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Audi A4 vs Acura TL vs Volvo S60 vs VW Passat

strato435strato435 Member Posts: 14
edited August 2014 in Acura
I've pretty much narrowed by purchase down to these four cars. I'm in the market for a mid-sized near luxury vehicle.

I have an Audi A4 1.8T now, and very much like it! However, it hasn't proven as reliable at 75k as I might have hoped. That's opened up the floodgates to me, and am looking at VW, Acura and Volvo (am I missing anything?). If going with Audi, I'd get the 2.0T Quattro.

I'm hoping to keep the price to about $32k; what's mandatory for me is a navigation system, 5 or 6 speed manual transmission, CD player. I'd like AWD, but living in the mid-Atlantic doesn't make that mandatory.

I am quite concerned about fuel consumption, but these sedans really all have about the same mileage -- and all recommend premium fuel. I'd really be interested in the new Passat if it were available as a diesel, but I'm told it's not :-(

Finally, I enjoyed Audi's free maintenance for 4 years -- and it appears that Audi stands alone in offering this perk?

Any and all comments are welcome!

Thanks,
«1

Comments

  • frisconickfrisconick Member Posts: 1,275
    The TL gets very good highway mileage, and 50% fewer emissions than most cars in it's class.
  • dulnevdulnev Member Posts: 652
    I'm in an unique position to answer your question because I've owned 3 Acura TL (currently own the 2004 model) and have recently shopped the other three vehicles that you mentioned for my mother. We ended up buying 2005 VW Passat GLX with 4Motion for her. By the way, I hope you're aware that the 2005 Passat is not available with NAVI; I don't know about the 2006 model. We ended up getting a Garmin c320 navigation for this car and she loves it.

    Here are the models and my opinions:

    1. Acura TL: absolutelly the best car in this group, in my opinion. Tremendous power and great handling, great ergonomics and luxury. Really perfect all around except for one thing: big turning circle. It's hard to park this car because of this. The navigation system in the TL is the onle one in this group that is trully usable and great. Plus don't forget voice control and presence of Bluetooth Hands Free Link system. The stereo is also by far the best in the group.

    2. Audi A4 2.0T. Absolute piece of junk and poor value compared to the other cars in this group. I don't know why Audi thought it was Ok to screw with the great car like A4 1.8T to turn it into this crap. We actually turned around after 3 minutes into the test drive and said this is not a car for us. The engine was loud, slow and unrefined. The materials inside were poor quality (worse than in the Passat). The NAVI was junk and in a bad spot. And the price was ludicrous!

    3. 2005 Volvo S60 2.5T with AWD is a great car and a decent value now that there are about $5,000 worth of incentives on it. It makes the price only about $2,000 more than the TL; without AWD it's probably comparable in price. I certainly wouldn't pay more for S60 than for TL; in fact I would buy TL if it were $2,000 more. S60 2.5T is quite underpowered and it's also the worst handling car of this group. It does have couple luxury features that TL doesn't have, but they're not important to me. There was absolutelly no 2005 models that could be found with NAVI anymore, which was one of the reasons we didn't get this car. The fact that it was $5,000 more than the Passat GLX 4Motion was the other reason. This car is noticeably smaller than the TL, but comparable to the A4 and Passat in size.

    4. 2005 Passat GLX 4Motion is a great car with a ton of luxury features that can typically be found in cars $10,000 more expensive. It handles great, is quite comfortable, offers nice materials and ergonomics inside. We paid $28,750 for this car, which is a great deal. But it is really not comparable to the TL. The TL beats Passat in pretty much every category, especially in engine power and space. TL is also a lot more luxurious and will be a LOT more reliable.

    If I were to rank these cars, I'd put the TL in first place, the S60 in the second, but with a recognition that there is a LARGE gap between the 1st and the 2nd place. The Passat would be in 3rd place and A4 in the 4th; and there'd be a LARGE gap between the 3rd and the 4th place.

