My downgrade feels more like an upgrade - review and build thread

[roost3r]

Looking good cheapa! Dirty or not, pretty sharp!

[cheapa55TDI]

Okay I stand corrected here i just realized that the SE roof nav has the chrome side strips fogs and bristols; VW certainly has a confusing way of packaging there cars;

Yup, it's the SE w/ sunroof and Nav.

[cheapa55TDI]

beautiful... i didnt know the se is offered with fogs and side moldings. or maybe its only for diesel.

Looking good cheapa! Dirty or not, pretty sharp!

Thanks! I really need to get some good pics with a clean car. Maybe when I finally get the windows tinted before summer time.

[gwernerjr]

Yup, it's the SE w/ sunroof and Nav.

It looks great to

[TCM GLX]

More pics!!!

[cheapa55TDI]

More pics!!!

haha, I haven't done anything new to it. But I just washed it.

if I drive by a new spot, I will try to take pics.

[cheapa55TDI]

[TCM GLX]

Sexyyyyy

[cheapa55TDI]

haha, I was at the in-laws bored so I snapped a few pics. Dirty car so b&w hides some dirt.

[cheapa55TDI]

[Notch Johnson]

I so LOVE the white! it was my first choice but didnt want to wait 5 months to get it and the dealer gave me such a great deal that I couldnt pass it up.

[CCISFORME]

I didn't want to thread jack anyone so I figured I'd start my own thread.

It seems like a lot of B7 owners come from other VWs. I recently had a baby and had to get rid of my fun weekend car. I was reluctant to sell it but a coupe just wouldn't fit the baby car seat. I was searching for a car for several months and found out about the new Passat. I wasn't too excited about the looks at first but the TDI mpg really got me considering the car. The more I see this car on the forums, the more I like them.

After months of research on what car to get, I decided to save some money and get a 2012 Passat TDI. It was hard to find the exact color combo I wanted but I'm glad I waited. I initially thought I was downgrading from my super fun 300hp 335i when I got the Passat, but after 2 wks of owning it, I couldn't be happier.

The car is solid! My wife loves how solid the car feels and sounds when closing the doors. We have 2 BMWs (now 1) in the house and we are used to solid cars after coming from owning Hondas. The interior dash and panel feels very Audi-ish which I was considering as well. It feels like I'm in an expensive car. The interior is roomier than another other car I was looking at.

The drive is still fun and it feels like there is enough power for what I need. It's not 300 hp, but it is plenty for overtaking on the freeway and picking up speed fast. I initially had issues with the "soft" suspension after driving BMWs but I am solving that problem soon.

Overall I feel like the Passat is an upgrade after driving it for a couple of weeks. I do still miss my 335 but I'm sure I'll get over it.

I'm not a good writer so I'll let pictures do the talking.

My last ride



My new ride

Beautiful machine! Enjoy in comfort & health.

[cheapa55TDI]

Went to Monterey for a few days and took a few quick informal shots with the dirty car.









Here's a peacock checking out my car.

[av_audi]

It looks like you bought your car from one of my most despised dealerships. It was a number of years ago, so things may have changed, but there were some crooks in their service department. So be careful if you take your car there.

[cheapa55TDI]

It looks like you bought your car from one of my most despised dealerships. It was a number of years ago, so things may have changed, but there were some crooks in their service department. So be careful if you take your car there.

thanks for the heads up. Fortunately I don't live close to there so I won't be taking my car there, but I did get a great deal.

[TDI Brad]

Cheapa have you adjusted the coil overs any to all the way down as low as you can take it? If so any pics?

[cheapa55TDI]

Cheapa have you adjusted the coil overs any to all the way down as low as you can take it? If so any pics?

No I haven't adjusted it at all. I've been wanting to do it but I don't have jacks at home and a good torque wrench. I might play with it this summer. I know I want to go just a little lower than what it is now.

[coffeemade]

Bump for a nice ride. Time to get some tint.

I plan to post up a build thread for my TDI once I get it back from the dealership.

I also had what felt like a downgrade which was actually more of an upgrade due to a really bad rock climbing accident I had last year. It's extremely hard and virtually impossible to drive manual with my new disabliity.....but I can drive a DSG.

The wheels I am getting installed, I haven't seen one B7 Passat with :-)

[cheapa55TDI]

Sweet! I can't wait to see what wheels you will have. But yes with the weather warming up, tint is next in my list.

[CCISFORME]

Okay I stand corrected here i just realized that the SE roof nav has the chrome side strips fogs and bristols; VW certainly has a confusing way of packaging there cars;

You can get an SEL 2.5 non premium the only way to get rns510 without kessy, or you can get a se v6 the only way to get fender with aluminum trim, or you can get the sel v6 premium the only way to get the digital oil temp readout...

I've seen people are adding fogs and chrome so I assumed but insert foot in mouth;


VW used to have it where you picked the engine (2.5 2.0tdi 3.6) then the trim (s se sel) with s only on the 2.5, and then you would add options (sunroof, nav or both on the se, and the premium pkg on the sel), Then a few months down the line the cars were just prepackaged and it caused the equipment to be hard to differentiate; Some cars have what others don't it is hard to order them.

You can't say fogs are for sels, because the 2.5 sel non premium (the only non premium sel) doesnt have them but the 3.6 se does; It can get confusing!

INDEED!

[TDI Brad]

Coffee what wheels are you getting?

[cheapa55TDI]

I love VW! or more specifically my local dealer. They love my car and they dropped it off at work since I was busy the last 2 services (I suspect they wanted to drive it). They also gave me a little gift.