VW Passat Wagons (GL, GLS, GLX & W8)

jsgnfwtx · October 2002

There were a few posts back in Sep about carrying bikes in/on a Passat wagon. I am currently trying out a rack from Sam Bird Automotive www.birdautomotive.com/BikeRack.htm). The rack is rear mounted and uses existing holes in the wagon for mounting. It requires some comprimises, but overall I am very happy with the rack. Sam Bird is doing some modifications to the rack in response to my suggestions which will allow opening the tailgate.

maestro5453 · October 2002

I'd like to find a cargo partition for my new Passat wagon (to keep my dog off the leather seats). The one I have from my old car rattles too much and obstructs my vision. VW sells one, but it's nearly $400(!). Does anyone know if it's any good and, more to the point, if it can be found for less money?

jb18t · October 2002

Looking to purchase heavy duty front and rear floor mats and cargo area mat for winter. Anyone have the VW "Monster Mats", the ones sold by the dealer? How about the WeatherTech Mats? Thanks

mauislick · October 2002

I have the weathertechs, they are very nice

to sum up......fit: B+
color: A (you can choise black, tan or grey)

usage: A+
price: $$

monster: one color: black fit: A+
usage : unknown ( others have been happy with them)
ordered weathtech from mcniell automotive, with very good service......

there is another brand call "car box"
I think most can be found a www.mats.com

desertrat5 · October 2002

"Looking to purchase heavy duty front and rear floor mats and cargo area mat for winter. Anyone have the VW "Monster Mats", the ones sold by the dealer? How about the WeatherTech Mats?"....

I purchased the heavy duty black rubber mats from VW for my 2003 GLS Wagon. I have ordered the matching mat for the "trunk" but have not received it yet. The floor mats in front and back work well so far.

I love the car. And the 1.8 Turbo is something else. Just finished the 5000 mile oil change and am looking forward to some long trips in the car. So far I have driven it from near sea level to over 8000 ft asl and can't detect any loss in power.

Only changes I would like are different color scheme for the instruments. The red and blue is pretty at night but in Arizona on a bright sunny day with dark glasses they are almost not readable. A couple more gallons of gasoline capacity would be great.

jb18t · October 2002

Thanks for the info and your experience with the mats, looks like a toss up. Good to know I can't really go wrong with either company. Thanks again!

jb18t · October 2002

I stopped at an Audi dealer in Philly last week...the A6 looks alot like the VW Passat Wagon but a whole lot more expensive...are they just corportate twins like a Mercury Mountaineer and a Ford Explorer?

casecom2 · October 2002

Not exactly ... the A6 is actually quite a bit larger and is seven inches longer than the Passat. The Passat is based on the A4 platform and is often called a "stretched A4."

With the Audi you get better materials and a more advanced engine lineup, for example a 220hp 3.0-liter V6 as opposed to the Passat's 190hp 2.8-liter, which is an Audi hand-me-down.

Many components are shared though ... the Tiptronic transmission, for example (although Audi now also offers a CVT) ... and VW's 4motion system is the same as Quattro.

jb18t · October 2002

Thanks CaseCom2, very interesting...I might actually look to read a book about AutoUnion(Audi) history. Thanks again.

jb18t · October 2002

Picked up my Yakima Low Rider towers and 58" crossbars. Easy to put on and take off. 58" bar hangs over a bit but not past mirrors.

alfox · October 2002

Thanks. I guess it's Low Riders for me, then. I'll probably get shorter crossbars if they have them, since I wouldn't need the long ones to just mount a box.

jb18t · October 2002

The recommended bars for the Passat Wagon are the 48" and 58". The 48's fit nicely also(just to the ends of the rails), we were looking for a bit more space. Wanted to be able to carry the Yakima Rocket Box and a couple of bikes or the Rocket Box and a ski/snowboard rack. We are still in need of a trailer hitch for the other 2 bikes(family of 4)but waiting on a mounting options other than what was available from just one hitch manufacturer right now.

tmck · October 2002

Anyone here installed a trailer hitch for the 02 4-motion wagon? I need to do some light and infrequent towing and would be interested in the experience of others.

jb18t · November 2002

Just noticed the Passat Wagon is on the Most wanted list for 2003. Best Wagon under $25K. Great choice of vehicle everybody! I think we are on the vanguard of a new trend to sporty wagons.

oki · November 2002

Just picked up '03 GLX 4motion. According to brochure and vw.com the key fob should have a button for the programmable seat and mirror settings. Both key fobs we received have no such feature. Did VW change this feature or is it a mistake?

mauislick · November 2002

i think the each idividual key is programmed to that users settings, so, when your key is inserted it goes to your settings, if the wife inserts her key it goes to her settings......

