New VW Passat is bigger and cheaper

[revelated]

He doesn't need to actually drive that trip to be skeptical of your claim of a thousand miles on a tank of gas. Frankly, I'm skeptical of it too.



Okay, but you're claiming double that. Not 10% more or 20% more - double.

No. I'm claiming I got to Phoenix on half a tank of gas which is entirely doable and possible, if you know how to drive properly on freeways. Lead foots won't pull it off. Just because I got there with half a tank to spare after 500 miles does not automatically equate to 1000 on a full tank. Again, you people need to stop riding the numbers. It's not that simple.

After I got to Phoenix it was all city streets. The remainder of the gas burned out rather quickly. I'd say I was able to do a total of about 600 miles when it was all said and done. Again, the car is not burning gas if you're not pressing the accelerator. If the car is already going 80 MPH on a stretch, there's little need to press the accelerator constantly. All you have to do is tap it every so often to keep the car's momentum going, but in the meantime you're still traveling 80 MPH. You might only burn a quarter's worth of gas if you know how to not ride the accelerator.

Point being - it CAN be done, so don't tell me the Altima is less efficient than the Versa.

 

[JoeG4]

If I did it right, I could get a bit over 400 miles out of a fill of gas (not the ENTIRE tank, but what I'd normally fill it to) in my 300C on the freeway. I usually get more like 22mpg than 24 though, because when I go on road trips that car is loaded UP. XD

 

[Abstract]

Okay, but you're claiming double that. Not 10% more or 20% more - double.

I once achieved similar fuel consumption to his Altima, but it was being towed for most of it.

 

[iGav]

honestly the thing is looking like one of the weirdest frankstein cars ever made:
the shape of the old BMW M Coupe (which i madly liked)
the front looking botched together from a porsche, peugeot 407 and a nissan GT (which i all liked)
the back like a honda having mated with a BMW Z4
then 4 seats _and_ all wheel drive ?

Actually, I am surprised you didn't make reference to the Jenson FF, that's what Ferrari actually copied.

I'll give you that...although the Sultan of Brunei's 456 "Venice" wagons managed to stay beautiful despite having four doors.

It's difficult to make the 4 door format work for a sports car isn't it, when you think that every significant dimensional requirement is against them, physical size of the engine, location of the engine, low height, width etc, Porsche failed miserably, Aston certainly did a reasonable job with the Rapide, but even then I'd suggest that it looks overly elongated, lacks shape in the profile and with a design language that dates back to 1994, looks a little too familiar, to the point of it being bland.

 

[takao]

One thing I forgot to point out earlier is that the base price of the new Jetta and Passat is lowered by a huge amount, but (at least in the case of the Jetta) the diesel version @ $22k isn't really any cheaper than in the previous version.

Now, with the Jetta, we know that VW saved a ton of money by fitting the antediluvian 2.0 8v engine. But the base Passat comes with the 5-cylinder. I wonder how much the diesel will cost in the Passat?

random guess with diesel and vw is: 2000 bucks for the same fittings.. the big reason why VW wont introduce a bigger/cheaper passat in europe is that there is no need with their absurd fleet/business car sales(just like BMW) and their ability to really upsell to the bigger margin Audi or the lower margin Seat and Skoda
the passat, just like top range bmws/audis/mercs are between up to 70-80% business cars around here and the skoda superb thanks to legroom rules taxi sales
even my father got a TDI Passat handed to him which despite being the smallest engine still did cost nearly 40.000k euro

I guess I'll reserve judgment till I read reviews (and see it on Top Gear ), but my first reaction is Ferrari! NOOOOOO! This is just one small step away from the inevitable SUV and Ferrari will be dead to me.

i can already imagine clarkson circling the top gear test track with ikea packages and a potted plant sticking out of the open hatch, complete with going through corners sideways

Hardly... the 612 remains the better car & Ferrari have been producing 4-seaters for decades.

