2015 TSI Opinions

Better half's 04 Audi A6 3.0 wagon blew a head gasket so she's looking for something to replace it.

There seems to be a flood of 2015 Passat's on the market up here for relatively low money and am looking for opinions on these vehicles - both the 1.8T TSI engine and the overall vehicle platform in general.

Most of the cars have 30-40k miles on them, are Wolfsburg edition TSI's, no obvious major issues, new tires, certified used 2 year/24k mile warranty and asking $13k-$16k. One we looked at was a former rental car which could be risky, but nothing stood out as the car being neglected or damaged.

Looks like this should do a solid 30%+ better MPG's than the Audi (mid 20's vs high teens) which will help her a bit on the fuel bill and the monthly payment. She'd really like to be in the $10k range, but for just a bit more money, this seems like a better deal than many other options in this price range and having the warranty for a while will be nice. This would likely be a long term vehicle for her (100k+ miles) and what we'd use for family trips. She drives 18-20k miles/year.

I owned a 2013 Passat TDI for ~4 months so I'm a little familiar with the platform, but not anything specific to the TSI's or the transmission.

So...any thoughts, opinions, recommendations, things to look for, etc are welcomed.

There are some discussions in previous posts. I.e., check:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=463554

Thanks c-wagen - I had seen that thread and that's where I got the MPG info from 06bluebeetletdi's post. It looks like they do similar driving and she gets 17-18 MPG in the city now and 22-23 on the highway so if she can legitimately get mid 20's in her city driving, that will be a significant cost savings (~$50/month) for her in fuel, even at $2/gallon.

Any other info on the platform, or any other things to be aware of on the TSI engine/drivetrain?

I'd love to find a TDI version for her, but guessing that won't be likely at that age/miles/price point given the ~+$5k market value put on all the CR TDI's

If you like the Passat, the TSI is probably a good alternative to the TDI. It has a conventional torque converter automatic instead of the DSG transmission. Expect highway fuel economy in the 30s, which is okay.

If you're shopping, be sure to look at one with the LED lighting. The headlights are a huge improvement over the standard halogen headlights. I'd also recommend shying away from a light color interior (cornsilk), as it tends to show dirt very quickly, even if you're meticulous about keeping it clean.

I own a 2016 1.8T Passat with technology package and the LED headlight package. So far so good. Love all the new toys (adaptive cruise, apple carplay, KESSY, etc.). Seems to have good pickup but I do miss both the really great fuel economy and torque of the diesel.

It is a nicely refined car. I wouldn't have bought it if I had to pay the full MSRP or anything close to it. I would have opted for something else. But at about $8000 under MSRP before adding the freight, doc fee, and taxes, it seemed like too good of a deal to pass up considering the buyout on my 2013.

Thanks for the feedback - definitely looking at the dark interior. We'll keep an eye out for the LED lighting. I've drove 2 or 3 DSG's and really dislike them - they can't make up their mind what gear to be in, were clunky and unrefined, just horrible in my opinion. The conventional automatic we drove behind the TSI was pretty good - upshifted fast like all the newer transmissions do, but was otherwise transparent.

Seems like low teens for price is relatively common which makes it a lot more palatable - heck, I'd probably still have my 2013 Passat TDI if it only cost $13k instead of $25k

The TSI looks like a well developed powerplant from what I've been able to find about it. Some really clever things going on with thermal management, friction reductions, etc. Seems that there's a decent tuning potential for it as well - direct injection helps that quite a bit .

torqueit said:

I own a 2016 1.8T Passat with technology package and the LED headlight package. So far so good. Love all the new toys (adaptive cruise, apple carplay, KESSY, etc.). Seems to have good pickup but I do miss both the really great fuel economy and torque of the diesel.
It is a nicely refined car...

Click to expand...

Ditto... I've been super happy with my 2016 Passat TSI SE w/ the LED lights.

