2003 Passat or Maxima? or better?

[CrazyApe]

Originally posted by: caboob
Originally wanted to go with the Jetta for the fun factor but after doing research on long term reliablilty, it seems like it would be an awful choice.

I'm retiring a my 91 Stanza (only owner) that has given me relatively trouble-free operation. It seems that the Maxima has better reliabilty after consulting consumer reports and edmunds but after test-driving a 5spd Passat, I am enamored by the fun-factor and smoothness of this automobile. I am also considering a 2001 Maxima 5 spd 20th Anniversay Edition or may spring for an 03 model if I can find one with manual tranny.

Can't make up my mind right now so maybe y'all could help me.

EDIT: Now throwing an 03 Altima with V6 into the mix.

If you want fun, test drive the Mazda 6s. Super quick, very fun to drive. I have the 6i (4 banger) and even this one is fun.

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: dr150
Like others have said in this thread, the Maxima is not in the same league as the Passatt.

Numbers aside, the Passat is an extremely good car. It's fit and finish are first rate. Its road manners are typical German (comfort and highway/road performance). It's comfort and interior is a pleasure as well.

I compared MANY top cars and for me the Passat just had "it"--it's a lot of car for the money and best in its class. That's why VW's scored among highest in a recent survey of "pleasure to drive" makes (that survey came out last week and was a major publisher...you can Google the article)..

Wow. Have you ever driven a Maxima? I'm a Maxima driver, my sister has a Passat. I'd take a Maxima over it any time of the night or day. It's a no-brainer.

It obviously isn't a no brainer, since I've driven both, and I own a Passat. :roll: I like the Maxima, but the handling is kinda sloppy and the steering has NO feeling to it. Styling is subjective and so its a moot point, but I do see Maximas EVERYWHERE, so its nice to drive something different.

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: TechnoKid
Don't get a FWD passat, if you are gonna go with the passat, get teh 4motion; its very much the same as Audi's Quattro system, and, the rear has adjustments for camber and toe etc when you take it in for alignment. The FWD passats and other FWD VWs have a solid rear suspension, with the exception of the upcoming 05-06 golf. Don't get me wrong, the FWD VWs (and Audis) still perform and handle really well, its just that I prefer a completely independant rear suspension for the best overall handling and adjustment. Some of the passats and other VWs have had tire wearing issues, this is partially due to VW/Audis' multilink suspension up front; when you turn the wheel, it tilts a bit and ht inside of the tire will wear a bit faster than the outer edge.

For this thread that's a moot point anyway, because the Maxima has the same torsion beam rear suspension. And the Passat front suspension is better than the Maximas, plus longitudinal engine and no torque steer. The Passat has the advantage here.

 

[conjur]

Where oh where has my little Skoorb gone.

If ever a thread had his name on it....

 

[caboob]

Originally posted by: Nebor
Having owned a few VWs in my lifetime, and having massive quality problems with them, I would normally recommend anything else. But even though it IS the worst brand to come out of Europe, it is a European car, so it's better than the Japanese brands.

Have you considered the Volvo S40 2004.5 instead? It's in the same price range with (I think) a little bit more performance oriented package. And Volvos are some of the best highway cruisers in the world.

I did try an '01 S40 but am not sure of its reliability given that these vehicles are jointly made in the Netherlands with Mitsu. Of course, if it came from their Sweden factory I would not hesitate to put it in the mix.

 

[caboob]

Originally posted by: PMFleXXX
Maxima's are for old people. Get something sporty, like a WRX!

Well I am old. . But not dead! So a comfortable sedan tilted towards performance would be nice.

On the financial side though I am loathe to commit to car payments so I am more interested in used than new.

BTW, thanks all for the input as I am getting more feel for the details from actual users than from some car reviewer who gets limited drive time.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Excelsior

Originally posted by: caboob

Originally posted by: ElFenix
don't get a turbo passat

I saw this about the 1.8Ts and its corroborated by the data on Consumer Reports. If I go Passat it would be with the V6 for sure. While these cars are a kick to drive, my sensible side says I should go with the Maxima considering the glowing recommendation given by CR.

Ughh..you guys have scared him now.

As long as you change the timing belt early enough, you won't have a problem.