Regarding the design, personally I rather like the fact that they've gone for a Shooting Brake aesthetic rather than an ungainly 4 door one. Remember, Ferrari's are almost always controversial (entirely unlike Porsche).

the new FF will be _replacing_ the 612 .. which very likely was the best looking 4 seater ferrari ever made... don't forget some of those old 4 seat Ferraris

on a more general note Fiat and it's subsidaries seem to be quite on a roll design wise... the last few years i have nearly liked all recent released cars from Fiat,Ferrari and Alfa looks wise compared to the more "hit and miss" or "bland boring playing it safe" of other (euro) car makers

and yes i'm a stern supporter of the shooting brake design.. after all who isn't ? the only problem i have is that i can't afford them

 

[senseless]

In the $25K sedan segment, I would consider the Ford Fusion first. At $40K, the Infinity G37 and BMW 3 series win.

 

[173080]

It's the people who are lead footed that don't see the full potential of the car.

I'd say it's the other way around, it really depends on your perspective.

It's the hypermilers that don't see the full potential of their car.

If you don't redline your car at least once a day, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Actually, I am surprised you didn't make reference to the Jenson FF, that's what Ferrari actually copied.

A neighbor of mine owned a Jenson Interceptor years ago when I was just a little shaver. It was an ugly mustard color but I didn't care. That and my dad's '69 TVR were my two favorite cars as a kid (I'm STILL annoyed that he sold the TVR before I even hit my teens; I would have loved to have driven it at least once).

It's difficult to make the 4 door format work for a sports car isn't it, when you think that every significant dimensional requirement is against them, physical size of the engine, location of the engine, low height, width etc, Porsche failed miserably, Aston certainly did a reasonable job with the Rapide, but even then I'd suggest that it looks overly elongated, lacks shape in the profile and with a design language that dates back to 1994, looks a little too familiar, to the point of it being bland.

I agree about the Rapide, it looks "stretched" and the Aston Martin look, while beautiful, has become a little corporate. Very few four door sports cars are really a success from a stylistic perspective. If you want four doors you're generally best off with a sports sedan - but sports sedans are usually sleepers, not lithe and muscular looking things. The old Lotus Carlton or the current M5 may be a great drive, but it's not going to raise the pulse the way a DB9 or Alfa 8C Competizione does.

random guess with diesel and vw is: 2000 bucks for the same fittings.. the big reason why VW wont introduce a bigger/cheaper passat in europe is that there is no need with their absurd fleet/business car sales(just like BMW) and their ability to really upsell to the bigger margin Audi or the lower margin Seat and Skoda
the passat, just like top range bmws/audis/mercs are between up to 70-80% business cars around here and the skoda superb thanks to legroom rules taxi sales
even my father got a TDI Passat handed to him which despite being the smallest engine still did cost nearly 40.000k euro

Wow. 40k Euros for a diesel Passat? You could get a diesel Merc, BMW or Audi for that kind of money here (though only just).

i can already imagine clarkson circling the top gear test track with ikea packages and a potted plant sticking out of the open hatch, complete with going through corners sideways

Yes, the show is a bit predictable these days, I think you may have guessed it.

on a more general note Fiat and it's subsidaries seem to be quite on a roll design wise... the last few years i have nearly liked all recent released cars from Fiat,Ferrari and Alfa looks wise compared to the more "hit and miss" or "bland boring playing it safe" of other (euro) car makers

I think the Alfa MiTo is rather ugly, but overall Fiat/Ferrari/Alfa seem to be doing alright.

In the $25K sedan segment, I would consider the Ford Fusion first. At $40K, the Infinity G37 and BMW 3 series win.

It depends on the model Passat one is shopping for, but the new Taurus is actually a serious competitor now since it has moved upmarket and offers a very nice V6 and AWD.

However, people looking for a diesel really have no other option apart from VW unless a 40k German luxury car is considered.