I THINK......check out www.clubB5.com or www.vwvortex.com

vwguild · November 2002

great delivery...Your Sales person should have explained to you that the seats and mirrors have to be programmed, by you, and your key...once that is done the seat & mirrors will automatically adjust for you and the other key will do the same for the second driver once their preferences are set into memory...I have a
programming guide that is better than the one in the Owner's Manual, but the information is there as well...

Try looking it up in the Index...

oki · November 2002

I assumed (first mistake) the programmable seat and mirror settings would be three buttons on the key fob to match the three memory settings on the driver's seat. Not reading the owner's manual carefully (second mistake) certainly didn't help either. I'll take the blame for not receiving a thorough delivery from the salesperson -- getting home in time for Monday Night Football was all I could think after signing the papers! As for the Passat, an outstanding vehicle. The only negative is the fact that it's my wife's vehicle and I'm beginning to run out of excuses to drive it.

pacho · November 2002

My '03 GLX now has ~3500 miles on it. It's been awesome up to this point, until...something I've never even heard of: while parked in my garage yesterday, the rear passenger window spontaneously shattered! So, how in the world am I going to convince VW to cover this? I have a feeling I'm SOL, but I swear, that is really what happened. I've been researching on the web since it happened and it is a known phenomenom.

Has anyone had this happen to their car, and if so, what luck did you have with VW. Please e-mail me.

Thank you

pacho · November 2002

Can you imagine if this happened while I was driving...with my brand new baby in the car. My wife is a bit spooked.

markjenn · November 2002

Usually this is due to a rock nick that may have occurred a few days or even a month or more ago. You sustained a nick that created a stress riser. At some point, the stresses on the glass are just right and the glass cracks around the nick and shatters.

It has happened to me twice, once I distinctly remembered a long "ping" of a rock hitting the car but couldn't find the nick. Both times, the glass violently shattered while I was closing a car door.

If the glass is pre-stressed due to poor initial fit, this can contribute. Or the glass might have sustained a nick during transport or installation when the car was built. But a rock nick is the usually instigator.

Whether you can get it warrantied is usually something that is at the discretion of the dealer. It is impossible to know whether the main reason was some defect in the glass or damage it sustained in service. But since the car is very new, I'd guess they probably will.

- Mark

vdubya · November 2002

been lurking here for quite awhile, thought I'd finally share my experience thus far with
our wagon. Got the black on gray 1.8T
In July and have already racked up 6000 miles, mostly from the 4 trips of 700 miles each. One trip had me, the wife, the baby and mother-in law, all our bags in the 90 degree summer heat, air condition blasting. Not once did the 1.8T engine lag or waiver when power was needed for passing. It's been a great experience so far, no creaks or rattles to speak of. This car has been a dream to drive short and long distances. As someone else stated, I'm running out of reasons to give my wife so I can drive it.

Got the Weathertech mat for the back cargo
, I thought it would be a thicker gauge rubber but the fit is perfect and gets the job done.

Why anyone would get anything else is beyond me.

cmann · November 2002

Sorry for the cross post, but I gather the topic that I first posted under is not a very active one. I'm in eastern Canada ... trying to buy a GLX 4Mo Wagon and there aren't any to be had. My dealer (there is only one here in my town) is telling me it's going to be 4 months to order. Does this sound about right? If I'm waiting until March should I wait a bit longer and order an '04? When do they become available?
Thanks for any info

wagonmeister · November 2002

4 months sounds about right. My order for a 1.8T wagon, manual, leather, luxury, side curtains, ESP won't go in until January '03. Anywhere between 45 and 90 days to deliver after that. Adding options can increase or decrease the delivery time (I'm not exactly sure why adding an option would decrease the wait, but that's what I was told). You won't see an '04 till Sept '03, at least in Ontario anyway.