According to folks on VWvortex, the EA888 1.8 TSI engine is pretty good. The most common problem is with carbon buildup on the intake valves due to direct injection and EGR. Carbon cleanings seem to be recommended at 50,000 mile intervals, which is an expensive and time consuming job.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?8069850-How-reliable-is-the-new-1-8T

The intake carbon buildup looks like a relatively common issue across many DI engines. Watched a couple video's of how to clean them and it does not look too bad. A bit tedious, but not complicated, especially if you have a soda/shell blaster adapter like they do for the BMW's. Not likely something that would make/break a car buying decision (for me anyway), but can be used as a negotiating point along with the occasional rear main seal leakage issue I've read about which seems to be PCV system related.

We're going to test drive another one tomorrow night so we'll see how it goes.

Thanks again for all the comments and feedback - keep it coming if you have it!

If you decide to get one make sure to spring for the LED lighting option. The difference between the halogen and the LEDs light output is just ridiculous.

We'll have to see what's available - I personally hate being on the receiving end of any of the LED headlights or HID's with a razor sharp cutoff. They're just fine in a perfectly flat and straight world, however when there are hills, bumps, curves, etc, those extremely bright lights are now directly in my eyes like a flash bulb and then I can't see anything for a few seconds which is arguably less safe for both of us. I have not been behind the wheel of a vehicle that has them so will reserve judgement until that point.

We drove a 2015 TSI Jetta as a rental for a week in CO. The car had good power and nice driving characteristics otherwise (from a comfort standpoint, although I can drive a Jetta-size car for a week, long-term I need something in the Passat size). I am doubtful whether this same 1.8 TSI engine in a Passat, a bigger car, will be able to deliver the same performance. If no TDI is available when we do the buyback in two years, it's probably going to mean going sideways to an Accord, or bite the bullet and spend the extra money on a Volvo s90.....not something I look forward to.

My 2014 TDI heater core clogged, being replaced (thanks VWOA!, and the loaner car was a 2016 Passat TSI SE w sunroof

The Good:

-- Road manners are similar to the TDI -- suspension and road feel.
-- Same spacious interior and trunk
-- Similar power output feel, though not at low end. For example, at 60 mph the RPM were about the same as the TDI.
-- compared to my 6M, faster off the starting line

The Bad (my opinion only, obviously)
-- miss the low end grunt and feeling of power, for example, accelerating from 40 to 60. Same accerlerating from 60 to 80.... just not the same ooomph there. But it will cruise at 80.
-- the steering wheel, I think, is a smaller diameter than the TDI. More Camry like LOL
-- looks like the clock in front/center of dash was shrunk! Maybe I am just seeing things. But it does look smaller.

Overall it did not feel like my beloved 2014 TDI 6M. I am really, really going to miss that car. But until someone reports that the fixed TDI is just as good, or nearly so, as the original TDI -- I'm headed for a trade-in and probably a new TSI.

Test drive went well - No LED headlight options available.

Transient response of the engine paired with the transmission makes for a very nice driving experience. Transmission shifts early/fast, but the engine has good low end power and really snappy response which I appreciate.

Many of the rest of the things about the platform that I disliked about my 2013 Passat are still present on this 2015 model, but it's not gong to be my car so as long as she's ok with them, I can deal with them the little bit that I drive the car.

It has a real radio (no crappy, complicated, cluster bang touchscreen), a real dimming rear view mirror (not the auto dimming bit of uselessness that turns bright white into bright green) so that's a plus. Seats, driving position, etc are still poor for me. Copious amounts of room which is nice, 16" wheels so tires will be less expensive, etc.

It's really up to her now - seems like it should be a good car for her. Reliable, good MPG's, lots of room, etc. She's not excited about it - thinks it's boring and blah, but recognizes the value it brings. Should know something by next week.

Thanks again for everyone's comments and opinions - we both appreciate them a lot!

If she wants something exciting and not boring, pick up a Camry, ha!

Fix_Until_Broke said:

Test drive went well - No LED headlight options available.

