Looking at these in place of our race car….

Just test drove the 170bhp 2l TDI – cracking fun, but thinking about it that's not really the point is it! Insurance group 13, tax etc mean I may as well keep hold of the Type R…

Been looking at the other engines, and wanted opinion on the 1.9s…
Is the 105bhp a bit slow, and is the 130bhp grossly faster?
Also, I remember a thread here talking about remapping the 130, but can you remap the 105bhp?

I'm getting all sensible I am!!

DrP

You'll certainly feel sensible when your'e getting 50.3 mpg like wot I am.
(130 TDI)

The 105bhp version has a much smaller intercooler and turbo. It can remap, but won't remap to much more than say 120bhp… Probably only has a 5 speed gearbox attached to it too.

The 130 version will remap by as much as 50-55 extra bhp. But it will be PEAKY! Having driven a remapped 130bhp Audi A4 (up to 185bhp) there was nothing there til the turbo finally spooled up at about 2000rpm, then it went boom as the wheels span up, then everything over by about 3200rpm.

I've driven a couple of cars with the 170bhp 2 litre TDi engine in, and it's a MUCH better engine. It's smoother, quieter, and generally a much better engine (which it would be as it's probably 10-12 years newer in design!).

Even at Insurance Group 13 and slightly higher tax than a lower power Passat, it'll be much cheaper to run than your Type R… And quite a good laugh too as they go along at a fair old lick… And you can still get the 170bhp version remapped too (gains about another 30bhp iirc!)…

Find a 140 without a dpf filter and remap to 170 ish without any of the drawbacks folk have had with 170's. Google vw dpf and have a look. My personal experience of a 1.9 130 Quattro remapped to a dyno proven 180, best car I have ever had. I thought that the 1.9 had more lower torque than the 2.0 which drives more tike a petrol (our work had a fleet of these). But as Maverick says, its an older design but very very solid.

Definitely get the 130 over the 105. Bigger turbo so a bit more lag but much nicer to drive. You can do virtually anything in 5th gear, but it's loads of fun if you boot it in 3rd or 4th too. Make sure you get one with ESP or you'll be spinning the wheels in the wet whenever you try to move off in a hurry.

I have a 140 dpf. Average of 50 mpg, torque enough in most circumstances. I towed a caravan 3 people and 3 bikes as well as all our gear to this years Merida in Selkirk and never blinked an eyelid. I'm 26, do 20k miles a year and only pay £312 for insurance and tax is only £14o (i think) Good car. I know its a bit of an old mans motor but I love it for what I use it for. Commuting and carrying the bikes.

Mines a 140bhp 2l and i really like it, i didn't want a 105, didn't test drive one just thought it would be lacking

I've got a 170 Estate. It's still a big old car but it goes pretty well – plenty quick enough for me. Pulls solidly all the way from 30 and still got plenty legs at 100-110 (only tried that in Belgium where that counts as "barely keeping up" on their motorways). The entire Passat range comes with ESP, mine will spin wheels in 3rd in the wet so it's probably a good idea.

Even with roofbars on it, does low 40s on average, without it will nudge 50 on a long A road trip. It's hard to get it much below 40 even with a heavy right foot. The DPF hasn't caused me any problems, but then I hardly ever use it for short journeys or around town – if that's your regular driving it's probably not a great idea.

Not as involving as the Focus I had before, but it's fine to drive and eats the miles (we've done Zeebrugge to Morzine in a day in it without any problems whatsoever, and it's been as far south as Provence and as far north as Golspie). Running costs are fine – I'm paying about £360ish to insure it and tax is £175pa.

The 140 is OK and the 105 is a bit ponderous, even empty – if you are planning on loading it up on a regular basis probably best avoided.

140 ok

A car dealer mate has told me that people have been selling their 2.0's and going back to the 1.9 TDI's because of reliability issues with the new engines. If it has a warranty then check your covered for fuel pump's and injectors etc. If not the older 1.9's are bullet proof, tried and tested over the last 12 years. The last of the Passat's called the highline were loaded with gear. The 130 TDI makes a great load lugger. Regularly see them being sold with 200K on them. That's going to be my next motor if I can find one!

I've got a 105hp 58 plate estate as a hire car at the moment. It's a big car, but it pulls like a train and is not under powered IMHO. Test drive one.

Borrowed my parents passat estate 1.9 130 Y reg for a trip to morzine in the summer. They're looking to sell at the moment and i'm looking to keep it in the family so to speak.
Raced to catch the ferry on the way home and did most of the journey across france at a decent speed. Probably did last 100 miles at the equivalent mph. Not what I'd wanted to do at all but still returned 45mpg ish.

116,000, FSH Y reg. what price should i be offering them?

looking at cruise control and remap if i get it…

A4 Avant 1.9 TDi 130 quattro sport here – averages 50mpg on my commute and will do 55 on a run. 130,000 miles so far and beyond regular servicing every 20k, it's only failure has been a pulley on the ancillary belt (cheap and easily replaced) and a healthy appetite for head and tail light bulbs. otherwise absolutely faultless.

