New Passat

[Inspector Jihad]

http://autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=103018

It looks like it should make good competition against the accord and camry. Sure it cost a bit more but it got much more to offer in terms of performance and luxury. My dad just got a used A4, and I've moved into the city so I dont need a car now, but i'll be looking for this used in a couple of years no doubt.

If comparing to its predecessor, you?ll quickly find that roughly the same stack of cash now gets you more car?a lot more car. Of course, that stack ain?t a small one, at least not compared to the price of entry for the Camry ($18,985) or Accord ($16,810), the biggest hitters in the midsize sedan segment.

Then again, neither the Camry nor Accord can run with the Passat. A V6-powered Camry ($20,915) is good for just 190 horses?10 shy of the base Passat. Honda?s $24,500 V6 Accord maxes out at 240 hp? respect­able, but still 40 horses shy of the six-cylinder Volkswagen.

Volkswagen claims the front-drive 3.6-liter Passat will run from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.6 seconds and, after a day behind the wheel, that figure honestly feels a tad conservative. The car jumps off the line, requiring a more judicious operation of the gas pedal than we?re used to in a Passat, the engine growling an aggressive note that proclaims ?sports car? more than ?family sedan.?

As far as the reliability question that will inevitabilty come up...i have to say that I've never owned a japanese car but every car (between me and my dad) have owned has given us extremely superior reliability. My family has a volvo at 170k where the only problem was a coolant leak we had to get done...another volvo at 135k with no problems. Even my last car, a 1997 Kia shephia, one of the worst rated cars ever, I managed to get 120k miles before my sister finally killed it while trying to learn the stick shift.

I'm not saying that Japanese cars arent reliable, but i feel that if one takes care of thier automobiles, you can get outstanding results from them. My dad also had a crown victoria to go over 140k without any issues. And on the other hand, i've seen many neighbors who cant even seem to take care of a civic, prolly the most reliable car ever.

 

[GeneValgene]

eww...the tail lights remind me of a corolla

 

[lozina]

Will this come in a TD version- taking advantage of the ULSD fuel?

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: lozina
Will this come in a TD version- taking advantage of the ULSD fuel?

No planned diesel versions at this time.

🙁

 

[akubi]

uuuuuuuuuuuuh VW is german, not japanese.
they used to assemble in mexico for some jettas afaik

 

[Ryan]

No manual transmission with the V6 engine - STUPID. Hell - even Honda got that right - the 6-speed manual is available in both the Coupe AND Sedan 😀

 

[NFS4]

I'd rather have a Honda Accord EX Sedan 6-Speed, or a Toyota Avalon, or a Nissam Maxima, or an Infiniti G35, or a Lexus IS350. The Passat is merely "meh" nowadays. The B5, B5.5 were at least distinctive, the new one is just mainstream pudding.

 

[Stifko]

Originally posted by: GeneValgene
eww...the tail lights remind me of a corolla

yeah the new jetta's tails look like a corolla's too.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: NFS4
I'd rather have a Honda Accord EX Sedan 6-Speed, or a Toyota Avalon, or a Nissam Maxima, or an Infiniti G35, or a Lexus IS350. The Passat is merely "meh" nowadays. The B5, B5.5 were at least distinctive, the new one is just mainstream pudding.

have you read the reviews?

 

[Triumph]

Gee, that's a nice Camry. *vomit*

That is NOT a good looking car. God I hate it so much.

 

[ballmode]

Passats as well as all VW's are very overpriced for what you get. A Jetta GLI will cost you $27k. What makes you think the Passat won't be over $30k?

For 30k you can start to buy luxury cars. Hell maybe some end of the year BMW's

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: Ryan
No manual transmission with the V6 engine - STUPID. Hell - even Honda got that right - the 6-speed manual is available in both the Coupe AND Sedan 😀

yeah tahts lame...i would prefer the manual for multiple reasons...hopefully they will bring it soon.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: NFS4
I'd rather have a Honda Accord EX Sedan 6-Speed, or a Toyota Avalon, or a Nissam Maxima, or an Infiniti G35, or a Lexus IS350. The Passat is merely "meh" nowadays. The B5, B5.5 were at least distinctive, the new one is just mainstream pudding.

have you read the reviews?

That's like asking Bob Costas if he reads the sports page 😀

Despite improvements, VW's new Passat encountering tough competition, flat sales

Passat FTL

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: ballmode
Passats as well as all VW's are very overpriced for what you get. A Jetta GLI will cost you $27k. What makes you think the Passat won't be over $30k?

