VW Passat W8 vs. Rivals- advice for a potential customer

[Jimster]

Well my dad is about to buy his next car- what he is looknig for is a European badge- as he feels the need to treat himself to something a little better than a Japanese motor. What he is looking for is a spacious, reliable and strong performing car with plenty of boot-space and something that will hold its value well (And cost under NZ$100,000)- also noteworthy is that he lives in New Zealand. He has asked me for some advice on the following cars-

Alfa Romeo 166 3.0 V6
Audi A6 2.4
BMW 525i SE
Jaguar S Type 2.5 SE
Lexus GS300 (Not Euro but worth considering
Mercedes Benz E240 Classic
Peugeot 6O7 3.0 V6
Renault Vel Statis (As Renault seem confident of an NZ launch)
Saab 9-5 Aero
VW Passat W8

What I want to know is which of all these cars would you choose- and what are the advantages disadvantages of each?

I told him to go with the Passat W8- but is there anything you guys know that I don't about the car- and any advantages that the other cars would hold over it?

[Deakins]

Well, as much as I love driving the W8, it's still based on the somewhat outdated b5 chassis. It's a great highway car, but not much of a drivers car. It's also smaller than the other cars.

As much as I hate to admit it, the E-Klasse is the best overall car among them.
I would still pick the W8 though

[Neutrino]

I would pick the alfa romeo or the bmw a million times before the WV.

[Swoxy]

Get the Jag!

[Stefanel1]

Alfa Romeo 166 3.0 V6 : my favourite, maybe the nicest and what an engine !!!
Audi A6 2.4 : why not... too classic
BMW 525i SE : good car but the new one is going to appear
Jaguar S Type 2.5 SE : too "Fordly"
Lexus GS300 (Not Euro but worth considering) : just another copy of Mercedes, buy the original, not a Kia or a Hyundaï !
Mercedes Benz E240 Classic : nice car but expensive
Peugeot 6O7 3.0 V6 : very nice too, wait for the restyling of 2004-2005
Renault Vel Statis (As Renault seem confident of an NZ launch) : very original, but alas the 3.5 V6 is only available with an automatic gear. The 2.0 Turbo is excellent.
Saab 9-5 Aero : Cool, but becomes "old"
VW Passat W8 : I'm not convinced, this is old and not the same categroy as the competitors, it's more a competitor of the 406, 156, Laguna, Mondeo, X-Type, 75, etc. But this is a V8.... only advantage, but I do prefer the wonderful V6 of the Alfa Romeo !

So to me :
1st : Alfa 166
2nd : Peugeot 607
3rd : Mercedes E

[Jimster]

Originally posted by Stefanel1
Alfa Romeo 166 3.0 V6 : my favourite, maybe the nicest and what an engine !!!
Audi A6 2.4 : why not... too classic
BMW 525i SE : good car but the new one is going to appear
Jaguar S Type 2.5 SE : too "Fordly"
Lexus GS300 (Not Euro but worth considering) : just another copy of Mercedes, buy the original, not a Kia or a Hyundaï !
Mercedes Benz E240 Classic : nice car but expensive
Peugeot 6O7 3.0 V6 : very nice too, wait for the restyling of 2004-2005
Renault Vel Statis (As Renault seem confident of an NZ launch) : very original, but alas the 3.5 V6 is only available with an automatic gear. The 2.0 Turbo is excellent.
Saab 9-5 Aero : Cool, but becomes "old"
VW Passat W8 : I'm not convinced, this is old and not the same categroy as the competitors, it's more a competitor of the 406, 156, Laguna, Mondeo, X-Type, 75, etc. But this is a V8.... only advantage, but I do prefer the wonderful V6 of the Alfa Romeo !

So to me :
1st : Alfa 166
2nd : Peugeot 607
3rd : Mercedes E

LOL the Passat is actually a W8- the cylinders are aranged in a W and it is priced against the 5 series low end models- the only 8 cylinder cars that are priced below it are Holdens, Fords (Omitted for obvious reasons) and a Grand Cherokee V8 (Not after an SUV)


and the Lexus is a Toyota it's actually quite a good car.

[Stefanel1]

I know it's a Toyota but by Kia or Hyundaï I meant, an asiatic car and not the best...
The Passat is maybe a V8 (W8 indeed) but does it worth the V6 of the Alfa ??

[Jimster]

Originally posted by Stefanel1
I know it's a Toyota but by Kia or Hyundaï I meant, an asiatic car and not the best...
The Passat is maybe a V8 (W8 indeed) but does it worth the V6 of the Alfa ??

The car has about 40Kw more power and costs about NZ$10,000 more- the 4Motion is also handy because my dad is akeen skier and Jared (Moss1O6GTi) a keen Snowboarder. The VW is quite roomy as wel- the chassis isn't as good as the Alfa- but I don't think my dad is in the market for a drivers car. Apparently continental cars have 6-speed W8 Sedan in there (The only 6-speed W8 in NZ) for $105,000 so if he gets in quick enough........

[zackiedawg]

Jimster, I've been pretty happy with my W8 Variant since I got it in December. I like sporty driving, but needed a fully well rounded car which could handle highway driving, foul weather, room for clients, business-looking, classy, good price, but still fast, handles decent, and great brakes. I also wanted all the luxury goods and features. In the US, the W8 is equipped to compete with the E class MB, BMW 5-series, Audi A6, Lexus GS series, etc. It is actually better equipped than most of these cars.

