban New Jersey every day. Oops! The day I got the MX6 I found out that my wife was pregnant and not 20 months later we found ourselves living in Jersey City with said MX6 being swapped out in favor of a VR6 Passat GLX 5-Speed. Seven more years of NYC traffic (and a 328i 5-Speed and a 530i 5-Speed) and we finally bought a house in the country (sort of) by moving to southern New Hampshire (kind of a suburb of Boston), and guess what? My next car will NOT have a 5-Speed manual; it's going to have a 6-Speed manual. ;-)
So, through nearly 30 years, 8 metropolitan areas and 10 cars with three pedals, did I ever feel that driving a stick in the stop-and-go was a "hassle"? Yup, I remember a period of about five minutes back in Los Angeles where my left foot started going to sleep from holding in the clutch pedal during an inordinately long (by L.A. standards) traffic jam. Other than that, I cannot imagine traffic conditions ever being bad enough for me to willingly opt for a self-shifting car (including SMGs and DSGs).
Best Regards,
Shipo
I just bought a passt 2.ot for 25980(sticker 27440),dealer talked me into an extended warranty from olypicare.
i don;t know if this is a good deal
let me know if you guys can throw some light on this.
Also,my new passt 06 2.Ot the front shocks are making a noise(crackling noise)
can anyone tell me about this.
thanks
amit deo
You haven't driven in Vancouver, BC, yet. There are no freeways and all the cross-town traffic is obligated to traverse non-controlled access highways. Believe me, the non-automatic transmission is a hassle (I had one and got rid of it) and the gas mileage is also worse than with the automatic.
http://www.fitzmall.com/carfind/resultsa.asp?mode=NEW
Even at that price, $500 over invoice on a brand new 2006 model is a fair deal.
Now had you said a Volvo vs a Passat, OK, even a Saab vs Passat, certainly an Audi vs Passat, certain BMW's vs a Passat sure.
"Driver's wanted" is more than a slogan.
Avalons and Passats IMHO (and I am certainly open to the possibility that I am dead wrong) do not seem to be targeted at the same market.
Both cars are certainly attractive to the markets at which they have been targeted towards. But, but, but -- one will be a wonderful driving experience and one will be an isolating experience. There are times when isolation is the desired outcome. Those who like Passats want to be engaged in the driving experience.
Those who prefer Avalons -- obviously subjective -- seem to want as little interaction with the cars as possible.
When I read reviews of the Passats, they often are compared with other European cars (Audi in many cases) for their "German" feel, their tightness, taughtness and driving feel.
Avalon reviews, usually positive, talk about being removed from the connection with the driving experience. Avalon reviews will use the word "yawn" or "boring" -- often quite the opposite of the words used to describe the VW experience.
Pick an Avalon, it makes no never mind to me -- but please don't compare it with a Passat.
My heart and head can't resolve the two as competitors for your dollars.
Kinda like looking at a mini van versus a Porsche Boxster in my mind -- perhaps both good vehicles, but hardly competition in terms of feature and function.
what u paid only 25000$+sales tax????
and 1700 for warranty,well i paid 25980+1999 for extended warranty of 90000
,tell me if i got a good deal???
what is ur email id
i am new buyer with tons of questions
thanks
amit
Now the question is whether they will do the same kind of lease deals as they're doing for the 2.0T.
Mark's post says it all. My Mom's Avalon is nice and FAST, but bland is it's middle name. And it's big to boot. The 2 cars have completely different driving experiences. Neither car is bad....just different!
Enjoy whatever you buy!!!!
Perhaps the Avalon vs. Passat guy had some of his own logic behind it. I can understand it very well. At one point I was making decision between Subaru WRX, Mazda Protege5, Ford Focus and VW Passat V6. I even looked at Audi A4 and Lexus IS300 as other benchmarks. Of course the cars were different and not comparable. It was not about which car was better, rather what I was getting for what kind of money (w.g. was WRX really worth say 8 grand over Focus or Protege), whether or not it was worth it for me and of course could I afford it. I kind of chose my favorits within their class/type and then had to decide on the type.
I am a consumer and I decide about my dilemmas. If the dude thinks he wants Avalone OR Passat, let be it. This forum may not be the best place to ask this kind of question, but he is entitled to his own comparisons.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
I think that was Mark's point exactly!!! He was just providing his opinion on the comparison on the 2 cars.....