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Comments
JMO
Roger
Try harder, depending on where you are, you can get fairly good deals on many VWs these days.
Actually, it is the short-term reliability that gives VW a bad name. You are likely to experience about 2 problems a year the first 3 years - although these will be minor, will be covered under warranty, and usually won't leave you stranded. Long-term, these cars are bullet-proof and will easily serve you 150K-200K pretty trouble-free miles, if not more if well-maintained.
- D
Mike
The Subaru Outback VDC, and, to a lesser extent, a used Lexus RX300 are the other two I've been looking at. Subaru is more of a known quality, because they've been making the Outback (and the Legacy) for a decade or so, and CR has rated them above average in reliability for that entire time.
What also worries me about the Passat is that directly below it (Jetta) and directly above it (Audi) are notoriously unreliable cars, made by the same manufacturer. I guess I just wonder why the Passat is going to somehow avoid this trap.
Obviously, you can get a good or bad car from any manufacturer, no matter what their reputation, but this is all statistically speaking, playing the percentages.
Though we also found availability of 1.8T wagons with a manual tranny was poor when we were shopping in April 2002. We never even drove one.
The wife didn't really want a VW though I was pushing her to at least try one. Dealers around here seem to stock more sedans, and the few wagons they have are loaded up automatics. YMMV.
-juice
And that's why I bought a LLBean (Japanese reliability) in 2001 instead of a 4motion Passat. I no longer have time (or desire) to go to the service department outside of regular maintenance or do work myself.... Just turn the key and go from point A to point B and don't give me any hassles! LOL!
Ralph
Just a thought.
-juice
I've also read that the 4Motion system really hurts the fuel efficiency, to where the Passat Wagon only averages in the high teens on MPG in mixed driving. Can any owners out there tell me if this is true?
-juice
Gary
First 5 minutes when cold: 12-16 mpg
Extreme city driving: 16-18 mpg
Typical city driving: 18-20 mpg
Mixed driving: 20-22 mpg
Mostly highway: 22-24 mpg
High speed highway: 24-26 mpg
Normal highway: 26-28 mpg
Oma highway: 28-30 mpg
“High speed highway” would be 75-85mph with frequent (and costly) changes of speed
“Normal highway” is about 65-75mph, with few but some changes of speed
“Oma highway” is 60-65mph, throughout
BTW, I use synthetic oil and 36-36.5psi on all 4 tires. At speeds lower than 60mph, your tire pressure will be the most important parameter, and if you get low mileage, you may want to check that one first.
I get noticeable better mileage on super/high octane (above numbers) vs. low octane. Perhaps 1-2mpg.
- D
I currently have an Explorer with AWD and a V-8, so don't ask about the mileage. It just breaks my heart whenever I try to calculate it. That's one of the primary reasons I'm looking at a wagon this time around.
D
Thanks for those numbers, they are very encouraging. I could certainly live with that kind of mileage.
Eric
My wife has a 2002 Legacy L 5 speed and she's also averaging about 25mpg, though her gas tank is a gallon bigger so she has more useful range. She also does more highway miles than I do.
What's funny is that my Miata doesn't do any better in mileage, and it's a 1.6l with no AWD, of course.
-juice
There are indications that this problem might be exclusive to the 1.8T engine. Does anyone know if this is so? If you're interested in reading up on it, here's where I've been seeing the multiple horror stories:
http://www.carreview.com/PRD_299_1531crx.aspx
But you could argue that once the design is changed, this problem is history, i.e. they found the problem and addressed it.
-juice
Is there some govt or consumer website that might be tracking this problem? How is it that I never got a whiff of this from Consumer Reports' reliability ratings?
The design has been changed by the supplier (Bremi) since.
When an ignition coil fails, you can still drive for a short distance (on 3 cylinders), so you would not get stranded on a railway intersection or anything like that.
There is great and concise information in a FAQ that I cannot advertize diectly, due to its location. Do a google 'groups' search on "Coil Pack FAQ" for more information.
- D
My husband and I had just agreed that we would purchase the 2003 GLX Passat Wagon and then as we were about to buy it, we stumbled onto a not so perfect reliability rating. Then another and another and so on... Now we are seriously questioning whether or not to go through with the purchase. We loved the car so much ( great looks, great ride ).
