For a while I’ve been wondering about when would be a good time to prepare a long term report on the VW Passat we purchased new in September 2014.
We’ve put a hair under 35,000 miles on it during our ownership. We’ve become sporadic in our driving as it will sometimes sit in the garage without seeing daylight for a week. The first month of ownership saw nearly 3,000 miles, yet only 6,000 miles have been added in the last twelve months. That’s just the way it’s been going.
This past weekend was one of those sporadic times, with a roundtrip of just under 600 miles. While making this trip, I realized my experiences were a nice encapsulation of the bulk of our ownership experience.
The reason for the trip was not a happy one. Compounding my sour mood was a long-scheduled seminar hosted and taught by Mrs. Jason and Mrs. Jason Junior that weekend necessitated my going solo.
Taken April 6, 1946
The trip was for the funeral of someone I’ve mentioned periodically, my maternal Grandmother “Iris”.
Her real name was Violet and a number of various health issues converged. In the big scheme of things she realized what many never do; she lived to be twelve days shy of her 91st birthday and she and Grandpa “Albert” lived in their own house until late this past November.
She died on Thursday afternoon and her funeral was scheduled for Saturday, with the quick turnaround not allowing Mrs. Jason sufficient time to notify attendees traveling to the seminar. Upon learning specifics for the funeral, I loaded up the VW and headed to my parent’s house near Alto Pass, Illinois, leaving Jefferson City mid-afternoon Friday.
Before I get too far, I will make a confession. Had my first experience with four-cylinder engines been as profoundly positive as my experience with the 1.8T in this Passat, they never would have received so much of my ire. This engine is an amazing little powerhouse, allowing me to blast across I-70 in Missouri at hyper-legal speeds with nary a whimper. Hell, it still accelerated great when I punched it at 75 mph so I could get around some slowpokes. It’s as smooth at 6,000 rpm as it is at idle.
It’s in a completely different realm than the four-cylinder engines I had to endure in the 1980s and 1990s. When making a similar trip in January 2017, upon Grandma Violet first becoming ill, I found myself tootling along at 92 mph while going north on I-55. It wasn’t even breathing hard although my passing everything on the interstate should have been a sign of my velocity.
For being a lemon, it was running at over 80 mph
The autobahning across I-70 was invigorating. Hitting I-64 at Wentzville was not so invigorating as I had no more than crossed the Missouri River when I encountered the typical Friday afternoon throng of traffic. Doing so did allow me to stand on the brakes numerous times, reminding me of a prior conversation with the service manager at the VW dealer where we bought the car. While there for an oil change, I struck up a conversation with him. Telling him we needed to be brutally honest, I stated my awareness about the longterm reliability of VWs not being the most admired.
He agreed there are some outliers with the Passat not being one of those. With other 1.8T Passats of this vintage hitting 100,000 miles, he said there have been no mechanical issues and rare is the time they see those in harsher uses even needing brake pads. He also told me Mrs. Jason and I had been shrewd to purchase a base model as the abundance of electronics in the higher end cars has introduced more challenges due to their complexity. I also learned that moonroofs can be bad news in a VW as they’ve seen instances of them leaking with water running down into the electronics behind the dash, creating all sorts of lovely problems.
That was good to know as I plan to keep this car until it’s kaput and I have to drag it to my back lot for retirement.
After the tortuously slow, stop-and-go drive through St. Louis, hitting the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River at exactly 5 pm, I arrived at my parent’s house around 7 pm. The two-lane portion of IL 127 let me follow a number of people who were decidedly not in a hurry, including the Dodge pickup whose right LED taillight kept flickering.
The next morning I drove solo to Cape Girardeau to get Grandpa Albert for the trip to the funeral home in nearby Scott City. Parking at the front door of his assisted living facility, I walked with him out to the car. For someone who will be 94 in March, and whose compression fracture of a vertebra in November made his osteoporosis more pronounced, he got in the front seat without issue. The front door of the Passat appears to swing out to a higher degree than other mid-sized cars. He was able to enter the car, close the door, and put on his seatbelt entirely unassisted.
I took his walker (he calls it a mule) and tossed it into the trunk without issue. The trunk has a great leftover height for walkers mules and routine items; for some items, especially coolers of any size, the opening of the Passat, like a lot of other contemporary cars, really sucks.
The trip to the funeral home was nothing I will dwell on. Grandpa hit upon a large number of subjects, some going along with some of the stories I had thought of during my travels.
For instance, there was the time Grandma made a pointed observation. Grandma Violet was 5’10” tall and Grandpa was 6’2″. Once while awaiting the checker at the grocery store, a short, pudgy woman in front of them turned around and looked the two of them over in what was described as a condescending fashion.
“My, my, I bet you have taallll children.”
Grandma smiled and responded as only she could.
“Yes, our oldest daughter is 5’8″ and our late daughter was 5’5″. Our youngest, our son, is 6’8″ tall. None of them are fat.”
