eljefe68
02-27-2007, 12:40 PM
Cars for me are like shoes for a woman. I am always looking at what is new, improved, fastest, etc. So, last night a took a test drive of a car many of you will probably find not so sexy: 2007 VW Passat Wagon 2.0T. Huh? What? Yeah, a wagon.
My wife and I have become fruitful, and we will soon have a second child. Those of you who have babies and toddlers know the challenges of carrying your kids. Those massive car seats, the honkin' huge strollers; before you know it your car is full. What is a family to do? The answer for many years was the dreaded minivan, but since many hate the mommy image of them (myself included), the SUV and now the CUV are become the family transport de jour.
But what if you want to get better gas mileage than a van and have better handling than the SUV? Enter the wagon.
The car I drove had VW/Audi's 2.0L FSI Turbo motor putting out 200HP and over 200ft lbs of torque attached to a six-speed Tiptronic auto. Equipment-wise, this car had the Luxury Package (leather, sunroof, power seats, power lift gate, etc.) DynAudio stereo, and 17" alloy wheel package. This particular car was black with a tan interior. I would estimate the retail price to be in the neighborhood of $29,000.
The interior fit and finish was top notch, and the leather felt supple. I had no trouble inserting the key fob into the dash, pushing, and thus starting the motor, which is interesting to me since I have read much in derision of this feature. I was glad to see VW finally wised up and moved the auxillary volume controls to the left side of the steering wheel (on our 2004 sedan, the controls are on the right), and they have increased the functions in the trip computer. The DynAudio system was impressive in its combination of power with clarity.
I was able to get myself relatively comfortable in the seat, and I headed out on my test drive. Much positive press has been given to the 2.0T motor, and it is all well deserved; it is smooth, makes nice sounds, and had plenty of power. I did notice a little big of lag when the rpms are low, but that can be eliminated by a bit more throttle. Left in D, the six speed slush box gave smooth shifts and serene cruising. The TipTronic gate works as all the others: shifts take a second or two to happen, and there is no rev-matching on downshifting. Putting the trans into the Sport mode results in shifts at 4K rpm and sharper throttle response.
Body motions are not sports car sharp, but there is a nice, controlled feeling to the suspension motions. I did not feel much sway, but here in Houston there are not too many curves to take. Rather, this place is to test how compliant a suspension is, since H-Town's roads are so rough they might as well be in Nicaragua. On this test, the Passat did quite well, as the car's stiff structure and compliant yet firm suspension absorbed the bumps and bounces with good aplomb. Working in harmony with the suspension was the steering, which was precise and offered good road feel.
What all of that means ultimately is that the Passat wagon is actually fun to drive. You have enough squirt to get through traffic, and the Autobahn tuned steering and suspension give you nice feedback. At the same time, the structure is rigid, which produced a quiver and rattle-free ride over the bumps of Houston. So, from the driver's seat there is much to like.
My only nit pick would be the front seats: in the Luxury package they are rather flat and wide, offering no bolstering to speak of. I am 6' tall, 180lbs, and I felt like I was loose in the seat. The Sport package features excellent seats, but I have read the the suspension tuning is too stiff. I will reserve final judgment on that until I get some further seat time. Also for future determination will be the space of the back seat. It looked bigger than our '04, but how would it do with two car seats?
In sum, I came away impressed with the Passat Wagon 2.0T. The car offers an intriguing combination of space, performance, and fuel economy when compared to the SUV/CUV/Minivan triumverate. Sure, it will never be your fun car; however, if you are in the market for a family car, I would recommend you give it a look.
My wife and I have become fruitful, and we will soon have a second child. Those of you who have babies and toddlers know the challenges of carrying your kids. Those massive car seats, the honkin' huge strollers; before you know it your car is full. What is a family to do? The answer for many years was the dreaded minivan, but since many hate the mommy image of them (myself included), the SUV and now the CUV are become the family transport de jour.
But what if you want to get better gas mileage than a van and have better handling than the SUV? Enter the wagon.
The car I drove had VW/Audi's 2.0L FSI Turbo motor putting out 200HP and over 200ft lbs of torque attached to a six-speed Tiptronic auto. Equipment-wise, this car had the Luxury Package (leather, sunroof, power seats, power lift gate, etc.) DynAudio stereo, and 17" alloy wheel package. This particular car was black with a tan interior. I would estimate the retail price to be in the neighborhood of $29,000.
The interior fit and finish was top notch, and the leather felt supple. I had no trouble inserting the key fob into the dash, pushing, and thus starting the motor, which is interesting to me since I have read much in derision of this feature. I was glad to see VW finally wised up and moved the auxillary volume controls to the left side of the steering wheel (on our 2004 sedan, the controls are on the right), and they have increased the functions in the trip computer. The DynAudio system was impressive in its combination of power with clarity.
I was able to get myself relatively comfortable in the seat, and I headed out on my test drive. Much positive press has been given to the 2.0T motor, and it is all well deserved; it is smooth, makes nice sounds, and had plenty of power. I did notice a little big of lag when the rpms are low, but that can be eliminated by a bit more throttle. Left in D, the six speed slush box gave smooth shifts and serene cruising. The TipTronic gate works as all the others: shifts take a second or two to happen, and there is no rev-matching on downshifting. Putting the trans into the Sport mode results in shifts at 4K rpm and sharper throttle response.
Body motions are not sports car sharp, but there is a nice, controlled feeling to the suspension motions. I did not feel much sway, but here in Houston there are not too many curves to take. Rather, this place is to test how compliant a suspension is, since H-Town's roads are so rough they might as well be in Nicaragua. On this test, the Passat did quite well, as the car's stiff structure and compliant yet firm suspension absorbed the bumps and bounces with good aplomb. Working in harmony with the suspension was the steering, which was precise and offered good road feel.
What all of that means ultimately is that the Passat wagon is actually fun to drive. You have enough squirt to get through traffic, and the Autobahn tuned steering and suspension give you nice feedback. At the same time, the structure is rigid, which produced a quiver and rattle-free ride over the bumps of Houston. So, from the driver's seat there is much to like.
My only nit pick would be the front seats: in the Luxury package they are rather flat and wide, offering no bolstering to speak of. I am 6' tall, 180lbs, and I felt like I was loose in the seat. The Sport package features excellent seats, but I have read the the suspension tuning is too stiff. I will reserve final judgment on that until I get some further seat time. Also for future determination will be the space of the back seat. It looked bigger than our '04, but how would it do with two car seats?
In sum, I came away impressed with the Passat Wagon 2.0T. The car offers an intriguing combination of space, performance, and fuel economy when compared to the SUV/CUV/Minivan triumverate. Sure, it will never be your fun car; however, if you are in the market for a family car, I would recommend you give it a look.