Edumacate me on 2018 Passats

"someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired) 09/01/2018 at 13:19 • Filed to: Fahrvergnügen?

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Dad’s looking to replace his Verano with something newer. Anybody have experience with the North American Passats? Dealer near him is selling off 2018 Passat Trendlines (Canadian base models) they used as demos/loaners with the 2.0 TSI for 19K Canadian/14K US with less than 12 ,000kms (8,000 miles) . They have a 4yr warranty, but it is a VW warranty, so that might not mean much...

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > someassemblyrequired 09/01/2018 at 13:30

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Do Canadians not get the 6/72k warranty?

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > someassemblyrequired 09/01/2018 at 13:32

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less than 12 k km.... he should be fine...if he does his maintanance

veedubs dont tend to start having wierd issues befo re 60k

spoken not from experience but from hearsay

Spanfeller is a twat > someassemblyrequired 09/01/2018 at 13:32

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In my honest opinion the NMS has been uncompetitive since 2014. Get a Mazda 6 if possible. 

someassemblyrequired > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 09/01/2018 at 13:33

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no 4yrs/80K kms (48K mi)

someassemblyrequired > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 09/01/2018 at 13:34

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yeah I’m of the opinion that all VAG products are scrap metal without a warranty

someassemblyrequired > Spanfeller is a twat 09/01/2018 at 13:37

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I like Mazda 6s a lot - they are fantastic, but they are pretty expensive back home - 2016 lower spec models are mid 20s Canadian - and would just have powertrain warranty left, plus a lot more miles.

Spanfeller is a twat > someassemblyrequired 09/01/2018 at 13:45

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We have a base model passat, 2017. It is slow, it is thirsty, it is not a nice car to drive. Maybe you could downsize to a 2019 Jetta, which according to VW Canada sells for around 1.5 grand more than the Passats you’re eyeing.

Mexican passats got the 2.5 liter engine all the time, we never switched to the TSi which must bring on some good upgrades to the car’s response. Granted, the Passat has a very nice back seat, the cabin is roomy, and the boot is huge. Other than that, the cabin materials are very, very cheap, the driving position is downright cruel, and the radio probably only has one speaker.

If your father doesn’t take people in the back often, he might enjoy the Jetta more it’s got a newer design, it’s already MQB, and it’s probably cheaper to run. 

Nibby > someassemblyrequired 09/01/2018 at 13:48

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*yawn*

I own dead car brands only > someassemblyrequired 09/01/2018 at 13:51

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Co nsidered getting rid of my Durango briefly for one of these. Found out my Durango with the smallest engine (3.6) outruns the Passat. Nope, I'll just keep my Durango

Spanfeller is a twat > I own dead car brands only 09/01/2018 at 13:52

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wait, the pentastar outruns the vr6?

someassemblyrequired > Spanfeller is a twat 09/01/2018 at 13:54

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Thanks - this is good feedback. I hear the 2.0T is pretty similar in its behavior to the 1.8T, which is a decent motor in my experience .

Yeah all of the North American specific VWs have terrible materials. The driving position/lousy radio might actually be a dealbreaker, even at that price, since he does a lot of long distance driving and he appreciates a good stereo.

They usually take folks with them all the time, and like to have space for kid seats when the grandkids are around, so the Jetta might be too small. The Verano gets really small when I take the kids to visit them.    But the new Jetta is probably worth a look/test drive.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > someassemblyrequired 09/01/2018 at 13:56

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I wouldn’t, and I just bought a new Golf. Remember, this gen Passat and Jetta were built down to cheap American standards.

someassemblyrequired > Nibby 09/01/2018 at 13:56

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Counterpoint: super cheap, 4 wheels, seats, lots of warranty left.

But is it enough?

Nibby > someassemblyrequired 09/01/2018 at 13:57

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96 ford taurus

/thread

someassemblyrequired > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 09/01/2018 at 13:58

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Yeah that’s my worry.   I don’t like them, but the price is crazy cheap.  Probably for a reason.

2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered > someassemblyrequired 09/01/2018 at 15:20

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Imo there is no reason to ever buy a VW over an actually good car, so I’d shop around in the price range and just get the best car possible over a junk car with a long warranty, just because it has a warranty doesn’t mean that since it’ll be in the shop alot for free that it’s a good deal.