For 30k you can start to buy luxury cars. Hell maybe some end of the year BMW's

i dunno, but i drive cars for the cars, not for the brand name...i dont think you can get an audi or a bimmer with a 280 hp v6 for 30 g's

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: ballmode
Passats as well as all VW's are very overpriced for what you get. A Jetta GLI will cost you $27k. What makes you think the Passat won't be over $30k?

For 30k you can start to buy luxury cars. Hell maybe some end of the year BMW's

A loaded Passat 3.6 will run you about $37-38k. The 3.6 starts at $30.5k.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: NFS4
I'd rather have a Honda Accord EX Sedan 6-Speed, or a Toyota Avalon, or a Nissam Maxima, or an Infiniti G35, or a Lexus IS350. The Passat is merely "meh" nowadays. The B5, B5.5 were at least distinctive, the new one is just mainstream pudding.

have you read the reviews?

That's like asking Bob Costas if he reads the sports page 😀

Despite improvements, VW's new Passat encountering tough competition, flat sales

Passat FTL

😕 but it says there were improvments...it not getting poor sales cause its a "meh" car.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: ballmode
Passats as well as all VW's are very overpriced for what you get. A Jetta GLI will cost you $27k. What makes you think the Passat won't be over $30k?

For 30k you can start to buy luxury cars. Hell maybe some end of the year BMW's

A loaded Passat 3.6 will run you about $37-38k. The 3.6 starts at $30.5k.

A freaking Subaru Legacy GT will run you upwards of $33k depending on the options and bling you slap on it.

The line between luxury and "mainstream" is really starting to blur.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: NFS4
I'd rather have a Honda Accord EX Sedan 6-Speed, or a Toyota Avalon, or a Nissam Maxima, or an Infiniti G35, or a Lexus IS350. The Passat is merely "meh" nowadays. The B5, B5.5 were at least distinctive, the new one is just mainstream pudding.

have you read the reviews?

That's like asking Bob Costas if he reads the sports page 😀

Despite improvements, VW's new Passat encountering tough competition, flat sales

Passat FTL

😕 but it says there were improvments...it not getting poor sales cause its a "meh" car.

Reading comprehension is not a forte of yours, eh? 😛 Every new generation of cars has improvements. The bottom line is that the Passat has NOTHING anymore to make it stand out in a crowded field of competitors. That coupled with its high price of entry and lacklust VW service/reliability, it goes w/o saying that the B6 Passat is in for a bumpy ride

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: ballmode
Passats as well as all VW's are very overpriced for what you get. A Jetta GLI will cost you $27k. What makes you think the Passat won't be over $30k?

For 30k you can start to buy luxury cars. Hell maybe some end of the year BMW's

A loaded Passat 3.6 will run you about $37-38k. The 3.6 starts at $30.5k.

I found this: the passat costs 25% more than the accord but has much more performance and luxury. I think this is a bit much...i could accept a 15% premium but 25 is too much.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: ballmode
Passats as well as all VW's are very overpriced for what you get. A Jetta GLI will cost you $27k. What makes you think the Passat won't be over $30k?

For 30k you can start to buy luxury cars. Hell maybe some end of the year BMW's

A loaded Passat 3.6 will run you about $37-38k. The 3.6 starts at $30.5k.

I found this: the passat costs 25% more than the accord but has much more performance and luxury. I think this is a bit much...i could accept a 15% premium but 25 is too much.

More luxury and performance? An Accord EX V6 6-speed would likely smoke a Passat. Would probably outhandle it too.

As for more luxury, you can get an EX with all the frills (leather, NAV, fancy stereo, etc)

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: NFS4
I'd rather have a Honda Accord EX Sedan 6-Speed, or a Toyota Avalon, or a Nissam Maxima, or an Infiniti G35, or a Lexus IS350. The Passat is merely "meh" nowadays. The B5, B5.5 were at least distinctive, the new one is just mainstream pudding.

have you read the reviews?

That's like asking Bob Costas if he reads the sports page 😀

Despite improvements, VW's new Passat encountering tough competition, flat sales

Passat FTL

😕 but it says there were improvments...it not getting poor sales cause its a "meh" car.

Reading comprehension is not a forte of yours, eh? 😛 Every new generation of cars has improvements. The bottom line is that the Passat has NOTHING anymore to make it stand out in a crowded field of competitors. That coupled with its high price of entry and lacklust VW service/reliability, it goes w/o saying that the B6 Passat is in for a bumpy ride

are you joking me? there are much more improvements than just the new generation updates:

The Passat is as handsome a design as any hailing from Wolfsburg these days, with an even higher level of interior refinement than the VW norm?already the leader in the field?and a more elegantly shaped skin.

