German Engineers must have tiny feet

Merlinspop

Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2015
Location
Eastern Panhandle, WV
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SE 6mt
I'm closing in on 3K miles on my '15 SE 6MT. I'm really loving this car. It's the most fun driving car I've owned since my '85 Supra (5MT). Granted, since then I've had 4 pickups, a Cherokee and a Yaris (all but the Isuzu Pup were autos).

So far, I've only come up with a few small nits, and 2 bigger complaints.

Nits:
- No comfortable place to put my right foot when using CC.
- I tend to let the steering wheel slide under my left hand when straightening out from turns using pressure to modulate it. The interaction of my palm and the buttons frequently changes the station on the radio. I've adjusted, but it was still a tiny annoyance.
- Tiny arm rest.
- The standard 'no usb' complaint.
- Car Net is waaaaay overpriced. 4 more months and it's gone.

Complaints:
- Still very annoyed with VW only putting the 6MT in a stripped down package. I'd have liked to have some goodies like the moon roof, push button start, rear seat pass through. I *really* miss having auto-dimming rear view mirror.
- The three pedals are (IMO) poorly placed. There's barely room for me to get my size 12 on the throttle without tapping the brake pedal on the way by. I'm okay with the clutch, but my wife doesn't like the amount of travel. For her, to have the brake and throttle at a comfortable location, she has to really extend her left leg to get full engagement of the clutch (I tried to tell her she doesn't need to bottom it out, but well, she's stubborn).

I'm hoping that Blaupunkt comes out with a slide in head unit with Nav, Car Play and HD radio. But until then, I'm good with using Waze.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
I find it curious, too, that VAG, with all their zeal and desire to build cars for the Amuhrican mass market appeal, produced a car with such a small foot well. It doesn't bother me, but I must be smaller than the "average" Amuhrican, who is quite probably larger than that average German.
You're not alone in your other observations. There are several threads already about all of them.
Welcome to the club!
 

czeetah

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2014
Location
Mountains, NC
TDI
2014 Passat 6MT / Opera Red
FWIW I'm half German and have a few different German shoes.

I buy them because their a little wider in front. Biggest complaint I had was clutch too close to brake. But after about 200 miles I don't even notice.
 

dbias

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Location
Huntington WV
TDI
2015 Passat SE w sunroof buyback 3/18/17
I'm closing in on 3K miles on my '15 SE 6MT. I'm really loving this car. It's the most fun driving car I've owned since my '85 Supra (5MT). Granted, since then I've had 4 pickups, a Cherokee and a Yaris (all but the Isuzu Pup were autos).


So far, I've only come up with a few small nits, and 2 bigger complaints.

Nits:
- No comfortable place to put my right foot when using CC.
- I tend to let the steering wheel slide under my left hand when straightening out from turns using pressure to modulate it. The interaction of my palm and the buttons frequently changes the station on the radio. I've adjusted, but it was still a tiny annoyance.
- Tiny arm rest.
- The standard 'no usb' complaint.
- Car Net is waaaaay overpriced. 4 more months and it's gone.

Complaints:
- Still very annoyed with VW only putting the 6MT in a stripped down package. I'd have liked to have some goodies like the moon roof, push button start, rear seat pass through. I *really* miss having auto-dimming rear view mirror.
- The three pedals are (IMO) poorly placed. There's barely room for me to get my size 12 on the throttle without tapping the brake pedal on the way by. I'm okay with the clutch, but my wife doesn't like the amount of travel. For her, to have the brake and throttle at a comfortable location, she has to really extend her left leg to get full engagement of the clutch (I tried to tell her she doesn't need to bottom it out, but well, she's stubborn).

I'm hoping that Blaupunkt comes out with a slide in head unit with Nav, Car Play and HD radio. But until then, I'm good with using Waze.
I've found such pedal placement beneficial to heal/toe when shifting.
 

Rico567

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 13, 2003
Location
Central IL
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL Premium (Turned in 7/7/18)
Yet another reason my size 13s are just as happy I've got DSG.
 

Ares

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Location
Takoma Park, MD
TDI
2013 Passat SE
- Tiny arm rest.

Complaints:
- I *really* miss having auto-dimming rear view mirror.
American consumers are killing the manual transmission market. Canada gets a SEL 6MT.

The center arm rest, or door? The center arm rest slides forward. It is pretty useless in the rear position.

I find the auto-dim mirror does not dim enough. Never had the issue with other cars. VW checked it out, says it works fine. I'd rather have a flip than the dimless auto-dim.
 

Ares

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Location
Takoma Park, MD
TDI
2013 Passat SE
Auto-dim works fine with window tint, plus the tint saves your interior.
Have tint, started a thread, went to VW, tried all recommendations...

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=377128

VW Tech tested the mirror. Voltage changes, mirror adjusts, therefore it works.... Just not to the owners satisfaction. I offered to pay them to replace the mirror. Apparently the removal risks breaking the windshield, and they wanted to schedule an auto glass/windshield replacement company to do the work. I gave up at that point. My plan is to tint the mirror. This time of year driving is much more annoying which might motivate me to do it.
 

czeetah

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2014
Location
Mountains, NC
TDI
2014 Passat 6MT / Opera Red
I have no issues with auto-dim

I do notice though the older I get the more too-bright oncoming headlights irritate me. I imagine if I was 20 years older or had poorer eyes it might be an issue.
 

JSWTDI09

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
TDI
2009 JSW TDI (gone but not forgotten)
Guys with big feet have big shoes.
I can attest to this - size 15E here. Not only are the shoes big, they are also hard to find and expensive.

Have Fun!

Don

P.S. After a little practice, I have no trouble with the pedal placement in my car.
 