Is there anyone out there that can convince us one way or another regarding whether we should buy or not buy?
If you suggest we don't buy, do you have any suggestions for what we might find comparable to the look and feel of the VW, but that would be of better quality?
Thanks!
VWs will have higher incidence of things going wrong than, say, Toyota or Honda. Usually, these tend to be small things like switches and sensors and alike. For me, the actual difference in reliability and the incidence frequency are not large enough to make a difference, and I am very happy with my car. If a car were several times as likely to have a problem than the average car, I would seriously reconsider a purchase – but that is not the case here. Also, if VWs were known for engine or transmission failures, I would not touch them. However, again, that is not the case.
With the exemplary resale value of the Passat, you really can’t go wrong.
However, if you are the kind of person that gets annoyed by one or two things going wrong, even if they can be handled during regular maintenance, you may want to go the Honda/Toyota/Lexus etc. route. But note that not all of their cars have stellar ratings, either.
- D
I have owned VW's off and on for 15 years, and all of my experiences with them have been positive. I will say this, though: regular maintenance is key. German cars just seem to run better and last longer with regular maintenance. I currently own a 1989 Vanagon GL Syncro Camper (AWD) and it has over 240,000 miles. Yes, there are known "issues" with the engine, like leaking head gaskets, but that is primarily due to people using the wrong kind of coolant, and not changing it regularly! This illustrates my point - most Japanese cars don't care about the type of coolant, and you can really abuse them and they continue to run.
German cars simply don't seem to work that way - they are designed to be maintained regularly to ensure performance and longevity. But if they are, they will outlast, outperform, and out-style most if not all Japanese marques, IMHO. Years ago I owned a '82 Scirocco that I bought new and drove 180,000 miles. It still would go down the highway at 100 mph with relative ease, and get ~30 mpg while doing so. (OK, the motor was "tuned" a bit....) That engine never had any major service other than valve adjustments and timing belt replacements. Maybe a water pump, too - but that is about it in 180,000 miles!
Another point is this: how many Japanese cars would you even want to drive for 180,000 miles? Its subjective, of course, but it seems I see a lot more 10+ year old Mercedes and VW's than I do Hondas, Toyotas, and Lexi...
So, bottom line, if you want a car you can just put gas into and never do anything else, buy a Japanese car. If you want something with performance, style, and that uniquely Teutonic "feel" and don't mind paying attention to regular maintenance, buy a Passat!
A side note: My brother and Mom both had Toyota 4Runners - one a '92, the other a '95. Both blew head gaskets constantly, and my brother's '92 finally blew out the bottom end of the motor (lost compression in three cylinders) at about 85,000 miles! He changed the oil regularly and did not abuse the car.
Both of them now drive German cars. ;-)
From what I'm reading, the coil pack problem doesn't seem to happen nearly as much (if at all) on the V6 engine that's in the GLX.
Allhorizon
I don't really sweat the small stuff on malfunctions, as long as I feel I can still drive the car I'll just wait till I have to take it in for regular service. It's the big stuff, like transmissions, engines, and anything that will shut the car down, that bother me, even if it's under warranty.
I do have a nagging question, however. How come I never see any old Passat Wagons on the road? I see plenty of old Subarus and Volvos, but never any Passats, or any old VW wagons, for that matter. Just curious.
The current B5 body style is new since 1998-1999. Prior to that, the Passat was downright ugly, and not particularly popular. In fact, sales of the Passat did not take off int he US until 2000/2001 and then really accellerated in 2002.
Before 1998, the Passat existed under completely different names. See the table below for the approximate dates that the various models were released to the US market, and the names that were used here in the USA.
Model | Europe | USA | Years
----------------------------------
B1 | Passat | Dasher | 1974 to 1980
B2 | Passat | Quantum | 1981 to 1988
B3 | Passat | Passat | 1998 to 1993
B4 | Passat | Passat | 1994 to 1997
B5 | Passat | Passat | 1998 to Present
This may explain why you don't see a lot of Passats on the road today.
That's basically it, German needs to be pampered, Japanese doesn't...but pampering becomes expensive as a car ages - never mind your time (=$$) dealing with the pampering over the course of the car's life
I disagree with what I see on the road in the suburbs north of NYC...old cars tend to be mainly Japanese and American (some Volvos), with very few German - save the occasional diesel MBs...Old VWs are rare (although there was a time when they weren't in the 70s/early 80s...