Why is this one of those engines that do thousands of dollars of damage to themselves if the timing belt breaks while the engine is running? Stuff like bent valves and severe valvetrain damage? I wonder if VW knows that it's possible to design an engine that doesn't explode when the timing belt breaks? Gotta keep those VW mechanics in the money I guess...:roll:

My wife had a Golf. Miserable little car. I hated that freaking car. It sucked major a$$.

Hell if I know, but it is not a big deal. It is a one time fix, and you do it before it breaks. No problems.

 

[imported_Mike]

Reliability & VW don't mix...

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Why is this one of those engines that do thousands of dollars of damage to themselves if the timing belt breaks while the engine is running? Stuff like bent valves and severe valvetrain damage? I wonder if VW knows that it's possible to design an engine that doesn't explode when the timing belt breaks? Gotta keep those VW mechanics in the money I guess...

Christ. You're knocking them because they use a timing belt because of a chain. That's really grasping at straws.

Guess you better hate Honda then, because most of their cars use a belt as well with an interference design.

No, I already knocked VW on many other issues. I'm not grasping at straws.

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Why is this one of those engines that do thousands of dollars of damage to themselves if the timing belt breaks while the engine is running? Stuff like bent valves and severe valvetrain damage? I wonder if VW knows that it's possible to design an engine that doesn't explode when the timing belt breaks? Gotta keep those VW mechanics in the money I guess...

Christ. You're knocking them because they use a timing belt because of a chain. That's really grasping at straws.

Guess you better hate Honda then, because most of their cars use a belt as well with an interference design.

No, I already knocked VW on many other issues. I'm not grasping at straws.

You made the point about a timing belt on an interference engine, which is the same design used on countless other cars, including Hondas and Toyotas, and you imply that VW engineering sucks because they chose to use it. That's just foolish.

 

[Xenon14]

A friend of mine has a 2000 Pontiac GTP and a 2003 Maxima and another friend has an Audi A4 1.8T (1999?) (a passat pretty much).... all 3 are automatic. The maxima is by far the sluggish of the 3 (although it's faster than the A4 1.8T, the Maxima's automatic gearbox is the worst when it comes to shifting). Also the Maxima has the most loose suspension, so alhtough it's luxurious in that sense, it takes away from feeling the road.

I have also driven an infinite amount of cars when I valeted last summer, including the two you're looking at. Both cars are a good value depending on what you're looking for. Personally, I would be looking at Maxima vs Audi A4... I think Passats are ugly compared to Audi's, and I love the Audi interior. I also submitted a post earlier in this thread... you should definately test drive Altima, Mazda6, Accord, and even Acuras TSX/TL.

In any case, I can't give any specific information about a Passat, but from personal experience, my parents have owned 4 nissans and had not had a problem with any of them. So if you end up getting a Maxima you can rest assured it'll last a while.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: bozack
simply because it is german vs. a japanese POS.

i hope that POS modifies both german and japanese, otherwise you've got it completely backwards.

No kidding.. Japan is known as having the best quality vehicles in the world. German engineering on the other hand....ehhhh.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Xiety
Actually, Passat is one of those VWs that is reliable. My aunt, uncle, 2 cousins, their wifes and a couple of friends all drive Passats. They love it. None of them had any reliability issues. Minor stuff happens, but you know, what car is problem-free? Some may have less problems than others, but none is problem-free. Now if you have said I am planning on buying a Golf or Jetta, I would hit you with an F-150. They are horrible in reliability. In all honestly, I gotta give credit to VW. They did a good job on Passat.

And please ride in both. Passat is 10 times more comfy IMO. Also, I am kind of a visual-ho. A car needs to look good for me or all the reliability and etc. doesn't mean sh!t cause I don't want to wake up every morning and look at my POS. Passat is absolutely beautiful.

Again, I am not saying one is better than the other overall. Maxima has proven itself over and over again. Extremely reliable car, comfy, decent performance, etc. etc.... but please don't make reliability an issue over Passat because if you treat it good, it will do the same to you.