Chevrolet Impala: The Camry of the vast Midwest
There was the barbecue when Grandma needed the bottle of lighter fluid. Picking it up, she was quickly annoyed, muttering “who leaves a tablespoon of lighter fluid in the jug?” Trying to be some combination of helpful and mischievous, I brought Grandma’s attention to the can of gasoline in the shed. Looking back and forth between the barbecue and the gas can a few times, Grandma took the top off the lighter fluid and poured in some gas. The fire took off great. I asked if she was going to tell Grandpa about the gasoline in the jug. She said he’d figure it out.
This was too good to not include somewhere
When I was five she sent me to the garden to pick an onion. My younger sister was three and, like younger siblings can sometimes be, was an annoying shadow. When my sister picked a second onion, I told her only one was needed and to put it back in the ground. Not able to do so, she starting crying and popped me in the mouth in frustration. When I told Grandma, she had no sympathy, telling me I had earned it.
Cape’s police cars used to black, then white, now black and white. Things certainly evolve.
As an aside, our being anywhere near the garden was a rare experience because if Grandpa was anywhere near he’d holler for us to “stay out of the god damn garden!”. If we even so much as pointed our heads that direction he’d yell from a quarter-mile away to “stay out of the god damn garden!”. If I had to go to the pasture, it meant walking a narrow path between the garden and a barbed wire fence. I hugged that barbed wire as I didn’t want to be accused of being in the garden.
It was so effective, when I was twenty-five years old Grandma sent me to pick some tomatoes from the garden. All I could hear was Grandpa’s age-old admonishment. Torn, I said “Grandma, I’m not supposed to be in the god damn garden.” She broke out laughing and I picked some tomatoes.
Prior to the services, my mother’s younger brother “Ron” said he’d like to ride with me to the cemetery so we could both be with Grandpa. An undertaker had parked the Passat behind the hearse during the service. Upon its conclusion, Ron helped Grandpa into the VW while I helped with pallbearer duties. Finishing, I turned around and took the five steps to the car.
Taken in 1943 or 1944
Ron stood there with a tight little mischievous grin and said: “Jason, you are driving a World War II veteran around in a German car. What’s wrong with you?”
I couldn’t help but laugh and admitted to having thought similar. Then I asked him if he noticed his nephew Brett’s VW Touareg parked two cars back. Ron said he had. When he got in my VW, to distract from the heaviness, Ron reminded me of his old Beetle and told me of his younger son having had a Jetta for a while.
Herein lies another fabulous trait of the Passat. My uncle Ron is 6’8″ tall and has a very stout frame. He will be 60 this fall and is not a small man. When he got in I asked if he had enough room. He was thrilled to be in such a commodious back seat. That, folks, was a large part of what led us to the Passat – a roomy rear seat. Even Mrs. Jason Junior extolled its virtues.
After leaving the cemetery, there was a meal for the extended family. While there I learned my cousin Brett’s Touareg is his third late-model VW. His first was a Jetta TDI he still uses for his lengthy commute, with the second being a Passat TDI. The Passat was too small for their family needs, thus the Touareg. He said he’ll never buy anything but a VW from here on out – never any real problems, a comfortable ride, and they drive great. I fully comprehend what he says.
Right after purchasing our Passat, I kept noticing a faint crinkling sound between my shoulder blades. Mrs. Jason, who is three inches shorter, never experienced it. Taking it to the dealer, the service manager, who was about six inches shorter than me, could not replicate it. With me sitting there, he heard it. A fluke during assembly had caused a vapor barrier (or some piece of plastic) to get bunched up. Had I been taller or shorter, it may have never been realized.
Likely taken in New York City. Grandpa is top right; others identified as Enghart, Berge, Watson, Spear, and Throll
Taking Grandpa back to his apartment, I again stopped by the front door. He easily climbed out, as he had done several times that day, while I retrieved his mule from the trunk.
I had entertained the idea of driving back home, but it was getting dark and I was tired. I returned to Alto Pass.
I forgot to mention…my sister was there and had traveled from Cincinnati in her ’08 or ’09 Passat wagon. She and her long-term guy friend Alan have had it for a long time. I had forgotten she owned a VW when we bought ours.
Staying with my parents was the right thing to do; Grandpa wanted me to return Sunday morning and my mother needed to unload about things. To inject some humor into what a been a trying day while accompanied by my trusty German steed, I told a story. I’m telling it here to show how people management skills don’t diminish with age.
During the visitation, Grandpa’s 92 year old cousin Lucy (there were close to a dozen people over age 90 there, including these three) came and flopped down, putting her head on his shoulder. Lucy has a reputation for her ridiculous display of boo-hoos at any funeral. I sat down next to Grandpa after Lucy left suddenly. Brett came up and offered to help Grandpa to the toilet. Grandpa said he didn’t have to go. Brett, confused, said Lucy had just told him he did. Grandpa, annoyed, said something to the affect of “look at the source. How else could I get rid of her?”
Sorry, I keep digressing.
