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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > BMW E90/E92/E93 3-series General Forums > General E90 Sedan / E91 Wagon / E92 Coupe / E93 Cabrio > 2006 Passat 3.6 V6, I might cancel my 330i.



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      10-07-2005, 09:23 PM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bimmer4me
What ever car you get, for the love of God, do NOT get a Passat!! I bought a brand new 2002 Passat and it had to be towed 3 times before it had 10,000 miles. The windshield would crack every few months because the body of the car would bend. The CD and radio would rarely work at the same time because of electrical problems. Oh yeah, the power windows had similiar electrical problems and it took over a year to get those fixed. And the DLRs would frequently only work when the headlights were on!! I'm have not completed my list, but you get the point.

PASSAT = POS
PASSAT = POS
PASSAT = POS
I am coming off a 2002 Passat and had none of these issues. In fact, I never had any service issue...Period. The only reason it was in shop was for the (admitedly) costly scheduled maintenance. It was an excellent car, and I got lots of complements. The fit and finish was also uniformly excellent throughout.

But I'm still stoked to be upgrading to my E90. Hopefully I'm down to 3 weeks' wait.
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      10-07-2005, 09:54 PM   #24
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I will admit, I'm going to drive the 4Motion Passat wagon before I order a 325xiT. The main thing I like about the Passat is the larger passenger space and MUCH larger cargo area. I think the Passat wagon looks WAY better than the sedan version. Plus, we loved my wife's Jetta TDI - it was an excellent car.

I'm very taken with the e91, so I'd have to be REALLY impressed by the Passat to change my mind. Of course, it'd have to have the sport package for me to even consider it. Now, if I could get a TDI, 4Motion, with sport, it would be a much harder decision. Then again, if BMW offered a 325xid touring in the US, it would be a no-brainer......
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      10-07-2005, 10:00 PM   #25
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Is it just me or do VW becoming more edgy in their styling ? The E90 is more sleek looking. Even the Audi is becoming a bit too angular and square ala USA made cars.

I dunno, BMW styling is still ahead I think. Even MB is better looking. Let's not talk about Porsche ...
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      10-07-2005, 10:20 PM   #26
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Follow your impulse and drive it.

(You'll change your mind in a hurry)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Accounting4Speed
Has anyone taken a look at this yet? I was just breezing over some of the specs. Pretty good little number from VW.

- 280bhp 3.6L V6
- 600W 10 Speaker Stereo
- 4 Motion AWD
- Lots of other widgets
- Fully loaded under $40K

That's a pretty good deal considering all the stuff you get, I might have to go test drive one before my E90 gets here. My mother has a new C6 A6, and it's a fabulously made car. If this new Passat is up to par with that, I might have to change my order.
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      10-07-2005, 10:41 PM   #27
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I don't believe the 2 have exactly the same "target market".

If I wanted gadgets/fully loaded, I'd gotten an Lexus and gadgetted myself to death at probably a lower price too.
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      10-07-2005, 10:56 PM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert A
Follow your impulse and drive it.

(You'll change your mind in a hurry)

You'll immediately remember why you initially chose a 330i.
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      10-07-2005, 11:12 PM   #29
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For the first time, has the Passat has its own platform
3.6 L narrow angle transversly mounted V6
280 bhp
265 lb-ft of torque
VW claims 0-60 in 6.6 w/ front drive and 6.2 w/ 4-motion
automatic only

November R&T sez:
"Equipped with a 6-speed automatic only, the front-drive Passat is almost overwhelmed by all this power. It's very easy to spin the front wheels and induce torque steer." "Still the front-drive 3.6 is a hoot to drive." "...the sequential shift Tiptronic mode, which allows precise control of the transmission and programming that holds the shifts until redline." "Inside the Passat is sumptuous." And the picture of the interior indeed looks quite nice.

...also a lower end model
2.0 L turbocharged
200 bhp
207 lb-ft of torque
auto or manual

Sport pkg. w/ stiffer springs, 18" wheels, and 0.6 lower.