    Again, I don't know anything about 2006 Passat except that it's supposed to be a lot bigger. This would actually be a big negative for my mother, so we didn't even consider it.
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    In seeking a car in the same category, I shared your fuel mileage concern, and that steered me to buy the 2005 Passat TDI. I know it won't be as reliable as the Acura Legend it replaces, though.....
  • byronwalterbyronwalter Member Posts: 220
    ...a friend recently bought one and he's getting mid to upper thirties at 75 mph with AC on.

    As for the others, I've driven the Acura TL and the A4. The B7 platform A4 has essentially the same interior as the B6 (my current ride) and the interior is excellent and is usually considered a "best in class". As for the engine being rough at idle, that's true but the engine is great when cruising at 80 mph (and very good mpg as well). And it's reasonably quick to boot. I can also verify that the steering, brakes and handling are all improved on the new A4.

    I drove a manually equipped TL on some damp roads and pushed the car in the curves. The TL had what I felt to be excessive oversteer and even exhibited some wheel hop (I've read that the auto-equipped TLs are better in this respect). The A4 "feels" much more stable in similar situations. For me the difference in handling pretty much sealed the deal and I ordered another A4 (my third). But my priorities may very well be different from yours (I live in NE Ohio and appreciate AWD).

    Another point for me is that I don't keep cars beyond the warranty period. While my present '02 A4 Avant has been virtually perfect and a model of stellar behavior I might have second thoughts if I was going to have and extended automotive relationship.

    In any case, the TL is an excellent vehicle and would hardly qualify as a bad choice for most of us.

    Byron
  • strato435strato435 Member Posts: 14
    I'd certainly be inclined towards the TDI Passat -- if it were available! I'm told that VW doesn't plan to import diesel Passats in 2006, but will likely do so in 2007. In fact, VW makes my patronage even more difficult since the only Passat with the nav system in 2006 will be the 6 cylinder -- and as I've said, fuel economy does matter to me.

    BTW, I just returned from a vacation in Germany where I rented a diesel Mercedes Vaneo, a mid-sized minivan. It drove quite nicely! Pick-up was so-so, and that was a frustration for me, but once you get up to 150 kpm on the autobahn, you're really having fun!
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    "The TL had what I felt to be excessive oversteer..."

    You mean understeer?
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    Your impression of the Audi's 2.0 turbo motor is surprising since most car mags have lauded the engine for its power and smoothness. Maybe their point of reference was the old 1.8T, which was a rather loud and rough motor.
  • byronwalterbyronwalter Member Posts: 220
    ...oops!... So sorry... thanks for the correction :)
  • frisconickfrisconick Member Posts: 1,275
    I never liked the exterion look of the A6, but I think I will test drive on next weekend, it seems it has a lot of fans.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    You need to email me as soon as possible - pat AT edmunds.com. Thanks.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Hope you'll give us a full report ... in an A6-related discussion, of course. ;)
  • frisconickfrisconick Member Posts: 1,275
    Sorry Pat, I forgot that this was an A4 comparo, sorry. :blush:
  • tcatnattcatnat Member Posts: 3
    We are in the same position. We have driven the TL and S60 and will drive the A4 today. Right now the TL is our choice. The things we didn't like about the S60 were the blind spot caused by the large headrest, the turning circle and the price when compared to similarly equipped competition. Actually the S60 we would have opted for was $3k more than the Acura after the final numbers came in. However, the lease was a few bucks less per month.

    I felt that the power in the S60 was adequate which actually surprised me a bit as I was expecting worse. Here's my take, the S60 is the New England Patriots; refined, reliable smooth but nothing flashy while the TL is the Indianapolis Colts; flashy, reliable and more exciting to drive. OK, maybe not the best analogy but hopefully you get my point.