Transient response of the engine paired with the transmission makes for a very nice driving experience. Transmission shifts early/fast, but the engine has good low end power and really snappy response which I appreciate.

Many of the rest of the things about the platform that I disliked about my 2013 Passat are still present on this 2015 model, but it's not gong to be my car so as long as she's ok with them, I can deal with them the little bit that I drive the car.

It has a real radio (no crappy, complicated, cluster bang touchscreen), a real dimming rear view mirror (not the auto dimming bit of uselessness that turns bright white into bright green) so that's a plus. Seats, driving position, etc are still poor for me. Copious amounts of room which is nice, 16" wheels so tires will be less expensive, etc.

It's really up to her now - seems like it should be a good car for her. Reliable, good MPG's, lots of room, etc. She's not excited about it - thinks it's boring and blah, but recognizes the value it brings. Should know something by next week.

Thanks again for everyone's comments and opinions - we both appreciate them a lot!

Click to expand...

Since you did not like your previous Passat, many of the things you disliked about it are still present in the current Passat, and your wife is not excited about the new Passat, I would not recommend that you buy it.

Don't compromise just to get "good value." Value can be found in lots of different vehicles, many of which offer better manufacturer and dealer support than Volkswagen does.

VeeDubTDI said:

Don't compromise just to get "good value." Value can be found in lots of different vehicles, many of which offer better manufacturer and dealer support than Volkswagen does.

Click to expand...

Good advice for sure. In some ways, I wish I would've looked harder at the Mazda 6. Clearly would have paid more but maybe would've enjoyed it more as well.

I went from a 13 SE 6M to a used 14 1.8 Wolfsburg. I am happy with the performance of the 1.8. The slushbox works fine. It will get in the high 30s on the highway.

Agreed on the compromise part. She's driving an 02 jetta wagon 2.0/01M with 175k miles on it and can keep driving it as long as she needs to. It's not the nicest thing (she really does not like the MKIV), but it's free. The best financial thing to do is not purchase anything and save up/wait until she finds what she wants, but there is value/pride in liking what you drive and having your own car.

Like I said - it's up to her at this point. Thanks again for the feedback and advice. They came down in price $1k as well.

She ended up buying the 2015 Passat TSI
$14k
32K miles
Wolfsburg Edition
Will need a set of tires for winter - Likely take the opportunity to get a spare set of wheels and put winter tires on it.

Will get a chance to put it on the hoist next weekend and give it a good once over. Will also report back on MPG's

Fix_Until_Broke said:

She ended up buying the 2015 Passat TSI
$14k
32K miles
Wolfsburg Edition
Will need a set of tires for winter - Likely take the opportunity to get a spare set of wheels and put winter tires on it.

Will get a chance to put it on the hoist next weekend and give it a good once over. Will also report back on MPG's

Click to expand...

Hopefully she enjoys it. That seems like a good price.

Am on the verge of ordering a set of winter wheels and tires for my 2016. I ran my TDI on all weathers but I'm figuring I'll be in this one for a few years so I might as well get some winters and do the wheel swap thing.

Do you know what the bolt circle and offset are for the NMS?

I'm guessing it's 5x112mm?

Fix_Until_Broke said:

Do you know what the bolt circle and offset are for the NMS?

I'm guessing it's 5x112mm?

Click to expand...

Yes, it is 5x112mm.

So, it's time to change oil - I'd love to know what the engine code is on this thing. What am I missing? The owners manual says it should be on the trunk tag, I thought it might be on the engine cover, but it does not seem to be on either.

Some googling found that it's maybe CPKA or CPRA, but can anyone confirm what it is?

Thanks

Fix_Until_Broke said:

So, it's time to change oil - I'd love to know what the engine code is on this thing. What am I missing? The owners manual says it should be on the trunk tag, I thought it might be on the engine cover, but it does not seem to be on either.

Some googling found that it's maybe CPKA or CPRA, but can anyone confirm what it is?

Thanks

<snip>

Click to expand...

