Test Drive: 2008 Volkswagen Passat B6 Variant

The Volkswagen Passat has been on the market for a very long time now. As a matter of fact, this model is celebrating its 40-th birthday this year.
The B6 Passat has been introduced in 2005 as a replacement to the highly successful B5. Did it improve over its predecessor though?

INTRODUCTION

The B6 Generation Passat was first presented at the Geneva Motor Show, back in March 2005. Unlike the previous model, it was the first Passat to reject an Audi platform in favour of an extended one that has been used in the Mark 5 VW Golf / Jetta.
It went on the sale later that year and in August 2005, the Variant (Estate) was introduced.

EXTERIOR DESIGN

The Estate in comparison to the saloon version seems to be a bit bulky. Even without the official measurements, you can tell that this was the biggest Passat of them all. The B6 is 96mm longer, 80mm wider and 28mm taller than its predecessor. Due to this "blue pill treatment", the cargo space has been increased as well. Trunk size is impressive with the size of 603 litres, over a 100 litres more than in the B5 Estate.
The big headlights and taillights with integrated LEDs are there as reminder to just how much the Passat has changed.

INTERIOR

Interior quality wise the Passat B6 is even better than the good ole B5. A lot of materials have improved and so has the built quality. All controls are logically laid out, and because the traditional handbrake has been replaced with an electronic one, the new armrest is just massive. It really adds to the car, especially with the DSG gearbox.
Seats are very comfortable and supportive, but not as comfortable as the ones you'd find in a Volvo S60. There's plenty of adjustments to be made in the seat and the steering wheel, just to get that comfortable position.

DRIVEABILITY

The Passat I drove had the 2.0 TDI engine, the 170 horsepower plant. It was also equipped with the DSG gearbox (Dual-Clutch Automatic). There was plenty of poke and the gear changes were instant. If I was to buy one today, I'd definitely look for one with DSG. It's not bad in town as well. Not as jerky as people might have you believe. Kickdown is instant as well, and the power is delivered through almost complete rev range, so no matter what speed you're in, it's always safe to overtake.
The B6 handles much better than the former model. It felt very confident in the bends, and I had no problem in going 100 km/h in very tight bends. There wasn't a lot of body roll, and the understeer was minimal.


SUMMARY 

Well then, is the B6 Estate a good choice if you want a practical family estate? No. It's the best choice.


Year Manufactured: 2005-2010
Engines: 1.4 - 3.6
Price Range: €4,995 (2005 1.9 TDI) - €18,950 (2010, 2.0 TDI DSG)
Value For Money: Excellent

Short Review: 1993 BMW 5 Series

The 1993 BMW 5 Series is a part of the E34 family, first introduced in February 1988. It has replaced the E28 and was partially based on the E32 (7 Series) design. It was replaced by the newer E39 in 1996.

INTRODUCTION
The car that I came into contact with was a blue 1993 525iA (Automatic), and that's the car I'm going to base my experience on.
First thing is the design: I always loved the design of old Beemers, there was just something special about them. This is also the case with the E34. Sleek lines, simplicity - there's just something magical about these.
The car I had a chance to drive was overall in a decent nick. It had some small dents and scratches, but nothing too dramatic. The interior of the car was mint though. I honestly could not believe the car had 153,000 miles on the clock! That just proves the quality of the materials BMW had used for this 5 Series. I know there are many E34s on the market - some look better than others (especially with the M-Sport Package), but overall, the E34 was a nice car.

INTERIOR

I found the seats very supportive (they were the Sportsitze) and quite comfortable. They were a bit awkward to get adjusted, but once you get the hang of it, you can find your perfect driving position.
The interior material quality is very good for the year with soft touch materials being present almost in every part of the interior. The steering wheel feels very good in your hand. The poor part is the location of the electric window switches - they're placed beside the handbrake which makes them really uncomfortable to reach. 