Conversation with Alan revealed their Passat has 116,000 miles and the 2.0T engine. In the time they’ve owned it troubles have been few. There was the broken wiper arm and a $0.40 clamp that broke. The problem was the clamp was holding something that was plumbed to the turbo, so the car sounded horrible. Other than that, it’s been trouble free.
Alan had also purchased a 1988 VW Fox when new. In 160,000 miles he said there were no issues.
I told Alan at the 30,000 mile oil change (a year ago) the service department noticed some very minor seepage around the rear main seal of the engine. It was replaced under warranty. When the bumper-to-bumper warranty was about to expire, I had taken it in for the Takata airbag recall and asked them to go over the car with a fine-tooth comb. They happily did so, stating they had replaced the left-rear brake caliper. Like I told Alan, I can’t help but wonder if the dealer had to charge VW something for having the car. When I removed the wheels for inspection soon thereafter, that brake caliper looked no newer than the other three.
After visiting Grandpa on Sunday morning, I headed back to Jefferson City. Despite it being 42 Fahrenheit when I left Cape Girardeau, snow was in the forecast. Sure enough, the temperature steadily dropped and I encountered snow soon after exiting I-44. Thinking about it, this was the first time our VW has ever seen snow. If the weather is crummy, we always leave it inside and take my Ford pickup.
My fuel economy averaged 33.2 mpg for the first 500 miles of this trip, driving that included sustained high speeds, two lane roads, city driving, and some idling at the cemetery – par for the course on similar trips. The EPA rates it at 34 mpg highway (which I have exceeded a time or two) and 28 mpg combined city/highway. The only flaw was one I warned fellow contributor Ed Snitkoff about when he recently wrote of his father’s Passat…
The Hancook Optimos are not the best tires I’ve experienced. They are loud and have less than mediocre traction. They will be going away this spring.
So, previously unbeknownst to me, we are now up to seven VWs in my family. Eight, if you count the 1959 bus my dad’s dad purchased new. Nine of you count our Passat. Perhaps ten if dad trades off their 2011 Taurus for an Atlas or Touareg as I recommended. He’s 74 with an artificial hip; mom’s about to be 71 and has two artificial knees. I told him they need to think ingress and egress.
At whatever time we’ll be needing another car, I’ll be going to the VW dealer without a doubt. The Passat has been the ideal car to see us through not only this recent event but many others.
VW just needs to start thinking about bringing the Amarok to the States. And the 2.0T has returned to the Passat for 2018. And the Golf wagon would be great for hauling a harp. And I want to own a manual transmission again, with a GTI being a great candidate.
Yes, I’ll admit it. My latent VW-ness has fully emerged and there’s a great reason why. This Passat serves us well, with Mrs. Jason saying the car is a good reflection of us. What more can one ask for?
I’m very sorry for your loss, Jason. I had to experience the same this past July. The last of my remaining grandparents, Peggy chose to not have any further medical treatment for her heat condition. The inevitable followed fairly quick. That pales in comparison to when Grandma Alma died in January 2013. She passed 4 days before her 104th birthday (good god, I have to really save up for retirement). As a very stern German, what proceeds is very fitting of her legacy. We took my parent’s ’05 Acura TL to the funeral. Frigid cold that day, one of the coldest that winter in MN. After we leave the funeral, I’m in the back seat holding a huge floral bouquet from the service. We get about a mile away from my house when the Acura, while traveling at about 25 mph, suddenly screeched to an abrupt halt. Flowers and water fly all over the car. Mom screams to dad “why did you do that!”. “I don’t know what happened!” was his reply (there was a recall on the MDX for this exact scenario, but not the TL for some reason). Needless to say, mom said it was Alma letting us know she was still in control, lol. Yeah, Mom and Grandma did not get along well, to put it mildly.
“Sorry, I keep digressing.”
Ah, but the digressions are the heart of the alleged “car” story you have written.
A lovely and affectionate piece. Thankyou for sharing.
Sorry for your loss Jason. I enjoyed your stories about your Grandparents’ adventures over the years.
Thank you.
I just bought a 2013 Passat. As in, last week. Finally traded in my used-up Matrix.
I cannot believe the legroom in the back seat. It was a major selling point. And even though the car has the older 2.5L five, it’s got plenty of scoot. The press seems to vastly prefer the TSi four in your car, Jason, but after coming from Ford Focus daily driving the 2.5 offers plenty of power for me. Of course, I haven’t made a serious highway trip yet.
It’s always best to make memories in your cars with people you care about. Good that you got to do some of that on your trip to say farewell to your grandmother.
An inspired choice and in a wonderful color. Black or gray (grey) interior? I love gray on a car as it gives it a degree of sophistication. It’s used a lot these days, but it makes every car it’s on look good.
From what the dealer told me at the time of our purchase, power output between the 2.5 and 1.8T is comparable although (going from memory) the 1.8T had a smidgeon more torque available at lower engine speeds with a trifle better fuel economy.
