I’m in the market for a VW Passat Wagon.
2 main questions:
1. V6 or 1.8T? I’m told the turbo nearly matches the V6 but with better gas, but then the V6 is more reliable, less repair cost, more longevity.
and
2. 4motion all wheel drive or not? i don’t live in the mountains and it rarely snows where i live. i test drove a 4motion GLX and it was like nothing i’d ever driven. but if i really don’t need it…Any thoughts out there?
#1 Yes and yes, but neither is any really big difference. Assuming you drive either car the same way, the mileage will not be much different (that could go ether way but likely the turbo will have a little better mileage.
#2 I would skip it. You don’t need it and it adds potential and real problems.
i test drove a 1.8 T today with front wheel drive and was underwhelmed by handling, so-so on power, but could tell when turbo kicked in. noticed the tires were pretty old, could that be the bigger issue. then drove a turbo with 4motion and the experience was much better. wish i could drive a front wheel with decent tires to know what i’m getting.
Reliability’s pretty even (not so great) for both, so get what you like.
what are potential problems with the 4motion, other than gas and tires? it handles so well…but the only front wheel drive i tested had pretty bald tires so it’s hard to compare