Like I said, I bought the H6 LLBean instead of the V6 4 motion Passat and I've had smooth sailing the first 37K miles. Yes, I liked the looks of the Passat more at the time (not now), but I hate service departments and I no longer like getting my fingers dirty...
Ralph
That would explain it.
I'm probably not going to be buying until late summer at the earliest, so I've got some time to see how this coil pack thing plays out.
And I agree with Otis on the service thing. I do try to keep up with the maintenance schedule, but dealing with car service is one of my least favorite things.
Or you would rather have a car you loved that maybe had to do maybe 2-3 extra dealer visits over the life of the car? A car with tons of character that you LOVE to drive and even earned a nick-name?
Food for thought. The BMW X5 has suffered from 14 recalls, yet owners are ecstatic and would buy another. Heck, they probably sip a free latte every time their car is worked on, that's not so bad.
Visit the dealer and ask to see the service bay. You'll be in for frequent oil changes most likely anyway. If the service is great, you may not mind going at all. Befriend the sales staff and maybe test drive a car or two when you go in, it isn't that bad to have to pay a visit.
Just my 2 cents.
-juice
And I'll never agree with you about the pleasures of getting my car serviced. AFA I'm concerned, it's a necessary evil that I will tolerate, but never enjoy.
In fact, I think Subies have lots of character. You can hear the distinctive boxer growl and know right away what type of car is coming.
I've only had to visit the dealer once in 5 years, but I enjoy going there to check out new models and even just chat with my salesman. Inevitably there's some gossip on future products, etc. He's even taken me on test drives to sample cars he knows full well I'm not buying - no hard sell at the end.
Maybe you just haven't met the right salesman?
-juice
Thanks again for y'alls input. It's helping a lot : - )
Try to find a base model manual wagon, then chip it and maybe get a set of wheels and tires. If you're careful you just might come out with a performance bargain.
-juice
I have a 2001 Legacy GT Sedan which is the same car as the Legacy Station wagon. My girl friend has the 2001 1.8 turbo Jetta. Both are 5 speeds.
We never take the Jetta on long trips, due to poor gas milege best MPG was 25-28 on 12 gallon tank, and lack of comfort (vw seats are short and dont support you leg very well). The turbo VW is faster off the line, but lacks the low grunt the Subaru has. The Subaru has posted 32 miles to the gallon on HWY 5 SF to LA. Get crazy on Hwy 1 and you can take the MPG down to 19.
Twisties? Surprizingly the Subaru can get down and dirty, with good tires it will out corner anything but the expensive sport sedans. The car feels like it sucks to the road and will go anywhere you point it. The 1.8 Jetta with $400 BMW quality tires cant touch it.
MPG:
With bike rack I get 30-31 MPG. Pulling 380LB boat on 200LB trailer I get between 25-28 MPG HWY. Running between 68mph-75mph with a 16 gallon tank.
Interior:
The back seat in the Legacy Sedan seems to be more roomy and comfortable than most of the cars I've been in. Factory 6 disc in dash has proven to be a great system. Front seats are big and comfy. Trunk is a good size.
My Subaru has 68,000 miles on it, is used to haul my boat, sailing gear, camping gear, Dog. We have made the climb from Fresno to Huntington Lake. Roughly 1000 feet to 8200 in a very short distance a good test of any car/truck. Not a problem never dropped below 45MPH nor did I push hard.
I replaced the break pads at 65,000 miles they had 20% left, no disk shimmy in breaks they are as good as new. 50,000 miles new tires (gt stock tires are about $115 each), Stock.
I change the oil every 5000 miles with Synthetic.
The car has never missed a beat or been in the shop!
General take on things:
First I would never put a VW through the abuse my Subaru has experienced, cost of repairs on the VW would be huge. Second, having owned a Ford Ranger, Toyota 4runner, now the Subaru. Hands down the Subaru 2.5 liter is bullet proof, can take anything a normal owner would dare to throw at it. Choosing between the 2.5 and 3.0? Unless you drive over a mountain every day to work or pull 600+LB trailer on a regular basis the 3.0 is probably overkill. A friend has the Outback 2.5 with an automatic. The Automatic does hurt gas milege and performance. As for speed? The Subaru isn't fast from the stop light, but it can put most cars to shame when you factor cost, reliablity, and performance.
