XC vs VW Passat Wagon (4inmotion)

[luverofpeanuts]

Forgive me, since I'm sure this has probably been covered before, but I have narrowed down my choice of vehicle to replace our aging old car. I'm consdiering the pros and cons of the XC and the VW Passat Wagon.

I believe both are fine vehicles, with the Volvo having a slight edge in elbow room (width). Right now, I need to do some test driving and see what each feel like.

I'd like to hear from others that have been thru this same decision making process.

Thanks for any comments. I welcome them here or directly to my email address.

...gregl
[email protected]

[coastal]

Hi Greg, welcome to the site!

When deciding on a new car, these were the exact same two I was considering. I got as far as placing a refundable deposit on an (at the time) upcoming 2001.5 Passat V6 4mo in Siverstone metallic. But when we found out the Passat wouldn't be available for another 3 months we reconsidered and went with the XC.

I'll note that we had wanted the XC right from the start but at the time felt it was a tad out of the price range.

Originally we started looking at Golfs, then Jettas, then base Passats, then 4motion Passats where we almost ended up. This was an entirely self-inflicted upsell on our part but we've been super happy with the results. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

The issue at hand was getting a car that meets our needs perfectly, and for us at least, the XC is perfect.

I agree with your comment that both are great cars. The Passat is a bit smaller and is a little more sporty, more of a "driver's car".

On the other hand, I find the XC more comfortable (In fact by far the best car I've ever experienced for a long road trip) and a tad more versatile with the added ground clearance and chunkier treads.

I really don't think you can make the wrong choice with the decision between a Passat and an XC. Instead, I think your decision is to find the car that meets your needs most closely.

Are you looking for more versatility or more driver response?
More of an SUV, or more of a sports car/sedan?
Where do you live?
Planning on driving off-road?
How tall are you?

That last one is because I'm 6'4", and the XC is the only car I've ever driven where I don't need to move the seat to the very back. Nice for both driver and driver side rear passenger. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Styling is a totally subjective topic so I'll leave that one off the list. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[luverofpeanuts]

Thanks for the welcome!

Here are some additional thoughts you've stirred up, that I failed to mention in my first post:

1) I have to say that we are probably most interested in versatility; that's why we've focused on the 'wagon' market.

2) We live in Minnesota, so snow performance must be acceptable. Off-road is less important, but is always in the back of our mind.

3) We are active ... so carrying 1 or 2 sea Kayaks, bikes, canoe is common with the Expedtion. We'd love the wagon to handle light duty trips (1 kayak, bikes, etc). The Expedtion is too tall for my wife to load these alone.

4) We have a big SUV now (Expedtion), so we are used to that type of feel. We also have an old Mazda 626LX, which has a 'sporty' car feel.

5) I'm 6'3" and am used to brushing the roof with my head and bumping knees ;-) I did sit in the back seat of the VW and was surprise how much leg room I had. I was brushing the roof with my head though.

6) No kids, but 3 dogs (retrievers). Integrated booster seats are not interesting to us, but the 40/20/40 seat is; however I find that some of the dealers I've called only have the 60/40 seat with the integrated booster seat in. Is the 40/20/40 common at all?

Thanks for the response! I'm looking forwarding to getting up to the Twin Cities to find an XC to test drive. I've only seen used 1999 and older models of the V70XC around here (Rochester, MN).


...gregl

[coastal]

Kayaks eh? Sounds like you're a shoe in for an XC... seems to be a popular pastime for many here on the site. (http://www.v70xc.com/pics)  http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

When we got our car, the 40/20/40 seemed to be the standard on the XC. I'm surprised more companies don't use this set up... it makes a ton of sense.  Perhaps they're easier to sell with the more functional rear center arm rest? Guess it's a bit more family oriented with the booster seats.

Good luck with the test drives!

[BSNF]

Hello there -

My wife and I were contemplating both the Passat 4Motion wagon and the XC.  What sold us on the XC was the overall build quality, bigger size and ground clearance, and the safety features (yes, I know the Passat has scored well in crash tests, but common... the XC is a Volvo&#33http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif.

Due to unforeseen job opportunity, we recently had to purchase a second car.  We went with a Passat (sedan) which we love, but now having driven extensively in both, feel that we definitely made the right choice on the XC.  It is just an overall solid car.  Highly recommend it.

Good luck.