[rpunwani]

Originally Posted by exhaustpipe

Hi Rpunwani

I have a Passat Comfortline which also has the RCD 510. For me the original system lacked mid-base. I listen to everything from oldies, blues, metal to trance and a majority of my choice of tracks didn't sound nice on the original system so I went to a local car accessories shop and got it fixed by adding to the original setup a sub-woofer and mono block.

On the inside of the left pillar is a connector which splits the audio signal and power to the left front and left rear speakers. They inserted a wire into this connector and ran it to the trunk where they installed a power isolator (400 INR) connected to a mono block and then a sub, that's it! The amplifier is triggered by an power signal from the cigarette lighter located in the trunk.

I'm not a bass head but for some reason the stereo sounds much better, after adding a little bass, than it did before.

Best,
Kunal

Thanks Kunal,

I was actually looking at a plug - n - play speaker upgrade. I believe Focal has an upgrade for the Jetta & Passat. IMHO, the present arrangement is decent but since I am an audiophile, I was missing the nuances in the car when compared with my setup at home.

[exhaustpipe]

Originally Posted by rpunwani

Thanks Kunal,

I was actually looking at a plug - n - play speaker upgrade. I believe Focal has an upgrade for the Jetta & Passat. IMHO, the present arrangement is decent but since I am an audiophile, I was missing the nuances in the car when compared with my setup at home.

Hi again. At first I thought of replacing the speakers in my Passat but I couldn't move forward with certainty. I wasn't sure if the lack in sound quality was because of the speakers or the stereo system. Wish you all the best and do share your feedback in case you decide to replace the stock speakers.

For perspective, I listen to a pair of Dali Mentor 8s and Paradigm Studio 100s connected to an Arcam A39 Pre-power setup

[rpunwani]

Originally Posted by exhaustpipe

Hi again. At first I thought of replacing the speakers in my Passat but I couldn't move forward with certainty. I wasn't sure if the lack in sound quality was because of the speakers or the stereo system. Wish you all the best and do share your feedback in case you decide to replace the stock speakers.

For perspective, I listen to a pair of Dali Mentor 8s and Paradigm Studio 100s connected to an Arcam A39 Pre-power setup

I know for a fact that most car manufacturers' compromise on the speakers unless it's an audiophile system by say Bowers & Wilkins, etc. So the first thing I would do is look to change speakers since the Passat does not have an audiophile system. The head unit RCD 510 looks pretty ok to me.

Will post if I do upgrade the speakers. FYI I listen to a pair of Spendor D7's connected to Primare Pre 30 and Primare A 31.2 power amp.

[avinash_clt]

Hello All,

I am looking for a used Passat Trendline to replace our Polo GT TDI. With the manual transmission, it seems to be quite rare. Any info on potential vehicles for sale will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Avinash

[Crazy_Bean]

Team,

I had a very unfortunate ordeal on Sunday when I had gone for a Sunday brunch and my car was safely parked outside in a proper spot and que. When I returned, to my horror someone had hit my spot free Passat on the driver door denting it.

What are my options in getting it fixed?
I understand that Passat's door is stamped and not very accessible from inside. Is it possible to pull the dent out from outside and then repainting.
or should I go for a new door altogether from VW. Please advise.

[Tanveer_2558]

Originally Posted by Crazy_Bean

Team,

I had a very unfortunate ordeal on Sunday when I had gone for a Sunday brunch and my car was safely parked outside in a proper spot and que. When I returned, to my horror someone had hit my spot free Passat on the driver door denting it.

What are my options in getting it fixed?
I understand that Passat's door is stamped and not very accessible from inside. Is it possible to pull the dent out from outside and then repainting.
or should I go for a new door altogether from VW. Please advise.

Can you post a couple of better pictures? I had a similar incident with my polo, The driver's side door was dented by a biker, The dent was big enough, (Caused by the bike's tyre) I gave it to VW to fix it, And they did it in a day and costed me 5k, This was without any painting, My car did not needed one.

[apurva512]

Guys, i need to change the battery and brake pads for my passat. Do any of you have recommendations regarding whether to buy from workshop or outside and/or price estimates for the items?

[fordfreak]

Originally Posted by apurva512

Guys, i need to change the battery and brake pads for my passat. Do any of you have recommendations regarding whether to buy from workshop or outside and/or price estimates for the items?

The Volkswagen workshop will be more expensive, but will offer you peace of mind. You can also get the work done at any reputed workshop that you may have a good rapport with. Just make sure to check the quality of parts they use.

I remember the stock Varta battery being expensive, as quoted by the authorized workshop (I can't remember how much exactly). I ended up getting a new battery under my insurance claim when the old one got sqashed after a truck rear-ended my car. There are good alternative brands which can be bought for less.

I am due to have my rear brakes changed. Will be getting this done at the VW workshop next month. Will let you know how much they charge me.

[Tanveer_2558]

Originally Posted by apurva512

Guys, i need to change the battery and brake pads for my passat. Do any of you have recommendations regarding whether to buy from workshop or outside and/or price estimates for the items?

