2012 Passat tdi. Any reason not to get one?

[ducatiz]

Dealership is handling the tax and tag transfer.  I was referring to tax on the warranty itself.

aha!

[Le Pirate]

Take her to test drive one.  They are exceptional.  Our dealer gave us a "money back guarantee" for our Sorento for 6 months.  That was a huge leap of faith for them, and he said he's not had a single one returned.


The 2012 passat doesn't have the pillar holes that the older models do.  My '05 Golf has them but the 2012 Passat doesn't  No idea why. 

My guess is that the roof is fine for one of the aftermarket racks.  The roof crush test puts over 20k lbs of weight on the car.

Couldn't get her to go to the Kia dealer. We had test drove the sonota and all she did was complain about how cheap the interior was the whole time  . I'm assuming she figured the Kia would be worse...IDK


as for the roof rack, I should say...We have a yakima rack, as neither of our cars have the pillar holes either. These use a clamp that attches inside the door frame, and on the rabbit, clamps between the window and the roof on the rear (no door frame, as it's a 2 door).

Never had and issue with the yakima rack

[rgramjet]

Picking up the Passat on Saturday morning!  Any break in tips?

[ducatiz]

Picking up the Passat on Saturday morning!  Any break in tips?

only use the required approved oil.

[Howie]

As with any new driveline, avoid constant speed/load, in other words, stay off the slab.  As ducatiz said, approved oil only.  Buy a quart or 2 of oil that meet the latest VW 507 spec just in case since new engines can consume oil.  Needless to say, in a pinch any oil is better than none.

[lethe]

and DO NOT ever put gas in it, not even a drop
and as an added precaution, keep all your fuel receipts just in case the station you got your fuel from has contamination and causes you problems
the big fuel pump is nothing to trifle with

[ducatiz]

Not that it matters now, but replace the fuel filter every fall.  It has a drain function for the water trap and you're supposed to drain it once a year, but I just replace it, water and all.

I write in paint pen on the filter the mileage of the change, but that's me.  I do that on the oil filtre too but the VWs use a paper cartridge.

[DucatiWhat!]

I have a 2010 Jetta TDI with 32K on it, and i love it! Have not had any problems so far.  43-54 MPG, might just be the best VW that i have ever owned.  Only con is not being able to get into the HOV lane.... 

[Le Pirate]

only use the required approved oil.

^This! Serious! Pay attention!


Using the proper oil is why my 2.5L VW engine is running great, and everyone else complains about replacing theirs every 40k miles. You have to use the right DAMN oil. I swear, no one reads their manuals anymore (including the VW dealership in Wichita Falls, TX  )

[ducatiz]

^This! Serious! Pay attention!


Using the proper oil is why my 2.5L VW engine is running great, and everyone else complains about replacing theirs every 40k miles. You have to use the right DAMN oil. I swear, no one reads their manuals anymore (including the VW dealership in Wichita Falls, TX  )

the TDIs have a much narrower list of oils.

The 2005 BEW PD engines only have like 3 oils available in the US approved by VW.  Big fat warning sticker on the engine too.

[lethe]

mentioned already but worth mentioning again http://www.idparts.com has all the correct oil and filters
if you do intend on doing your own fuel filter changes, definitely buy the Ross Tech cable so you can use the software (lots of other fun things you can change about the car with it    )
You do not want to run the big pump dry, with the software it's easy to run the electric pumps a few times before starting the car. You can quite easily hear when all the air is out and the filter and lines are just full of nice stinky, slippery diesel again.
Also, don't get too worried over the tone of our posts, I find the car very easy to work on. 

Also of note, I run a splash of the Stanadyne fuel additive in every tank. This is a debatable practice, so read up on some forums before you decide whether or not to.

[rgramjet]

Drove it home from PA today!  Fun car, sporty ride compared to an Avalanche and Escalade ESV.  I thought the electric steering would be weird.....it took a little getting used to but now I like it.

Of course, on our way to PA, I got a call from Lindsey VW saying they had two SEL tdis on the lot.  They were ordered and the buyers backed out.  I listened to their pricing and it was a couple hundred dollars less.  The people in PA were very nice and gave a good deal from the get go so we stuck with them. 

[DRKWNG]

So, current thoughts? 

I noticed on the way home today that diesel is $.25 a gallon cheaper than 93 octane. 

[rgramjet]

Even if diesel goes up $5/gallon, I'm still happy to go 80-100 miles for $10.  To drive 90 miles in my Avalanche, its 6 gallons of gas. Ouch.

[The Mad King Pepe']

Tri-State Fuel Economy Championship Results

http://www.gassavers.org/showpost.php?p=163680&postcount=15

Best of the cars:  Jonathan Bartlett, 1998 VW Jetta TDI diesel - 79.38 mpg

Followed closely by: Mike Kamm, 1991 Nissan Sentra SE-R - 76.12 mpg (tho it looks like Hannibal Lecter's car! )