Actually, I was actually suprised to see that the Passat is one of the only VW products with a decent reliability record. I'll be darned! Still think the Maxima looks sportier though.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Xenon14
A friend of mine has a 2000 Pontiac GTP and a 2003 Maxima and another friend has an Audi A4 1.8T (1999?) (a passat pretty much).... all 3 are automatic. The maxima is by far the sluggish of the 3 (although it's faster than the A4 1.8T, the Maxima's automatic gearbox is the worst when it comes to shifting). Also the Maxima has the most loose suspension, so alhtough it's luxurious in that sense, it takes away from feeling the road.

I have also driven an infinite amount of cars when I valeted last summer, including the two you're looking at. Both cars are a good value depending on what you're looking for. Personally, I would be looking at Maxima vs Audi A4... I think Passats are ugly compared to Audi's, and I love the Audi interior. I also submitted a post earlier in this thread... you should definately test drive Altima, Mazda6, Accord, and even Acuras TSX/TL.

In any case, I can't give any specific information about a Passat, but from personal experience, my parents have owned 4 nissans and had not had a problem with any of them. So if you end up getting a Maxima you can rest assured it'll last a while.

Valeting a car does not count as actual driving experience. Sorry.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: Xiety
Actually, Passat is one of those VWs that is reliable. My aunt, uncle, 2 cousins, their wifes and a couple of friends all drive Passats. They love it. None of them had any reliability issues. Minor stuff happens, but you know, what car is problem-free? Some may have less problems than others, but none is problem-free. Now if you have said I am planning on buying a Golf or Jetta, I would hit you with an F-150. They are horrible in reliability. In all honestly, I gotta give credit to VW. They did a good job on Passat.

And please ride in both. Passat is 10 times more comfy IMO. Also, I am kind of a visual-ho. A car needs to look good for me or all the reliability and etc. doesn't mean sh!t cause I don't want to wake up every morning and look at my POS. Passat is absolutely beautiful.

Again, I am not saying one is better than the other overall. Maxima has proven itself over and over again. Extremely reliable car, comfy, decent performance, etc. etc.... but please don't make reliability an issue over Passat because if you treat it good, it will do the same to you.

Actually, I was actually suprised to see that the Passat is one of the only VW products with a decent reliability record. I'll be darned! Still think the Maxima looks sportier though.

Why were you surprised? The Jetta, Beetle, and Golf are all made in Mexico. Passat made in Germany.

 

[Xenon14]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Xenon14
A friend of mine has a 2000 Pontiac GTP and a 2003 Maxima and another friend has an Audi A4 1.8T (1999?) (a passat pretty much).... all 3 are automatic. The maxima is by far the sluggish of the 3 (although it's faster than the A4 1.8T, the Maxima's automatic gearbox is the worst when it comes to shifting). Also the Maxima has the most loose suspension, so alhtough it's luxurious in that sense, it takes away from feeling the road.

I have also driven an infinite amount of cars when I valeted last summer, including the two you're looking at. Both cars are a good value depending on what you're looking for. Personally, I would be looking at Maxima vs Audi A4... I think Passats are ugly compared to Audi's, and I love the Audi interior. I also submitted a post earlier in this thread... you should definately test drive Altima, Mazda6, Accord, and even Acuras TSX/TL.

In any case, I can't give any specific information about a Passat, but from personal experience, my parents have owned 4 nissans and had not had a problem with any of them. So if you end up getting a Maxima you can rest assured it'll last a while.

Valeting a car does not count as actual driving experience. Sorry.

You're right. Which is why I never said anything specific about how either of them "drive" based on my valeting. Thanks for that insightful comment though.

 

[HamSupLo]

03' V6 altima here. It's a great car so far. Only complaints i have are the tacky plastic which they supposedly upgraded with the 05 altimas and the cabin noise during freeway driving. You get a lot of car for its price. Also it's freakin' roomy without feeling like a boat i.e. Camry.

 

[caboob]

Originally posted by: jooksing
03' V6 altima here. It's a great car so far. Only complaints i have are the tacky plastic which they supposedly upgraded with the 05 altimas and the cabin noise during freeway driving. You get a lot of car for its price. Also it's freakin' roomy without feeling like a boat i.e. Camry.

cabin noise during freeway driving huh?

Well since i expect to go on frequent road trips, that would be a concern. I would probably want to go up in class to the Maxima then.