“I love gray on a car as it gives it a degree of sophistication.”
That was pretty much exactly what Mrs. JPC said when she chose gray for the Sedona. I think she was right.
Black interior, the dealer said, but it looks charcoal to me!
I’m still figuring out how to get power from the 2.5 at the times I want it. There’s an odd reluctance to all-out go from a dead start, just a tiny hesitation. Perhaps I just need to mash the pedal. I haven’t put mine on the highway yet to see what power is available at speed.
IIRC, the 2.5 5-cylinder is now considered one of VW’s most reliable and long-lasting engines. And the sound of a 5 is one of the better ones out there, lots of character. I think you just have to mat the pedal and get the downshift. I think you may find more power higher in the rev range (i.e. great passing power) as opposed to from a dead stop.
In any case, congratulations, it looks great!
Re this engine’s reliability: Woot!
And it does sound good and throaty under acceleration.
My condolences on your family’s loss.
VW does a lot right which makes their shortcomings seem more disappointing. My 16 Golf is a brilliant automobile in many respects – that fantastic 1.8 TSI engine, solidity, perfectly balanced chassis dynamics, interior ergonomics, etc. It doesn’t feel cheap in the way most mass market cars do. Fuel economy is fantastic, partly to do I’m sure to one of the bad things about the car.
The bad – transmission ratios and programming that work great when driving aggressively or if you live somewhere flat, it’s sucky otherwise. The work day grind in hilly suburban sprawl traffic has the car trying go everywhere at just above idle speeds with the resultant near lugging moaning and groaning. You can manually choose gear ratios with the shifter mechanism and / or paddle shifters which I do frequently. That may be what has led to the shifter mechanism being replaced twice when an internal switch goes bad and causes a problem light to light up on the dash. Other problems include a failed radio antenna and a peeling interior trim piece as well as a recall that required me to bring the car in on empty because they had to get into the tank for the work. So 5 issues that required me to bring it back to the dealer between 18000 and 32000 miles. FCA owners I work with have pity on me . . . and give me a ride so I don’t have to ride the dealer shuttle.
I just put a set of Michelin Premier A/S on and they are wonderful. There is an instant rebate and 1 cent installation at Costco this month so hurry if you need some.
Thank you.
Your Golf experience is the sort of thing that went through my head when the rear main seal issue was found. Thankfully we haven’t experienced anything near what you have.
My disappointment with the car is more philosophical than anything. None of these issues actually created a situation that caused more inconvenience than having to drop it off at the dealer on my way to work and picking it up in the afternoon. My daughter is learning to drive in it and if the issues slow down it will be her’s to drive. If not, I guess I’ll buy her a Corolla. They are nowhere near as bad as folks make them out to be and a heck of a good value for folks that just need to get around.
Sorry about the reason for the trip, but glad it was otherwise uneventful. At some point in our lives, these occurrences become the major reason for family gatherings…
It was great, however, to hear about the car and how it’s been treating you, I had no idea yours was such a VW loving extended family. You all have more VWs in your stable than many Germans I know back in Germany. Perhaps you should change the Shafer name to the correct spelling, just add one “c” and an umlaut.
Thank you.
I wasn’t aware of all the VW-ness either. I was aware of Brett having a Jetta and I vaguely remember Ron having his Beetle. On the flip side this was the first time I’ve seen my sister in several years (likely five or so) and I just remember her ride as being her old ’97 Taurus.
The weird thing is I’m not even German – both my parents had DNA testing and there is zero German in us, although mom has some Eastern European so maybe that’s close enough. If I was going to embrace my heritage (about 3/4 for each of my parents), I need to drive this baby…..
Interesting. You’ve never come across as very German to me, but I didn’t want to say anything, as there are always exceptions to the stereotypes. But yes, British is much more like it. The bard; story telling is definitely in the British genes. And yes, I could see you behind the wheel of that.
I’d always been told I was primarily German. Last year my parents had the DNA testing through Ancestory.com or something similar.
Both were over 75% British (with a dash of Scandinavian and Asian) with zero German so imagine the collective surprise. So how my last name came about, along with Grandpa’s mother and her siblings speaking German, has to be attributed to the Eastern European in them. My ancestors might also explain my strong affinity for tea and never using ice.
That’s it – you need a set of Dunlops to replace the Hankook tires on your VW. 🙂
“You are driving a World War II veteran around in a German car. What’s wrong with you?”
Now that’s a line I haven’t heard in several decades, but when the WWII generation was still plentiful, it was a frequent comment. In my family, the most likely person to connect WWII with German and Japanese cars was my Uncle Marty. As a battle-wounded WWII Pacific Navy vet, he certainly couldn’t be blamed for his opinions. And whenever the topic of cars came up, Marty would say “You’re not getting one of them Jap cars, are you?”
Needless to say, he’d frequently offer up a quick history lesson at the sight of my parents’ Subaru. Not a fan, as one can imagine.
