Adding the protective chrome strips

Will it be possible to order the protective strips for S and SE owners, to help to prevent dents/dings/chips?

Personally, I think all the TDI trims should ship with them.




without

probaly, just like you could order the bump strips for the A5s.

BTW those strips, which seems to mimic the looks of the B6, will probably do nothing to protect from bumps and dings from others doors, and are for looks only.

BTW I do like the looks of them though and wish they had something flash for the mk5!

Zeta Products

Zeta products is a good source for color keyed side molding products. They don't have anything for the 12 Passats yet but should shortly.

http://www.zetaproducts.net/volkswagen-2.aspx

OK, I went to buy a SE sunroof nav car today and couldn't bring myself to do it, I really do not see the added value in spending $2-3K more for an SEL, but after sitting in the SE, I could not deal with the ugly brushed aluminum all day. So along the lines of your question, I asked if they had a wood kit to swap over to, and they do not offer one. I think I will simply buy another JSW, also I really did not like the seats in the SEL and the SE seemed to lack support, unless I weighed 300lbs.....

I am probably wrong, but find it hard to believe VW focus-grouped these narrow trim levels. More likely an office pool. The only peeps not complaining are those stepping down from a luxury name plate, and typically into an SEL.

The bean counters gave us the narrow trim lines.

Seacoaster said:

OK, I went to buy a SE sunroof nav car today and couldn't bring myself to do it, I really do not see the added value in spending $2-3K more for an SEL, but after sitting in the SE, I could not deal with the ugly brushed aluminum all day.

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I like the aluminum better and a few others have made the same comment. However, it seems like offering the trim moldings for sale makes good sense — to make customers happy. One has to look at the trim every time one's in the car, after all.

BTW those strips, which seems to mimic the looks of the B6, will probably do nothing to protect from bumps and dings from others doors, and are for looks only.

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I've heard that before. Is it because they're too recessed?

Seacoaster said:

OK, I went to buy a SE sunroof nav car today and couldn't bring myself to do it, I really do not see the added value in spending $2-3K more for an SEL, but after sitting in the SE, I could not deal with the ugly brushed aluminum all day. So along the lines of your question, I asked if they had a wood kit to swap over to, and they do not offer one. I think I will simply buy another JSW, also I really did not like the seats in the SEL and the SE seemed to lack support, unless I weighed 300lbs.....

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Nothing wrong with the JSW, they are great cars and I speak from experiance. Now the $2k-$3k upcharge for the SEL may be a worth while cost. My guess you will get much of that back at resale because loaded cars always command more and sell quicker so in the end it may cost you very little. Even if you keep your car 20 years and junk it it may only cost you a $100 a year. Seems worth it to me. I am far from 300lbs but the seats in my 2012 Passat TDI SEL are as or more comfortable than the seats in my JSW and I sat in the JSW for 83k miles.

I already have a JSW and love it, so no arguments from me there. I just do not think with the way I use a car 30-40K/yr that I will see the return on my investment on the SEL, however if I go with the passat, it will likely be the SEL as I just cant tolerate the brushed aluminum panels on the interior as there is so much of it....... I may be exagerating about the seats, I have always had fairly sporty cars so I prefer a tighter seat, maybe what I should havce said was that the seat is a little flat and wide for my liking! But to get 40+ mpg in a car of that size, is pretty hard to argue with!

If thats the case with the seats being too wide maybe your dealer should provide his customers with a McDonald's gift card with every new car. The value would depend on how wide the buyer needed to get to fit! Just a thought....

I visited some local VW dealerships yesterday to see their Passat stock without the vultures perched alongside (closed on Sundays). Here are observations after taking a close look at the faux-chrome trim:

• rear trim comprised of 3 pieces
• is recessed into the rear bumper -- lower trim levels use a different bumper
• non-chrome bumpers still have a crease, so adding the trim may be ½" too short, but otherwise easy to position
• side trim is not recessed, so easy to add

Adding chrome trim to the rear bumper will protrude enough to warrant avoiding car wash stations.

My friend is interested in side pieces for his Passat, if they indeed prevent door dings. I wonder how one would go about ordering them...

How can prevention of door dings be assured?
Each opposing car has it's own high point when the door is open, so there is quite a range of possible contact points.
Now if all cars/trucks were equiped with rubbering lining on door edges...dings would be eliminated.

abctdi said:

Now if all cars/trucks were equiped with rubbering lining on door edges...dings would be eliminated.

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Somehow I doubt a foolproof method of eliminating door dings is popular with the planned obsolescence crowd.

In any case, isn't it true that the strips on the upper Passat trims are better than nothing?

Maybe it would protect from lowrider doors...
I think it looks better though.