You're welcome:

http://vag-codes.info/files/engines/vw-engines.pdf

Yep, it's evidently one of those two..... Since, as far as I can tell, they're spec'd pretty much the same, I expect that whatever oil is listed in the owner's manual is fine. If I had to make a guess, a 504.00 oil?
And in both of your pics, it DOES say "CPR," so I'm thinking CPRA is right.
This thread would indicate that you have the CA version of the car, and that's the distinction between the CPR and CPK engine codes: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?7078593-CPKA-versus-CPRA
One supplier's site indicates that a 5W-40 502.00 / 505.00 oil is correct: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-liqui_moly-parts/leichtlauf-high-tech-engine-oil-5w-40-5-liter/2332~liq/

Thanks! That helps a lot.

The owners manual and sticker under the hood call for a 502.00 or 505.0? so I'm good there.

I wonder what the reason is that they call it out as a 4 character code, but only put 3 of the character's on the stickers?

Thanks again - I really appreciate the help!

A few updates...

The engine code is CPRA which has a secondary air pipe on the air filter box for California emissions (think CPR ).

Oil change went well - Blau parts had a good package available and they're semi local so that's handy.

Have ~46k miles on the car now (~14k miles since purchased). Went to change tires this weekend and found that the rims don't have a "normal" lip on the front side so when I clamped them in the tire machine I didn't notice that the spokes protrude OUT from the edge of the wheel so ended up putting a couple big gouges in the wheels . Apparently this has become much more common with the newer vehicles, not just VW.

The car has had a brake shake since we purchased it and the one rear wheel is worn badly on the inside edge - the other 3 are fine so guessing that it's out of alignment so we'll need to get that taken care of before the other 2 new tires go on.

Rear rotors need a 14mm triple square bit to get the caliper carrier off so you can get the rotor off so one of those is on order as well. Does anyone know the torque spec on these bolts?

The engine has "learned" a delay in the throttle on initial tip in so you let off the brake, depress the throttle and nothing happens for the first ~0.200 seconds so you keep depressing the pedal and then all of a sudden it launches and half the items in the car slide back. It didn't used to do this. I wonder if the ECU has "learned" this from the other half's driving style because her previous A6 was drive by wire as well and did the same thing. Annoying on an otherwise good powertrain.

It otherwise drives well, good power, good transient response, excellent MPG's. She's getting high 20's back and forth to work and mid-high 30's on 500+ mile road trips which exceeds my expectations. If you can keep it below 80 on the interstate it'll do ~35 MPG, if you stay on the 60 MPH rural roads it will break 40 MPG. Winter trips with snow tires return low 30's which is also decent in my opinion.

I still can't get comfortable in it, steering wheel is too far away, armrest is too far away from the steering wheel, my right shin always hurts resting against the center console, the seats suck. I can drive my Jetta 4 hours non stop and get out feeling ready for another 4 hours. After 1-2 hours in the Passat, my lower back hurts, my butt is numb, my shin hurts and my neck is sore because the #@$&^&@^ headrest is tilted too far forward (and you can't adjust it). This and 32 other reasons are why I sold my 2013 TDI passat. Fortunately I don't have to drive it every day .

Had this issue on my 04 Mazda6 really bad. The forums said that if you ran a thick gauge wire from the throttle body to ground, it would improve it. I did that, couldn't say if I learned to live with it or if it really helped. Thought I might throw that out there since it's a cheap thing to do (I used pretty normal 10 gauge insulated wire, just like youd use in your house but thicker)

Fix_Until_Broke said:

The engine has "learned" a delay in the throttle on initial tip in so you let off the brake, depress the throttle and nothing happens for the first ~0.200 seconds so you keep depressing the pedal and then all of a sudden it launches and half the items in the car slide back. It didn't used to do this. I wonder if the ECU has "learned" this from the other half's driving style because her previous A6 was drive by wire as well and did the same thing. Annoying on an otherwise good powertrain.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip - we'll look into that.