In 1991, Marty’s two-tone brown Chevy Celebrity was hit from behind, and he needed to buy a new car. And he bought… a Camry. In defending his choice of cars, he simply said, “I drove them all, and this was the best of ‘em.”
To me, that was the moment when foreign-branded cars quit being foreign.
There’s no doubt that line has been used before many times. When I bought the car, I told Grandpa it wasn’t an American brand. His question was his (seeing the car from a distance) typical “What the hell is it?”
When I responded, he said that make wasn’t a problem.
As for Ron saying it, it was to no doubt cut the tension.
A bittersweet story, thank you for telling it. I don’t think I am alone here when I say that I felt like I knew your grandmother and will miss hearing fresh stories about her.
I had a complex relationship with my only VW but that is getting to be ancient history. My sister has been a VW girl until recently with 7 that I can think of, almost all of which provided very long service. If VW had made an AWD wagon in 2014 (like the Subaru Outback she chose) she would probably still have it. But they didn’t.
I experienced Hankook tires on my Kia and was no happier with them than you are. It sounds li,e a good set of Michelins should complete your positive experience with the car. Isn’t it a wonderful feeling to take a little chance on a new car and have it turn out so well?
Thank you. I’ve mentioned her often enough it seemed appropriate to give it closure. Grandpa is doing remarkably well with it. Her health had been an issue for a while, and it was wearing on him, so I think his overall condition will improve.
Interesting you mention tires. I took the VW in for an oil change yesterday and was given a price of $144 each on Michelin Defenders that had been in stock for a while. I’m passing on them due to those I know having had less than great experiences with Michelin – the exact opposite of your experiences from what I have gathered. I suspect I’ll ultimately get a brand I’ve had great luck using and have on the pickup and Galaxie.
However, I did get a free oil change for having driven a new Tiguan, so that’s not all bad.
This story truly touched my heart. I’m terribly sorry for your loss Jason.
That being said, I really enjoyed hearing so much about your grandparents and extended family. Your words came straight from the heart and I felt like I knew Iris and Albert by the end of this story.
It reminded me so much of my own family, having dealt with the passing of my grandmother Mary, six days after turning 86 in 2011, and her brother, my great Uncle Joe’s passing last March, two weeks before his 90th.
Your grandparents’ responses in some situations remind me of my grandmother in one particular occasion. It was November 2008 and she had just voted in what would be her last presidential election. Our polling station was at the school of the Catholic church Nana was a member of, but she hadn’t been going as regularly due to her declining health and increasing frailness.
On our way out, an older woman we passed says to my grandmother “I haven’t seen you in church in a while”. Without skipping a beat, Nana sighs and says “I had a minor stroke a few months back”. After a few more quick exchanges of words, we continue on and I asked Nana why she told the woman she had a stroke when in fact she didn’t. “Well I had to tell her something!” she exclaimed.
I always laugh thinking of this story, as Nana would rather lie than be accused of being an unfaithful Catholic.
That story about your grandmother is great!
When the body has lost one of the five senses, others increase to compensate. I think similar often holds true that as the body deteriorates, the brain helps compensate for the loss. That, or one is less bothered with telling a fib beyond a certain point.
Sorry about your loss. I really enjoyed getting to know your grandparents through your wonderful stories here.
Thank you. Oddly, I’ve learned more about them in the last five years than I learned in the previous forty.
Part of it, at least with my grandfather, is my desire to know more about WWII is almost comparable to my automotive bent. He’s told me a lot the last few years, such as his time guarding German POWs. Once when loading them on a truck he handed his loaded carbine to one so he could climb aboard. It was handed back to him when he sat down.
My condolences Jason. I’m hoping there’s internet access in the afterlife, and that your grandma is reading your work and smiling.
I keep forgetting to check what tires are on dad’s Passat. So far he hasn’t had any traction issues with the car and at this point its been through quite a bit of snow. In fact he says its handles the white stuff quite well. And despite the winter weather his last tank of gas netted him 35 MPG, which means he’s now getting better mileage in the Passat than the Civic!
Here’s to hoping the VW’s in both our families hold up just as well as they already have, for years to come.
Jason, sorry for your loss. Losing a family member is never easy. On another note, I am in the VW fan club. I’ve been the proud owner of a 2012 Passat S with the 2.5 inline 5 for almost 3 years. I also am impressed with the room in the back seat. I have had no issues with almost 100,000 miles. I have also found myself going a lot faster than I should be on the freeway. Mine is Operatic Red w/ black interior. I would definitely buy another and recommend it.