    One final thought. The Acura dealer actually mentioned to us that if we waited another month or so that we could get the '06 TL for a lower monthly payment (not by too much) than the '05; his reasoning was the residual value of the new model would be greater than the current. Does this sound right? I'm in now rush so I could order an '06 and take delivery whenever it comes in.
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    "...his reasoning was the residual value of the new model would be greater than the current."

    Yes, that makes sense. The higher residual of the '06 may outweigh the lower cap cost of the '05.. Even if all are equal, the '06 is bound to be a better car.
  • frisconickfrisconick Member Posts: 1,275
    And the 07 will likely be better than the 06, so when do you pull the trigger? :cry:
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    When the '08s come out!! :P
  • tcatnattcatnat Member Posts: 3
    We could wait but when this close to the new model year you may get a few more bells and whistles for a slightly lower lease payment just for waiting a month. And fror the record, Acura said there were very little chanegs coming but he could be more specific.

    Either way, we drove today and opted for the Audi A4 quattro. What a fun car to drive. Picked up an '05 with tiptronic, premium package and heated leather seats. I drove a lot of cars over the ast two weeks and the Audi is truely a drivers car. The interior was also roomier than expected. Ididn't notice any turbo lag either. If you're looking for a car in this class make sure you drive all the cars. Don't eliminate one because of what it sayd on paper. I almost did and thus would have never driven the Audi.
  • frisconickfrisconick Member Posts: 1,275
    Congrats on your new ride :) I am in the market for a new car and will test drive an Audi. Never thought I would, but your post convinced me.
  • delmar1delmar1 Member Posts: 744
    Its like a merry-go-round... You have to hop on board if you are going to grab for the gold ring.
  • rjlaerorjlaero Member Posts: 659
    To say the 2.0 A4 is an absolute piece of junk is a ridiculous statement.

    Poor inside materials?....yeah right. Audi has been the benchmark for quality interiors for the better part of the past decade. Many other car manufactures have used Audi as their traget for their interiors. Quattro has been out for 25 years and it's the best AWD system out there for a car.

    The nav in a bad spot? Where do you want it? It's in a perfect spot smack in the middle of the console. It's easy to use and much better than any IDrive from BMW. The driving directions also come up on the center dash as well and it's pretty easy to follow.

    Resale is also very good on the Quattros.

    About noise, the new FSI techology does create a bit of extra noise due to the way the fuel is injected into the combustion chamber rather than the intake. The 05.5's were a mid year replacement, and from my driving experience, the new 06's have been tweaked and are quieter and the exhast sounds sweeter as well. The new 2.0 has 100hp per liter and more torque than hp. Mated with the 6 speed manual, the 2.0 is one sweet engine and it's been praised by just about every car magazine out there.

    BMW, Mercedes, and Audi are all going to be more expensive than any Japanese, Vovlo (Ford), or VW. But Audi is a good value when you compare them to their main German rivals, and are thousands less than what BMW and MB charges for similarly equipped cars.
  • tcatnattcatnat Member Posts: 3
    rjlaero,

    I found that Audi A4 statement comical. No car in this class is junk. As I mentioned earlier I chose the A4 because it had a sportier feel that the TL or S60. The TL snd S60 are obviously larger cars with more rate HP but the Audi just seemed more complete to me. You cannot go worng with any of these and it will come down to persoanl preference. Also, Audi still offers scheduled maintenance and free oil changes, a nice perk. Acura and Volvo have discontinued these programs.

    I'm picking the A4 up tomorrow and will provide some initial impression details after the weekend.
  • taxesquiretaxesquire Member Posts: 681
    I can speak a bit about Audi and agree that it's a quality vehicle. I drove a Passat GLX for 4 years. Passat is to Audi as Toyota is to Lexis. At least in 2001 (and 1/2!!!), what they did was take the v6 available in the A4 (which is less powerful than the A6 engine) and put it in a Passat which is more similar in size to the A6. From sitting in friends' Audi's, I can attest that my Passat's interior was very similar in terms of workmanship.