I owned a '99 v6 manual Passat inbetween Bimmers. (Somewhere along the way they stopped offering the 6 with a manual - sniff.) Very reliable, it had zero problems and was fun to drive. But as Petercat notes, it really is a family car; its not the same kind of car as an E90. I think it'll make good competition for the TL or higher end Camrys. And Audi makes a good 4-wheel drive system which may give it an advantage. A fully equipped 4-motion with luxury or spot pkg will take you into mid $30k.
.
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      10-08-2005, 12:50 AM   #30
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Well, we owned a 2000 New Beetle which admittedly is not the same as a Passat (maybe being assembled in Mexico has something to do with it? ), but the thing gave my wife so many traumas that she simply refused to step into a VW dealership to test-drive the new Passat when we were car shopping this year. The Beetle would have one problem or another every couple of months; it was truly an awful ownership experience. And, we take very good care of our cars and don't really put a lot of miles on them. Further, the repairs were both expensive and time-consuming. In fact, she wanted an MB initially, but after hearing the horror stories about recent MB's, we steered clear. Test-drove the new bimmers and we were sold! I'm really hoping BMW is much better quality-wise since we now own both an E90 and an E60!

I think I'd recommend that if you really want a VW to wait a while - don't buy a first year redesigned VW - see the kinds of problems other people who insist on being the guinea pigs experience, and then make an informed choice. If the Passat maintains VW's abyssmal level of quality; the overall cost of ownership for the Passat may actually end up being not much different from an E90. And the E90 really is a fun car to drive!

Just my 0.02 cents though.
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      10-08-2005, 01:25 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Petercat
JBOO, this seems like a fair and accurate assessment.
The new Passat looks really good, as a family car. It by no means is near a competitor to the e90.
With the new updates, I'm sure there will be many happy VW owners looking at this upgrade.
I've owned a passat wagon in the past and currently own a Touareg (wife's cars). We have been extremely happy with the quality, durability and service. VW does have a good reputation.
With the new 280hp V6 and all the goodies, the car certainly does get your attention. I think the wife will either wait for the new wagon or 'til they put the 280 V6 into the Touareg.
I wanted to add that I think the Passat is a very good car. If you're buying the E90 as a family car and you're more concerned with room than driving dynamics, the Passat is a great alternative. With the new engines it will perform well, and in some cases, might be faster than an E90. However, it will not be the same driving experience nor will it ever be considered competition. It's just in a different class.

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      10-08-2005, 01:55 AM   #32
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I agree with the sentiment that the Passat is a German Camry - boring and awkwardly designed.

Previously the Passat was the previous generation A4 platform tarted up a bit. The comparison used by Audi was that VW was brick veneer and Audi was solid brick, and getting in and out of both cars you see plainly the cost cutting in the VW. I wouldn't look at a Passat because I liked an A6 - very different beasts indeed.

With the B6 things changed, the Passat no longer shares the Audi platform, instead it is an enlarged Golf platform, meaning that the engine changes from longitudinal to transverse - and they still have those long overhangs! What works well in a smaller scale car such as the Golf has serious deficiencies in a larger, heavier, more powerful car.

If you are after a driver's car the BMW is the way to go. I considered another A4, but was quickly convinced that the E90 was the car with the higher capability and better interior and design. Press I have read say the Passat platform simply can't cope with the power from the larger engines and drives awfully, and by comparison, the A4 is a revelation. Well the E90 is a revelation again when compared with the A4, making in my mind the comparison to a Camry very flattering indeed, because the Camry and the Equivalent Acura and the Mazda 6 are excellent examples of well engineered front wheel drive vehicles.

If you seriously want to save money and get a front wheel drive, get a Toyota, Mazda or Acura, don't get a Passat.

