Martin S
11-06-2007, 04:58 PM
:Blush: :Blush:
Just returned from a holiday in France and have to say that I am mightily impressed with my Passat Estate which had done just under 2000 miles when we left and has now done about 4400.
Comfortable, able to swallow masses of luggage, (my wife doesn't understand the concept of travelling light), cruising along at the legal limit in France, (i.e. around 130 k/ph in many places ~ fast enough to make good progress ~ not fast enough to scare the horses), uncrowded roads for mile after mile, (rather like it was over here 35-40 years ago), and fuel consumption averaging around 48 mpg.
2 or 3 lumps of 400 miles + in one go were effortless and relaxed ....... and perhaps the most surprising thing is that this is a lowly 1.9S Estate, (if I had had the option I would have gone for a 2.0 ltr and the next spec up but when the company is providing it as a 'freebie' you can't complain).
Having read a few press reports of the 1.9 deisel, I had feared that I would have found it all a bit dissappointing, but a long journey really does flush out the strong and weak points of any car. Sure - the car is no ball of fire but at my age that isn't what I am looking for anyway. Faults ?, the electric handbrake stilll baffles me occassionally, (but overall I like it), and the engine is a bit gruff at low revs, but I am seriously impressed with the quality of the engineering and the solidity, stability and the balance of performance of this car.
Shell garages in France sell ordinary deisel and V-Power Deisel, which I have to say did seem to be better in terms of performance and driveability. (My wife runs a Smart Roadster which is supposed to be run on 98 RON petrol, we always use Shell V-Power petrol in that and it is definitely better than the other high octane petrols on the market). I havn't seen V-Power deisel available in the UK anywhere, has anyone else ?).
So, compared with the other cars that I could have chosen I feel as if this was one of my better, (there haven't been that many), decisions.
Just returned from a holiday in France and have to say that I am mightily impressed with my Passat Estate which had done just under 2000 miles when we left and has now done about 4400.
Comfortable, able to swallow masses of luggage, (my wife doesn't understand the concept of travelling light), cruising along at the legal limit in France, (i.e. around 130 k/ph in many places ~ fast enough to make good progress ~ not fast enough to scare the horses), uncrowded roads for mile after mile, (rather like it was over here 35-40 years ago), and fuel consumption averaging around 48 mpg.
2 or 3 lumps of 400 miles + in one go were effortless and relaxed ....... and perhaps the most surprising thing is that this is a lowly 1.9S Estate, (if I had had the option I would have gone for a 2.0 ltr and the next spec up but when the company is providing it as a 'freebie' you can't complain).
Having read a few press reports of the 1.9 deisel, I had feared that I would have found it all a bit dissappointing, but a long journey really does flush out the strong and weak points of any car. Sure - the car is no ball of fire but at my age that isn't what I am looking for anyway. Faults ?, the electric handbrake stilll baffles me occassionally, (but overall I like it), and the engine is a bit gruff at low revs, but I am seriously impressed with the quality of the engineering and the solidity, stability and the balance of performance of this car.
Shell garages in France sell ordinary deisel and V-Power Deisel, which I have to say did seem to be better in terms of performance and driveability. (My wife runs a Smart Roadster which is supposed to be run on 98 RON petrol, we always use Shell V-Power petrol in that and it is definitely better than the other high octane petrols on the market). I havn't seen V-Power deisel available in the UK anywhere, has anyone else ?).
So, compared with the other cars that I could have chosen I feel as if this was one of my better, (there haven't been that many), decisions.