07 VW Passat FSi V 07 Avensis 1.6

whodafunk

Hey,

I'm looking at both cars as I require a 4 door car mainly for a family car, child seats, big boot etc but won't be used hugely miles wise.

Which would be better in terms of reliability, lack of issues,etc? I prefer the Passat looks wise but hear the button handbrake can be an issue? Currently own a VW Golf and the sensor issues on it which show up from time to time annoy me.

Any info greatly appreciated. Cheers.

whodafunk

whodafunk wrote: »

Hey,

I'm looking at both cars as I require a 4 door car mainly for a family car, child seats, big boot etc but won't be used hugely miles wise.

Which would be better in terms of reliability, lack of issues,etc? I prefer the Passat looks wise but hear the button handbrake can be an issue? Currently own a VW Golf and the sensor issues on it which show up from time to time annoy me.

Any info greatly appreciated. Cheers.

Anyone?

whizbang

I wouldnt touch a passat tbh, but thats just me.

The Avensis is slow and thirsty in the 1.6, but generally that model is the best of all Avensis.
Its a little bigger, but mostly its got a bit of extra height, very useful when it comes to putting kids in and out.

no contest.

toyotaavensis

I have an 03 avensis 1.6. She is actually good on juice. I have got her over 40 mpg on long runs. Others here with them on N road runs get ove 40 too. They are ultra reliable but are quite boring. It wont set your heart on fire.

Colash

I find the avensis very boring tbh . That's just me . A mate had the fsi engine in a passat and swears by it .

ARCD

If reliability is one of your main concerns I'd go for the Avensis. As a general rule I'd always go for a Japanese brand for the reliability. I've have some very unreliable cars in the past, one of them was a VW, while the ONLY reliable cars I've had have been Japanese.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I asked a mate of mine who is a VAG mrchanic about those FSi passat snot so long ago and he warned me off them. Said they have a lot of sensor issues and problems with the timing chain stretching or something along those lines.

Get the 1.8 avensis, they're slightly easier on juice and have a bit more pone when you need it.

johndaman66

Colash wrote: »

I find the avensis very boring tbh . That's just me .

A 1.6 Passat is hardly going to get the heart racing either though is it?

I do get the impression that the OP is above all looking for something practical, reliable and hassle free. From a practicallity point of view theres probably little between them but I reckon the Avensis definitely has the edge as far as reliability is concerned.

I drive a 1.6 litre VVTI 01' Avensis myself as a second car and I believe it has the same engine as the 1.6 VVTI in the 07' model the OP is interested in, albeit Toyota made revisions to the engines in the latter models to address the oil burning problems I believe. My own does burn a drop of oil but nothing major and there is circa 140k miles on it. Keep an eye on it (as you probably should do with any car) and top it up every few weeks and its all good. Probably uses about a litre between sevices so its not severe and as I say this was addressed in later models so may not be an issue for the OP at all. Other than that I find it a nice free revving engine. Nice balance of power and economy for everyday driving in a family car.

The 03' model onwards does strike me as being a heavier car though so maybe the 1.6 might be under pressure a bit in it. As CJC999 mentions the 1.8 may be a better choice for economy, especially if you intend to do a lot of motorway driving. . The rev's are quite high in the 1.6 even at 60mph. In fact was chatting to a guy around Christmas who owned a 1.6 mk1 Avensis and is now driving a 1.8 mk1 Avensis. He reckoned the 1.8 was the more economical.

Aside from that my Avensis has being quite good to me. The one thing I'll say about Toyotas in general and I have owned quite a few at this stage. They are a bloody nightmare for letting water into the cabin and most especially the boot. Every bloody one I've had has done it

toyotaavensis

1.8 is nicer and will probably be a higher spec too.
One big downside with the avensis is you might not get a front armrest. I got an aftermarket one for my car.
By 03 the oil burning was sorted.
I havent had any water leak in thankfully but mine is in good nick.

Leonard Hofstadter

CJC999 wrote: »

I asked a mate of mine who is a VAG mrchanic about those FSi passat snot so long ago and he warned me off them. Said they have a lot of sensor issues and problems with the timing chain stretching or something along those lines.

Get the 1.8 avensis, they're slightly easier on juice and have a bit more pone when you need it.

