Now looking at a 2012 Passat

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I do know vw manuals are bullet proof. I don't know how long u plan to keep car or how many miles u r gonna put on it but 3 services by a guru = a nice new set of tires for me and a few bucks for fuel.
VWs are notorious for failing dual mass flywheels. MKV cars had more problems with these than earlier cars. The flywheel on the 6-speed transmissions may be more robust, but I don't think there are enough out there with enough miles on them to say for sure. Flywheels on the DSG transmissions fail, too.
 
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Location
usa
TDI
2012 passat tdi 2004 golf tdi
My 04 golf has a manual with 110,000 miles on it and zero issues at all so far. My old 89 passat had over 300,000 miles on it with the original clutch do I have to put my confidence in it. Haven't heard any horror stories (doesn't meant there aren't any) on VW manuals. But I have heard tons of dsg horror stories.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
110K isn't a lot, and the older Passat had a single-mass flywheel. I would guess we sell as many clutch kits for manual MKVs as DSG flywheels. Maybe more.
 

TomB

Veteran Member
Joined
May 1, 2003
Location
Cle Elum, Washington/Las Vegas, Nevada
TDI
2015 Audi TDI Prestige Sport
Nothing else drives like a proper manual. Sorry, that's just the way it is. Not hard to learn how to drive a manual. Turn the radio, ipod and cell phone off, listen to the engine, you'll know when to shift. And as everyone else has said, based on previous VW history with crap cracking or breaking, the less bells and whistles on the car, the less broken stuff to be pointed out to you when it comes time to liquidate it. I like the KISS principle on VW's.

Buy what makes you happy, but if you go manual, plan on it being a lot of hard work to find one that you want, unless you get lucky.
Niner, you know you have been called out on this opinion before but you just keep saying it over and over.

We KNOW HOW TO DRIVE STICK, we chose to have the automatic, especially in stop and go traffic, so it is not about being dumb idiots that are too lazy to learn how to drive one. :)
 

TomB

Veteran Member
Joined
May 1, 2003
Location
Cle Elum, Washington/Las Vegas, Nevada
TDI
2015 Audi TDI Prestige Sport
My 04 golf has a manual with 110,000 miles on it and zero issues at all so far. My old 89 passat had over 300,000 miles on it with the original clutch do I have to put my confidence in it. Haven't heard any horror stories (doesn't meant there aren't any) on VW manuals. But I have heard tons of dsg horror stories.
Ummm manuals have been around for almost a hundred years, and the DSG maybe 5 years in production, no wonder you hear more. It is NEW TECHNOLOGY.
 

domano 68

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2012
Location
Alabama
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE 6spd manual
Am I reading this right in that each of the 3 services that comes free are $250 each? What are they doing besides changin the oil and adding DEF?

Now that supplies are tight on the TDI, what is a good deal on one of these relative to invoice? I have read some of you getting in under invoice as up to the first of March.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Location
usa
TDI
2012 passat tdi 2004 golf tdi
Am I reading this right in that each of the 3 services that comes free are $250 each? What are they doing besides changin the oil and adding DEF?

Now that supplies are tight on the TDI, what is a good deal on one of these relative to invoice? I have read some of you getting in under invoice as up to the first of March.
No the first service on the auto transmission is at 40,000 miles which is outside of the free service window. And if u get it done at dealer I'm sure that it will cost more than 250. The 250 price is if u have a backyard mechanic with VW knowledge do it. As far as price I got mine for 24,500 with the monster mats for the tdi se manual. I get supplier discount which is 500 under dealer invoice.
 
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Location
usa
TDI
2012 passat tdi 2004 golf tdi
Ummm manuals have been around for almost a hundred years, and the DSG maybe 5 years in production, no wonder you hear more. It is NEW TECHNOLOGY.
Um yeah and the 5 yrs have been shaky shaky. And Do a little research on automatics that have been around for a long long time compared to manuals by other manufacturers and u will find automatics have historically had a lot of problems in comparison. Dsg or not autos have more parts to break and fail period.
 

domano 68

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2012
Location
Alabama
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE 6spd manual
No the first service on the auto transmission is at 40,000 miles which is outside of the free service window. And if u get it done at dealer I'm sure that it will cost more than 250. The 250 price is if u have a backyard mechanic with VW knowledge do it. As far as price I got mine for 24,500 with the monster mats for the tdi se manual. I get supplier discount which is 500 under dealer invoice.
How do you get supplier discount? Reason I am asking is I got supplier discount from Chevrolet one time and I am in no way affiliated with Chevrolet nor any of its suppliers. Thank you.
 