I've got the same availability issue with my 1.8T wagon....none to be had anywhere in Ontario or Quebec of any colour. There's a few GLX 4Mo Wagons around Ontario though. VW Waterloo has 3 sitting on the lot. Figures eh?

ajacat · November 2002

Hello--we're considering looking for a 1.8T wagon with the idea of putting in an APR chip in a spare ECU. My question: does anyone know how the mpg would be affected? Is there a formula or even a ballpark estimate to figure these things out? The hp/torque would go up to (iirc) something like 208/245. Thanks in advance--

olive1234 · November 2002

Afternoon All,

Just recently found these boards and they are great. We are looking to replace my wifes Saab Convertable which is coming off of lease and we have test driven the PAssat Wagon GLX 4mo and are relatively impressed. At least compared to the Audi's you seem to get quite a bit for your money. Anyways first off wondering if anyone else thinks this is a good deal, 48 month lease 12k a year, 3000 total out of pocket and a payment around 385 a month. Seems pretty good to me but just wondering any other experiences on leasing to share. Also anyone here from Chicago area and can recommend a favorite dealer??? Thanks in advance for the info or feedback!

alfox · November 2002

Good to see new people here. That payment sounds good to me, but I'm comparing to my purchase payment on a 2k GLS V6, so don't put too much stock in that. There are several topics here where you might get good info. Besides here, checkout "Lease Questions - Ask Here" on the Finance, Warranty and Insurance board. The host, car_man, usually has access to the latest residual and money factor info for any car. Give him those stats and he can tell you what the dealer has to offer. If you don't know how to calculate a lease payment, there are any number of people there who can help.

There is also a topic in the Smart Shopper board called "VW Passat Pricing" that has a lot of good info. Just duck the flamers and filter out the good stuff.

Good luck - I love my Passat, and hope you have as great an experience.

altair4 · November 2002

On Clubb5.com, there's a guy who goes by the name "blownaway", I think he's the sales manager at Liberty in Chicagoland.

er2v · November 2002

Two questions...
First: When will VW offer a diesel engine in the estate/station wagon in the US?
Second: Has reliablility and build quality improved since my last Passat ('95)? (And yes, I know the question is wide open to interpretation, but give it your best shot.....) Thanks !

alfox · November 2002

I too would like to know about a Passat diesel, wagon or otherwise.

As for the build quality and reliability, according to every rating and review I have seen addressing the '99+ Passat design, build quality and fit/finish have improved to class-leading and reliability is about average or a bit better.

altair4 · November 2002

Well, on the diesel...who really knows? It's been speculated that when the re-formulated diesel fuel becomes available in the US, that a diesel Passat might been in the mix. On the other hand, VW has periodically made noise about a diesel Passat before, and it never appeared State-side. Plus, there are no other diesel cars offered by any other manufacturer other than VW. You could argue that it's a distinguishing point in the marketplace, or you could argue that there's no demand. So, who really knows? Maybe VWguild can step in with a response.

Reliability -- well, Consumer Report says it's improved.

dudleyr · November 2002

I would be a huge fan of the Passat diesel wagon.

re: reliability The Passat has improved from slightly below average to slightly above average in recent years, on top of that the average car is more reliable than it used to be so the improvement is better still. Of course there can still be problems.

I had a 1980 scirocco (was average reliability at the time, but average was much worse than it is now) that went 180,000 miles, and it was very reliable. I put 120,000 of those miles on and spent less than $300 in repairs (did labor myself - never had to replace the clutch). My father has a 2000 Passat wagon, with 65,000 miles, and has not put a penny into repairs(original clutch brakes etc). Did put on new tires, and recently a new battery though, but I consider them to be normal wear items.

hwyhobo · November 2002

VW, count me in as another vote for the 1.9TDi version. I would love to buy a frugal workhorse (read: wagon) made by a good company and NOT assembled in Mexico.

altair4 · November 2002

I had an 87 Golf that, iirc, made Consumer Report's recommended list that year. Brakes lasted 70,000 miles. First exhaust was around that mileage, too. It made a funky sound in low gear (5 speed) while descending steep hills (no one ever diagnosed that), but it never marooned me. Two pretty good accidents finally did it in.

So, reliability-wise, some VW's are okay.

Be careful what you ask for hwyhobo...some of the VW production is now Brazilian.

The only German-made VW's available in the US are the Jetta wagon, all passats and the Eurovan, right? Everything else is Hecho en Mexico and Product du Brazil.

frapzoid · November 2002

Bought a Passat wagon a year ago(2002 model)and have not problems so far. Today my 1991 GTI's odometer clicked over to 220,000 miles which isn't bad in light of the fact that GTI's weren't rated very high. Original clutch and nothing major done to it. Alternator at 206k and CV joints at 216k were the only repairs worth bringing up. I don't expect any car to be as trouble free as my GTI but I do hope my Passat wagon does pretty well over the long haul.

jb18t · November 2002

Just passed 5K on my 2003 GLS Wagon and not a thing wrong as of yet....Bought the WeatherTech(MacNeil Automotive) cargo mat...fit perfect!
Noticed a Passat V6 4Motion Wagon in the parking lot at Raymoor and Flanagan....looked just like mine except for the wheels....how many wheel choices were there for the 2003's?

casecom2 · November 2002

One for each trim line, except for the W8 which has two. What you saw were the 16-inch alloys on the GLX, which in addition to being an inch bigger than the GLS wheels also have a different design.