Jason, sorry for your loss, and thank you for creating a wonderful story. I only knew one of my grandparents, and him only briefly, mostly as a teen My own dad died long before my kids were born, and my wife’s parents are 3000 miles away, so I really haven’t had much grandparent experience. I do have more VW experience … having owned four, including our newly acquired 2015 Golf. That 1.8T is indeed a wonderful motor, and even though our base (S) model is only a 5 speed, unlike the 6 speed GTI, the driving experience is still fine. Our’s has what I assume (based on miles) are the original Bridgestone Ecopias and they are horribly harsh and noisy. On our previous 1.8T Beetle, I replaced the OEM Michelin’s with Hankooks and they seemed just fine. My mom, who was of the WW II generation, was reluctant to ride in the New Beetle, and took every opportunity to remind me that the VW was Hitler’s baby. Of course, she had said the same about my Scirocco 30 years earlier. She only ever owned English and Swedish cars in her life.
Really touching story, thanks for it.
Always interesting how car expectations have changed over the generations. All my father would ever buy were coupes, family cars never had four doors. My sister and I were crammed into the back seat of the little Mustang on many a family vacation.
You get used to it.
Of course that was easier then with no car seats for the kids.
My own fetish love for all things VW ends about 1984, when the original rabbit went away here. Though I’d love and adore one of the last of the Mexican built bugs.
Whoever owned that RV with the lemon stickers you snapped a pic of sure must have a story.
Deepest condolences on your loss, Jason. Reading your very well written stories here, I feel I’ve gotten to know your grandparents in a way.
As to the 4 cylinder experience, I concur. Like you, I always had my doubts. My wives past and present have had 4 cylinder cars, and I’ve never really been impressed. So when it came time to buy one, I had my doubts too. But that 1.5L Turbo in my Honda Civic is a very pleasant experience. It’s smooth as can be at idle or at 6 grand. The car is way faster than you’d expect, and I really have to pay attention to my speed, because it’s as smooth at 85 to 90+ as it is at 65.
They’re definitely more refined than they used to be.
My condolences for your loss, Jason. Thank you for all the stories you’ve shared about your grandparents over the years, it sounds like they lived a great life and that longevity is definitely a strong suit in your family. I hope that your grandfather is able to continue on and keep his spirits high.
Glad to hear that you continue to be happy with your Passat. A coworker had one from this generation a few years ago, I remember it being nicely finished and remarkably roomy inside.
So sorry for your loss, Jason. Your wonderful stories and way with writing make me feel as though I knew them personally, and thank you so much for sharing them with us.
The financial prospects of a used VW have always put me off of looking at one, as I’ve heard too many tales of woe. However, if I were shopping new and would have the protection of a warranty, I might be willing to give one a try as the Passat does seem to be a lot of car for the money in the mid-size arena. Sounds like it’s worked well for you and perhaps they’re upping their game in the reliability department.
perhaps they’re upping their game in the reliability department.
VW now has a 6 year bumper to bumper warranty, so if something does break, at least it will not cost a bundle like it did in the bad old days when they only covered their cars for 2 years. On the upside, the VW dealers around here have the best coffee I ever tasted.
Adding condolences, as well. So sorry.
As your car ages, watch for water leaks and plastic cracking. The real problem with VWs is their penchant for using plastic for crucial connection parts (the water tube at the rear of the engine, the dipstick tube, etc.) and for burying these behind what always amounts to 10-hours shop labor. That $10 plastic water tube becomes a $700 repair, when an aluminum one could have been installed from the get-go and lasted forever. And that $1000 timing belt replacement at 80-100,000 miles is a kicker.
And keep those wires in the footwell of the passenger seat dry from leaking water. Or have they moved that computer out of the flood zone by now? My 2001 B5 1.8T is still going, but I keep vowing to get rid of it, whenever I figure out what to replace it with. Luckily it’s only on back-up duty these days.
Sorry for your loss Jason.
Another happy VW owner checking in: 2014 Jetta wagon with the 2.5 and automatic. Nearing 34K with the OEM Bridgestones. Still plenty of tread, but they are starting to get noisy and don’t grip as well in ice and snow as when new. With the horrid roads around here, especially during winter, it has crossed my mind to get a set of nice alloys shod with equally nice Michelins (I have never had a bad Michelin in 40 years) for road trips and keep the Bridgestones and steelies to be the sacrificial skins for pothole season. Thing is, the alloys I like best are the “Bioline” model offered as the factory wheel on some higher trim Jetta wagons. Biolines are only available in the parts catalog, at $400 ea (ouch!). Or refurbs or knockoffs on eBay for a lot less (hrmm…”refurb” wheels?)
I had a beater Focus last winter, but then I got a look at the new Tiguan at the Detroit show last year, and now the thought of making the Jetta only a 10 year car and running it in the winter, then going to a Tig doesn’t seem so bad. Meanwhile VW can debug the Tig, and put in an engine with a few more beans, like the 2.0T in the base Atlas (about 50 more hp and 37 pound/feet more torque) as everyone, including Consumer Reports, cries about how pokey the Tig is.
Also sorry to hear about the loss of your Grandmother.
