Took delivery today of my new Passat

After putting a deposit on my 2014 Comfortline 6MT Platinum Grey, I finally took delivery of it today. Wife and I share our vehicles, so she got to do the inaugural drive, but then I took it for a spin once we got both vehicles home. My two older kids have been very excited about this car too, and for the past few days, would ask if we got it yet when I met them at their school bus stop at the end of the day. We picked them up at school today, they were expecting us to come in the Passat, but we barely finished at the dealer before we had to high-tail it to the school, so didn't have time to set up their boosters. They were disappointed we met them in the van, but were excited to go to the dealership and get the ride home from there in the Passat.

Dealership was kind enough to install my winter wheels/tires that were mounted, which I dropped off a couple of days ago, and bagged up my summer wheels/tires.

Now I've got to decide what I want to do to the car in what order, among my priorities are a skid plate and traction control button. Down the road, need a VCDS and want to do some mods in there, and maybe tint the windows.

If anyone in Edmonton is looking to buy a VW, I highly recommend our salesperson Hans at Norden.

Glad to finally officially rejoin the TDI family.

Congrats on the new ride! Sounds like everybody was excited!

Welcome back to the TDI. My kids sound like yours... Even though my bride drives a loaded Honda Odyssey Touring with the entertainment system, they ask to take the TDI... They think the fact that it gets nearly 2x the fuel economy is "pretty cool"....

weebl said:

.........among my priorities are a skid plate and traction control button.......

Click to expand...

I suggest the skid plate. I hit a small dog at 70mph and it took out the plastic skid plate, front end plastics, intercooler, the radiators and the transmission controller. Repair took 6 weeks and over $7k by the time all was replaced or repaired. Lost the Frostheater but gained a VW factory coolant heater. I've purchased a Dieselgeek skid plate to hopefully eliminate the undercarriage damage from road debris.
You'll appreciate the fuel economy and the extra room that the Passat offers.
Congratulation on the new acquisition.

The skid plate saved my butt twice going up a state park road in Washington. The car bottomed out on some unavoidable potholes despite going very slowly. It's definitely at the top of my list of MUST HAVE MODS. Battle scars on a thick aluminum plate are definitely better than puncture wounds and trips to the service department.

Congrats on the new car! It's awesome that your whole family is so excited about it.

Thanks, guys. Will definitely get the skid plate soon.

I made a couple of random observations about this 2014 car versus what I've read about some of the 2012s and 2013s: the hood is supported by a gas charged lift support versus a prop rod, and the licence plate lamps look like they are LED.

Congrats, I purchased the same car last week.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice, congrats to you too, B00st! What colour did you get?

Platinum gray with Titan black interior. Manual trans SE trim level. I have 300 miles on it so far.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

weebl said:

I made a couple of random observations about this 2014 car versus what I've read about some of the 2012s and 2013s: the hood is supported by a gas charged lift support versus a prop rod

Click to expand...

My 2013 has strut lift support. One car on the lot already had a hood that wouldn't stay up. Someone must have been asleep at Vw QA.

Where do you drive that you are, guys, all needed skid plate?

If I'm planning to go park with bad road I have XC70 for this, but I drove like 100's miles on US road in eastern side and never seen any thing bad and big on road. I did remember I hit one time 4x4 or 4x2 but did not anything with car, and I had Acura 3.2TL at that time.

I had BMW M3 and did 100's BMW group drives on roar road of America and never see anything that could dengeriuos to my car.
It's useless spend money.

From what I've read regarding the skid plate is it's cheap insurance. Apparently there are a number of horror stories about people hitting road debris or bottoming out and causing expensive damage. Most note they damage oil pans/pick up tubes, intercooler/piping and radiators.

From the factory the cars are equipped with a plastic pan that is prone to breaking when making contact with road debris.

Congrats again on the car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Home security is useless as well, until someone actually tries to come in uninvited.

I, too, live in No. Va, and while it's not often I see potentially damaging debris on a highway, it does happen.

I've got 70k on my JSW (lower than Passat, BTW), and the skid plate has saved my oil pan from unavoidable snow/ice boulders, even in our meager snowfalls...

I can definitely see the reasoning behind it now. The amount of ice chunks falling off 18 wheelers so far this winter is frightening.

Some are big enough to not only take out your oil pan, but your lower grill as well. Biggest one I've seen smoked a Honda's front end and stopped it dead on the highway. I guess the driver thought it was slush but at -25C it was like concrete.

Regards

B00st, excellent colour choice!

A skid plate was something I was going to do on my 2003 Golf TDI, until an accident claimed it before I got around to it. I would get one for my Toyota van too, if I could find one. It only has around an inch more ground clearance than the Passat.

Definitely cheap insurance, as others have said, against road debris and ice chunks.

I now have a minor glitch to contend with, I'm guessing caused by seeped water from washing prior to delivery, which has probably thawed and refrozen a few times. The right rear window rolled itself down and I had a tough time fighting it back up. Locked out the windows on the master switch, so that should keep it at bay. Need to call tomorrow for an appointment now. Definitely a PITA.

Sorry to hear about your window issue, I'm sure the dealer will take care of it. Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Are you making or buying a pre made skid plate?

Vmwalker said:

I suggest the skid plate..... I've purchased a Dieselgeek skid plate to hopefully eliminate the undercarriage damage from road debris......

Click to expand...

I completely agree and highly recommend one. It's cheap insurance to protect expensive underside components.