    That 6 cyl engine is a great engine. The 5MT had plenty of torque throughout the RPM band - it was quiet, powerful and forgiving. The seats and interior materials were comfortable, well-designed and well-put together. And since my Passat handled very well, I am sure the smaller, more sporty A4 would, too. I would suggest anyone looking at an AWD BMW 3-series also check out Audi. I don't believe Audi has a RWD platform (am I right?); otherwise, I'd recommend it to all who are considering a 3-series.

    QUESTION TO AUDI A4 OWNERS: in my 4 yrs of Passat-driving, I only came up with 2 complaints, both w/r/t the steering wheel controls. On your wheels, are the radio controls on the right? Also, do the tuning buttons act as a general scan feature or scroll your presets? Mine were on the right side and scanned the dial rather than just presets. My only complaints in 4 years.
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    With today's cars being so low-maintenance, I feel that free maintenance is a bit of a sales gimmick and should be a non-factor in one's buying decision. Usually maintenance for the 1st three years amounts to no more than a few oil changes and a couple of tire rotations.
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    Early report on my '05 Passat TDI: Driving mostly highway, got 39 mpg on the first tank (that's 2-3 mpg lower than the on-dash indicator would suggest). Cooler day yesterday, got readouts of 45 - 47 mpg on my commute, which should translate into an actual of 42 - 45. Sweet!

    Complaints?

    Occasional buzz/rattle from the rear (door? seat? can't tell) and bucking at 42 mph when the auto trans seems to be deciding between 4th and 5th gear.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    "Occasional buzz/rattle from the rear (door? seat? can't tell"

    Have had this in both of my VW's. It most likely is the rear door lock. It tends to buzz or rattle. It sounds like plastic against plastic.
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    "Occasional buzz/rattle from the rear (door? seat? can't tell)"

    Have had this in both of my VW's. It most likely is the rear door lock. It tends to buzz or rattle. It sounds like plastic against plastic.


    Any solution? Keep locked, unlocked? Duct tape? ;)
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I had the dealer try to fix it on my previous '02 Jetta. They didn't fix it. What they did do was cause the lock not to be flush with the door as it was when new. It was really no big deal, but just the usual experience with VW service. It seems as though everytime I bring my car to VW to fix something, my car comes back with something broken. I had a rattle in my dash in my current '04.5 Passat. During the second visit to fix the problem they cracked a plastic piece in the footwell on the drivers side (along with not replacing screws). I didn't find this for many many months after the service visit. I did not want them to touch my car again so I just glued the piece with some Gorilla Glue and went on my way. NO ONE would ever notice this so....alls good. I could literally go on and on with dealer problems..

    Back to your question......their was no fix for the lock rattle. I did notice that the noise disappeared when the lock was in the open (up) position. But, since we have automatic door locks that lock the doors when you reach a certain speed (17mph I think), I had them reprogram the locks not to lock automatically. This did work. BTW: This was done on my Jetta. My Passat is not too bad so i just don't bother with getting it looked at.

    This problem
  • dpavdpav Member Posts: 19
    Did your sales rep share what the expected residual of the 06 TL will be ?
  • benjaminsbenjamins Member Posts: 56
    Can we stop with Volvo is a Ford already? Lots of cars have shared components, some of Volvo's engines were co-designed by Porsche, they use Japanese transmission, they use all sorts of components from various sources but the cars aren't Fords at all. In fact, Audi is a lot closer to Volkswagen than Volvo is to Ford. At this point, only the s40 is shared with any other platform, and the s40 is a joint platform although it is based on the German Focus II platform. Volvo has a distinct feel, European for sure, but not German, not French, but Swedish. The seats, design, suspension tuning, and body structure have a unique feel to them. Also, the latest Ford, the 500, was styled by VW's stylist, the same guy who did the Audi 6 and Passat. And it shows.

