I don't think it looks sporty at all ...

 

From www.edmunds.com:

Base Invoice Pricing 2006 Passat 4Motion - $29,413
Sport Package - $3050
Bi-xenon swivel headlamps - $950
18" wheel/tire package - $400

Total Invoice- $33,813

There you go. You have a comparable vehicle to the G35X with the same options. The Passat comes standard with AM/FM in-dash 6 CD player, CD-controller with MP3 stereo.

Infiniti hasn't released 2006 invoice pricing yet, but I'll bet it is a bit higher than the 2005 pricing.

 

Sounds like I made the right move trading mine after 3 yrs.

I hate putting $$ in at the end.
It gets more difficult to get rid of it because you just dropped a grand or two.
You then feel like you need to hang on 'till you get you're money back out.

 

CORRECTION

From www.edmunds.com:

Base Invoice Pricing 2006 Passat 4Motion - $29,413
Sport Package - $2787
Bi-xenon swivel headlamps - $839
18" wheel/tire package - $353

Total Invoice- $33,392

There you go. You have a comparable vehicle to the G35X with the same options. The Passat comes standard with AM/FM in-dash 6 CD player, CD-controller with MP3 stereo.

Infiniti hasn't released 2006 invoice pricing yet, but I'll bet it is a bit higher than the 2005 pricing.

Base Invoice Pricing 2005 G35X - $30,167
Premium Package C - $3016

Total Invoice - $33,183

 

And this is a detriment because???? Please explain further.

Haldex is used on the following vehicles - Volvo S60R, Volkswagen R32, and Audi TT.

 

Rear-biased AWD is better for power oversteer (with VDC off, that is )

 

When the engine is turned 90 degrees to sit sideways - it's certainly going to have a heavy front. Call it the anti-mid ship platform. Not worth 40K for sure but that interior is sweet. My old lemmoned 01.5 passat was a very nice ride for the money, the electrical gremlins notwithstanding. The finish and engineering of the interior are awesome. But at mid 30's pricing, why get a FWD based car with possible reliability issues. It looks better than anything american for the $ but still unappealling. VW wants to go upmarket but people bought the people's car for the value and low cost compared to other similar class cars. Say goodbye to hollywood VW. You better have that loyal following still. Paying 40k for family sedans is not going to last long.

I was over at edmunds and some putz was suggesting that "the passat is another design the japanese can copy because that's all they are good at is copying design." Right, the G and the IS look just like german cars - NOT. It could be said that the passat looks like the corolla as some have pointed out for the Jetta.

Anyone know if this car is based on the a-6? It is NOT based on the a-4 any longer. Perhaps it's got it's own platform?

 

That pretty much says it. The interiors on all of my VWs have been consistently good - the GTI VR6 was particularly nice, but I was able to put less than 300 miles on that car in a year because it spent, literally, 75% of its life in the shop. It's a shame too, I really like VW/Audi hatchbacks.

 

But the ATTESSA is used on the Skyline GTR. GTR > the above cars

 

Wanna hear something funny? It is based on the Golf platform...

Seriously!

 

Before you guys laugh too much, there is an article on the net of a magazine driver ( not one of the big three) that drove this car ***** to the wall in Germany and LOVED it. He expected it to top the BMW competition.

My guess is that once the big mags run it through its paces when it comes out, we may be bumped down one on the list.......(cause reliability can't be measured new).

 

You might be right, but given the fact that the TL can't beat the G in comparative tests almost soley because it's a FWD car, I have the distinct feeling the same may apply to the new Passat. This is a lot like the whole G vs IS350 thing - ya, the IS350 is faster and beat the G in the latest C&D, but it isn't nearly as sporty, and I don't think the Passat will be either, and unlike the IS350 it doesn't have 300hp/torque and won't be pulling 5.1s in the 0-60.

Just my thoughts.

 

The VR6 is much smaller than a traditional V6; in the right hands it'd make a VERY compelling engine to put in a RWD car with a longitudinal setup. The beauty of the VR-platform is that you can take (conceptually) two of 'em and slap them together in a traditional V, thus creating the "W12" engine (this is what they do with the W8, two VR4s slapped together. A V8 in a much smaller space than is traditionally used:



Man, It makes me all hot n' bothered talking about the VR6. More info here

 

I agree with the FWD vs RWD thing. I MUCH prefer a RWD (or RWD bias, in my case) car. I think the Lexus is probably a great car. I wanted AWD, so that ruled out the IS350 for me. My S60R was 100% FWD biased, and I much prefer the G35's RWD.

 

I drove the Lexus and posted my thoughts in another thread. It's a nice car, awesome interior and the fit and finish is leaps and bounds above the G35, it's fast too, and you can really feel the torque - but in typical Lexus fashion the handling is far too artificial feeling, there is no feedback at all, too much body roll, too much understeer, you get the idea. I am interested to see how the Passat feels on the road, initial reports are good, but I just can't take FWD or FWD bias cars anymore, so I am skeptical.