Hi. I am thinking of buying a the new VW Passat and am interested in getting some feedback from anyone here who just bought one recently. I'd be grateful to get some feedback from you about any experience you've had so far with the after sales service, performance of the car, actual fuel efficiency achieved, and whether you'd make the same choice today. As I am limited to buying CKD cars, I'm also considering the Camry too.

Many thanks in advance. Ken.

If me I wouldnt consider camry at all. Assuming you consider the highest spec camry

Camry only comes with 6 speed AT - Passat using 7 speed DSG gearbox!
Camry only comes with 4 airbags - Passat comes with 6 airbags!
Camry only have ABS, EBD and BA - passat comes with ABS,EBD,BA and electronic stability control
2.5 180hp - 231nm@4100rpm - passat 1.8TSI 160hp - 250nm@1500-4200rpm
RM 180000 - RM 170000

In terms of spec, passat win over camry

I always read at volkswagen malaysia facebook page, mostly vw polo owner complaining, very rare to see passat owner complain about their car

Wait for the real owner to give you comment, ive been ride in both cars and I love passat acceleration

However, I've noticed the Camry is a bit more spacious over Camry. Also, for the Passat, I feel that the backbone (don't know what you call it >_<), that is located at the feet of the rear seat's middle passenger is quite high and intrusive.

Aside that however, Passats interior is very nice! I especially like the analog clock at the center console!

I am actually contemplating a CKD Passat as well, against an Optima!

It's a nice car. There's just a few problems so far

1. There's no electric seats or electric fold mirrors unless its the Passat Sport, which is 25k more expensive compared to the CKD version
2. There is some rattling sound from odd places on certain roads, it comes and goes but is less frequent if your car has been tinted
3. DVD-navi, reverse camera and dynaudio speakers are not an option unless you retrofit it at certain sources or decide to get rid of the default audio. Small issue unless you're a audiophile.

4. DSG mechatronic reliability - it's a hit and miss here really. Most of the major complaints come from the reliability of the gearbox. There is a suddenly loss of power with juddering then the error code comes up and you can't drive it anymore. Particularly affected models are: The Polo TSi, Golf TSi, Jetta TSi, Scirocco Tsi. There has been some cases reported about the Passat and Passat CC units as well but atm, it's more rare to hear of it. This particular issue is still dogging VW but supposedly there are fewer reported cases since the software update earlier this year. The gearbox is entirely replaced by VW when failure occurs under their warranty scheme but it's a huge inconvenience.

I've done past my first 5k and did my first 1L engine oil topup (DIY) using Amsoil. The drive has unexpectedly become extremely smooth after the 1st 5k and I'm happy so far. Service interval is set at 15k but it is suggested that you check engine oil levels every 5k. Fuel efficiency is listed in my sig (it won't appear if you are viewing this post in your mobile phone), I drive 65 to 70% city and 25 to 30% highway.

Bro, please take that rubbish Camry off your list. Only those who know nothing about cars and are only bothered about resale value will buy a Camry. There are many better cars in the market now for that similar price range. The Passat is one of them.

But if u want honest replies, u should tell ppl your criteria & budget or else ure gonna get everybody coming in here with their own choice of cars. In the end ull get about 20 choices but ull be no closer to deciding.

General criteria in choosing a car:

1) Price
2) Safety
3) Specs & value for money
4) Design
5) Interior space
6) Build quality / durability
7) Ride, handling, power
8) After sales service
9) Maintenance costs
10) Warranty

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Added on October 9, 2012, 8:44 amSpec wise the Optima wins by a small margin. Also has the wow factor in terms of design but to each their own taste. The Optima also has more interior legroom. The Passat is better than the Optima in terms of engine (since its a Turbo), transmission and handling. But the DSG gearbox does have its fair share of issues just like Zweimmk has mentioned.

So if you want a more powerful engine and better ride & handling and if ure prepared to pay about 34K extra for it, then go for the Passat CKD.

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: Oct 9 2012, 08:44 AM

zweimmk is spot on! Its a nice car to drive, just to add
4) no bluetooth.. to add aftermarket is around 2k.
5) My battery died after 2 months, luckily replaced under warranty..
6) My rattling issue is resolved in a stone age way.. shoved a touch n go card under the dashboard..