The AWD system only adds about 150LBs to the car, has been flawless. The car is basically a snow plow in unforgiving snowy conditions.
My only complaint about the Subaru are the soft springs. They could be a little stiffer.
I'm sad that Subaru doesn't build a vehicle heavy enough to tow my next boat. If they did I would already have my next Subaru. (Subaru if your reading this I need a car that can pull 3000lbs)
At one point I factored the Subaru cost vs a hybrid for commute reasons. The cost after maintance, showed that my Subaru was still the better choice. The Hybrid cost more for low resistance tires, and general upkeep over time.
A quick fix for handling would be thicker sway bars, you can get thicker OE bars for about $80 or aftermarket adjustable ones for $120 or so. That'll reduce lean and sway and improve handling without even sacrificing ride.
-juice
To see the article, go to the discussion board on ignition coils or check any news website.
-juice
What now gives us pause is the "True Cost to Own" calculations from Edmunds. It appears that a Subaru costs roughly $1400 in maintenance costs over 5 years more than a VW, so that the TCO price of a Limited is only $20 less than a Passat GLX! The GLX, of course, has a 6v engine and manual, which is an option not available with Subaru wagons. Moreover, with the 1.9% financing VW is now offering, the financing costs are lower with the VW than TCO calculates, so the VW is actually cheaper.
Can anyone tell me why the maintenance costs are so much higher on the Outback? What is strange is that, by reputation, Suburus are supposed to be indistructible and VWs quirky, but by the calculation on Edmunds I would lean to the GLX. Thanks for any help!
In Dallas, I went to 5 dealers and got the following for dealer recommended service for 60 months.
Subaru Outback: $1342
Camry: $1482
Passat: $1601
Volvo V70: $2200
Accord: $1850
Just go to the Service department of the two dealers, get their schedules, and add them up.
I have no idea why SOA does not make Edmunds and/or Intellichoice fix their bogus numbers.
Mike
Having only driven the Outback, (Subaru was the only choice for me, by choice) I can't say much for the VW.
Having had a 1990 Legacy in the family for 12 years, recently sold to make way for the Outback, I can attest to their reliability, and long time drivability. If you do decide on the Outback, I think you will really like it. For the record, I hope to keep my Oouback H6 for 300,000 Kms.
Have fun in either you choose, just as long as you choose the Outback...
I do the routine maintenance myself and it's no tougher than for any other brand (I have owned Ford, Mazda, Chevy, Datsun, and Mitsubishi).
The only thing I'd add to the standard list for a FWD car is the rear diffy, which is just two bolts and about 30 minutes, tops. Plus one quart of 75w90.
The AWD system is sealed and doesn't require service.
-juice
-juice
In my comparisons with other dealers, I just used what the dealer recommended in all cases.
As I mentioned a couple of postings before, we originally had a better experience with Subaru, but with a different dealer. We were interested in an Outback Limited with manual transmission. The first dealer mentioned that one dealer in the area had our car in white only. It did not take much snooping on the web to discover which dealer that was, so we headed over to them on a Tuesday night so that we could test-drive it. There was some snow on the ground, so it would be a nice test of the AWD. It turned out that they had two of them in stock. The first one drove nicely, but at every stop light a horrible smell came into the compartment. My pregnant wife became somewhat sick at the smell, so we returned to the dealer. Our sales person told us that this was the first time he had smelled something like this. I had remembered a previous post indicating that the smell sometimes sticks around, and I was worried. I asked to test-drive the second car. When we went outside, however, it refused to open with the wireless key ring. it turned out that that car had a dead battery. So one bad stinker, a second dead.
We then went down the street to the Volkswagen dealer and had a fun time in the Passat. No exhaust fumes in the cabin, and every battery seemed to start the car we test-drove in the cold. The dealer experience in negotiating a price was not a joy, but we got a good price in the end. We will miss the AWD. But we are happy with our choice.
Gary
where you can share notes with other owners and enthusiasts. We look forward to hearing more about your VW Passat Wagon experience. Happy Motoring! ;-)
Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons
Hmm, full moon on that day you tried those 2 Subies? ;-)
-juice