Another longtime VW family here…my parents owned both a 1959 Beetle and a 1961 Bus (BTW, Dad was in the Canadian Navy in WW2 on a Destroyer escorting the Russian convoys!). My wife’s family had a Karmann Ghia and 3 Beetles including an infamous Automatic StickShift. My 4th car was a 77 Rabbit followed by an 80 Scirocco S and then an 83 Rabbit GTI and an 86 GTI. My future wife bought an 87 Wolfsburg Jetta shortly after we met. We strayed to Nissan and a Mazda 3 for a while and then bought a new Golf TDI in 2013. We started the diesel VW buyback process yesterday and will be getting a 2018 Golf Alltrack in the next month or so. No real problems with any of the cars or dealers over the years. All the VW’s including the new Alltrack are manual transmissions too.
My condolences as well, there seems to be a group of us here in a similar season of life (and death). It helps to both write, and read about each other’s experiences.
“When I removed the wheels for inspection soon thereafter, that brake caliper looked no newer than the other three.”
My last visit to VW Service to have the brakes done on my wife’s Routan (plus check the transmission software revision due to a harsh shift into reverse) resulted in several items being added to my bill that were definitely *not* installed (some were items not even on a Routan). I was livid. The smarmy service manager refunded some of the charges back, but I will NEVER set foot in a VW dealership or service department again.
The smarmy service manager refunded some of the charges back, but I will NEVER set foot in a VW dealership or service department again.
For years, VW dealers had a bad reputation. VW owner relations had a horrible reputation too. That and the iffy reliability averages kept me away from the brand for decades.
Last year’s J D Power dealer service rankings had VW middle of the pack, on a par with Toyota and Hyundai. All the FCA brands brought up the rear.
My experience with VW dealers has been middling to great. The dealer in Farmington Hills did well on the couple in-warranty issues I had, but dropped the ball on routine service. The 2.5 takes 6.3 quarts of oil. The shop consistently only put in 6 quarts, just enough to fill to the “add” mark on the dipstick, so I always had to top it up when I checked their work when I got home. (I started checking the shop’s work when I was dealing with the Honda dealer in Plymouth, that always managed to mess something up…J D Power rates Honda service slightly below VW). The last straw was they never answered the phone when i called to make a service appointment. I would always go to voicemail, and I didn’t have all day to sit around waiting for a callback.
The dealer in Ann Arbor has given excellent service. They cured a tiny rattle in the rear of the car, in warranty, on the first trip. They always fill the oil correctly. And they answer their phone. Had a puncture last year, and headed in to the Ann Arbor shop. Must have been a slow day as they repaired the tire, washed the car, vacuumed the interior. No charge for any of it.
Condolences on this sad occasion and thank you for the stories you’ve shared.
If you ever feel like adding to the catalogue of your grandparents’ adventures, there’s clearly an eager audience here. Truely remarkable people.
Very sorry to hear of your loss. As others have said, your extended family has become an important part of this group.
The only VW in my family is the Beetle my Dad owned from ’63-’67. As far as I know, he was satisfied with the car, but the only dealer in the area was quite inconveniently located, so he went back to Fords that you could get serviced anywhere.
After my B5 Passat TDI I bought a 159 JTDm 16 valve by Alfa Romeo.
Despite all the oooohs and aaaaaahs the Alfa proved to be the better car.
The TDI always had small issues.
The Alfa only a broken steeringrack, cost me € 1200 less 50% discount coz the car had done 110000 kilometers when it broke.
Loved them both, the Passat’s fuel economy was of biblical modest proportions, but the way a 159 drives is out of this world.
The Alfa you’d look over your shoulder when you parked it.
I’m sorry for your loss.
It’s remarkable how during WWII USA and Russia were allies and now it’s like back to a Cold War days.
I always liked understated styling of VW. I have not sat or driven a Passat, but even Jetta has a very roomy back seat even for myself (I’m 6’4″). I’ve driven a pre-MQB generation of Jetta with 2.slow. It was not any slower that my former Taurus with a Vulcan that I called 3.slow. The seats, as any German car that I’ve experienced were not fatiguing even on the long trips.
Adding to the Condolences, Jason, I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your Grandmother. I enjoyed reading your previous Curbside Classic writeups about her and your Grandfather Albert and their trips with the vehicles they had. It sounds like she wasn’t shy about letting you know where she stood on things. I’m sure it’s tough losing a spouse after all those years together..as my Mother too has after losing my Father 2 years ago.
Coincidentally, when I lost my last Grandparent in 2004 (also my Grandmother), the pallbearers of which I was one along with my cousins, all rode in my Uncle’s 1998 B4 Passat. (which I think my cousin has since inherited). Neither of my Grandmothers ever learned to drive (which I don’t think was unusual for their generation based on where they lived..their husbands drove the only car they had, if they went anywhere without them, they rode with a neighbor or took the bus (or walked)..they also were pretty formal when they referred to their neighbors as “Mr Adamczk” or Mrs. Mitchco” rather than by their first names (despite being around the same age as said neighbor). My Grandmother also thought that any small car was a sports car, which might have been generally true for cars in the 30’s and 40’s, but I wonder if she were still alive whether she might have thought that all cars were now sports cars, since they are considerably smaller than the standard size car of half a century ago. It was another time, and seems pretty foreign to the way things are today.