However, after driving it you'll probably forget the issues ;-P

Some plus:
1) Fuel consumption is not bad.. From Semantan -> Duke -> MRR2 -> Ampang can get around 9.5l/100km compared to my old Korean
2) Ginormous boot space and interior space.. Can fit 2 stroller and weekend luggage no issue

Go to vwclubmalaysia.. a lot of similar queries being answered there!

I have to reluctantly agree. The KIA Optima K5 is indeed a car that offers much better value for money for the amount of features given. However, both cars are distinct enough in their own ways and the only way to know which car you prefer more is to go for an actual test drive yourself.

Forum input is a good place to learn about these cars and what to expect from them but the ultimate test still comes in the test drive with you and your family. Don't be afraid to do it at least 3 or 4 times to get a good feel of both cars.

any thots for pug 508gt?

Or maybe 9 times?

Overly excessive but of course all within your consumer rights I think by the 4th time, a serious buyer would already have a good feel and idea of what they want in a car and whether or not the test car meets their expectations.

Thanks for all the suggestions and responses, and zweimmk in particular. The Kia Optima (and Pug) is a nice looking car indeed, but I am limited to CKD models only because it is a requirement of the REP programme. While I agree that the new Camry isn't very appealing, it is one of the few recent CKD cars in this segment and I have very good first hand experience with this model. My father's 7 year old Camry is still running well with no problems since the day he bought it. Interior noise is still low despite several minor knocks and scrapes here and there. I guess it is hard to know how these new generation of engines with turbo will perform in the long run (after warranty expires) with Malaysian fuel. zweimmk - Were you able to find any information on this potential issue?

This post has been edited by okyjace: Oct 9 2012, 12:03 PM

Yeah, the Passat's pickup and agility is better than the Optima IMO. The paddle shift was very responsive where as I noticed a small short hesitation from the Optima. That being said, the Passat is in turn, felt a bit sluggish compared to the Golf TSI. I suppose its the weight of the car itself?

The Optima feels huge when I drove it. The leg room was much better than Passat at the rear. And I was pleasantly surprised that when I started the engine, the driver seat slid to the front automatically (and vice versa when I stopped the car)!

I was a bit intimidated by it's size actually. Upon returning from the test drive, I had to side park in front of the show room, so scared I'd scratch it. SA also smiled >_<.

The GT version = diesel engine right? I was under the impression that our diesel grade is still pretty bad for now. And the car is priced higher than the Passat even I believe. Unless you compare the normal 508 (with the 1.6T engine).

Dont forget that under the REP, when u do decide to sell your car, you can only sell it using the purchase price as a benchmark not the normal selling price.

But since ure enjoying the benefits of the REP, dont bother with any Jap or Korean. U can easily go for the BMW 320i CKD or the 320d CKD. It would be silly to consider the Camry especially when ull be getting about 30K discount.

U need to understand that Toyotas back then were a good choice. But lately Toyota has stagnated. The new Camry was a real disappointment. When u buy a car u should look at all the criterias i mentioned above. The Camry fails in most of the criteria above. Build quality now is not the same as before. Both Zweimmk and myself were ex Toyota users and both had good experiences. But we still left Toyota.

Now when u buy a car you should focus on value for money. Are you getting your money's worth? Resale value should not be a priority. Many other car manufacturers have improved alot over the last few years. 5 years ago how many Korean makes did you see on the road? The same with VW. They have made cars more affordable in Malaysia which has resulted in a significant jump in ownership. More and more ppl are realising that Toyota isnt worth it anymore. Imagine paying >150K to get a car with a 10 yr old engine and 4 speed GB with basic safety features only.

Please take the Camry off your list.

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Added on October 9, 2012, 1:13 pmActually i too was initially worried bout parking the Optima. But with the rear camera and smaller turning radius, its now become quite a breeze. Even my wife finds it quite easy to park the Optima. U dont really have the 'big car' effect when parking. But Kia should have done better and put front parking sensors. At 143K+ (OTR) and with all spec on offer, its quite a good buy i must say.

