MY08 Passat

**Passat78** · 01-02-2008, 12:20 PM

Hi All,

I picked up my 125kW MY08 Passat TDI this morning so I've literally put about 30km on it...but so far so good. Defintely has some kick and the DSG is awesome. I went for Arctic Blue which I had some second thoughts on (a bit plain?) but now seeing it in the flesh, I'm glad I did - looks very schmick and shouldn't be as problematic as the black cars are at showing up dirt (even though black looks great when clean).

Anyway, needless to say I'll be doing some driving this weekend so will post again with more thoughts and some pics.

By the way - bought mine from Denlo in Parramatta and found them great. Ordered it at the beginning of Dec 07 and lucky for me, the one I wanted just happened to be on a boat already hence the quick delivery (also I didn't order any extra's)

Cheers
Jamie.

**Mischa** · 01-02-2008, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by Passat78

Hi All,

I picked up my 125kW MY08 Passat TDI this morning so I've literally put about 30km on it...but so far so good. Defintely has some kick and the DSG is awesome. I went for Arctic Blue which I had some second thoughts on (a bit plain?) but now seeing it in the flesh, I'm glad I did - looks very schmick and shouldn't be as problematic as the black cars are at showing up dirt (even though black looks great when clean).

Anyway, needless to say I'll be doing some driving this weekend so will post again with more thoughts and some pics.

By the way - bought mine from Denlo in Parramatta and found them great. Ordered it at the beginning of Dec 07 and lucky for me, the one I wanted just happened to be on a boat already hence the quick delivery (also I didn't order any extra's)

Cheers
Jamie.

nice! congrats!

im becoming a passat forum whore

btw on my earlier posts i got mixed up between mccarrolls and ccc

for the record mccarrolls = good ccc = bad

**OilBurna** · 01-02-2008, 12:32 PM

congrats Passat78 look fwd to seeing the pics nice colour choice...

**drbass** · 08-02-2008, 01:07 PM

Hi all,

After four weeks I thought I'd give an update on our tractor, particularly since there are a few new 125 TDIs out there - would be nice to getother opinions.

Performance
No lack of that! I've seen reports where people say that the 125 is "peaky" compared to the 103. Not sure I can give a final judgement on that (haven't really driven the 103 much at all) but to me it feels "mighty". Sure, once you hit 1800 rpm and the turbo has spooled up there's huge acceleration but it's more a super-responsive and effortless acceleration, "the hand of God" pushing (or rather pulling) you forward. I love it, it's exactly why you want to drive a TDI. Go with the flow, then a little squirt and there's not too many cars left in front. Mind you, I'm not really an aggressive driver (and don't advocate opportunistic driving) but this car really makes it soooo easy to keep with it.
Having said that it's actually quite easy to get wheel spin (yes,, despite traction control) in first and tons of traction control activity in second and even third.

DSG
Slowly getting the hang of it. Have driven maybe 5 mins in D, everything else (except "regular" downshifts) in manual mode. Even in manual, if you're not decisive the box is taking its time to shift up, kind of slurs into the next gear. If you are decisive it's a revelation. Just keep the foot on the accelerator, no lift, and the shifts are quick and seamless. Very smooth indeed. And if you really floor it I don't think there's anything close to it. Shifting at the right revs (to male sure the turbo boost stays up) delivers near continuous shove. Incredible.
Downshifts, when driven enthusiastically, are greeted with a blip of the throttle to match engine revs and speed. Very smooth as well, and an interesting sound considering it's a diesel

!
In my opinion it's a near-perfect match with the engine. Revising my previous feeling about the DSG I have to say that I wouldn't want to drive a manual with this engine.

Economy
Easily below 7l/100 km. That includes some city driving, some relaxed freeway stuff (mostly Geelong Road, one of the most boring stretches of tarmac I've experienced - no offense!), and some spirited driving along the Great Ocean Road and other, more twisty and/or hilly parts of Victoria.
I have noticed that the MFD "overestimates" economy by about 10% however that is based on only one "decent" fill-up (have done 2000 km now) so that might rectify itself when I learn how to fill up to the brim consistently.
Given the performance potential (and actual performance) I think this is absolutely fantastic. I often hear people say that the better economy of a diesel is negotiated by the (usually) higher cost of the fuel, and purchase price. However, to get this kind of performance you're looking at V6 territory, and we're immediately talking 50% to double the fuel consumption. It's fun, and it comes at a very reasonable price.

