I was only 14 when we got our brand-spanking-new ‘Champagne-mica-metallic’ Toyota Corolla H4 back in November 2004. 80,000kms and nearly 7 years later, it was still faithfully serving us like business-as-usual. Even after all these years, it drove very well. Having replaced our Ford Ikon 1.6 Sxi and 3rd generation Honda City with a Toyota Corolla Altis H4 and 4th generation Honda City VMT respectively in December 2010; it was time we began looking for something new to take the place of our trusty old Corolla. Even though it drove well, Dad wanted to replace it with something fresh. Thus began the hunt.
The Search, The Dilemma and The Decision:-
I popped the idea to Dad that we should go for a car in a higher segment (mainly to use for self-drive). We thought about the usual suspects >> Mercedes C-class, Audi A4 and BMW 3-series. After thinking hard and long, Dad decided he didn’t want to spend on such an attention grabbing car (Badge-wise).
After reading the review about the VW Passat on T-Bhp, I suggested that to Dad since it seemed to tick all the boxes. After showing him the pictures and review of the car (which he liked), we agreed to TD the Passat.
We arranged for a TD car to be brought over. The SP arrived earlier than scheduled (Dad and I hadn’t even returned from office yet!!) so had to wait for 15 minutes or so. The car he had brought was a Black Passat Highline. Since it had been raining that day, the car was dirty on the outside (can’t help that really). The SP apologised for bringing the car in such a state and being early! (A very well-mannered chap and nice to talk to).
The moment I sat inside the car, my mind was made up. Upon taking it out for a spin, I was falling in love with it even more! The 2.0 Tdi engine’s 168 horses pulled us along the road with ease. Dad and I loved the German build-quality (felt like a tank!). Using the Auto-Park was quite an experience for the first time. It was quite nerve-wracking letting the steering turn by itself and the car slot into the parking spot. I half expected to crunch the pillar behind at any time. TD done, Dad and I sat together to think. We told the SP that we would call him if when we had made our decision.
The next day we called him to the office to work out all the formalities, etc. We had selected a Silver Passat Highline. I was disappointed to learn that the waiting period was about 3 months for the car! The SP said that they had a Silver Passat Comfortline in stock, which we said no to. (That car coincidentally was bought by one of my best friends!!! – What a small world it is. So the most agonising 3 months began. Though I was away for the entire time (was in university at the time in the UK), I knew that the delivery date fell bang in the middle of my winter vacations.
Fast-forward:-
December 2011, I return home for the holidays. 23rd December, I drive to the VW showroom to pick up our new beast. We instantly spot it parked right in front, ready for delivery. A few remaining formalities are finished off in 20 minutes and then comes the big moment! I take a long walk around the car, checking each and every bit to check if everything is in order. Once I’m satisfied, the SP hands over the keys, a cake (Yum!!), a bouquet of flowers and clicks a picture.
Drive & Comfort: From a driver’s perspective, it’s a great car to drive. The powerful 2.0 Tdi packs a good punch. Have ended up cruising at 140kmph on empty stretches (late at night of course) without realising! The car feels planted at high-speeds, though I would have preferred more feed-back from the steering (not complaining though). Surprisingly, driving in the city is also a breeze. Despite the size of the car, it is easy to manoeuvre in the bumper-to-bumper traffic. The light steering ensures one does not break into a sweat while driving in such situations. This is also a boon when parking in a spot that requires a lot of manoeuvring and if auto-park abandons you then.
On the other hand, the car is extremely comfortable from the passenger’s perspective also. The suspension soaks up most of the infamous potholes that dot Calcutta’s roads. The leg room in the rear is amazing as well, though not as good as the Skoda Superb’s. The transmission tunnel hump at the rear could annoy the 5th passenger on long drives however. The sun blinds at the rear provide more than adequate shade from the scorching sun and help keep the passengers cool. The cabin is well insulated too, filtering out the hustle-bustle outside the car.
Fuel-economy: More than satisfied with the car in this aspect. Averages a decent 11 km/lt in stop-start city traffic with AC running full-time. This figure is as per the MID. Being a diesel also helps in current fuel-price situation.
Equipment: The Highline variant of the Passat is very well kitted out. Cruise-control, Heated + cooled front seats, Electric fold + adjust ORVMs, Electrically adjustable seats, Touch-screen audio, Electric sunblind, Sunroof, etc.
The Auto-park works like a gem in most places. Very very convenient if you are too lazy to park! The only downside of the system is that it may sometimes not work in the traffic conditions we face in India. A spot which may accommodate the car reasonably well may not be detected by the system if the clearances are not in-line with what the system needs. The auto-start/stop function is useful for saving fuel, but can get irritating in stop-go city traffic. There is however a button to deactivate this.
The sound system is adequate. The speakers could have been better. A speaker upgrade would fix this issue, but the SP told me it would void the car’s warranty. Hence, I decided against going ahead with it.
The AC chills the cabin very efficiently. However the rear vents take a little longer to cool the rear passengers. The Seat cooling function is amazing! Prevents having a sweaty back against the leather seats.
The ORVMs provide a good field of vision behind the car and there aren’t any blind-spots as such. One needs to take care while reversing due to the size of the car’s rear. The reversing camera works well along with the parking sensors to make the task a lot easier. If you’re feeling too lazy, just use Auto-park!
Build quality and Ergonomics: The usual tank-like German build. The car feels as solid is a rock! The interior is well laid out, so all the switches & buttons are easily within reach. The AC controls can be fiddly to use while trying to operate on the move though. One may have to take their eyes off the road for an instant to adjust the system.
Faults: Left-rear suspension started squeaking at around 4,500kms. Was fixed by the dealer, though the experience with the workshop was less than satisfactory. Car was returned in a very dirty state, the electric sunblind wasn’t working and the VW logo was missing from the key-fob. Many phone calls later, all these were finally rectified. Volkswagen seriously needs to pull up their dealers on the service front.
Car details:- Model / Variant: Volkswagen Passat Highline
Colour: Silver
Delivered: December 2011 (After a 3 month wait)
Kilometres covered till date: 6,000
All in all, it has been a great journey so far, barring the minor bump (experience with the service centre) in the middle. Looking forward to many more kilometres of fun in the Passat!
To summarise, I have listed some of my likes and dislikes about the car so far.
Likes:-
• Understated but mature looks
• Tank-like German build quality
• Punchy 168bhp engine
• Fuel economy is surprisingly good!
• Easy to drive in Calcutta’s horrible rush-hour traffic despite its size
• Auto-hold function is well suited for stop-start traffic
• Auto-Park is amazingly accurate and is very useful in most places
• Seat-cooling function works very well
• Interiors are a great place to be in!
• Great fun to push the car in ‘S’-mode
• HUUUGGEEE Boot (can surely fit an elephant in it)
Dislikes:-
• Speakers could have been better
• After-Sales-Service is not up to the mark
• Auto-Park can sometimes may not work as intended in Indian road conditions
• Rear AC vents don’t cool as well as the ones in front
• Stop-start function can get irritating in rush-hour traffic (though there is a button to deactivate it)
P.S. – We ended up keeping the old Corolla as well! I refused to sell it since I felt the offers we were getting were nowhere near the value of the car that had been maintained in mint condition. So the old boy is still soldiering on at 87,000kms
I shall put up more detailed pictures over the next week or so. And that is NOT how I actually look
Cheers!
fordfreak