Last gen Buick  regals are getting cheap and are fantastic, and he already likes Buick so that's a good option, so are 9th gen civics and maybe just a Corolla or a Mazda 3/6

I own dead car brands only > Spanfeller is a twat 09/01/2018 at 15:45

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Oh no. The author refers to the 2.0 TSI which the pentastar can outrun but the vr6 definitely can outrun 

Spanfeller is a twat > I own dead car brands only 09/01/2018 at 16:19

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I mean, the pentastar has like 300hp,  it better out run the punny 2.0

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > someassemblyrequired 09/01/2018 at 16:21

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I liked the 2018 I had while my GTI was in the shop. The 2.0T moves it nice and it feels as athletic as my mom’s 20 14 Fusion 2.0T without the shit Ford built quality and the TSI sounds nicer than the EcoBoost. The interior was roomy and the infotainment was nice and easy to use . I think my loaner was an SE w/ Tech and L ighting package and those LED headlights were amazing. The seats kinda felt more like I was sitting on rather than in them but I got used to it pretty quick and they were actually pretty comfortable.

someassemblyrequired > 2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered 09/01/2018 at 18:21

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Yeah problem is there’s not many last get Regals for sale. That’s the car he actually wanted when he bought the Verano, but he got that for 14K on the road less than a year old as it was a rental. The bigger Buicks don’t get rented there much anymore (most of the rental fleets are FCA or Hyundai/Kia) , and don’t generally pop up used until they’re 5-10 years old, and he likes something with low miles for when he heads down to Florida in the winter .

There’s a nice 2017 Peugeot/Citroen/Talbot/Simca/Matra/Opel Regal at the dealer by my parent’s place that I tried to get him to look at. It’s brand new and at a great price (22K USD), but he’s concerned about parts availability/resale in the long term now that Opel is going to PSA. Which is a bit funny, because he had a Renault 8 for quite a while.

I should probably mention the Caddy ATS as an option too, given their astronomical depreciation.

someassemblyrequired > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 09/01/2018 at 18:25

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Yeah I’m really conflicted, as my freind s all had VWs back in grad school and had no end of trouble with them, and VW was always trying to slink out of warranty claims. But it’s so damn cheap for what you get on paper I’m having a hard time resolving whether or not it’s a terrible idea.

ranwhenparked > someassemblyrequired 09/01/2018 at 21:18

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Also, the whole corrosion thing with Mazdas. 

someassemblyrequired > ranwhenparked 09/01/2018 at 21:25

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Car is in Florida all winter, so not such a big issue as long as it’s not rusty to start with. But they command a big premium at home for some reason even given those issues .

SuperBeetle 71VW > someassemblyrequired 09/01/2018 at 22:01

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I say get the Volkswagen. Cant go wrong for the price features and size nothing comes close. Dont get a korean or a GM if not a VW go Toyota or Honda but they are pricier

Benjiboy650 > someassemblyrequired 09/02/2018 at 00:46

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I had a 2013 Passat TDI SE 6MT that I gave back for DieselGate. Wife and I sat in everything to try and replace that car in late 2016, new Camry and Accord were not out yet. Sat in and drove everything from $20k Imprezas up to $60k Lexus GX460's, and practically all the sedans and SUVs in between. We ended up with a 2017 Passat 1.8T R-Line for just above $18k. At the right price, they are compelling cars.

I am somewhat of a midsize sedan aficionado. I think they are the sweet spot and I have plenty of experience with them. In our family we had a 97/02/03/12 Camry, 99/07/15 Accord, 13/17 Passat, my carpool partner drives a 18 Camry and my best friend is in a 14 Mazda6. All have the base 4cyl engines of the time, except the 12 Camry which is a hybrid, and the 13 TDI Passat. Athough there’s quite a bit of quality variance between each car, th e Passat are the smoothest riding and quietest cars in this group, and are easy to get in and out of. That is their strong point and there in lies the catch.

