Passat or Jetta SportWagen?

Jimbo70

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2003
Location
New Milford, CT
TDI
None currently
We are looking to replace my wife's 2007 Passat wagon with something new and we're debating whether to go with a '13 Passat or a '13 Jetta SportWagen. Either way it will be a TDI with a manual transmission.

I could go either way, but then again I'm not going to drive the car every day. Both cars drive very similar. In the Passat's favor are the legroom, front and rear, that the seats are comfortable, and the range. In the JSW's favor are the ability to get a sunroof (and I really like that big, honkin' sunroof), which you cannot in the Passat with the manual, and the fact that the JSW is a little smaller and a little sportier.

What to do?
 

gulfcoastguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2012
Location
MS Gulfcoast
TDI
TDI sold, Mazda 3 purchased
Option C, wait a year or two and get the next generation JSW? It's allready getting hard to find JSW TDI 6Ms.
 

Jimbo70

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2003
Location
New Milford, CT
TDI
None currently
Option C, wait a year or two and get the next generation JSW? It's allready getting hard to find JSW TDI 6Ms.
The Passat is coming up on some expensive maintenance that I'd rather not invest in. I work for a dealer and they have two JSW TDI 6Ms and one Passat SE TDI 6M in stock.
 

Tarbe

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2002
Location
USA
TDI
Touareg and Sportwagon Sold to VW
The wagon also gives you added versatility for hauling some bulky (tall) items that won't fit in the trunk of the car.

I am pretty sure my protein feeders won't fit in a Passat trunk. They just BARELY fit through the hatch of the wagon.
 

skinnyb

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2009
Location
Western, NC
TDI
2013 JSW TDI
I have both. JSW is easier to get stuff out of the back and versatility For hauling stuff. Passat is much more comfortable to drive ( extra room, quieter, extra tank capacity). Overall I like them both equally for different reasons. Mine are both DSG with sunroof on Passat and not on JSW.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

TDI2000Zim

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2010
Location
NJ
TDI
VW hat meinen '14 Passat TDiSE getötet.
If the sunroof is your thing, get the SW.

I gave up on the stickshift 13 years ago with my first TDI automatic, and haven't looked back. If you are willing to try the DSG, they have plenty of Passat sunroofs for cheap.
 

charley654

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Location
Central Texas
TDI
2015 GSW S DSG
Go for the JSW,

there are too many passats on the road as it is. I want to be the only one driving a passat. :p

P lus I got the last one ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_xaDCa8XAq0

Plus, it is a pain in the a$$ to reach back and grab something from the rear seats, I can't reach it. VW gave too much leg room in the back for passengers on the passat. :)
 
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PlaneCrazy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 3, 2000
Location
Province of Quebec, Canada
TDI
Gone...
It depends on what you want to do with the car. I'm a big fan of wagons because my wife and I are cyclists. I hate roof racks (wind noise, big fuel consumption hit), and since we're empty nesters now, with the back seats folded we can get two road bikes in back without taking off wheels, and still have enough room to stuff in some luggage for a couple of day's travel. So the JSW (or rather since I'm in Canada, the Golf Wagon) was what fit our needs best. So far it's been a great choice.

Essentially the pricing was similar for us in Canada between a base Passat TDI and a Golf TDI wagon w/connectivity package. So that was a wash.

Ours was a replacement for our 2005 Passat TDI sedan (which we've kept for our son); so you might think another Passat sedan would have been the logical choice; however at the time we bought the 2005 Passat, we also had a 2004 Jetta wagon. When I replaced my 2007 Passat 2.0T wagon with a Golf TDI (hatch), we gave up some utility; we were happy to regain it with the Golf Wagon.
 
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compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
If you need to load big and tall things get the JSW. If you need to carry people and luggage get the Passat :)

-J
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
As everyone else has said, it all depends on what your needs are. If I were only looking for a highway cruiser, it would be the Passat. Since I have one starting collee in the fall, I'll stay with the JSW and the hauling room for a few more years.
 

WutGas?

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Location
Oklahoma City
TDI
The Last Real Jetta Sedan
Kinda redundant but the HPFP is also a selling point for the Passat. That being said, I'd go with the SW.
 

vdubdezl

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Location
FL
TDI
06 Jetta TDI 5MT, 05 Honda Odyssey EX-L
One thing that no else has pointed out. After working on two passats, go for the JSW. The Passat has the engine pointing towards the front and makes it almost impossible to get to ANYTHING on the bottom of it. But since you have a Passat already, you might know that!
 

PlaneCrazy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 3, 2000
Location
Province of Quebec, Canada
TDI
Gone...
One thing that no else has pointed out. After working on two passats, go for the JSW. The Passat has the engine pointing towards the front and makes it almost impossible to get to ANYTHING on the bottom of it. But since you have a Passat already, you might know that!
Is that the case on the new Passat TDIs? It is on my 2005 Passat TDI but my 2007 had a transverse mounted engine. I'd be surprised if VW reverted to longitudinal mount. That was a vestige of the Passat being essentially an Audi A4 but now Passats are no longer based on an Audi chassis
 

vdubdezl

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Location
FL
TDI
06 Jetta TDI 5MT, 05 Honda Odyssey EX-L
Is that the case on the new Passat TDIs? It is on my 2005 Passat TDI but my 2007 had a transverse mounted engine. I'd be surprised if VW reverted to longitudinal mount. That was a vestige of the Passat being essentially an Audi A4 but now Passats are no longer based on an Audi chassis
Newest one I worked on was an 05 Passat TDI wagon that my friend bought. A real pain to put a p/s rack on because it is in the middle of the car!!:eek:
 

Jimbo70

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2003
Location
New Milford, CT
TDI
None currently
Comfort for long trips ultimately won out as we've decided to go with the Passat. We should have a Tungsten Silver SE with manual by the end of next week, when I return from a conference. Can't wait.
 
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