The E-class I think is the best overall mentioned here (the new one is a stunner)...the Alfa is very nice but we don't get it over here and I have never had the opportunity to drive it...The Audi won't give you anything the W8 won't and cost more...the Jaguar S-Type is just too soft and sedate for my taste...the Lexus GS doesn't do anything for me personally...Peugeot and Renault I can't comment on since we are also deprived of both of these brands in the states...and the Saab 9-5 has lost much of its appeal to me (I used to have a 9000) since GM began sharing the parts bin with them.

But price was the killer for me. To get a V8 in the BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Jaguar, or Audi in the states, your pricetag goes to $50,000 US. The W8 is equipped with more features and a great 8 cylinder engine for $38,000 US. PLUS, the car is typically sold well below the asking price, so they can be had for approximately $34,000 US. For me, I couldn't get an 8-cylinder and AWD in anything luxuriously equipped for under $45,000 NEGOTIATED except the W8, which has satisfied me immensely while leaving $12,000 in my pocket!

The car is sufficiently sporting, while not a sports car...handles very nicely, is nicely powerful, and the traction and AWD system are amazing. The brakes are borrowed from Audi's S4, and are quite powerful too.

I would give my recommendation for the W8 since the price is so excellent compared with other Euro V8s...ad I would also recommend the wonderful new E-class Mercedes, the Alfa (just based on looks and reputation), and the excellent BMW (despite a pending redesign, it is still a great driver's car, and they may be willing to negotiate since they know the new one is on the way.

Good luck!

[Swoxy]

zackiedawg, you car looks nice - that's the colour I'd have it in. Does it have the cross spoke rims?

[Stefanel1]

The Passat Variant W8 cost at leat 50 000 € in France, why does it cost so "few" in the USA ? Are you sure of your US$38 000 ?!
Still, it's a nice car.

[zackiedawg]

Swoxy,

Thank you. My car has the grey leather interior with the black exterior. I did not have the cross spoke rims...it came with the 5 twin-spoke standard wheels (on the US model) which I switched out for 17x8 inch Momo Quasar 2 rims; I like the Momo design, and also wanted a wider profile for the rims (the factory set were 16x7 inch).

Stephanel1,

Yes, the sticker price for US W8 models ranges from a low of about $38,500 US to a maximum of $40,590 US for the sport package equipped model with all available extras (we have everything except navigation system available in the US). Also, in the US the dealers are discounting the cars very much, because they are not selling too well over here. You can typically negotiate $3000-$4000 US off of the sticker price of the W8s. I managed to purchase my W8 Variant (sticker-price of $39,700) for $35,300. The other surprise was that my insurance did not go up from what I was paying each year for my 2000 Passat GLX V6 Sedan.

[HikaRu]

i noticed no one mentioned ANYTHING about the saab 9-5. although i am 17 and a little less knowledgable on cars, don't pass my comment by...

anyway i have a 2002 saab 9-5, automatic (....shut up). 185 hp and 210 lbs/ft torque or something like that. i can't say i've driven a lot of cars, maybe 10 - 15, but i'd have to say that though it is 185 hp, it feels like 250~. i have driven my mom's base jaguar s-type, which is 235 hp...nothing even CLOSE to the SAAB 9-5 LINEAR. though the hp may be less, it feels like so much more with the turbo. since aero is 250 hp, it may feel like who knows what. plus the value of saab is really really cheap for what you get, compared to the other european cars that is. at least check out the wagon aero, since the rack on top will hold skis/snowboards. and i'm not saying this cuz i'm biased, but SAABs have the BEST quality of all european cars. no, i don't mean as in material or luxuriousness (not that they are bad, i'm just saying that there might be better) i mean as in long life and stuff. they last a real frikken long time and don't break down often, that's a fact. also the safest european cars, or so they claim. SAABs are under-rated. please take a look, and ask ANY saab driver what they think about their saab. you've already heard from me, and i'm sure if you ask anyone else it'll start getting repetetive. the community of saab drivers is small, but i'm sure you'll find someone somewhere. and anyway, who wants to drive a car EVERYONE else has? kinda like communism eh? People Who Test Drive a Saab Usually Buy One. of course test them all first that is...

btw, i've touched 140 mph in my saab with 2000 rpm til redline and it was still gaining at an average speed

[Stefanel1]

Indeed tha 9-5 is a good altenative. as the S80.

For the Passat W8's price, it's still quite low, even for the sticker price, 10 000 less than here !!!

[zackiedawg]

Swoxy,

Here are a few more shots of my car which show the rims. Pleae note: I have not had a chance to lower the car, but I do plan on adding some sport springs which will reduce the ride height by roughly 1 inch or so.











Side view, front facing right, on parking garage at sunset:


HiKaRu, Saabs are nice, and the 9-5 is certainly a cut above the 9-3. I was a little disappointed at how much the 9-3 shows the Opel parts-bin sharing, and it felt significantly cheaper than the previous generation 900s. The 9-5 is still stronger, and feels better built. I had a 1986 Saab 9000 Turbo, which was very nice and fun to drive. The handlng was excellent - and though it suffered some serious Turbo lag (something the newer models don't have), it was still very fast. I had only 1 problem with the car during ownership and enjoyed it very much.

I hope you continue to enjoy your car...that is a wonderful vehicle to have at your age, so enjoy every moment of it! (when I was 17, I had a Hyundai Excel!).