I know I sound negative and like I am being unfair, but I considered this question long and hard when I bought the E90 and at the end of the day, the E90 won on so many fronts. Not the least of which I simply love the car, I am extremely excited about it arriving (been told first week of Dec now - YAY!) where as I was definitely not this excited about getting my A4. That to me tells the real story at the end of the day.
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      10-08-2005, 05:29 AM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MIKEYMIKE
Guy's who drive Jetta's are little wimps if you ask me.
i traded in my jetta after having it for 4 years to my e90
the jetta was a nice drive but nothing compared to my e90 now but i was never a wimp and never will be.
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      10-08-2005, 06:06 AM   #34
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The Passat is ultra ugly, and it is a disgraceful front wheel drive car.
It will not be any closer to E90.
Sorry to be frank ( I took this is a E90 forum and no one has to listen to me if they disagree)
I had same experience with JamieA, I test driven a A3 2.0 FSI and a 325i. Just can't stand the lossy Servotronic of Audi cars.
There is no excuse for me not to buy the E90 despite the fact that I already have enough cars.

cnt
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      10-08-2005, 06:51 AM   #35
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I also had a Jetta TDI for about 3 years. It was a great car - and perfect for long commutes. Then I went to a Mercedes C230k for a year, it was fun and had lots of gadgets, but not a comfortable long-ride car. Went to the Passat W8 from that and kept it a year. It was a great car, but it felt heavy. I missed a lot of the extras and was actually looking at a C240 (my dealer is MB on one side and BMW on the other) when I noticed the new E90 across the showroom. Took it for a drive and that was it. Got my E90 in the beginning of June, and our E91 will be at the dealer on Monday....

Still, I won't bad mouth the VW cars, they truly are good cars - albeit with some problem areas. What I hated was their service. It's expensive, and half-assed. If you decide on the B6, I wish you the best of luck! I'm sure it's a great car - you will have to let us know about it.
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      10-08-2005, 08:18 AM   #36
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When I bought my 2003 B5.5 Passat GLX 4Motion, I bought it because a new BMW was just far enough out of reach that I thought I'd be stretching too far.

I had heard of VW's quality problems. I hadn't seen as many quality issues with that generation of Passat as its then VW stablemates had, especially the New Beetle. For whatever reason, it seemed to me that the A4 had more problems at the time than what I had seen reported for the Passat. So, I felt a bit safer than if I'd bought an A4 or another VW.

My car hasn't given me too much trouble. Just little piddly things. Sometimes when the right side mirror goes down when I shift into reverse, it doesn't come back up. I can't seem to get the seat memory to work, but that's okay since I'm the only one driving the thing. Now, the trunk lid needs some lubrication. I don't consider that a quality problem, however. Otherwise, the car runs fine, stops fine, turns fine, heats the interior well enough, keeps the interior cool enough, and the stereo works nicely. In fact, I like the stereo a heck of a lot more than my friend's stereo in his 2002 E46 325Ci.

Compared to a BMW, though...let's put it this way, the E46 beat the Passat on everything that really mattered to me except price. My Passat gets me around with a modicum of style, sportiness, safety, and luxury. It doesn't really excel in any area except giving me a good balance of all four at a price point that was reasonable enough at the time. If I had the money, I'd be driving an E46 right now, but I didn't. I figured I'd be rolling the dice on quality with either car, and I just prayed that I would have no problems. I knew from driving both (actually, even before driving either one) that the E46 completely outclassed the Passat in terms of throttle response, steering, braking, road-holding ability, etc., but I just didn't have the money. I figured I'd be stuck in traffic a lot. So, it made sense to compromise, and buy the "lesser" car. I think my decision was a good one. I look at my car sometimes with a good enough sense of pride too. I felt it was a wiser purchase for me at the time. It looks nice. It rides nicely enough. Its handling is somewhat sporty too. In essence, it was a poorer man's A4. However, I don't have a passion for my car. It's like a friend, not a lover.