ENGINES & DRIVING
There is a wide range of engines available from the E34, ranging from a 4 litre V8 to a 2.5 litre turbodiesel. The car I used had the 2.5L 24V 192hp 6 Cylinder Petrol engine, which in my opinion is the perfect balance between performance and economy.
On a short city drive, I managed to get an average of 10.2l/100km (23 MPG US / 28 MPG imp.) which is quite impressive. These engines handle LPG very well too if you're interested in a more economical option.
There is a wide range of engines available from the E34, ranging from a 4 litre V8 to a 2.5 litre turbodiesel. The car I used had the 2.5L 24V 192hp 6 Cylinder Petrol engine, which in my opinion is the perfect balance between performance and economy.
On a short city drive, I managed to get an average of 10.2l/100km (23 MPG US / 28 MPG imp.) which is quite impressive. These engines handle LPG very well too if you're interested in a more economical option.
From the driving perspective, the BMW felt very confident on the road, the throttle response was excellent, and the feedback from the steering wheel was just excellent. This is definitely much more of a driver's car than the younger E39.


SUMMARY

The engine is very smooth, quiet and very refined. This is definitely the quality BMW could use today.
Economy is a bit on the worse side - realistically you're looking at about 9l/100km (26 MPG US / 31 MPG imp.)
But, this is just nitpicking - the BMW E34 is currently on the market for about €4,000 (for a good, low mileage model), and is definitely a future classic.

Year: 1988-1996
Engines: 1.8-4.0L Petrol / 2.4-2.5L Turbodiesel
Price Range: €1,000 - €14,500 (518i - M5)

Test Drive: 2006 Volvo V50

The Volvo V50. First introduced in 2004, and based on the Ford Focus platform with a wide range of engines. Sounds like a recipe for a success. Or does it?

The V50 I was driving was the SE model with the 2 litre 136hp Turbodiesel. While it's certainly not a rocketship and is definitely not as refined as its petrol brothers, the engine was very capable of pulling the heavy V50 while being fairly economical.

The driving position is very good. There is a lot of adjustments that you can make to the driver's seat to get in a perfect position. The steering wheel while being chunky, still feels good in your hands.
The instrument cluster is very easy to read, and all the switches and knobs are in the right places. Quality is tip-top.

Like I've already mentioned, the car that I drove was equipped with the 2 litre 136 horsepower Turbodiesel. While not being quick (0-100 km/h: 9.3 sec), the engine felt quite flexible, and didn't stall even while selecting 6th gear at 50 km/h. Good mark for the Volvo there.

The engine itself is a bit on the noisy side, however it isn't much more noisy than the Volkswagen's 2.0 TDI unit. For a diesel, it even has a decent sound, i.e. doesn't sound like a tractor.

It turned out to be fairly economical too. After a 150 kilometre drive (70% motorway, 30% city), the trip computer gave me an average figure of 6.1 litres per 100 km (38 MPG US / 46 MPG imp.)

The suspension is a bit on the hard side - now, I'm not sure if it was toughened up to cope with the heavy steel diesel engine, or if it's firm on all of the models. It isn't configured to cope with the bumps well.

The balance is poor as well - the car didn't feel as confident in the corners as a BMW 3 Series Touring with a lot of body roll, and traction control engaging to stop me from understeer. The steering does feel a little bit numb, which is odd, considering the V50 is based on the Ford Focus.

The seats however are fantastic. I honestly don't know any car with seats as comfortable as these. They're very supportive and feel like an armed chair at home. Just make sure you don't mistake them for one. ;-)

The material and build quality was very good as well. While the Volvo V50 may not be a driver's car - it certainly is a very good family estate.

Make & Model: Volvo V50
Year: 2006
Engine: 2.0L I4 TurboDiesel, 136hp, 320Nm
Price Range: €4,950 - €16,950 (2004-2007)

Welcome to Automotive Ireland - The Honest Irish Car Blog

Well, if you found this blog and you've an interest in cars, then I guess you'll hopefully like the articles that I post. I'm not a car journalist of any sorts (although would love becoming one), just an ordinary teenager petrolhead who's been interested in cars since he was 3.

On this blog, I will post things such as: Car Reviews, Test Drive Experiences, Used Car Buyer's Guide and more.

Stay tuned.