Scary engineering? Well, the V6 seems to be the best VW engine,
reliability-wise, since the 2.0 liter 4 cylinder unit used in the Golf and
Jetta series 3 & 4. Are you sure you aren't talking about the VR6? Not
that there's anything wrong with the VR6, which is reported to "run forever"
if given the care it needs. Now, the W8 engine would constitute "scary", to
me (what ever became of that unit, anyhow?).
In all seriousness, however, the key to avoiding the horror stories of
Passat ownership seems to be thorough and proper maintenance. The same
ultimate truth also applies to Spridgets. I mean, you could (and still can)
hear all sorts of horror stories about the unreliability of Spridgets (and
just about any British car of that era) back when they were new. The
reality of the situation was, however, that the cars were far, far better
than given credit for being and were quite dependable when cared for by a
competent mechanic who followed the factory's service recommendations (this
is assuming the owner had the sense to bring the car in for service at the
recommended intervals).
So, I'm still going to get another Passat (or possibly a Jetta, if I can
convince the wife to go back to a 5 speed manual), if I can find one that
has had good maintenance. The recent (Thanksgiving) trip we took to
Vermont, in our trusty old Passat, really illustrated (to me, anyhow) what a
good car it really was: 150,000 + miles with really no major issues after
the factory warranty expired, and it still drove beautifully.......quiet,
smooth and responsive. I really like the way the German cars drive, as
opposed to the Japanese cars. With the Passat, you feel like you're driving
a car rather than piloting some soul-less electro-mechanical device. The
German cars seem to be designed for people who love to DRIVE, while the
Japanese cars seem to be built for people who really don't care or don't
even like cars. Don't get me wrong: I know the Jap cars are very, very
good, but I just like the German stuff a lot better.
Bud Osbourne
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Caldwell" <peter@nosimport.com>
To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 5:08 PM
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] paging Peter C
> The part number for the emblem "Passat" in chrome and black is
> 3C9-853-630ULM About $45.00. It would go well on a Toyota....
>
> ... just sayin.
>
> I don't know anybody in the parts biz that drives a Passat. I know some
> mechanics that do but only because they got a cheap one that their
> customer could no longer support "in the fashion in which it was
> accustomed".
>
> That V6 is some scary engineering.
>
> Peter C.
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