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Location
usa
TDI
2012 passat tdi 2004 golf tdi
How do you get supplier discount? Reason I am asking is I got supplier discount from Chevrolet one time and I am in no way affiliated with Chevrolet nor any of its suppliers. Thank you.
Work for the railroad. We haul the cars so my company has a deal with VW and many other car company's for discounts on purchasing new cars.
 
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Location
usa
TDI
2012 passat tdi 2004 golf tdi
Yeah it's a cool job. Nothing like running a train with 2 4500 hp diesel engines on line and 15,000 tons behind u. Good times
 

eatpasta

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Location
Santa Barbara, Ca
TDI
2012 Passat
I can hardly stand it driving a car in general, if I would have to drive an auto id off myself.
My grandfather was a race car driver and he taught me to drive stick at age 9, I also ride a motorcycle about 350 days a year (when my shoulder isnt broken... which it is) so I have been driving the wifes truck to work and I hate even moment of it.
The Passat is a very satisfying car to drive for some reason. You can drive it slow, you can drive it fast....I cant put my finger on it.....It's very satisfying.
Love the sound of the Diesel, really love the shift action now that I installed the short shifter. Im super happy with it. Here's to the next 300k

:D
 
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Location
usa
TDI
2012 passat tdi 2004 golf tdi
Dude I wish I lived somewhere that I could ride that often. I can go April to September and then that's that. 350 days of riding is awesome.
 

eatpasta

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Location
Santa Barbara, Ca
TDI
2012 Passat
Dude I wish I lived somewhere that I could ride that often. I can go April to September and then that's that. 350 days of riding is awesome.
well and usually when Im driving its because one of our cars badly needs a wash, gas and a good flogging. I have 5 bikes and most of THOSE need attention.

I have actually worn out a set of tires on the sides.... Im awfully proud of that. Some of the back east guys ask me what I do to my bikes for winter and I always tell them - I just put on new tires.

:D
 

Niner

duplicate account, banned
Joined
Jun 3, 2011

Just make an appearance at any dealership that has what you want, after you are sure they have it in stock by looking around on line.

You want stick with hardtop or DSG with sunroof? I don't feel you should have too much problems getting it for $1500 off of MSRP. Maybe look at and test drive a Jetta first, then peek at a Passat, but it's more than you can afford to pay at this time. If you are a hard nose, and you've really done your homework, $2000 off of MSRP in mid February was doable.

Go in with no financing, pay in full, know what you want, and show up at 8:00 PM on a weeknight, preferably a rainy night. Do it before March 31st, they are trying to make quotas for sale for the 1st quarter, right now. Let them know up front what you are willing to pay, don't let them get you on the back end on financing rates, payments, interest rates, or trade ins.... You do not want to be dependent on them for anything except taking a check and driving off the lot. If they balk, or won't deal, walk out, right then, and have another dealership or 3 on back up. They may very well call you back in a day or two with an even better price.

The point is, you have to remain in control of the negotiations process, and if they jerk you around, call them on their bluff, and walk out. This is much, much easier to do via email or a phone call, they have you by the short hairs once you go in in person, so get it all in writing, their best offer, first, via an email. If you have to, shop that email price around with a few dealerships, and watch all the BS fees they try to sneak in on you, and call them on it.
 
Last edited:

Niner

duplicate account, banned
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
Niner, you know you have been called out on this opinion before but you just keep saying it over and over.

We KNOW HOW TO DRIVE STICK, we chose to have the automatic, especially in stop and go traffic, so it is not about being dumb idiots that are too lazy to learn how to drive one. :)
TomB, you need to stop picking on us minority Manual Passat drivers. Quit discriminating against us. ;)
 
Top