We have a 1.9 Passat 115bhp with almost 300k on it at work. Obviously some stuff has been replaced but it still gets a wriggle on, nothings fallen off and nothing inside squeeks….quite remarkable and a good advert for the VW brand. Especially as it gets driven by 20 different drivers.

however i'd forget the VW and get a new mazda 6 estate. better , much chaeper and fully loaded

I've a 2000 115pd tdi estate with 140k on and it's been great. It's got sufficient pull for anything I do and averages 56mpg 🙂
thinking of swapping it but bit undecided now as reading later models less well built and mine feels like it'll go on forever……

Hmmm, well the 1.9 130 is insurance group 12, and the 170 is 13…..
It seems the VAG tractors eat up the miles, so would you be put off by the 170bhp with 82k miles on it???

It's a 06 plate, with a £10k sticker on it – pretty pricey me thinks!

DrP

estate or saloon? Not too bad, as long as it's been serviced regularly. It will have done most of that mileage sat on the motorway, so nothing to worry about too much. crusing along sat in 5th/6th all day is far better for a car than ragging round lanes/towns etc..

the only downside with the 170 is it's a 2.0 which uses all the fancy high pressure injector stuff, which are VERY expensive when they go wrong. The 1.9 uses a relatively low pressure system, which as mentioned above, is very reliable. if you went for a 2.0, I'd say don't scrimp on servicing at all…

£10k !! Crikey you can pick up the 4.0 V8 4Motion versions for that money.

MMM yes and think about the road tax on that pete! Carbontastic!

(Slight ot, but as there are some owners posting here)

How much room is there in the back of a Passat estate with the rear seats down?

Enough room for a six footer to crash out for a night?

"The last of the Passat's called the highline were loaded with gear. The 130 TDI makes a great load lugger. Regularly see them being sold with 200K on them. That's going to be my next motor if I can find one! "

I will bear you in mind when I sell mine. However with 107k on the clock it is not going anywhere for a while.

ski – Member

(Slight ot, but as there are some owners posting here)

How much room is there in the back of a Passat estate with the rear seats down?

Enough room for a six footer to crash out for a night?

Yes.

I have a 130 Highline, last of the old shape. The engine's fine, a bit peaky maybe, but beware as they're prone to clutch judder. The 105s are best avoided as the engine is gutless and they're mostly ex-hire or taxis.

Of the new shape, the 140 has a much wider power band than my old 130 and so is much smoother – the sensible choice. The 170 goes like stink, but the bigger turbo introduces lag, I'd live with that though. I wouldn't even look at the 110 or the old 1.9s.

Ski – I'm 6ft and have tried that, loads of room but you can't lie down flat with your legs out straight. The Vectra, Mondeo & Accord are bigger inside.

Thanks Mike_p

cp – Member
the only downside with the 170 is it's a 2.0 which uses all the fancy high pressure injector stuff, which are VERY expensive when they go wrong. The 1.9 uses a relatively low pressure system, which as mentioned above, is very reliable.

Thats not true. The 1.9's use a multi pump system with one pump for each cylinder and are higher pressure than a common rail systems they allow for more tunability and more bhp than a common rail but they are noisier.

It's a 06 plate, with a £10k sticker on it – pretty pricey me thinks!

I paid £11,500 for mine. 58 plate Highline with 18k on the clock so I would say £10k is farr to much. P.s that price included a twhin electric tow bar getting fitted, new Tailored mats, 6 months tax, Service Package and GAP insurence.

What a swizz!
Just been looking at the car again (estate) and realised it's actually a 140bhp 2l. Sooo, that means the 170 must be mental (!), but that also for a high mileage 140 it's way overpriced. To avoid me thinks!!
Still uncertain which to go for – 1.9 130, or 2l 140…

DrP

Just test drove a range of VAG cars, with various engines. PD engines (the older 1.9 105 and 130 engines, and currently the 2.0 ones in Seats too) are quite clacky tractory sounding, and they are the ones that give you a massive slug of torque and fizzle otu at 3krpm.

In Passats, all the new shape ones are common rail I think, which are much nicer to drive – pull faster and faster to the red line and are smoother and more refined. I test drove a 105 common rail which was really underpowered to be honest – this is coming from a Toyota Prius and an old L reg 75bph Passat estate. In 5th on the motorway, put my foot down and nothing ahppened at all. And you only get a 5speed box.

I went for the 140 2.0 in the end, it's lovely to drive but ony returns about 52-53mpg on motorway 70mph runs, and not much more than 45mpg in towns which isn't great in this day and age. The Common Rail engines also have DPFs which CAN be an issue if you only do short trips, but they have the advantage of not pumping out poisonous black crud.

Buying new is a different ballgame – there's a 120bhp 2.0 common rail engine, which in the bluemotion can get 70+mpg out of an estate on the motorway in real life according to one review, and 58 in general town and country driving. I'd have one of those but they are all new 🙂

PS I called Celtic Tuning and for £350 they remap the 140 CR engine to 200bhp! And improve the fuel economy too!