Practicality
Perfect size for what I'm doing with it. Family with two kids - plenty of room for everyone, and luggage, and then some. But much more manageable than your typical Aussie wagon. Plenty of spots to store things.
And for work, I just "throw" things in the back, and off I go. Perfect.
What more can I say?

This and that
It looks nice. Was sceptical at first (black and all that chrome) but it's a classy and "understated" look that sits really well with me. Definitely a sleeper.
The iPod adapter is really nice (night and day compared to my iTrip) but integration is (I have to say) substandard. Yes, you can skip songs using the steering wheel buttons but access to only the first 5 playlists, and (counting as CD #6) the complete iPod content is poor. I don't quite understand why they can't assimilate the iPod's menu with the four buttons on the right-hand side of the steering wheel. It's also disappointing to have a generic "Track XX" display instead of actual track information. I manage but it's sub-standard.
Handling is pretty good. It feels planted to me (even if The Age disagrees and described the ride as the worst aspect of the car) and has never (so far) given me any grief. Sure, the Pirellis are grippy as but I'm running them at 40 psi (less rolling resistance) and don't believe that I compromise on comfort. Very happy with that.
Headlights are OK but I haven't driven a lot at night, and don't have any comparison to the Bi-Xenon setup. Probably worth it if you're doing a lot of nighttime driving, but I'm happy with the standard lights.
Cloth seats are OK (not a big leather fan since I sweat too much) but I'm still trying to find "the position". Nearly there but there's just a bit of back pain after longer drives (2 hours plus). Could be a function of my age as well

!!
AutoHold function is pure genius - most of the time. Taking off at hills has never been easier. However, in conjunction with the DSG parking in tight spots is something that needs to be done very carefully. Suppose it's part of the slow driving issue already mentioned above.
Oil consumption at this stage is nil.
A fully opened sunroof results in buffeting at pretty much any speed so I've resorted to the tilt most of the time, and partial opening on occasion.
To finish this section I would like to go back to the looks. As mentioned above I'm happy but would like to add a qualifying comment: It's a pain to keep clean, or more accurately it's clean right up to the point in time where you leave the car wash

!! Oh well, too late now, but I'd rather have that than "YASC" (yet another silver car).

That's all I can think of at the moment. Maybe any comments from any of you will jog my memory.

Seeya,
Michael

**OilBurna** · 08-02-2008, 01:50 PM

great write up dr bass thanks for taking the time to write it up, i'm jealous re the 125kw engine, might have to get a chip now hehe. Comments on the DSG are spot on I'm prepared to put up with a little bit of jerkiness occasionally for the rest of the benefits...Sounds like you are getting great economy as well. Re the leather not missing out on a lot, as many of the reviewers have commented the leather is pretty thin and the seats flat, a major disappointment for the price. Only other benefit is the heated seats. Love to see some pics. I usually leave the autohold off most of the time unless I am on a steep hill.

**drbass** · 08-02-2008, 07:22 PM

Thanks for your comments.

I'm currently in Lorne (until Sunday) and had the afternoon off. Decided to have a look at the 12 Apostles. Nice drive

!!

Average speed (and believe me, I adhere to speed limits on principle) approx. 75 km/h - yes, I had a few full accelerations, and it's nice and hilly, too. MFD gives me a fuel economy of 5.8 which, assuming a potential 10% error (see my previous post), is still pretty good in my book.

I read about the leather seats, too. Probably better to go aftermarket and get a decent driver's seat at least. We'll see.

Pictures, I have pictures but I'm struggling to get them to a size that can be uploaded. Working on it.

Seeya,
Michael

**Mischa** · 08-02-2008, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by drbass

I read about the leather seats, too. Probably better to go aftermarket and get a decent driver's seat at least. We'll see.

Pictures, I have pictures but I'm struggling to get them to a size that can be uploaded. Working on it.

Seeya,
Michael

remember theres airbags in the seats!

and picture wise just use www.imageshack.us to upload them. right click on the image, get its address and enclose it in

and it'll display in your post

**drbass** · 08-02-2008, 08:12 PM

Hi Mischa,

Aware of the bags, and I'm not planning to do anything about seats at all - very happy with the cloth version.

Thanks for the hint re: images, will give that a try in the near future.

Seeya,
Michael