The FSI Passats do NOT have an issue with the timing chain stretching - this relates to the twincharger TSI units (which are not available in the Passat).

Although I haven't driven a B6 Passat, I have driven a B7 (and that's really just a facelifted B6) and there is no comparison between a Passat and an Avensis - the Passat is miles better.

Still, the Mondeo would get my vote over either car. Also, don't buy them in 1.6 petrol guise, those cars are way too big and heavy for a measly little 1.6. They're Paddy specials and only exist because the Irish would rather have an underpowered car that does poor mpg in order to save two euro a week on motor tax. The larger petrol engines will do at least as much mpg as these tiny little petrol engines will, but will just be a lot nicer to drive and to live with. In the Passat I'd go for the 2.0 TDI, but it would have to be 08 onwards so the OP can get the common rail engine, as that is more reliable than the PD engine that preceded it (although the 1.9 TDI is very reliable). The Avensis works best with the 1.8 petrol or 2.0 diesel, although earlier 2.0 D-4Ds are trouble.

toyotaavensis

OP said he wont be doing big miles so dont think a diesel is a good idea.

bazz26

johndaman66 wrote: »

A 1.6 Passat is hardly going to get the heart racing either though is it?

I do get the impression that the OP is above all looking for something practical, reliable and hassle free. From a practicallity point of view theres probably little between them but I reckon the Avensis definitely has the edge as far as reliability is concerned.

I drive a 1.6 litre VVTI 01' Avensis myself as a second car and I believe it has the same engine as the 1.6 VVTI in the 07' model the OP is interested in, albeit Toyota made revisions to the engines in the latter models to address the oil burning problems I believe. My own does burn a drop of oil but nothing major and there is circa 140k miles on it. Keep an eye on it (as you probably should do with any car) and top it up every few weeks and its all good. Probably uses about a litre between sevices so its not severe and as I say this was addressed in later models so may not be an issue for the OP at all. Other than that I find it a nice free revving engine. Nice balance of power and economy for everyday driving in a family car.

The 03' model onwards does strike me as being a heavier car though so maybe the 1.6 might be under pressure a bit in it. As CJC999 mentions the 1.8 may be a better choice for economy, especially if you intend to do a lot of motorway driving. . The rev's are quite high in the 1.6 even at 60mph. In fact was chatting to a guy around Christmas who owned a 1.6 mk1 Avensis and is now driving a 1.8 mk1 Avensis. He reckoned the 1.8 was the more economical.

Aside from that my Avensis has being quite good to me. The one thing I'll say about Toyotas in general and I have owned quite a few at this stage. They are a bloody nightmare for letting water into the cabin and most especially the boot. Every bloody one I've had has done it

I've had a few Avensis in my time, a MkI and MkII, granted both were 1.8 litre but the MkII was definitely heavier and not as agile as the MkI.

I'd through a Mazda 6 into the mix also, a newer shape would be well within budget and nicer to drive than either the Avensis or Passat.

Leonard Hofstadter

toyotaavensis wrote: »

OP said he wont be doing big miles so dont think a diesel is a good idea.

Fair enough, don't really like diesels either:D. In that case, I stick by my assertion that a 1.8 is much better in an Avensis. For the Passat, the OP should see if he/she can stretch to a 08 to get the 1.4 TSI, that has more power, more mpg, a lot more torque so would be a lot nicer than a weedy little 1.6. I drove a 1.6 TDI and it really, really struggles with this car.

johndaman66

captainspeed wrote: »

I drove a 1.6 TDI and it really, really struggles with this car.

Would the 1.6 TDI engine not be in later model cars than the OP is considering though?...open to correction on that one.

Anyway a bit of a moot point. For small mileage a diesel is generally just silly. As mentioned by bazz26 a Mazda 6 would also be a nice choice. 1.8 litre petrol is the lowest capacity in them. Word on the street is to definitely avoid the diesel in them.

Would also consider an Octavia and a Ford Mondeo. Had a 1.6 rental mondeo for a week once, new 2007 model, after my Vectra was totaled. Hardly a fast car but must say I found the 1.6 petrol more than adequate for everyday driving despite what many seem to say about them. Would only go for one if I was getting it for pretty handy money against an Avensis or Mazda 6 though. I'm not a major fan of modern Fords