R36 Ride/Refinement

[bonezi89]

Hey guys,

I'm planning ahead towards the end of the year where I'm taking a novated lease out on either a Passat CC or an R36, currently I'm driving a Polo GTI on springs/shocks - not bone jarring but pretty sturdy ride. Prior to that I was in an NA built Celica that was pretty much track spec suspension. Now I'm starting to crave some ride quality and that's actually quite the factor in what I will decide for my next car. You know you're getting over the bumps and bangs when a ride in a taxi has become a therapeutic experience!

I've read that the R36 is obviously sturdier than the CC but as a whole is it still quite comfortable? Also how's the NVH? I'd dare say that if it's still quite good I'd be a bit more inclined to go for the R36 though I do find the CC a bit better looking. I think for me coming from the cars I've driven I might be easily impressed in the ride/refinement regard but try and give me some objective opinions as best you can!

Cheers,

Matt

[R36er]

Hi Matt - I have an R36 so I will try and be as objective as I can!!

Yes you are right - the R36 is quite firm but compared to some of your previous cars its a lot softer. I don't find it uncomfortable at all but when you hit an unexpected bump you will know about it. As for the CC I think it is a great car. They look great and you can get the 3.6L as well. They are also extremely well spec'd with options available such as ventilated seats, adaptive cruise, adaptive chassis control and blind spot monitoring. You are able to get some of these on R36 but they are rare to find. From memory those options came in on R36 in 2010 (it's last year).

The best thing to do would be drive both and see which one you prefer. As I said, I think the R36 rides well and is a good compromise between dynamic handling and comfort. Both cars have great sound insulation as well - and the seats in the R36 are fantastic.

Adam

Hey guys,

I'm planning ahead towards the end of the year where I'm taking a novated lease out on either a Passat CC or an R36, currently I'm driving a Polo GTI on springs/shocks - not bone jarring but pretty sturdy ride. Prior to that I was in an NA built Celica that was pretty much track spec suspension. Now I'm starting to crave some ride quality and that's actually quite the factor in what I will decide for my next car. You know you're getting over the bumps and bangs when a ride in a taxi has become a therapeutic experience!

I've read that the R36 is obviously sturdier than the CC but as a whole is it still quite comfortable? Also how's the NVH? I'd dare say that if it's still quite good I'd be a bit more inclined to go for the R36 though I do find the CC a bit better looking. I think for me coming from the cars I've driven I might be easily impressed in the ride/refinement regard but try and give me some objective opinions as best you can!

Cheers,

Matt

[kleung]

You are able to get some of these on R36 but they are rare to find. From memory those options came in on R36 in 2010 (it's last year).

According to the Australian sales brochures...

Ventilated seats and blind-spot monitoring were never available on the R36 or the V6 3.6 that replaced it.

Adaptive Chassis Control:
MY09 - Standard on V6 3.2, not available on R36
MY10 - Standard on V6 3.2, optional on R36
MY11+ - Standard on V6 3.6

Adaptive Cruise:
MY09 - Optional on V6 3.2, not available on R36
MY10 - Optional on V6 3.2, optional on R36
MY11+ - Optional on V6 3.6

The CC is a very handsome vehicle - I like the B6-based model better than the facelifted B7-based model.

[Spaceman]

R36 suspension is soft, don't stress. Perhaps on some bumps you can feel it, but its nothing really and if you're used to well handling cars, it will be fine. The compromise is not worth it to me.

[espresso]

Hi Matt

As a recent R36 owner, coming from smaller cars ("hot hatches", including some track-spec cars of my own) I think that the ride of the R36 is a tad firm. Depending on the roads on which you drive, you might find the R36 seems can be a little jittery, or you'll slow down quite a bit to get over speed bumps comfortably etc - all behaviours you'll be used to, by the sound of it.

I suspect that one reason is that the Passat platform is not the most naturally sporty of all platforms and its of course a tad heavy, and therefore to make it 'sporty' some of the basics of physics have to come into things.

There are many cars that will offer both better ride and handling than the Passat (my old Peugeot 306 GTi6 being one of them), but then again they will have other drawbacks.

In regards to refinement, its easily the most refined car I've owned! The two are not necessarily related.

In case I sound a little negative, I absolutely love my R36. Its a really awesome combination of car, but its not magical

E

[maclean_cherry]

I guess it depends where you live..

In Canberra our roads are awesome but where I live there is one main road that is very 'sydney-like' and I avoid it like the plague... It's so bumpy and jarring to drive on.

[Joey]

Similar to espresso's comment above. My wife and I have a R36 and Peugeot 306. In comparison to your celica and polo the R36 will feel pretty heavy and large, especially when cornering. I think a difference you will notice is how the heavier car will "go" around the corner versus lighter cars zipping around; the four wheel drive feels great though when your accelerating out of the bends.

The shocks are firm and do jarr a bit on rough roads but the weight will help crunch through the bumps a without bouncing - the car maintains its handling composure. Prior to the R36 (wagon) I had a Volvo V40 T4 with hard Koni shocks and the R36 is a much more comfortable ride. Though it definitely feels larger (and I needed more boot space) I feel a lot fresher after my typical 65-85 min drive to/from work.

Lots of power too.