Anybody who is suggesting a Mazda6 or Accord Sport off the bat is only suggesting THEIR OWN favorite. But what does your dad use this car for? If he happens to live at the top of Stelvio Pass, the Accord Sport might be the answer. But I can tell you, from my 07 Accord and the 18 Accord Sport 1.5T I drove, and the 5000 miles I spent on road trips in my friends 14 Mazda6 , that I would pick non e of them o ver my Passat on a 3000 mile road trip across the American Midwest. The car you should buy depends on you and how it will be used. For people who use cars as an appliance, a Camry is an appropriate recommendation. If you plan to keep it forever, spend the extra $5k on a more reliable car, if it fits you (the Accords and Camries at the time didn’t fit us though the new models took care of that , and I replace cars often). If you trade cars every 3 years anyway, why do you care that the Mazda will go 200k miles with no issues? Buy a $14k Passat instead of a $24k Mazda6 (which is what my friend paid), and be done with it. At that price, resale value doesn’t matter!

As for problems with VW, it’s hard to tell with the new 2.0T. I know some on the forums have complained of rough idle and jerky shifts at low speeds. My  TDI Passat needed a new heater core that was goodwilled by VW USA due to a known issue with the radiators in the TDI models. That and a O2 sensor that VW also goodwilled were my only issues when I gave the car back at 75k miles. My 17 is still too early to tell, but no problems at 15K miles. Like I said, there is some variability of quality in these things. I have seen a 14 Passat 1.8T at 176k miles no issues. I have seen a 15 Passat with a new trans at 60k. Whether you get a good one is a crap shoot. But they are not as unreliable as VWs of years past, from what I can tell. And VW service centers in the US Southwest don’t seem bad, I dunno about Canada. VW dealers have been some of the best I’ve been to, with better treatment than even the Lexus dealer just up the road from them. I don’t see any issues with reasonable warranty repairs in the US.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > someassemblyrequired 09/02/2018 at 00:49

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You could read my review :D  https://oppositelock.kinja.com/2018-volkswagen-passat-r-line-the-opposite-lock-renta-1824263332

The Ghost of Oppo > someassemblyrequired 09/02/2018 at 10:23

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What VW’s did your friends have? I’d say c omparing VW’s between generations and models is a bit of apples to oranges. The NA Passats are pretty solid, but as Nibby so eloquently put it, they are “yawn”.  But what mid-side sedan isn’t? 

Monkey B > someassemblyrequired 09/02/2018 at 11:18

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I wouldn’t buy a VW with your money. Regals can be had cheap around me. The Buick dealer I s ervice has a 15 certified with something like 35k for around $16 k. The GS the owner was driving is on the lot now too for like $25k with around 30k as well.

The GS is pretty, I’d buy it yesterday if I could.

At the just under 20k mark the Regal and Accord Sport are two I really like. Lot of car at that price range and with the SUV craze sedans are easier to find great buys on...the mid range models coming in closer to 16k.  

someassemblyrequired > Monkey B 09/02/2018 at 11:23

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I’m finding 10K mile ‘17 Impalas for about $1K more which seem like a safer bet than the Passat (about 14.5K US).  Only four Regals within 300miles newer than 2015 and they are pricey.

someassemblyrequired > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 09/02/2018 at 11:25

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Thanks, that is super helpful - I'll forward that along.

someassemblyrequired > Benjiboy650 09/02/2018 at 11:29

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Thanks - this is really helpful info. It seems to be narrowing to Passat vs. Impala. The Japanese makes have a huge premium where they are, and that means the Accord/Camry/6/Legacy  are not practical options.

someassemblyrequired > SuperBeetle 71VW 09/02/2018 at 11:30

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Yep they are almost disposable at end of warranty  cheap.      

someassemblyrequired > The Ghost of Oppo 09/02/2018 at 11:45

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Mk 3/4 Jettas/Golfs.  The Mk2s were great though, and Dad had several Beetles, so maybe it was just a dark time.

Tohru > someassemblyrequired 09/02/2018 at 16:41

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sell it before the warranty expires.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > someassemblyrequired 09/03/2018 at 09:20

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I’ve owned 4 Jettas and a Passat; all have been great cars without issues. A ‘92, ‘94, 98, 09 then a ‘12 Passat. The last 3 were TDIs and were terrific cars. Notice I managed to skip the Mk4 cars - those were pretty universally terrible from what I’ve read on forums.

someassemblyrequired > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 09/03/2018 at 09:37

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Thanks, that’s helpful. I was wondering if the Mk IVs  were the exception rather than a trend.