VW Passat estate Highline CR TDi 140

[AJA]

With me bouncing round three different sites due to us sponsoring London 2012 Olympics I've been given a VW Passat Estate Highline company car to abuse run around in.

We've got support, networks, and infrastructure staff permanently based in London at our adi Hub looking after all adidas staff including shareholders and directors. This pretty much leaves me to look after three sites including our 3rd party warehouse we're using to ship all the Olympic stock to distributors, athletes and London 2012 volunteers and workers.

Anyway, onto the car. I've had it since 20th July and I'm not due to hand it back until 30th July. First impressions are pretty impressive. The build quality is excellent and feels solid. The switchgear feels very well put together too.

The ride is ok. Not great, just ok. It handles quite well for a big estate car.

The 140ps engine feels gutless and when paired with the auto (DSG) gearbox is really quite sluggish. (Our Vectra CDTi 120 feels much quicker). Just as the turbo is spooling up the gearbox decides to change up so the accelerator feels a little dull. The DSG however is very slick indeed. I've had my son (8 years old) changing gears for me which he is loving.

Equipment level is reasonable too. Full heated electric leather interior, touchscreen headunit (not sat nav), cruise control with max speed feature, four electric windows and alloys. Lack of bluetooth is disappointing however, but it has got a Bury system fitted which is a good piece of kit and really very easy to use. The voice recognition feature is a joy to use too. It also has parking sensors front and rear.

Really good points - the progressive power steering is great. The faster you go the stiffer the steering gets. I've never really noticed it on any other cars I've driven, and you do notice it in this. Auto hold brake when stationary is a good feature. Boot space obviously is fantastic.

Bad points - gutless engine that really doesn't work with an auto box. No bluetooth. Really quite jerky in traffic too; you get nothing on the accelerator then whoosh, you're thrown forwards.

Would I buy one? No! I would like to test drive a 170ps however to see if it's any better. Or even a manual 140ps.

Here's some pics -

 

[C240Sport97]

there a new model Passat Estate out ..

yours is last generation

 

[Emeye]

What is a Bury system? Is it specially design to work with our northern accents?

 

[wemorgan]

Been in an A3 and a Golf with the same engine and g/box and quite enjoyed the ride - but being a passenger isn't the same as driving I admit.

 

[Deleted member 11979]

Never heard of the VAG 2.0TDi described as gutless, but then never tried one with a DSG.

 

[Emeye]

I never liked the DSG box whenever I've tried them, but I don't like autos generally. I bet the Passat weighs a fair bit more than a Golf or A3 too.

 

[AJA]

What is a Bury system? Is it specially design to work with our northern accents?

Same as the Parrot bluetooth kit. It must be developed for us Northern monkey's as it understands me perfectly. lol

there a new model Passat Estate out ..

yours is last generation

Yeah I know. This one has 62k miles and is the final throws of its lease.

 

[RichardM]

Have you tried putting the gearbox in sport? That will stop it changing to the highest possible gear all the time.

 

[AJA]

I have yeah; it was slightly better, but not great.

 

[sinewave]

Doesn't that gear stick look so 'eighties'!

 

[Ian_Mac]

Have you tried putting the gearbox in sport? That will stop it changing to the highest possible gear all the time.

Totally agree, I've got a Scirocco with the 170 engine. The DSG will have you in 5th at just over 30mph given the chance.

Using Sport mode transforms the car, it all depends on how you feel like driving really.

 

[flat6buster]

I had a170 sel manual with sport pack. I had it from new for 2 years and rather liked it. It was every bit as quick as my old e430 and handled better. i think they are a good car really. Build quality was excellent. Only issue s was a sunroof that when open and travelling over 110/120 mph (on holiday abroad) the whole roof would reverberate really badly. You could see the headlining moving in the rear view mirror

 

[h17n dj]

IVe driven a MK5 golf with that 2.0 TDI engine and i thought that was quite good and quick..... it was a manual though...... i've a 7 month old Audi A3 sportback 1.6 TDI which is gutless but im not bothered as its my run around and commuter car. and got it as it gives me 55 mpg ... The SEL is a tad expensive to run as an everyday car so it sits in the drive as a show piece during the week... slightly off topic so i do apologise...... im surprised u find the 2.0 TDI gutless tbh

 

[Will]

I drive an almost identical car daily for work - around Greater London and in town it's about perfect for what I use it for.

The 2.0 TDI 140 engine is smooth and powerful, and the six speed DSG 'box flicks through the cogs very quickly - acceleration and overtaking is brisk. Once it's on the move, the torque and quick gear changes mean that you need a fairly powerful car to outgun them around town.

If yours feels gutless there must be something wrong with it - it should pull strongly and he 140 TDI engine has as much torque as your CLK320 which I suspect would be similar weight wise?

In 5.5 years and with similar mileage (all town work) to your one, it has broken down just once (a failed injector) and needed a new battery last year. Good cars IMHO

Btw - a tip for anyone who has a VAG car with this engine type - VW replaced all of the injectors FOC recently under a recall - so worth asking if you haven't had them done. It was one of the few weaknesses with these engines.

 

[Londonscottish]

I tried the FIL's Octavia V RS diesel - I assume it's running the 170 PS version of that engine?

It was quite nippy and the engine worked well with the DSG.

But it hit a brick wall at about 4250 which as a petrol head I found v frustrating.

Otherwise, like all VAG products these days, it felt extremely well put together and (diesel engine aside) a very nice place to be.

EDIT; thankfully the engine noise was far less intrusive that it was in his previous Seat (a Leon IIRC). The NVH engineers are obviously getting better at damping out the more booming resonances.

 

[juux]

Had a Touran of similar vintage (same engine) for a few years. It was a manual, but I'd never describe it as gutless.

Would I buy one? No!

Especially not when a new Passat is at least £150 more per month on a PCP deal when compared to a C-Class or 3-Series of similar spec!

Even after a few months I'm still shocked at how much VW think they can charge for these things.

 

[WindyH]

I had a 'new shape' 2.0TDi 140 estate soon after launch late in 2005. Only car I've ever had new and the most dissapointing. Spent a lot of time at the dealers, who were incapable of fixing an ever extending list of faults with the car. Put me off VW and their dealerships for ever! The only positive point- it was as good on fuel as the published figures suggested.

Got rid after 2 years and bought a 53 plate e270CDi (cost me 3 grand more) but absolutely no comparison, a different league altogether!