    Audi is not always more expensive than VW or Volvo or anything Japanese? What are you talking about? There are plenty of Japanese cars more expensive than A4s and A6s (Acura RL is very close in price to the A6 for instance). There are plenty of VW's more expensive than A3's or A4s, think Toureg and Phaeton, and the Passat and A4s overlap at certain price points.

    I agree calling the A4 junk is ridiculous, calling any of these cars junk is ridiculous. They all are resonably well engineered and built cars. Overall I may find Audi best, followed by Volvo, but you can make an argument for Acura as well. Passat is in a different market segment, but I think it is tops of the family sedans and like it over Accord, Camry, Altima, and others.
  • frisconickfrisconick Member Posts: 1,275
    I agree, Volvos are fine cars and highly rated by almost everyone. Additionally, they are in the same category as Lexus, Audi, Acura etc. They are certainly a cut or two above a Ford 500.
  • edwardsfedwardsf Member Posts: 190
    I believe that Edmunds Forum has a remarkable amount of people who don't even bother to test drive cars that they are critiquing. Statements such as Audi =
    Passat or Ford = Volvo, are patently ridiculous. I drove a Passat 2.0 and an A4 2.0 today. These cars are nothing alike. The Passat interior is pleasant but it has a broad dash and somewhat bland design of a family car. It is though a very nice family car and the engine is smooth and responsive. The transmission is also very smooth. The brakes seemed poor. The Audi interior is far superior in that the dash design, plastics, leather, and seat design are all much more high quality than the VW. The Audi interior has that spartan lux and sporty look/feel that Audi has had at least since the Audi 100 that I drove 23 years ago. But the real difference is in the acceleration and shifting. The CVT is flawless and the A4 is much quicker than the Passat at most speeds and appears to have much more low end torque. I have a Saab turbo and until this A4, I have not seen anything beat the Saab 2.0 turbo. The A4 was louder than the Passat, which bothered me.

    I also drove an S40, a great little car with excellent acceleration very close to the new A4 turbo. But the ride is poor and its roof line makes vision diffiicult for me (6-3). I have driven the TSX and the TL. I love the TSX as it is crisp, quick and handles lightly. You do have to rev it (like most VTEC engines). The TL is simply too luxury oriented for me. I really don't think of it as a sporty car. It is fast but does not feel nimble at all. It feels similar to the S60 I have ridden in but not driven.
  • edwardsfedwardsf Member Posts: 190
    Ooops, sorry. The even bigger difference between the A4 2.0 and the Passat 2.0 was the handling. The Audi (without sport suspension) was crisp, tight and fun. The Passat was pleasant, balanced and performed well but a bit ponderous. Something like the TL.

    BTW, the Audi gets 24/32 and the Passat gets 22/31. Is that difference just from weight?
  • taxesquiretaxesquire Member Posts: 681
    Few randome responses on this topic:

    Volvos are fun cars. If I was in the market for a compact car, it would've easily been the S40 T5. I'm in the mid-sized market, and if the S60 came with a 6 MT, I would've considered it.

    I'm one of those who've said the Passat interior is similar to Audi, and I base that on personal experience, and stand by that comment with one qualification: I base my view on personal experience with a 2001.5 Passat and a 2002 Audi A6. The seats are the same - stitching, stuffing, etc. The gauges and center-stack controls are the same. I could believe that the A4 is firmer riding than the Passat, but do not believe the A6 is firmer. Audi is clearly sportier, but the Passat interior is very well-done and Audi-like.

    You said "The even bigger difference between the A4 2.0 and the Passat 2.0 was the handling"

    Of course the A4 handles better! The Jetta with a sport package probably handles better, too, since the Passat is bigger. The Passat handles more like the A6 b/c it's mroe similar in size to the A6. At least back in '01.5, what Passat did was take a car body similar to the A6, and put in an A4 engine (either the smaller one or the v6 one which was smaller than the v6 in the A6). Because of the larger size, the Passat is less sporty than the A4. Because of the smaller engine, the Passat is less sporty than the A6. Still kicks the crap out of the competition!!!!

