[Timgt5]

Living with “Fritz” my Passat Wagon

A little over six months ago I walked away from my third Honda car, a 2000 Acura TL. Due to my extensive need for cargo space (landscaping and other projects) I needed a vehicle with some extra trunk space.

Unfortunately I had to give up the G35 I lusted after (what a brilliant and fun car that was to test drive) and get something a bit more practical.

I test drove a number of crossovers, including the RAV4 and Nissan Murano. In the end I bought this very nice 2008 VW Passat Komfort Wagon, 2.0T. Now that I have had it for 6 months or so I wanted to update all of you on how it is has gone, the good and bad.

The Good:

Styling: Wagons used to be totally un-cool; no one ever expressed any “desire” to have a Country Squire for example. The Passat however comes off much more distinct and handsome as a wagon than a sedan. From most angles it is rather sleek, and frankly I like the fascia on this one much more than the anonymous fronts that are on this year’s VW models.



Cargo Room: The reason I bought him in the first place. Here he has not disappointed me. According to the spec sheets with the rear seats up, he has 35 cubic feet of space; with the back seats folded we get 61 cubic feet not far off of a small SUV. The rear seats can be folded completely flat for convenience. That translates into hauling 18 50lb bags of mulch and some additional tools and supplies.



Feisty Performance: Under the hood is VW’s mighty corporate 2.0 Turbo 4. I was apprehensive about going from a V6 to a four banger (all the crossovers I tested were 6 cylinders) but I have to say this mighty little mill is pretty impressive. Combined with the standard 6 speed automatic, the car launches off the line quite nicely. The Turbo torques low. I have caught a number of people (my dad included with this one as he is used to riding around in my mom’s lethargic albeit very efficient Prius) by surprise with the acceleration and passing ability of this car. There is a small hint of turbo lag off the line, but VW does a good job of suppressing it to almost imperceptible. In addition to having a standard six speed auto, the car can be put into “sport shift” and shifted manually either with the gear lever on the floor or a set of “flappy paddles” on the steering wheel for some additional fun. The flappy paddle bit is rarity in the family car class. The other cool thing is the satisfying snarl this thing makes when you hit the gas.



Ride and Handling: The VW has an excellent suspension that is a nice balance of comfort and grip. The steering is precise and very smooth. The cornering is excellent with well controlled body motion. It is no substitute for a rear BMW or Infiniti, but as far as reasonable cost front wheel drive family sized cars go only the Mazda6 can keep up with it in the corners. On the interstate the ride is firm but comfortable. As this machine was built in Germany and tested on the autobahn, the stability at 75-80 MPH is fantastic. In terms of noise, wind sounds are almost non-existent, engine noise at cruise is very low, with none of the normal 4 Cylinder drone from many of its competitors.

Fit and Finish: I have what amounts to the base model of this car, yet the even the upscale versions of the Honda Accord (my mom in law has a 2008 Accord EX) and Toyota Camry feel cheap and dull by comparison. The black and satin finish looks and feels great and none of the switchgear makes a sound when operated. The Leatherette seats look great, are very comfortable and will likely last a long time. One really cool touch, is the red and blue aircraft style lighting at night, with every button and switch in the car backlit.

Convenience Features: Despite being a base model the wagon has a lot of excellent standard features. The rear hatch lid is fully powered and can be opened with the remote. Power windows, locks, cruise and a sunroof are all standard as are twelve way power adjustable driver seat. The stereo is an eight speaker set up with good punch, a standard 6 disc CD changer and MP3 connection are included. The only downside is that this car did not come with VW’s incredible Dynaudio system. The space saving push button parking brake is a nice touch as well.

Not all has been perfect though, you take the good with the bad:

Tire Noise: The car has noisy tires, more noticeable in my wagon than the normal sedan. The fact that VW suppresses every other sound so well, only highlights this aspect

Transition on and off the throttle: Occasionally trying to accelerate out of a curve, the engine and transmission are not on the same page, a moment of gear hunt and turbo lag hurt a bit here. Nothing terrible, just have to learn a different driving style.

Seat folding design is not user friendly: The seat design is somewhat “old school” you have to take the headrests off, and do a bit of pulling flipping and folding. This takes time and can be annoying if you have to load it up in the rain.

Long Term Maintenance: This will be problematic. The Car has less than 30K miles but I have had to replace at least one valve component. Fortunately being a CPO car I have a power train warranty good to 82,000 miles Beyond that he will be an expensive beast to fix, so I will most likely find him a new home before he reaches 100,000 miles.

So there you have it, the good and the bad. As of the redesign for this year, The Passat Wagon is no longer available in the US. (Rumor has it an “outback-like” crossover based off the 2012 model will be sold here next year)