Are you seriously looking for a D segment as well?

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: Oct 9 2012, 01:14 PM

Just wondering, if you know, what about pre-registered cars? Assuming I buy a pre-reg Passat at say, 160k instead of 170k, I understand on the car registration card, my name will be second. But lets say I sell it out, how would they know how much my purchase price is?

Unfortunately, no, there's no information on how reliable VW engine is after many years of use. Especially since cars aren't built like they were used to back in the day.

What little information I can tell you is this:

1. Up until now, I have never come across VW engine failure in any of their Passat, Golf, Polo, Scirocco models, not for any of the cars in Singapore or Malaysia at least. The most notorious problem is with the DSG mechatronics but aside from the obvious inconvenience, you are well covered by the 5 year warranty program. Btw, the current Passat engine is the same engine found in the pre FL Audi A4, I believe the engine code is EA888 (2nd gen?), 1.8L 118kW model.

2. As far as petrol is concerned, I use RON95 and there are no issues. The car still runs well and especially after I topped up my engine oil past the 1st 5k, it is especially silky smooth to drive now. At this point, I wonder if its because the engine has broken in or is it because of the Amsoil engine oil I'm using. Either way, I'm satisfied.

3. Interior cabin noise is around 66 ~ 71dBA on the highway at speeds of 110km/hr? I actually did a reading between the Passat and the Mercedes C200 before, the C200 actually measures at approximately 62dBA ~ 66dBA running at the same speed. In layman's terms, it's definitely as quiet if not more quiet than the Camry. For the first time in years, I can actually enjoy the audio in my car thanks to the premium audio and quietness of the car. In my old car (current generation Corolla Altis), I used to just keep the radio off because I found both the audio and the road noise annoying.

4. The latest Camry will probably still carry on the same traditions of being a reliable and easy to maintain car. I have no doubts on that. If resale value, trouble free ownership and service network are your priority, just go with the Camry. It's a buy, drive and don't look back car. It's lack of features means you can always throw in aftermarket gadgets and stuff to spice things up.

5. The Passat comes with Continental Sports Contact 5 tires. I've been told it has some self sealing technology if you run over a nail. A 3rd party tire manufacturer told me that when I pumped in Nitrogen gas for my tires. According to him, it will seal itself up if the puncture is minor nail types but it will not protect against side scrapes type of puncture. It's hard to put into words but it's a nice little piece of information to know.

Hope that helps

This post has been edited by zweimmk: Oct 9 2012, 01:41 PM

I think under the REP program, there is some mention on your registration card. Plus its also mentioned on the JPJ system so anybody trying to register your car later will also come to know. Not easy to cover up.

But under the REP, ure only entitled to buy new cars right?

Oh, I am not buying under REP. TS is. I'll likely grab a pre-reg Passat. Just wondering what are the disadvantages other than your name being the second one on the car registration card.

The terms and conditions of the approval pack does not specifically mention whether the car has to be new or not. However, this is implied by the procedures I will have to go through to enjoy the benefit (won't bore you with details). FYI, there is no requirement when selling the car to price it below market. Rather, if the car is sold within XX years after purchase, then I will have to make good the taxes initially saved. Basically, the way I see this incentive working is that I will be able to cover much of the cost of depreciation of whichever car purchased, be it a Passat, Camry, or BMW. Just sharing my own perspective, I think that luxury cars draw too much attention to one's self in Malaysia as compared to Europe or America. So as I prefer to let others have the attention, I am unlikely to pick a luxury car before I start living in a big bungalow.

If you have the budget, you can consider the BMW X1 20d xDrive which is also CKD. It is priced similar to the lower end 3 series but comes with more features.

There is a requirement to use your current purchase price as a benchmark to sell the car in future. I know cuz i did detailed research on this. I also have the complete list of cars which qualify under this program but it may be a bit outdated now. So u will still need to deal with depreciation just like everybody else.

Its nothing about the attention. Its about value for money. Ure already limited by the CKD requirement so choose a car that satisfies most of the criteria. Dont base your judgement on 1 or 2 points only.