You can opt to get a new battery from outside, Several options and will be cheaper than what a dealer will charge you, But i suggest getting the brake pads changed at a VW workshop, Just to be sure of the genuinety of the part.

[apurva512]

Thanks for the info guys. Any specific brand/model for the battery?

[Paleo]

Looking for a used Passat for my Cousin

Came across a few here in Pune:

One was 2012 model - highline Blue Motion - 47K on the odo. Quoting in the range of 13-14L. Need your opinion on how good a buy it would be. It will be mostly chauffeur driven. Heard lot of issues about the older version. Has VW improved the new ones considerably ? DSG is still a worry? Please let me know your thoughts - experts !

[fordfreak]

Originally Posted by Paleo

Looking for a used Passat for my Cousin

Came across a few here in Pune:

One was 2012 model - highline Blue Motion - 47K on the odo. Quoting in the range of 13-14L. Need your opinion on how good a buy it would be. It will be mostly chauffeur driven. Heard lot of issues about the older version. Has VW improved the new ones considerably ? DSG is still a worry? Please let me know your thoughts - experts !

IMO, a quote of 12 - 12.5 would seem fair for the car as described by you. But that also depends on the car's condition, service & maintenance history, past accident repairs, required/pending maintenance jobs, etc. Try asking for a better price than 13-14 L.

I own a Dec 2011 Passat and have not faced any issues with the DSG gearbox. However, there have been a few annoying problems (discussed in detail in my review thread) over the years.

[baskar]

I also own a pre-owned passat highline diesel . 30K on the ODO but much lower price than the quote you got. There are no issues with DSG gearbox , At this time, you may have to take care of new set of tyres (Rs.50000), Battery (Rs.10K) and general oil and service check up ( Rs. 10K). Depending on the condition of the brakes, either the Pads or disc may have to be replaced.

Overall it is a great vehicle - solidity combined with lot of features and a sense of luxury inside , at a very good fuel economy.

Fordfreak' thread is very useful for me to make a decision.

[Prash]

Hello Guys
This is Prashant from Mumbai.
Planning to sell my amazing 2009 Linea and wish to go for a second hand Skoda Octavia or Superb, or a Volkswagen Jetta or Passat. Had planned to buy a second hand Octavia (new shape) or a Jetta but i am being tempted to buy a Passat as it is almost in the same price bracket (maybe a year older than a Jetta or Octavia).
But my query is, is it worth to buy a 2011-2012, 40k-60k done Passat? Would this be a good choice or is Passat to heavy to maintain compared to Octavia/Jetta?
Are there numerous issues in Passat? Is the DSG still giving problem? Is it good to (if i plan to) buy an automatic or should i stick to manual in Passat (or even in Jetta or Octavia)
Tooooooo confused, please help.
Thank you

[fordfreak]

Originally Posted by Prash

But my query is, is it worth to buy a 2011-2012, 40k-60k done Passat? Are there numerous issues in Passat? Is the DSG still giving problem? Is it good to (if i plan to) buy an automatic or should i stick to manual in Passat (or even in Jetta or Octavia)
Tooooooo confused, please help.

Hi Prashant.

Since I haven't ever owned an Octavia/Jetta/Superb, I can't give any specific recommendations for those.

As for the Passat, I can say it is a good car to buy. If you're looking at a car with 40K - 60K on the ODO, make sure the entire service/repair history is available. A number of maintenance jobs may need to be carried out (if not done already) at this age in the car's life. While studying the history, keep an eye out for recurring repair jobs. Avoid cars which seem to have an issue which keeps popping up periodically. If you really like a car that you see, get an independent mechanic or one that you know to check the car's condition too. The body quality is very good on the Passat, still, look out for rust. That may be tell-tale signs of a poorly carried out accident repair.

Between a Manual or an Automatic transmssion, I would get the Automatic just because of all the equipment the car comes with (Highline variant). If you are inclined towards a manual Passat, then I would recommend you go for a top-end Octavia instead. Only the base (Trendline) variant of the B7 Passat came with a manual transmission and was poorly equipped for the price you're paying - Not worth it.

I drive a 2011 Passat (DSG) with 40K on the ODO and haven't had any major issues yet. There have been a few niggling problems, but nothing very expensive.

The water pump leaked twice. The first time, it was replaced under extended warranty and second time, they replaced it FOC even after the warranty had expired. The AC stopped cooling properly, which was fixed by the dealer. Initially when the car was new, all the ABS sensors were prone to failing. After the last repair, they have never malfunctioned. The DSG gearbox has never thrown up any problems for me either.

Lastly, watch out for the infamous VW / Skoda service centers. There are good ones too, but there are also plenty of horror stories to be found on the internet/T-BHP about these.

If I was looking for reliability + good service, I would consider the Toyota Camry in this segment.

I hope I haven't missed out answering any of your points. Hope this was helpful. Cheers!