    In my mind, it's unfare to compare the A4 and BMW3 series with "competitors" such as the G35, TL and the cars mentioned in this forum. Don't get me wrong, I'm the 1st person to say that you have to compare what you might buy. If it's an apples to oranges comparison, then you need to decide whether you want an apple or an orange. Anyway, all I'm saying is I understand the comparisions b/c of price, but I think that if you're talking about handling and sportiness (and not $$$) the TL, G35, S60, etc should be compared to the A6 and 5-series. Of course, the 5-series might handle better than the G35 and TL, but that's still what the comparison should be.

    Regarding a prior comment that the Passsat handles like a TL, I could agree. I think the TL is a stiffer ride (I have the 6MT w/ summer tires), but I also think I'm at my comfort-limit with the TL. I thought the Passat handled well, as did the S40 (though that is based on a short test-drive in which my main realization was that a compact car was too small for me).
  • edwardsfedwardsf Member Posts: 190
    I agree on most of what you said. I much prefer the pre 2006 Passat interiors to the current version of the Passat. Regarding handling, the new Passat, while feeling more balanced and solid, is not quite as sporty as the last version. And since the A4 is even more sporty this year (the 1.8 version did not thrill me), there is now a big difference. Hop in a new Passat and you might agree. I compared the Passat to the TL, but I agree with you that the TL is stiffer and sportier. I also think the TL, and the S60 are fantastic deals. As you say, they are comparable, though not quite as sporty, as the 5 series but cost about $15 K less. I think all four cars are super cars and good good deals in their respective niches: small sport sedan (A4), sporty near luxury sedan (TL, S60), sporty family car (Passat).

    Comparos should be:
    A4, 3 series, S40 T5, Mazaspeed 6, IS, C230, TSX, 9-3
    5 series, E series, A6, M45, S60, TL, 9-5, GS300,
    Passat, Mazda 6, Altima SER, Maxima,

    I have no clue what to do with the G35 as that round shift plate is too ugly for anything.
  • taxesquiretaxesquire Member Posts: 681
    I'm enjoying this stream, Ed. You make good points. I'll only counter on your 2nd comp.: 5 series, E series, A6, M45, S60, TL, 9-5, GS300

    I think it should be broken up as follows:

    530 & below (525?); TL; G35; S60; 9-5
    530 & above (545?); A6; M; GS300; RL; S60T5(?)

    I'm not knowledgable with Saab or Mercedes
  • frisconickfrisconick Member Posts: 1,275
    I believe the Mercedes C class would belong in the 530 & below (525?); TL; G35; S60; 9-5 comparo
  • quest3quest3 Member Posts: 33
    Well I been car shopping for almost 2 long months now, test driving everything I come across and wasn't getting that "I gotta get this car" feeling but I was saving the Acura TL, Volvo S40 awd, 06 Audi A4 quattro, and the Lexus IS250 awd for last cause I kind of figured I wouldnt get that feeling until getting to the main part of my test drive list. I'm currently in Alaska so the rwd 350 was out but when I get stationed back in the lower 48 that is what I want. So anyway test drove the Volvo still nothing. Drove the Acura which was my favorite all around before driving it for the way its packaged but didnt care for it after driving it, it just seemed "heavy" dont ask me what that means. So just yesterday I went to Audi and test drove a 06 2.0 A4 and absolutely loved it it was actually the longest test drive I had ever been on. It was so much fun to drive, loved the way it looks, and feels just so solid and So needless to say all that plus the audi 2 yr leasing special going on right now I opted to not wait for the Lexus 250 and jump on the Audi. I only had to wait 1 more month to drive the Lexus but they wouldnt be able to beat the leasing offer anyway so its Audi for me at least for the next 2 yrs.. Thank you for everyones discussions and opinions on all the vehicles it really helped me narrow thing s down and zone in on which had over all everything I wanted.
    in case you want to know
    06 A4 2.0 quattro
    auto, premium, technology 2, sunroof pkg,cold weather, ocean blue pearl/plat leath
    1080- due at lease inception
    435- a month
    Guess I'll see you all in about 23 months when its time for another vehicle
  • frisconickfrisconick Member Posts: 1,275
    Great post! Now that's how to pick a car, whatever knocks you out. :D
  • bjbird2bjbird2 Member Posts: 647
    In the October 2005 issue of Car and Driver Magazine, they did a comparo of $35K sports sedans, which included some of the cars in this forum. Their results:

    1. BMW 330i
    2. Lexus IS350
    3. Infiniti G35
    4. Acura TL
    5. Audi A4 3.2 Quattro
    6. Cadillac CTS
    7. Volvo S60R AWD
    8. Saab 9-3 Aero
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    That was an interesting article.....They weren't too fond of the A4. They said the A4 was not a big step up from the previous A4 and the other makes improved substantially..........
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    Audi's Achilles' heel is being associated with the least reliable group on the planet - VW Group. The most unreliable vehicles in automotive history...
  • taxesquiretaxesquire Member Posts: 681
    VW Group. The most unreliable vehicles in automotive history...

    That's quite an exageration. VW may have a bad reputation based on now-defunct models, but they've been ave or above ave in recent years, according to consumer reports, that focuses on reliability as opposed to sportiness. From at least 2001 through 2005, the VW Passat was a CR recommended pick for its class. One of the significant factors is reliability.
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    Surely, you didn't recognize the sarcasm in my post (hint: my screen name)... :shades:

    B.T.W. - I currently own 3 VWs (1997 Jetta, 2003 Wolfsburg Jetta, 2003 Passat GLS)
  • taxesquiretaxesquire Member Posts: 681
    You're right, I missed it! :blush: I'm impressed with your collection. I love my TL - quite a blast, but aside from missing certain aspects of my Passat, one of the things Imissed was that my Passat was a "sleaper" car. THose who really know cars know it's a good one. Those who don't, just don't know what they're missing!!! Was real disappointed VW isn't offering the current Passat with both a v6 engine and a 6MT. Maybe in year 2?
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    > Was real disappointed VW isn't offering the current Passat with both a v6 engine and a 6MT. Maybe in year 2?

    We can only hope... :)
  • byronwalterbyronwalter Member Posts: 220
    ...an '05 Passat with the TDI about three months ago. He currently has 5000 miles on it and, as one would expect, his fuel economy has been superb. I think he had rather good timing with his purchase.

    Oh, and so far the car has been great.

    Byron
  • cpurickcpurick Member Posts: 28
    I've owned a 2nd Gen A4, an '04 Acura TL, and I've shopped the S40 pretty seriously. I couldn't wait to get rid of the TL, and eventually got back into an Audi. The only other cars that even come close are Mercedes. They're incredibly rigid without being heavy, and there's simply nothing "cheap" anywhere on the car.
  • taxesquiretaxesquire Member Posts: 681
    I can't believe you got rid of your TL so quickly. I love mine - great compromise between comfort and handling; economics and luxury.
  • cpurickcpurick Member Posts: 28
    'Compromise' -- that's a great word for the TL.

    I didn't think the TL was as tight or as solid-feeling as I had come to expect after owning my previous Audi. I had been led to believe the Japanese luxury brands were comparable to the Germans; I've since reconsidered.

    They're both good cars -- I just think the Audi is a much better car to drive.
  • cpurickcpurick Member Posts: 28
    "BTW, the Audi gets 24/32 and the Passat gets 22/31. Is that difference just from weight?"

    Actually, I think that's the difference between Audi's CVT and the Passat's Tiptronic.
This discussion has been closed.