2009 Volkswagen Passat Reviews

Discerning Passat buyers went for the German comforts and dynamics — but well-versed owners know they have to keep topping up the engine oil.Having started out as the maker of the humble people’s car, Volkswagen is no longer a single-model brand. From its vast range of cars, there is a model to suit almost everyone. The Passat was the next step for those graduating from the Golf. The badge was affixed to many variants: sedan and wagon, diesel and petrol, fours and a V6, driven by the front or all four wheels.If a little bland at first glance, the Passat had smooth lines, sleek shape and well balanced proportions. The German penchant for efficiency over bling perhaps meant it had few trinkets.The cabin was typical VW, clean and clinical but with lots of grey trim.That said, there were plenty of features to please the discerning buyer: six-way powered driver’s seat, leather steering wheel, cruise control, auto headlights, rain-sensing wipers and a six-CD audio.A turbo diesel opened the bidding, bringing decent performance and good economy, its turbo petrol counterpart had plenty of get up and go and the V6 was an out-and-out goer.All were mated to automatics, the petrol engine to a regular six-speeder and the others to the new six-speed dual-clutch transmission.The V6 came standard with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive, the other two were front-drive.On the road the Passat displayed fine road manners with balanced, responsive handling.There is a lot to like about the Passat, it’s well built and comfortable, lively yet refined.There are also a couple of issues that buyers need to be aware of.One is the oil consumption of VW engines. Not all — but those that do can consume a lot. In most engines, this usually results from high mileage and associated wear but VW engines often use oil right from new.Some owners have had major engine failures on their new cars simply because they didn’t bother to check the engine oil and it ultimately ran out. Always check the oil in your engine, especially if it’s a VW.Dealers seem unable to fix the problem, and owners who are unlucky enough to have an oil user have to put up with it for the car’s life.If you’ve settled on buying a Passat talk to the vendor about any oil consumption issues the car has had.The other abiding issue concerns the DSG dual-clutch transmission fitted to diesels and the V6.Thoroughly test drive your chosen car if it’s fitted with the DSG transmission, observing for anything that might suggest a problem.Again, talk to the vendor about the transmission and any problems they have had with it.While you’re at it ask to see the car’s service record and check its maintenance record.Mike Page: I’m very happy with my 2008 turbo diesel. It’s good around town and great on the highway with plenty of grunt when needed. It averages 5.5L/100km on the highway and between 6.9L and 7.5L around town. The biggest bugbear is the Clive Atkinson: I’ve owned Audis and BMWs and my V6 wagon is right up there with them for quality, dynamics and performance. The DSG works well but, leaving the lights, you’d think a car has bumped you. I fear for when the warranty runs out.Jon Hill: My 2010 petrol wagon is a dream to drive. It’s now done 200,000km and has used oil from day one. Now it’s a litre every 500km. Smoke pours out — I guess it’s the rings and only a rebuild will fix it. I’ve also replaced the water pump twice.The infamous dual-clutch issue was resolved by changing the software at about 120,000km. An independent service agent saved me heaps. The comfort level is terrific, fuel consumption is great — 6.0L highway. I’d like to keep it another 200,000km, but the oil consumption is ridiculous.It’s a good car that’s under-appreciated. Beware of the DSG niggles and high oil consumption.

Volkswagen Passat is a medium-large car aimed at those looking for a solid machine that should stand the test of time. Stylish it's not, but that's the way VW does its shapes, intending them to be timeless. There's an exception in the Passat range, see the upcoming notes on the model tagged the "CC". Passat shares

Most carmakers have a hot car division dedicated to turning mundane everyday drivers into fire-breathing, tyre-shredding, road-burners, and VW is no different.