GL: 15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers
GLS: 15-inch alloys
GLX: 16-inch alloys
W8: 16-inch alloys (different design from GLX)
W8 with sport package: 17-inch alloys

For a look at each see vw.com.

jb18t · November 2002

Thanks CaseCom2 for the information.

poopyhead2 · November 2002

I am trying to decide on a wagon. Any opinions on BMW 525i vs. VW Passat W8?

casecom2 · November 2002

Either car would be a good choice. The 5-series are by all accounts excellent cars. However there are some factors in the W8's favor: a more powerful 270-hp engine, which Edmunds timed at 7.2 seconds for 0-60 compared with 8.8 seconds for the BMW's 184-hp 6-cyl (auto); the W8's AWD compared with the BMW's RWD; the W8 is $1,000 to $3,000 less depending on how many options you'd want on the BMW.

The W8 has xenon headlights, rain-sensing wipers and heated seats standard; those are options on the BMW. With the BMW you can get a stick; a six-speed manual on the W8 won't be available for a few months yet. The BMW also has options you can't get on the W8, such as onboard computer, nav system and that rear-bumper sensor system.

The W8 engine will likely be around only for a couple of years; looking years down the road it might be tough and/or expensive to get a short-lived engine like that repaired.

Either way, you'll be getting a great car.

dudleyr · November 2002

Doesn't the W-8 have the onboard computer - even the base Passat has that, or is this a fancier computer that the BMW has?

vwguild · November 2002

does have an On-Board Information System, but no NAV...And although there is plenty of rumor that the W8 may not have a long life expectancy...rest assured that there will be no difficulty in getting one serviced...ever, regardless of it's
ultimate fate. Just consider all of the old Westphalia Campers and Diesel Rabbits still on the road...

kutatk · November 2002

I am thinking of buying a 1.8T Passat Wagon, and am curious how it handles in the snow. I plan on using this as my ski car, and I want to get a feeling that it will work well. Let me know what you think.

The other car I am thinking about is the Subaru Legacy which I am sure handles well in the snow given the all-wheel drive.

alfox · November 2002

pulled quite well in unplowed fresh snow up to 6" or so. Until recently I had the OE 15" Continental tires - I would expect Michelins to do better. Directional stability was as good as any other 2WD car I've driven. Ground clearance is the limitation, and since the entire underbody is clad, the bottom works like a toboggin. The car moved in unplowed snow up to about 8", but then gradually built up a wedge underneath that left the drive wheels off the ground. I'm satisfied with mine, and now know it's limits.

I would expect the Legacy to be better, but the Legacy Outback to be much better because of the added ground clearance as well as the AWD.

dudleyr · November 2002

Put snow tires on the Passat and you will be much safer in the snow than an AWD. If you live in an area where snows are not appropriate (except for ski trips) Nokian now makes an all weather tire that is approved for severe snow duty (mountain and snowflake symbol).

I have snows on my Integra, and I go wherever I want whenever I want in the winter. The roads are always closed way before I have a problem. The heavier Passat with traction control should do even better.

mehulj · November 2002

Hi All,

I'm new to this forum. I had been reading your posts often and I found it quite interesting. I want to buy a VW wagon. Which one should I buy Passat or Jetta ? And why ?

I would also like to know what are pros and cons of TDI v/s 1.8T.

thanks in advance.

MJ

jb18t · November 2002

I too was trying to decide between the two wagons. The back seat seemed a bit smaller in the Jetta Wagon. Cargo space was less also. I was worried that the 1.8t would not be powerful enough in the larger Passat. Thought milage would be better in the Jetta. Fit in finish to my untrained eye seemed very similar between both. Chose the Passat due to the height and leg length of my daughters.

revka · November 2002

Feel free to start up a VW Passat vs Jetta discussion on the Wagon's board if you'd like. Good luck with your decision. ;-)

Revka

Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

hwyhobo · November 2002

Altair4, I know that some of the VWs sold in the US now come from Mexico. That's why I was interested in Passat station wagons, as they are still made in Germany.

To be completely honest, I would most like a full-size, RWD station wagon like Crown Vic or Grand Marq., but Ford seems to have abandoned that market segment, and I cannot afford some of the more exotic alternatives (and I will NOT buy an SUV).

VW Passat Wagons (GL, GLS, GLX & W8)

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