Two days ago, I saw the new Passat 2.0t while resolving a service issue (which BTW was further confirmation that VW service is far from superb, but I won't go into the details unless someone asks). I thought the interior looked cheap. I don't really like the exterior styling either. It had some nice, functional bins in the doors. It looks like they stole some E46 interior styling cues too, but that's okay. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I don't expect the car to handle really well. I felt okay about my car's handling potential, because it shared much with the A4 (the B4, I think). This car, I don't know, because it doesn't share anything with the A4 now. The car seemed okay overall, though. My friend said something like, "Okay, well...why don't you upgrade?" I said that if I'm upgrading to anything, I'm upgrading to an E90.

Like many other cars, the new Passat puts up some compelling numbers, enough to steer attention away from BMWs for a moment. I took a look at BMW's competition. I even bought something of a competitor, but nothing beat the E46 in my heart. I imagine it will be the same if I pit anything remotely comparable against the E90.
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      10-08-2005, 08:35 AM   #37
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Heavy and AWD (aka front wheel drive with added on rear output) ≠ precise steering and handling. The Passat is in the same category as the Acura TL. Nice cars, but not my choice for fun.
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      10-08-2005, 08:48 AM   #38
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Heck if you are really consireding a Passat...look at the new IS 350.

Passat will never compare to BMW e90. If you want a fair comparison, then you have to look at Audi vs. BMW. VW is not in the same league.
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      10-08-2005, 09:15 AM   #39
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Passat is not a sport sedan, but a somewhat upscale family car. I like the design overall (crisp lines), though not the huge overhangs.

IMO, moving from the A4 platform to the (albeit stretched) Golf/A3 platform is a step backwards, at least dynamically. Emphasis on roominess over handling means more of a family oriented car.

You should of course test drive it, but I am convinced that it would only be a choice for those that really need the extra room.
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      10-08-2005, 09:30 AM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stressdoc
Heavy and AWD (aka front wheel drive with added on rear output) ? precise steering and handling. The Passat is in the same category as the Acura TL. Nice cars, but not my choice for fun.
The VW AWD is not the Audi quattro system either, it is totally different. Latest generation quattro is rear drive biased, and Audi have also been caught with RWD B6 A4 mules. I suspicion is that part of spliting the A4/Passat platforms was to give Audi freer reign in this area or drivetrain. Therefore the B8 A4 will be a very interesting car indeed.
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      10-08-2005, 10:34 AM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tiga901
Heck if you are really consireding a Passat...look at the new IS 350.

Passat will never compare to BMW e90. If you want a fair comparison, then you have to look at Audi vs. BMW. VW is not in the same league.
even Audi cant compare w/ the BMW

there was a comparision test with the A4 2.0T vs. 330i*.. obviously the BMW won

*edmunds.com
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      10-08-2005, 10:38 AM   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rs
The Passat will be a nice family car but it won't perform like the 330i. The choice depends on your driving style. If you want a BMW for image, go get the Passat, if you want the BMW for the handling and performance, stick with the 330i. The Passat is front wheel drive biased and will never have the same handling balance as a BMW.
even if its image based, id still choose the BMW
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      12-12-2005, 11:47 PM   #43
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Two words: Resale Value

Passat depreciates (esp upscale models) way worse than an E90. Ask anyone who has ever owned a W8 Passat how much their value plumeted. You may have to pay a little more up front for a Bimmer, but the investment is more sound.
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      12-13-2005, 01:25 AM   #44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MIKEYMIKE
Guy's who drive Jetta's are little wimps if you ask me.
Nobody did.

And nobody asked me - but anyone who would make a comment like that is a polesmoker.

Lots of interesting comments on this one. I've owned many VW's for the last 25 years, including a B5 Passat ('00, 1.8T). That car was awesome - 35 mpg on the freeway, never had a single problem with it, and for the price (about $22k, with leather, sunroof, alloys, Monsoon stereo) it was a great bargain. But now that the high-end Passat is touching the $40k range, that's rare air for anything with a VW badge attached to it, the dealer network is nothing short of horrendous (check the JD Power rankings), and it's no longer a bargain, no matter how reliable of an example you get or how decent your local stealership's service dept might be (if you're very lucky). This thing could turn out like the Phaeton - a fine car that's trying to go to far upscale and compete out of its league.
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