PASSAT GLX or Audi (lite) ?

I went to buy/lease an Audi A4 at the local dealer in Scottsdale, AZ. With in minutes he was talking about a $500 per month with money down etc.... and took a very snotty attitude with me when I questioned the value of the lease. As the car was sticker priced at $32500. Anyway, on the drive out, I noticed a VW dealer next door, so I say "what the heck" and took a look.

I am a loyal Volvo guy and currently own a V70 2.4T which I love, however the $35,000 price tag of a well equipped Volvo S60 was too much for my "second car" budget and so I didn't eve bother looking as I knew I didn't want the S40. So it was a great surprise for me to see the VW Passat and how well it was equipped.

I had never thought of the VW as they just didn't seem like they had any sports appeal and struck me as Honda Accord like cars. We'll I was totally wrong.

After first seeing a car I liked (of course it was the most expensive model) I test drove it and it was great. Just to be sure I drove the 1.8T version which didn't have any of the fancy electric's and automatic systems of the GLX and while it was pretty peppy, compared to my Volvo, I found the turbo a bit lacking. The V6 however, although 11 horsepower than my Volvo, had great reserves of power and was dead silent (something the Volvo was not, and neither was the 1.8T). I fell in love with it, not only did it look very similar to the A4 (I am told it's based on the 1998-2001 A4 chassis), but it was $2200 less and they we're willing to wheel and deal instead of taking that "if you have to haggle, you can't afford it" attitude the Audi dealer took.

I guess, that is their market segment, people who are ill informed and willing to pay more money for the name.

To be fair, the Audi had a bit more power (and weight) and there was less hard plastic and more leather inside, but over all it was not worth the $160/ month more they wanted. Plus insurance would have been more as well.


This car is very silent and rides like my mothers Mercedes E class more than my Volvo. It has a solid feel that you only find in German cars. They seem to be more rigid and better constructed than most cars. Also, this car had real wood trim inside which was shocking for me as I never thought of VW as a lux car. The leather was of a superior quality and thickness, and the carpet was top notch. The doors were solid and slammed like vault doors. The safety features of this car were all but the same as my Volvo (legendary for safety). Only the Volvo head rests were a clear superior standout.

The instruments were very sports like and the back lighting is awesome. A very cool blue color that I haven't seen before in any car. There was a multi function computer in between the instruments that was identical to the Audi computer and had features like in my Volvo (milage, miles remaining to empty, avg milage/speed etc...)

the transmission is smooth and from what I am told, identical to the Audi Tiptronic. The Transaxle is also lifted from the Audi.

Styling wise, this is a beautiful car, no question about it. I got a gray exterior with gray leather interior and black dash board/ door trim (very BMW esq). The rims are beautiful 16" with 205/55 Continental's.

The electronics on this car were also something of note. It had mirrors that folded in towards the car for parking in the garage or for the car wash. The right side mirror adjusted downward when you put the car in reverse so that you can see better the curve as you park. The transmission adapts to your driving style and "learns" as you drive. The climate control was easy to operate and did a great job here in the Arizona heat.

Over all, for the money I paid (just under $31000 including tax and license) this is a great car, and I would highly recommend it. In many ways it is nicer than my Volvo that cost $10000 more.