The car is also larger in most respects than its predecessor, with a 3.0-inch-longer and wider body resulting in 1.3 more cubic feet of passenger capacity (up from 95.0). Rear-riding passengers benefit most from this increase, with 2.2 more inches of legroom;

Standard-issue motivation comes courtesy of Volkswagen?s outstanding direct-injection 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, an engine that has done a marvelous job of picking up where the 1.8T?arguably the standard-bearer in four-banger fun until now

For maximum Germanic autobahn thrust, wait until closer to year?s end for the 3.6-liter narrow-angle V6-powered version, packed with 280 hp and a whopping 265 lb-ft of torque.

Volkswagen claims the front-drive 3.6-liter Passat will run from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.6 seconds and, after a day behind the wheel, that figure honestly feels a tad conservative. The car jumps off the line, requiring a more judicious operation of the gas pedal than we?re used to in a Passat, the engine growling an aggressive note that proclaims ?sports car? more than ?family sedan.?

And when hustled, it feels much more substantial than the outgoing model, tighter and more sure-footed, with far better suspension control of body motions than we?ve come to expect from a VW.

Credit for that better feel falls to improv­ed body rigidity, with a 57 percent increase in torsional resistance as well as the new car?s larger footprint. The Passat has a 1.5-inch-wider track front and rear (at 61.1 inches) and a slightly longer wheelbase (at 106.7 inches vs. 106.4 inches).

Perhaps the biggest contribution to the car?s improved handling comes from its redesigned suspension, with a MacPherson strut setup replacing a multilink front layout and the former torsion-beam rear swapped out for a more robust four-link design, with stiffer tuning applied all around.

Combined with the optional 18-inch tires on our test vehicle, the V6-powered Passat makes some legitimate overtures for inclusion in the sport sedan segment

Standard equipment for every Passat (trim levels are the Value Edition, 2.0T, 3.6L and 3.6L 4Motion) includes an eight-speaker stereo system with in-dash CD player; electronic parking brake; tire pressure monitoring system; 60/40 split-folding rear seats with pass-through; power mirrors, windows and door locks; anti-theft alarm; cruise control; multifunction trip computer; tilt and telescoping steering wheel; six airbags; whiplash-reducing headrests; four-wheel disc brakes featuring ABS and a hill-hold function; and a keyless key fob that simply slots into the dash.

come on man, if you dont like the car thats fine...don't spout bullsh1t

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad


come on man, if you dont like the car thats fine...don't make up things tho 😛

You make it sound like stuff is revolutionary. It isn't. It's still smaller inside than a Maxima or Avalon or Accord or Sonata and the Japanese sedans have been in a horsepower war for the past few years.

Tell me exactly of all of that stuff you mention, what exactly makes it stand out against the competitoin?

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad


come on man, if you dont like the car thats fine...don't make up things tho 😛

You make it sound like stuff is revolutionary. It isn't. It's still smaller inside than a Maxima or Avalon or Accord or Sonata and the Japanese sedans have been in a horsepower war for the past few years.

Tell me exactly of all of that stuff you mention, what exactly makes it stand out against the competitoin?

It's uhhhh....got an umbrella holder in the door.

😛

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: ballmode
Passats as well as all VW's are very overpriced for what you get. A Jetta GLI will cost you $27k. What makes you think the Passat won't be over $30k?

For 30k you can start to buy luxury cars. Hell maybe some end of the year BMW's

A loaded Passat 3.6 will run you about $37-38k. The 3.6 starts at $30.5k.

I found this: the passat costs 25% more than the accord but has much more performance and luxury. I think this is a bit much...i could accept a 15% premium but 25 is too much.

More luxury and performance? An Accord EX V6 6-speed would likely smoke a Passat. Would probably outhandle it too.

As for more luxury, you can get an EX with all the frills (leather, NAV, fancy stereo, etc)

naw, you're wrong...the accord does 60 in 6.7, while autoweek said that altho the passat lists it at 6.6, its faster.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad


come on man, if you dont like the car thats fine...don't make up things tho 😛

You make it sound like stuff is revolutionary. It isn't. It's still smaller inside than a Maxima or Avalon or Accord or Sonata and the Japanese sedans have been in a horsepower war for the past few years.

Tell me exactly of all of that stuff you mention, what exactly makes it stand out against the competitoin?

well its not a flying car...and it doesnt drive itself...it doesnt get 500 mpg...so i guess nothing.

also, which of the other cars you mentioned have been revolutionary?