1998redwagon

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 19, 2011
Location
warba, minnesota
TDI
2013 passat 6M tungsten/cornsilk
15d but i do not have an issue with clutching my 6mt. actually better than some other cars i have driven in the past. when winter comes do not even think about driving with boots on. impossible.

true there is no good place to put the right foot when cc is on. the console comes too far to the left to allow a natural right foot flat position.

i would prefer a manual rear view mirror. the automatic one does not get dark enough for me.

i would prefer a center armrest that folds out of the way. for me it is too high. loved the one in my 98 passat that folded upright so i could drive as if there were no armrest between the seats.

absolutely hate the ventilation system. cannot completely shut off flow of air to middle vents (window-middle-floor). when it is humid out the car has real problems with fog, fogged, foggy windows. they do not clear unless the heat is on high, recirculation makes it worse, for me ac makes it worse too. i've read some on it and it seems there was a change in air intake for the hvac system mid-2012 that brings air in from access points in the front wheel wells (really! check it out).

o, and that damn clutch click that occurs when the outside temp is below freezing and the cabin is warm and comfortable. jimal may have solved it we are waiting until winter comes and he can report back.

i too miss a pass through for skis and 2x4s. been trying to get one retrofitted to my vehicle but all the ones in the recycling yards are s or se models w/o a passthrough. it would cost ~$200 in parts alone from vw.

love the mileage, love the trunk size and back seat size.
 

Oldoarsman

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2012
Location
Richmond, Va
TDI
FO: 2012 Passat TDI SEL, '10 Jetta S/W 6sp man, '97 Passat TDI 5sp man, '85 Golf Diesel
I have a similar issue....

6'5" tall and 14 or 15 narrow shoe size depending on the manufacturer....

I can drive my 2012 Passat TDI SEL just fine as long as I don't have my gym shoes on (New Balance 1540's in size 15B). The sole is just a little too wide to reach the accelerator smoothly without also hitting the brake.

I had the use of a 2015 Passat SE 1.8 recently while my fuel system was being replaced (yes, HPFP, rail, and finally the rest of it), and did not have this problem as the brake and accelerator were far enough apart to accommodate my NB's.

Does anyone know if a replacement brake pedal or brake pedal pad may be purchased to recreate the space I found in the 1.8? Using a Google search, I was not able to locate a solution and I have not checked with my local dealership.

For now, I just change my shoes when I get to the gym.

Thanks for any help you can provide!
 

BroncoAZ

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
TDI
2015 Touareg Lux, 2015 Passat 6MT, 2009 Jetta (long gone), 2011 Touareg (bought back 02/18)
Sorry to dig up another old thread, but my size 16 2E feet have found the same issue with the gas/brake spacing being narrow. Normally I’m ok driving with my regular shoes, but Friday I was wearing steel toe boots and kept hitting the brake on the way to the throttle. I may clearance the bottom right corner of the brake pedal if needed. There is no way I could drive this car with my Sorel snow boots on.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
What vehicle works or size 16? I mean really?

My little 10.5 in steel toes are tight too, let alone if I even tried me Neos Over Shoes.
 

BroncoAZ

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
TDI
2015 Touareg Lux, 2015 Passat 6MT, 2009 Jetta (long gone), 2011 Touareg (bought back 02/18)
What vehicle works or size 16? I mean really?

My little 10.5 in steel toes are tight too, let alone if I even tried me Neos Over Shoes.
My Touareg is ok with them, also my wife’s former Volvo C30 Polestar and her current 2017 Outback. I have driven the Touareg and the Outback with Sorels on.
 

BroncoAZ

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
TDI
2015 Touareg Lux, 2015 Passat 6MT, 2009 Jetta (long gone), 2011 Touareg (bought back 02/18)
I just picked up a 2017 Passat as my rental car for the week. There is a full inch more space between the gas and brake pedal on the automatic than in my 6MT Passat. I may look for another MT pedal assembly to modify as the extra space is nice. My coworker almost hit the windshield the first stop sign I came to, I went for the clutch and nailed the brake pedal :D
 

Trade Wind

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2016
Location
Minnesota
TDI
RIP 2012 Passat SE 6 spd MT
https://imgur.com/gallery/Jmsim

I find the left armrest WAY too low, I made this one that tucks into the door/existing armrest using a thin price of sheet metal. The rest has a plywood base, a styrofoam block, with some foam rubber on top to make it soft on the elbow. Covered it with some vinyl salvaged from a VW cargo cover.

The link shows it being used in the replacement car, after I got rid of the Passat.

Makes it a lot more comfortable to drive longer trip.
 

BroncoAZ

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
TDI
2015 Touareg Lux, 2015 Passat 6MT, 2009 Jetta (long gone), 2011 Touareg (bought back 02/18)
I ordered an automatic brake pedal from VW this week, I'm going to do some modding to the shape of the pedal pad and see how it fits in my 6MT car.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Best of luck, but isn't the width of the brake pedal of the AT is twice the size of the MT? the AT break pedal is taking the space of the clutch.

I'd have to imagine the pedal assemblies use the same mounting points so something should be able to be worked out.
 

BroncoAZ

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
TDI
2015 Touareg Lux, 2015 Passat 6MT, 2009 Jetta (long gone), 2011 Touareg (bought back 02/18)
Correct on the brake pedal width, I’m planning on cutting the width down to the width of the manual pedal and using the manual pedal pad. The parts guy confirmed the brackets are the same part number so the pedal is the difference. There is currently 3” between the brake and clutch pedals, I believe it will reduce the space down to 2” after I cut the brake pedal. I may also modify the clutch pedal by narrowing the right side about 3/4” and adding a custom pedal pad made of machined aluminum to push it over to the left.
 
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