Being of considerable stature, I find myself often called upon to be a pallbearer in funerals…maybe I could lend myself out as a “fill in” in my retirement? “No problem…I’ll help give you one more lift”.
My Dad owned a used ’59 Beetle and drove several before that when he was stationed in Germany in the Army…I on the other hand have owned 3 VWs, none of them aircooled, all hatchbacks, and all with standard transmissions…they only brand car I’ve owned since selling my 1974 Datsun 710 to buy a 1978 Scirocco…sold 30 years ago but still my favorite of the (admittedly limited number) of different cars that I’ve owned. However, my Father was the type to buy a different car every few years (and usually had 2 different cars in his household starting with that ’59 Beetle) so I’ve gotten to drive a variety of cars by driving his. It also didn’t hurt that I worked as a transporter for Hertz while in college, returning the one-way rentals back to my local home office at the airport.
Glad the VW is working well for you. I find they respond well to regular maintenance (probably more than most cars) and are pretty particular as to which fluids they use which can be expensive and a bit of a pain to make sure you have the right stuff. VW parts aren’t inexpensive, but being that many of them are the same ones used on more expensive European cars, I wonder why people would expect to find them to be less expensive when sold to be put into a VW rather than a more expensive brand…after all, if it is the same part, should we expect it to be sold at a discount if it is destined to be used in a less expensive model? Doesn’t seem to work that way when you buy food at a grocery store, if you aren’t the wealthiest person who shops there you still have to pay the same price for a given item (assuming it isn’t on sale) as that person would. Still things do go wrong, I find them to be pretty durable, but maybe not as reliable as some Asian cars.
I never owned a Fox, but heard from owners who used to love them for what they were, basic transportation that covered the essentials, but little/nothing more. I thought they were based on the old Dasher/Quantum layout with a longitudinal engine layout…not as common anymore; my VWs have all had the transverse 4 cylinder orientations.
Sorry for your loss, Jason. I always enjoy your family stories. My Dad was a WW2 vet and parachuted into Italy on D Day, I enjoyed his war stories which he was willing to share during his later years, he was pretty tight lipped about the war when he was younger so I was happy to hear firsthand his war recollections, he had some really interesting stories. He bought his 1966 VW Beetle brand new and really liked the car, his war experiences didn’t deter him from buying German. Dad passed in 2013 at age 90. Parents also bought my ’66 Fastback in the early ’80’s and put about 100k miles on it, it served them well. He also had an ’85 Jetta GLI for a couple of year bought used in 1990. Parents also drove GM, Chrysler, Ford, Jeep, way back when Studebaker and Crosley, one Nissan (’85 Stanza). I think the longest stint was Chrysler, ’74 Duster, ’75 Van, ’78 Aspen, all with 225 slant 6. The Aspen swore them off Chrysler products for life. Last car was a ’93 LeSabre.
Mom passed in 2010 at age 81, my ’86 Jetta’s large trunk and opening could handle his wheelchair and Mom’s walker easily, did lots of doctor and hospital transportation with them in the VW.
The Passat seems to be holding up well for a lot of CCr’s, seems like VW has improved quality a lot in the last few years. With the small amount of driving I do nowadays, I’ll just keep the old Jetta for around town duties and use the ’04 Titan for the few longer trips I take. If I was driving more I think I’d sell the old Jetta and invest in a late model Passat, great looking cars and they sound like they are dependable, comfortable and economical, nice to see VW back on track.
Sorry to hear of your loss, Jason. As one who never knew three of my four grandparents and lived too far away to see the fourth with any frequency, I learned how much I’d missed when I met my wife’s grandparents, all four of whom were alive during the first several years of our marriage. Your stories underscore the importance of family ties and knowing your roots.
Glad to hear your experience with the Passat has been positive so far. The current generation has taken some flack for being a German Impala, but I have been very impressed the several times I have rented one, each time putting over 750 miles on the odometer. They are roomy, handle and ride well and I really like the conservative exterior lines. They were my go-to car on the Emerald Aisle, preferred above all others except perhaps the Epsilon Impala, which is really an excellent car.
That said, after owning seven Volkswagens, I opted for a Ford Fusion when I needed to replace my 2010 Passat quickly last fall. All of my VWs have been enjoyable to drive and were reliable as long as the warranty lasted, but each one seemed to require hugely expensive repairs starting in the fifth year or so of ownership. The latest Passat followed that pattern, diagnosed as needing a new transaxle plus the elimination of some electrical gremlins. After getting a consensus second and third opinion and watching the puddle of transmission fluid grow on my garage floor, I opted to trade it in.
I chose the Fusion because it was the car that felt most like a VW in terms of ride and handling but Consumer Reports rated it well for reliability. My wife drives a 2016 Tiguan with the same engine as in your Passat; she may more stubborn about sticking with VW for her next car than I was.