Volkswagen Passat R36 estate: YKYWT
It doesn't get more Q than this - a 295hp Passat wagon that looks like a gussied-up TDI
Or, in this case, the Passat R36 wagon, an even rarer beast. When it was launched back in 2008, the collective wisdom was that the Passat R36 wagon's residuals would follow the similarly abrupt downward trajectory of most performance reppers - one similar to that of an anvil free falling through a perfect vacuum. This was one of those cars that keyboard warriors assured each other would be available in a few years for barely more than a packet of peanuts. (I was, I'll admit, guilty of making the same assumption).
Yet that didn't happen. The uber-Passat has indeed fallen a fair way, but it's not really done significantly worse than similarly priced rivals wearing posher badges have done over the same period and mileage. This well-maintained R36 is an excellent reminder of just how much there was to like about this unpretentious performance wagon.
The R36 marked the last time any European market Passat was allowed an engine with more than four cylinders. The naturally-aspirated 3.6-litre V6 was basically a bigger and slightly brawnier version of the narrow-angle V6 fitted to the contemporary Golf R32, which was itself a heavy development of an engine that can trace its ancestry back to the first Golf VR6, launched as long ago as 1992. Drive heads to all four corners, but not through the usual Haldex-style part-time system; rather the R36 uses what's basically Audi's Torsen coupling all-wheel drive system, meaning permanent engagement. The only gearbox was a six-speed DSG twin-clutcher, and with 295hp on tap it's more than respectably quick, with a 5.6-second 0-62mph time and a limited 155mph top speed; this meant it was more powerful and quicker than the earlier Passat W8.
The wolfish performance is delivered under a lambswool jumper of such light-bending boringness that very few will realise just how special the R36 is. Yes, it's been given a visual makeover with a bodykit and big wheels, but one that's similar to that of a fully slammed mobilty scooter. Only the most cognisant of the cognoscenti will realise this isn't a TDI wearing an aftermarket bodykit.
Such utter Q-ness is a double-edged sword, of course. It gives the R36 an invisibility cloak that enables its driver to startle other road users with its storming performance, and to enjoy the hard-edged soundtrack that accompanies wielding the big stick. But looking like a middle-aged Passat also means the R36 will be treated with the utter lack of respect common to all of its ilk; it's the soft of car that a certain type of driver just has to pull out in front of.
Performance was strong, and should still be, but the rest of the driving experience was closer to spoon than scalpel. The R36 feels very stable when travelling at speed - you'd have to factor at least one Autobahn based adventure into any period of ownership - but it's less happy when asked to deal with twisty and bumpy stuff. The standard 'B6'-generation Passat always felt like a bit of a porker, and the R36's meaty engine and four-wheel drive gubbins means it weighs more than 1,700kg. Grip is keen but fades to understeer in tighter corners and the firm ride can get crashy over rough surfaces. The gearbox is another plus, though, providing it's been looked after. This was one of VW's better early DSG implementations, even managing to introduce a bit of pop and crackle to throttle-open upshifts.
Running costs aren't too scary - low 20s average economy is a reasonable expectation and the R36 can be persuaded to do far more than that on a gentle run. A 250g/km CO2 rating does it no favours, though - that's £500 a year in road tax.
For £12,000 it's also fair to say that the R36 looks more expensive than some obvious alternatives; you could get an Audi A6 Avant Quattro with similar age and mileage for less money, although you'd have to look hard for one with a petrol engine. While the Passat's value has a way further to fall its residuals will be riding a far shallower glide path than before. It's a rare and different car, one that stands out as conspicuously interesting in a part of the market that seems to otherwise offer nothing more than default choices.
VW PASSAT R36 ESTATE
Price: £11,995
Why you should: Rare, interesting, quick
Why you shouldn't: Volkwagen, Passat, Estate
See the original advert here.
All the same, I'm not sure the rarity is worth £12k. I find the idea of owning such an unusual car very appealing but it also makes me wonder how easy/cheap it would be to repair if something breaks.
I think people are latching onto this as some crazy attempt by VW to use V6s in the Passat until the bitter end. Other car makers are still managing it in 2016. You can even have a manual gearbox in the Insignia.
1) The VED- £490? That's a lot!
2) It doesn't like twisty roads much. For me that is a big negative because you are left with an A Road/M'way cruiser where a 3 litre TDI would make more sense.
3) The weight- 1700KG+ for a Passat is a lot!
4) For the BHP it isn't really all that fast, 0-100 in the 14s bracket...no faster than a 330d touring, before the re-map!
A few grand more gets you into a TFSI S4, which is much faster, will handle better and probably use less fuel.....
Still glad It exists though....have always loved my Q-cars.
1) The VED- £490? That's a lot!
2) It doesn't like twisty roads much. For me that is a big negative because you are left with an A Road/M'way cruiser where a 3 litre TDI would make more sense.
3) The weight- 1700KG+ for a Passat is a lot!
4) For the BHP it isn't really all that fast, 0-100 in the 14s bracket...no faster than a 330d touring, before the re-map!
A few grand more gets you into a TFSI S4, which is much faster, will handle better and probably use less fuel.....
Still glad It exists though....have always loved my Q-cars.
Sadly, some daft bint decided to turn into a junction on the wrong side of the road and wrote it off. She'd just spent 6 months in Spain and had obviously left her brain there.
I'm pretty sure whoever ended up with it fixed it up and put it back on the road, which would have required arrive pretty extensive cutting and welding. Beware!
Edit: just checked and my old r36 is indeed taxed and mot'd. It's still only done 45,000 miles though, so it's definitely not the one in the ad.
http://www.pistonheads.com/regulars/ph-spottedykyw...
W8 Passat Wagon - £2600...
The absolute elephant in your wallet is that gearbox - they can and do go wrong and they are nightmarishly expensive to fix (read that as replace) - so the W8 had the upper-hand there too!!
Everything else on that car is just expensive - but any gearbox issue will cost fortunes - way beyond economic sensibility...
This is even taken from Mike Duff's report from autocar, to which this story has a link:
"Under the surface this Passat has lost the Audi A6 quattro [Audi A4 quattro] underpinnings of the previous-generation four-wheel drive version, instead getting a Golf 4Motion-spec Haldex clutch on the back axle to divert torque rearwards when slip is detected."
"Only the most cognisant of the cognoscenti will realise this isn't a TDI wearing an aftermarket bodykit.
Such utter Q-ness..."
Surely aftermarket bodykit (in this case could be confused for one) and Q-Car don't mix? A Passat W8 is a Q-Car, if you don't spot the four tail pipes, I don't think an R36 qualifies...
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