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Sedans Volkswagen Passat VW Passat Wagon vs Subaru Wagons
742 messages, Last post on Dec 23, 2008 at 11:00 AM
You are in the Volkswagen Passat Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Hey I'm a college student and looking to buy a car that will take me from maryland to California. I'm a rock climber and need something to haul a bunch of gear. I've come across two car within my price range and wanted a little feedback. The first is 97 outback limited with 126K mi with a price of $5500 and the other is 98 passat wagon with 65K mi for $6500 (both are private sellers and prices negotiable) I've noticed from this thread that the VW tend to have a lot of maintenace issues, but with the huge mileage difference will the subaru most likely have more? The history I've gotten on VW lists a bunch of repairs like brake calipers (i think there was a recall) and fan belt was recently replaced. The seller also said that theres a minor oil leak. The subaru, however, seems to not have any problems, no leaks, no major repairs and the car was used pretty much only for highway driving. One thing I liked about the VW was the acceleration, it clearly beat the subaru but id rather have something that I won't have to spend tons of money repairing. I'm planning on having a mechanic check them both out before I buy. Any thoughts?
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Wow, that's a lot. At that point it's all about what kind of maintenance was done to it, and pure luck. The Passat is so much newer and lower mile that it would negate any reliability advantage the Subaru might have, IMO. Check that leak, however, on the Passat. Good thing about the Subie is that if the head gaskets have not failed by now, they probably never will. I might keep shopping and try to find a lower mile Subie. Keep something in mind - the 2.2l in the Legacy wagon is Subaru's most durable engine. Back then the Legacy had it, the Outback did not. -juice
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It's Thursday, time for the Crew chat again! PF Flyer Host News & Views, Wagons, & Hybrid Vehicles The Subaru Crew Chat is on tonight. The chat room opens at 8:45PM ET Hope to see YOU there! Check out the schedule |
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I am down to a Passat TDI Wagon and a Subaru Legacy GT. Except for the hauling capability, they're pretty much apples and oranges. I am attracted to the TDIs outstanding fuel economy, the ride/quiet (I kind of like the way the diesel drives...) and the finish. But, I am not down with the supposed mechanical issues... The only thing holding me back from the Subaru is the gas mileage, aside from that this car is pretty awesome (and the 4WD would be great for this climate). I am moving to Utah from nocal and so gas is much cheaper. But, I am curious what people's real world experience is w/mileage on the Sub. Any feedback is good on either car. Thanks.
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KarenS, "Subaru Crew: MPG-Real World Numbers" #1, 16 May 2005 10:33 am Real-world mpg for Subies belonging to Edmunds members. Diesel fuel costs more than premium gas around me, make sure you factor that in. I do think the Passat's excellent range would be an advantage. But just remember as they fase in low-sulfur diesel the prices will only creep up more. -juice |
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Replying to: ateixeira (May 26, 2005 1:01 pm) If it has been well-maintained, the '97 would be a sure thing in my mind. But, I'd watch out for electrical problems that exist. Drive it; play with it; drop your offer based on any deficiencies. Don't go for it if you hear any grinds, scrape-squeaks, or if the tranny hesitates when put in gear. Look at the coolant and the valve-covers (bottom rear corners) for any signs of leakage. Subarus are good cars but they only age gracefully if they are very well-maintained. That's my $.02. I haven't much experience with VW - I'm just going by price as preference. |
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The good thing is that any flaws tend to be more obvious in an AWD subie. Listen for differential noise, wheel bearing whine, etc. If it's whisper quiet, buy it. -juice |
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Replying to: davinocal (May 27, 2005 7:45 am) I can't give you a perfect answer, ie wagon vs. wagon. However I have just purchased 2 new vehicles in the last 5 weeks close to what you are after: 1. Got the new 2005 Passat TDI GLS sedan (auto, silver) on 4/30/2005 (19 miles on odomoter). My morning commute (8 miles 40-50mph on 2 lane, then 40 miles I-5 at mostly 70mph) gets me about 39-40mpg so far, a couple trips though have seen 42mpg. Return home nets about 1-2mpg less. Car has about 2700 miles now, still breaking-in I guess. Mixed driving thus far (w/in-town, stoplights, etc) is netting about 34-35mpg. I use Flying-J diesel, and add about 4-5 oz of Diesel Kleen each fill-up. My Flying J here has been $2.12/gal (cheaper than unleaded) but is currently $2.21/gal. Car now has the optional VW 17" wheel/tire set on it, I put about 38psi front, 44psi rear in them. This set was included in my original deal; dealer was stupid and said they would have to 'order' them in, right; then finally decided just to take them off another Passat which they did. Handling improved immediately (drove w/16" set first 2 wks), ride is a bit firmer, but noise only increased very, very slightly. However, the 16" set is a softer, more 'luxury' ride so consider that. I have no idea how mileage is on a Wagon version of this car; I seem to recall though that the weight is quite a bit more for the wagon...?, as opposed to.... 2. We just picked up our new 2005 Legacy GT (non-Limited) wagon (auto, Regal Blue!!) on 5/31/2005 (100 miles on odometer); I had a very hard time getting exactly what we wanted. Only have about 750 miles so far, have seen about 22 mpg in all mixed driving; it is VERY hard not to go fast or stab the accelerator, it is an absolute rush (yes, yes, trying to keep 'er below 4000rpm, etc, etc), I use the Sport Mode a lot, and play with the paddle shifters too. According to Subaru specs, the wagon only weighs about 60lbs or so more than the sedan (again, non-Limited, auto tranny), so for me it was a no brainer. I had driven the wagon before (auto) and the sedan in both versions. Definitely, the manual is even meaner and way quicker off the line, but once moving the difference is not quite as great. I haven't even check tire pressures yet, so need to do that, etc. One thing is for sure: these cars' suspensions do not compare. The TDI sedan is nice and is very fun in its own way at highway speeds and its really satisfying gettig the great mileage, but the Subie is a whole 'nother story brother. For you, you will have to consider how many miles you drive and see what the cost diff will be; maybe insurance will play a role too. For us, we were doing 35k miles total (2 vehicles) so I was able to afford one of each.... BTW: we have replaced 2 SUVs: the '99 Trooper (117,000 miles, outstanding reliability for us) is gone; the '98 Landcruiser (100,000, also outstanding) is now listed too. Our new 2 payments + fuel on 2 vehicles = 1 payment + fuel on 2 SUVs (no change in insurance for us); plus, we have 2 new vehicles and are avoiding higher mileage mandatory maintenance costs, etc. Good luck to you!
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Replying to: sahara111 (Jun 09, 2005 9:02 am) Ken |
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