| The Volkswagen Passat 1.8t...
a people's car by all means. MY car. I bought a 1999 Volkswagen
Passat 1.8t GLS in the summer of 1999. June 4 to be quite
exact. Since that time I have driven a little over 35 thousand
miles with basic services every five thousand miles. The traditionalist
inside tells me to change the oil every three thousand miles
but VW's engineers and the actual car tell me otherwise. Throughout
the past year and a half I have been stranded once and had
no real problems with the car since. To this day I remain
just as enthusiastic about my Passat as the day I drove it
off the lot. Of course near the end of this article you'll
find that there was a certain company by the name APR that
renewed my faith in the overall potential for fun in the Flagship
of the Volkswagen line. |
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On that fateful June day, I left
Central Volkswagen in Dallas with a pristine 1999 VW Passat. Under
the hood was the coveted 150 bhp, 173 ft lb torque, 1.8 liter,
five valves over four cylinders, turbocharged powerhouse that
was brought over from the Audi A4. The same engine which now is
an option in every one of VW's offerings here in the United States
as well as the one of a kind Audi TT. Mated of course to a nicely
shifting 5 spd manual transmission driving the front wheels. Black
Magic exterior, beige leather interior. Sunroof, Alloy wheels,
heated seats, built in rear window shade, and power everything
were all part of the included amenities. This was without a doubt
the best car I have ever owned. The quality of the materials inside
the car are on par with the highest dollar luxury cars, while
not raping your wallet for the standard mark up. The seats are
very comfortable and offer a superbly placed lumbar support all
the while holding you in place and inspiring confidence in your
road going capabilities. Visibility is excellent and driving position
is alert and ready yet very relaxed. If your back does get tired
on those long drives, just dial in some heat from the heated seats
and let the warmth relax your muscles and loosen you up. Road
noise is near non-existent and the tires, springs and shocks,
soak up road imperfections like no one's business.
Driving the Passat is very confidence
inspiring. The steering feel isn't great but it's very good right
from the factory. The 15 inch wheels are clad in Michelin tires
which soak up bumps but also give some good stability and grip
during spirited driving. I bought this car with more of an enthusiast
mind set, but still trying to be practical and wanting comfort
as well. This is no sports car by any means, and although I've
heard it advertised as a sport sedan, I think that's quite a stretch.
The engine is capable yet, underpowered to deliver a lively experience
while pushing along such a heavy body. The little turbo four feels
pretty peppy and with a manual transmission makes you wonder why
anyone would pony up the extra cash for the V6. While the V6 is
quieter, smoother, and more powerful I think the 1.8t is an underdog
waiting to leap ahead of the pack. If only there was some way
to wring more out of it...hmmm...let's get back to this part later.
Turn in is good, but if you come in too hot while taking your
favorite curvy road you are met with dive and understeer. The
stock tires howl in protest and you let off the throttle and get
back into line. Downshift, mash the pedal and if you're low enough
in the rev range you can feel the slight yet gradual lag that
is the nature of the turbo. When the Turbo kicks in it is noticeable
but nothing dramatic in any way. It does get the car moving though.
If only there was a way... Ok back to driving. Under normal everyday
driving the car is tame and easy to tool around in. All controls
are in reach and easy to find, and the ergonomics are good enough
that you rarely have to take your eyes off the road to find anything.
The stereo is about the only thing where the buttons are not distinguishable
by first touch. Luckily for me I rarely listen to music these
days, I'm too busy listening to the air being sucked in when I
can hear it, and the engine running.
Now lets talk about what kind of
problems I've had so far. Like I said before I get the oil changed
and basic services every five thousand miles. Actually VW's recommended
service intervals are a bit longer. After the first one, which
they recommend at 5-7K they want you to come every 10K miles.
No way am I waiting that long between oil changes...it's hard
enough for me to go until 5K. The way I drive this car, the engine
would DIE if I waited 10K between services. I was even quite skeptical
about going to 5K between oil changes, but after much research
and talking to other owners I gave in and got used to 5K intervals.
Although I do check my oil regularly I have never once noticed
it start to get dark or too thick after or near 5K. I also assumed
that the turbo would have a huge appetite for oil, but on my weekly
checks I come up with the same amount of oil every single time.
It seems that this engine is very efficient. I did develop an
oil leak once though. After I noticed fist size puddles hour after
hour, I got the car in the shop right away. Come to find out,
whoever had done the service last was a bit careless and had forgot
to tighten some of the components to spec. Apparently I wasn't
the only one who had come in that week with complaints and problems
after a service. So there was no mechanical failure or flaw in
the car, only the human.
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I mentioned in
the beginning of the story that I got stranded once. I have
to say that this was the ONLY time that I have had a major
mechanical failure in the car. When the car was about a month
old, I came out from work to go for lunch. I pushed the clutch
in, turned the key and nothing. I was getting a charge from
the battery and everything. Except the car just wouldn't turn
over. The engine didn't even try. Needless to say I called
for a tow. Once I got the car to the dealer they began working
on it pretty much right away. Come to find out something called
a "clutch lockout switch" had failed in the car. This small
electronic device was the |
component that senses whether
or not the driver has depressed the clutch pedal, which in turn
allows the engine to be turned over. So the car couldn't tell
that I had pushed in the clutch so it wouldn't allow me to start
the car. The repair was done under warranty and I was under way
that same evening.
The next "Big" thing was when the
rear passenger window failed to go down anymore. I had read horror
stories about the earliest New Beetles and Passats having window
regulator problems where the owners were left with windows wide
open for days. Fortunately this wasn't the case with mine. After
an evening at the dealer, they concluded that some sort of concussion
had knocked the window off of it's track inside the door. So the
lifts that push and pull the glass up and down could not grasp
the window in order to do their jobs. Please ask your passengers
not to go ape and slam the heck out of your doors. This is a piece
of German engineering at it's finest...not some MOPAR heap where
it takes muscle to shut the door. Again, under warranty...no charge.
The only other complaint I have
is that in extreme cold temperatures (20 degrees F) the car is
harder to start. Perhaps due to the oil not flowing very well
or just due to components inside the engine not being able to
just "up an go" in the cold. Who knows for sure, it could be a
million things, but the simple fact is during very cold morning
I have wondered at times if I would be going anywhere. Being paranoid
and taking it to the dealer for this kind of thing results in
the classic scenario: you have a problem, then take it in, and
then right there under your nose the mechanics can NEVER duplicate
the problem. You know exactly what I mean don't you?
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