Passat estate 2-3yr old Diesel - manual or DSG?

[Northern Munkee]

Just considering chopping my A6 saloon (its starting to look tired) for something to load lug, like the idea of a Passat GT or R Line (latter mostly for the black rooflining) estate (so obviously diesel) say 50K-80K probably a 1 owner but VW warranty might be expired.

Wondered what people think is more sensible purchase manual or DSG? i like the idea of an automated manual, but wonder at 3yrs old and out manufacturers warranty whether it’s sensible?

Anyone got any buying advice on Passat estates? What to look for? Have been looking at Merc C and E classes, Audi A4 & A6 avants and Skoda Octavia vRS and Superb Sportline, but Passat appears to tick most of the boxes for running up and down the country on the Motorway lugging kit or my cycle.

[va1o]

DSG suits the 2.0 TDI engine really nicely, makes it a super smooth and comfy cruiser. The Manual is better with the small petrol engines.

Main thing to look for is the DSG oil change has taken place at 40k miles. For peace of mind might be worth buying a car with a small chunk of warranty left, i.e. sub-60k miles and 65-plate or newer.

[Northern Munkee]

va1o said:

DSG suits the 2.0 TDI engine really nicely, makes it a super smooth and comfy cruiser. The Manual is better with the small petrol engines.

Main thing to look for is the DSG oil change has taken place at 40k miles. For peace of mind might be worth buying a car with a small chunk of warranty left, i.e. sub-60k miles and 65-plate or newer.

Cheers Va1o. Thanks for the heads up. Would I see the DSG oil change clearly indicated in the service history?

[Dan_1981]

Any other feedback on this sorta age / mileage passats.

Also on my list of considerations. Although I want a pan roof rather than a black headlining

[anonymous-user]

Look at the spec of a Passat GTE Advanced. They have most of the option you can get on a Passat as standard with the exception of electric seats and auto boot closer. Try and get as many of those as possible. The DSG is great for motorway driving.

[Northern Munkee]

Well I can give you 2week 1000mike review on a 15plate R Line with the 190bhp diesel with a manual box.

It’s a very nice place to be. Ergo comfort Seats very comfortable, plenty of adjustment, thought electrically heated front seats would never get used until a frosty 5am start last Sunday. Toasty!

Okay the car, there’s a lot of tech on it, adaptive cruise control takes a little getting used to, but now I’ve turned down it’s range to minimum it’s useful.

DCC - dynamic chassis control, is useful because in anything other than sport, the steering is light and uncommunicative, the downside is the in Sport mode the suspension is a little jarring for our roads, fortunately in individual mode, I can make the steering heavier (it feels like it’s more communicative of what the front wheels are doing, although whether or not that’s just a computer simulating “feel” I don’t know) and leave the suspension in Normal.

If i put my foot to floor it goes, indeed being a former Golf GT TDi 130 PD owner it feels like a big golf and that’s no bad thing.

I had to turn off a lot of interior lighting as after dark there’s lights on everywhere inside, footwells, door handles, mood lighting strips along the doors, a bit OTT. I love the privacy glass, the boot is big, seats down, cavernous. Parking sensors I’m struggling to trust, I can see why cameras are popular now.

The gearbox and engine. Hmmm... I can see why the DSG is attractive, the diesel would be a good match to the DSG as it wants to change at 1750rpm and doesn’t really want to rev passed 3K. So why not let the computer do that as well. Manual is fine finding 5th is a little vague but other than that it’s perfectly fine. Once at cruising speed car will run all day and fairly rapid progress can be made. Sound system is fine, indeed the motorway is spent mostly fiddling with the infortainment, and there’s quite a bit to fiddle with, sat nav fine, blue tooth to iPhone 8 works fine as does usb. Just weighing up whether to pay £199 to unlock ApplecarPlay, I can’t see why.

Indeed it is thoroughly competent. And with so much tech in there I can see where motoring is going, all I do is steer and to an extent I feel like thats an optional extra in the car, and if it was fully autonomous I could get my head down for a kip on the motorway.

It sounds like I’m a little disappointed but it’s a great car.

[A900ss]

[quote] Sound system is fine, indeed the motorway is spent mostly fiddling with the infortainment, and there’s quite a bit to fiddle with, sat nav fine, blue tooth to iPhone 8 works fine as does usb. Just weighing up whether to pay £199 to unlock ApplecarPlay, I can’t see why.
[/quote]


I’ve got a 2018 R Line and CarPlay/Android Auto is now standard. For £199, I’d defo add it.

Google maps/Waze is so much better than the standard Sat Nav. The only downside is that Carplay/Android Auto can’t be displayed in the Digital Cockpit.

Another feature of my car is the DLA. Basically you drive at night on main beam all the time and it ‘shields’ oncoming traffic from being dazzled. You can actually see oncoming/following cars in shade with the brightness all around them. In 10,000 miles since July, I haven’t been flashed once so it must be ok for oncoming drivers.

Good luck

[Northern Munkee]

A900ss said:

I’ve got a 2018 R Line and CarPlay/Android Auto is now standard. For £199, I’d defo add it.

