Passat B7 2011 vs 2011 Insignia

My views of very similar spec vehicles in brief (if it helps prospective buyers):

Insignia 160PS (early 2011 plate) vs Passat 140PS (Sept 2011 plate). Had the Insignia for 6 months and now have the Passat. Both have Park Sensors, OEM SatNav units, Auto and DSG- and similar speced outside of those items also.

Passat is a smoother car but lacks I guess what you could call bang for buck in the driver aid arena. The standard SatNav on the Insignia absolutely runs circles around the Passat's RNS315 even though it is not touch screen. How? Accuracy, voice prompts, warning of traffic are superior, BT connectivity, voice rec etc- hands down superior. It's extremely easy to use and offers are far higher degree of function. VW have clearly skimped on this as some background reading shows they used a relatively unkown manufacturer to make theird whilst VX used Bosch for theirs.

Example here I recorded. The VW version will only tell you there is a "traffic issue" totally unlike the detail the VX system can provide. This is a big deal to heavy road users that VW is aiming at with the Passat ironically. Not only does the VX give more detail, it cuts out background radio/music. Common sense you might think, but again the VW version runs both music/radio and satnav audio at the same time- which dummy at VW allowed this to pass QC?! Epic fail VW!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCFdEgUlLYY

VW also incorporate a semi-auto A/C system which seems very odd. Nowhere near as effective as VX's climate contol.

Another complaint with the VW is that it rides too low offering no viable benefit. This means one's car can contact a speed bump etc at the same speed an Insignia can go at. This is not helped by its bouncy suspension- and yes I have tried both in this way. There is also more understeer compared to the Insignia not to mention the Insignia has superior road holding/cornering ability in stock form. Must be noted the Passat has low-rolling resistance tires and I am not keen in these in wet conditions at all.

So why go for the Passat? I guess if you want a slighty quiter ride and smoother mechanics in general. The VX left me very impressed and I do miss it. If the build quality was higher still, I think it would be a mid-sized market leader with ease.

VW- Image/quality, VX- Far higher bang for the buck, overall performance

Vauxhall is a low budget car, VW are miles ahead with everything.

IMO the VX performance is a pile of crap, You cannot beat German diesels, VW has more excitement and will last a lifetime.

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