Passat is a medium-large German car that appeals to those who refuse to pay big dollars for a similar car from one of the more prestigious marques from the same country. Audi won’t thank us for saying so, but there are quite a few out of sight components that are shared by Passat and upmarket Audi vehicles.The Passat in all its formats offers better than average comfort thanks to well-shaped seats and suspension which is able to soak up just about anything thrown at it. Handling is good, with virtually neutral road behaviour at normal speeds, gradually changing to safe understeer if the big car is pushed hard.In the earlier days almost all Passat imports were four-door sedans but with the introduction of the 1998 model, five-door wagons were offered. Wagons have been a popular choice ever since as their squared off rear end makes for a practical load area.An interesting style called Passat CC was introduced in February 2009. Virtually a four-door coupe in the manner of the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the sleek CC is just right for those who seldom use the back seat but want the convenience of rear doors. The back seat is reasonably comfortable and is certainly much better than that of the typical two-door coupe.Volkswagen went all cute with the marketing of the latest CC when it arrived in June 2012, dropping the Passat from its name and calling it simply the CC. Don’t forget to check out both names if you’re doing a search for the pretty coupe on used-car sites.Engine options show a fascinating variation, with four-, five-, six- and eight-cylinder layouts. The V5 and V6 use an interesting design with a narrow-angle V which enables it to run one cylinder head covering both cylinder banks.Though smaller engines aren’t always accepted by Australian buyers, even the four-cylinder Passats have enough performance for many buyers. Many of the later petrol – and all diesel – Volkswagen engines use a turbocharger to generate significantly extra torque.Volkswagen started a strong push on turbo-diesel engines in Australia in 2006 and these days the company often sells more diesel cars than petrol ones in Australia.A four-speed automatic was used in the pre-1998 model, followed by a five-speed unit with tiptronic. The forward ratios were increased to six with a DSG installation from 2006, and to seven forward ratios from early 2010.All-wheel drive isn't all that common in Australian Passats but gives better traction coming out of corners and on slippery surfaces and is worth considering if you are doing a lot of driving on unmade surfaces, or even on the snow and ice for which it was originally designed.For the revhead, Volkswagen imported the Passat R36 from June 2008. R36 has a 220 kilowatt engine, all-wheel drive and is sold in both sedan and wagon bodies.Volkswagen Group Australia has put a lot of work in recent years in getting its supply of spare parts up to international best practice. Prices are similar to those of other European imports in its class. Similarly, the dealer group has grown markedly in recent years and VW is represented in most population centres of significant size.Passat is a relatively complex machine in the modern manner, but a competent home mechanic should be able to do a fair bit of work on it. Always have a workshop manual on standby, and please leave safety items to professionals.Insurance is generally not expensive but make inquiries from a number of companies as there can be quite a difference in premiums.WHAT TO LOOK FORLook over the condition of the interior in case the Passat has had a hard life. It’s not common in a car like this, but can happen and rectification can be expensive.The engine should start within a second of the key being turned and should settle into a steady idle within seconds. If there is a flat spot in acceleration there could be fuel-injection problems.Check the insides of the front wheels for signs of severe brake dust build up, indicating hard driving. This is more likely on one of the sporting models, but Passats do seem to attract people who like to pedal along hard.Look over the body for signs of crash repairs, especially paint that doesn’t match and panels that don't fit exactly. Check the complete body, including hard to reach areas under the bonnet, in the boot and under the car.CAR BUYING TIPBefore settling on any car it makes sense to check on availability of spare parts and servicing in your home and work neighbourhoods. 

There was a time when a coupe was a two-door, two-plus-two seater with a close-cut body shape.But now there are many four-door models labelled coupes, such as Volkswagen's new Passat CC (Comfort Coupe).It arrives in two models: the two-litre diesel front-wheel drive costs $54,990 and the 3.6-litre V6 FSI petrol with 4Motion all-wheel drive is $65,990. Both come with the deliciously fast and smooth six-speed DSG transmission.The easiest way to distinguish them is by the wheels. The diesel has five-spoke alloys, while the V6 has 10-spoke wheels that look like turbo fans.Its body shape is similar to the beautiful Mercedes-Benz four-door CLS "coupe" with a similar `untrendy’ amount of front and rear overhang that works.It features frameless windows, a subtle rear spoiler and a larger-than-normal VW emblem on the grille.They come with a host of standard equipment that goes to justifying the $8000-$9000 premium over the sedan.Standard equipment includes automatic three-stage dampers (Adaptive Chassis Control), Bi-Xenon headlights with dynamic and static cornering, dual-zone airconditioning, electronic adjustable front seats, four heated leather seats, three-spoke leather steering wheel with paddle shifters, automatic hill hold, parking distance sensors front and rear, rain-sensing wipers, automatic boot lid opening and an acoustic windscreen which reduces noise by 2-4dB.Standard safety equipment involves eight airbags, ABS, brake assist, electronic brakeforce distribution, anti-slip regulation and electronic stability control.Options include adaptive cruise control with front assist, the self-parking system available in the Tiguan, satellite navigation, rear-view camera, media interface for iPod and other MP3 and DVD players, adaptive cruise control with front assist, and an electrically powered Panoramic glass roof that can be pivoted 30mm.There are eight different exterior colours available and three leather trims.There is also active climate control on the front vented seats which is only available in the black leather trim.Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Jutta Dierks says the car will provide VW with "a chance for existing customers to upgrade and also to talk to new customers who have never talked to us"."The car is packed with new technology which is easy to use."DrivingThe was certainly no challenge for the proven driving dynamics of the Passat on a bunch of straight B-grade country roads and freeways.However, it was enough to determine that the adaptive chassis control worked quite well, distributing variable damping characteristics to each wheel independently.The comfort setting was ideal for the lumpy country roads. The sport setting didn't get a look in with an absence of twisty tar on the program.The electro-mechanical steering felt a little numb, but still a precise tiller.Freeway stints helped demonstrate that while the acoustic film in the windscreen reduces high-speed buffeting, there is still a fair amount of wind noise from the frameless windows.The big 310mm discs on the TDI and 345mm discs on the V6 proved to be strong stoppers with a little too much initial bite, requiring deft application.The rear carpeted cargo area is flat, even though there is a full-sized spare under the floor.Despite the swooping roofline, rear adult passengers have ample head and leg room, although the centre console is too wide and prevents a passenger from `lounging’ or sleeping across the seats.And access is much easier in a four-door coupe than a traditional two-door model.Price: 125kW TDI $54,990, V6 FSI $65,990Engines: 4-cylinder 1968cc inline turbo diesel; V6 3597cc petrolPower: 125kW @ 4200rpm (TDI); 220kW @ 6600rpmTorque: 350Nm from 1750-2500rpm; 350Nm from 2400-5300rpmTransmission: 6-speed DSG, front-wheel drive (TDI), 4MOTION all wheel drive (V6)Performance: 0-100km/h 8.6 seconds (TDI), 5.6s (V6)Economy (combined): 6.3L/100km (TDI), 10.5 (V6)CO2: 166g/km (TDI), 254 (V6)