Google maps/Waze is so much better than the standard Sat Nav. The only downside is that Carplay/Android Auto can’t be displayed in the Digital Cockpit.

Another feature of my car is the DLA. Basically you drive at night on main beam all the time and it ‘shields’ oncoming traffic from being dazzled. You can actually see oncoming/following cars in shade with the brightness all around them. In 10,000 miles since July, I haven’t been flashed once so it must be ok for oncoming drivers.

Good luck

VW maps (although needing updating) seems to work alright. Traffic warnings seemed to be okay. But I’ll mull it over.

I tell what does annoy me, in my stylish interior, a huge air bag warning sign on the passenger sunshade, that can’t be peeled off! And from an aesthetic interior design POV the signature clock, spoils the dash lines and is one of 3 visible clocks on the dash. But that’s just the creative in me, I can get a whole live video production in the back, or my bike with both wheels still on. Which was the point at the end of the day!

Edited by Northern Munkee on Wednesday 10th October 15:28

[snake_oil]

va1o said:

DSG suits the 2.0 TDI engine really nicely, makes it a super smooth and comfy cruiser. The Manual is better with the small petrol engines.

Main thing to look for is the DSG oil change has taken place at 40k miles. For peace of mind might be worth buying a car with a small chunk of warranty left, i.e. sub-60k miles and 65-plate or newer.

Errrrrrrrrrr. This all depends on the engine/gearbox mapping for each application (if they are different across VW ranges) - I say this because the DSG box in the Passat Alltrack is absolutely horrific.

[essayer]

I'd go for DSG if you do a lot of motorway miles, the active cruise control and traffic jam assist are great in stop-start traffic

[Northern Munkee]

Oh and I have to turn off the auto stop start feature as it’s just bloody irritating, in stop start traffic, and must put wear on the starter motor (?). And annoyingly I can’t disable it permanently in a menu, but have to do it on the centre console each time I start the car, or usually when I first pull up somewhere and take it out of gear.

(It’s all coming out now!!!)

[A900ss]

Northern Munkee said:

Oh and I have to turn off the auto stop start feature as it’s just bloody irritating, in stop start traffic, and must put wear on the starter motor (?). And annoyingly I can’t disable it permanently in a menu, but have to do it on the centre console each time I start the car, or usually when I first pull up somewhere and take it out of gear.

(It’s all coming out now!!!)

That’s the same as all modern cars though. Push once, job done.

Just wait until the ad-blue (small) tank needs filling

[Northern Munkee]

A900ss said:

Northern Munkee said:

Oh and I have to turn off the auto stop start feature as it’s just bloody irritating, in stop start traffic, and must put wear on the starter motor (?). And annoyingly I can’t disable it permanently in a menu, but have to do it on the centre console each time I start the car, or usually when I first pull up somewhere and take it out of gear.

(It’s all coming out now!!!)

That’s the same as all modern cars though. Push once, job done.

Just wait until the ad-blue (small) tank needs filling

No I have to disable it every journey.

1400miles, 13 litres of piss. Fortunately the tank is filled under the fuel cap not in the boot, the dealer will do it.

Changed my first headlight bulb this morning but at least that is first I’ve been able myself since my last Passat, thanks in no small part to the hatch in the wheel arch, and not having to remove a load of ducting, or drop a headlight or bumper off. I consider that progress!

[A900ss]

Northern Munkee said:

No I have to disable it every journey.

1400miles, 13 litres of piss. Fortunately the tank is filled under the fuel cap not in the boot, the dealer will do it.

I did mean push once (when you get in the car every time) and job done.

With regards to Ad Blue, the tank is small and it won’t get between services for me. My previous C220d had a tank big enough to last between services, the Passat hasn’t. I fill it up at truck stops.

[Tomo1971]

Northern Munkee said:

Oh and I have to turn off the auto stop start feature as it’s just bloody irritating, in stop start traffic, and must put wear on the starter motor (?). And annoyingly I can’t disable it permanently in a menu, but have to do it on the centre console each time I start the car, or usually when I first pull up somewhere and take it out of gear.

(It’s all coming out now!!!)

Get odb11 or carista, on Audi A6, check if same on others, can invert the start stop light and make it remember the last state. So switch it off once, stays off until you switch it back on.

[H6Nathan]

I have run an August 2016 pre facelift - so no panoramic roof or virtual dials - 150 bhp diesel GT estate with DSG from new. The bus is currently on about 45k miles so more or less exactly what you are looking at. My one is also the pre adblue 150 motor which is nice.

Averages about 40mpg in town, 50mpg on an A road and 60mpg + on motorway on adaptive cruise. I have just extended the lease out to 3 years as I couldnt find anything comparable for the money.

The DSG is fine. I run it in economy as it is a big old bus and not remotely sporty. It goes well for a 2.0 diesel the gear changes are quick once you're moving

Faults wise the electric mirrors sometimes adjust both when only nearside selected, the front parking sensors are over sensitive and the infotainment doesn't always auto connect on bluetooth but that's about it.

Adaptive cruise doesn't like snow as it blocks the sensors so it will not engage.

Servicing is a couple of hundred pounds a year plus I've just had the DSG oil done for £170 ish.

If you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer.