Passat Alltrack TFSI: Why This Man Brought a German Car to Britain... From Japan.

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[@sIightIybored]

Buys the Alltrack for comfort, puts it on bigger wheels, ha!

[@biggiesmalls7259]

It was a pleasure to meet you on Saturday, I was the nervous bearded bloke in a white t shirt taking his first celebrity selfie 😂

[@jamesonslow]

Hi James. It was nice to chat with you on Saturday. Just to put a face to a name, I was the guy in the K.I.T.T. T-shirt who asked about the weight distribution of your 550 (and you opened the bonnet). Keep up the good work! 🙂

[@Spenny909]

That's a great way to demonstrate, when an engine sits on or behind the front axle. I hope Vivaldi played in the background when that bonnet opened to reveal a V12.

[@9wowable]

There’s a lot of very cool Euro cars in Japan that we don’t really get here. Personally want to import a T6 XC70 sometime in the next 12 months. Currently smitten on my 3.6 Superb though which is a similar concept.

[@sva60_cyyz59]

XC70 T6 really comes alive with Eibach lowering springs, Bilstein B4’s, an IPD sway-bar, and wider R-spec wheels. That’s exactly what we did to ours (in Canada) and it handles like it’s on rails. It still rides very luxuriously too.

[@ogearhead2426]

Brilliant car!

[@mrdavidafischer]

We got the T6 XC70 in the US too!

[@starting_rascasse]

Try looking in Singapore. I bring in few from there as, with some cars, changing the audio is a real pita. Singapore use the same frequencies as the UK so saves a big task, a lot of money, and you can keep the car original. Plus, there’s a few Volvo’s there too, usually T5s and 6s

[@morgman43]

@@sva60_cyyz59 is an XC70 on lowering spring not just a V70?

[@kateandrews8506]

Refreshing to watch a review of a car I don't wan't but find interesting anyway.

[@timprice5]

I had a B6 Estate (2.0TDI Sport), and you are completely correct about the suspension. It was always crashy at low speeds, and was worse when I added Bilstein B6 and Eibach springs when the original suspension got a bit tired. I now have an S213 Mercedes E220d, and it's a world apart despite having 19" wheels and weighing 200+KG more. The Passat I bought as an ex-demo and had it for 15 years and did 160k miles in it. It was a great friend to me, taking me up and down the country and I slept in it twice when we did 24 hour karting at Milton Keynes. Bootspace was amazing too, so i'm still very fond of them, but yes they are a hard ride!

[@benturner190]

Could never understand why people specced sport 2.0d passats (or any Passat for that matter), I had one and it was a great car but as you say it was not a great ride

[@timprice5]

@@benturner190 at the time I bought mine, it was 2008 and diesel was all the rage. Sport has the more supportive seats and was the sole reason I went for one over an SE having previously had a Highline B5.5

[@benturner190]

@@timprice5 Mine was a 2012, like the diesel engine. Hated the sports seats! Haha

[@allareasindex7984]

I’ve had a B5 Passat V6 and B5 Audi A4 quattro 4 cylinder turbo (US versions). The Passat was functional but not particularly comfortable and not fun to drive. Biggest annoyance was front wheel spin upon even gentle acceleration uphill, or in any wet or snowy weather. This with OEM tires. The A4 was smaller, nimble, more comfortable and more responsive. The interior was much more pleasing. Same platform but the details made a big difference. Neither car aged well. The Passat developed a leak which led to mold in the interior and trunk. I kept the A4 many more years and loved driving it until it seemed like a long cascade of things going wrong. Couldn’t stay ahead of it, and the repair costs made my eyes water. I ended up giving it away for free to a friend who did the work himself and sold it for $1k.

[@mubaraksodha]

Love the split second DSG gear shifts ❤

[@A2KLAU]

I love how honest you are reviewing cars. I’m here because of Dadcars Ben 😊 was hoping to tell you in person at Shedfest but didn’t manage to bump into you 😅

[@stevekirkham4849]

I recall seeing a number of severely damaged Japanese imports waiting for collection at the customs agent. When I asked why, I was told that the insurance history doesn’t follow the car when exported from Japan and that someone would repair them and sell them on. I cannot vouch for this being true but, it’s worth being cautious and perhaps requesting a professional inspection.

[@Spenny909]

I prefer this format where the advert is placed at the start. Your description of the suspension is how I perceive the Golf. I have only been a passenger in VWs, but the firm suspension is the first thing I notice. I could imagine they carried over the same set up.

[@memoryfoam2285]

Did I see a WhatsApp notification during that CarVertical ad for a group called 'Car Slagz'?? Class 🤣

[@williamfence566]

I had an imported from Japan an E36 BMW coupe with a 2 litre 6 cylinder engine. Had it 6 years from it's low mileage of 12,000km. Quick DVLA check and it's still taxed and tested and it's now 30 years old.

[@johnshaw8481]

Hi James , glad you've got the original intro/outro music back , I always preferred the look of the B5 myself

[@pl1068]

The VW alltrack is nothing like an Audi A6 allroad, that car has variable ride height with variable damping. The Audi has a Torsen 4 wheel drive system with a 60/40 rearward split, the VW has an on demand haldex system. The Haldex is great if you love understeer.

[@shehranazim4784]

If i ever moved back to the UK from Japan, im totally dragging my Polo GTI over with me. I've had a lot of great memories in it so I can't bear to part with it, and its absolutely perfect for me (apart from being a bit pricey to maintain).

[@leightonharrison2328]

I've got a 2014 uk model diesel, I love mine, I'll take it for a spin at the weekend and let you know about suspension, although I'm no car reviewer, I'll give it a shot!

[@heiner71]

That's often the problem with these reviewers. No "normal" person would care the same way, a reviewer does. Every type of vehicle is expected to show sports car behavior on farmer's roads. If I am a car enthusiast, interested in sporty performance, I am not purchasing a family hauler. Still waiting for the review of a van and James "trying to have some fun with it" 🙂

[@ogearhead2426]

@@heiner71 agreed. Even tho I believe James is always honest about comfort.

[@ReplicantBattyman]

@@heiner71 I agree but that wasnt what Jay was complaining about? He said the ride is too harsh - not that it isnt good in the twisties

[@84roodogg]

I too have this generation Passat. Also a Japanese import, and the ride quality is horrendous. It’s done 55k miles and it feels like it has no damping / bushing whatsoever. It bangs and crashes over every tiny bump. And there are many around Bristol. Asked my local VW Audi garage to check it when servicing, and they said the suspension was ‘fine’. Having watched the video, I’m going to take it back, asking if there’s any possibility Japanese setups are different, but to be honest, even if the roads are smooth, you still occasionally come across bumps, and they’d be one hell of a shock. Looking at selling due to this issue.

[@ashleewordley3752]

Hi, this is my car James is reviewing, please let me know what VW say :) thank you.

[@kristoffer3000]

It has to be stiff to stop body roll

[@Scouter98]

Can James or anyone here share their experience with autodna/carvertical, there are apparently several ongoing lawsuits in the EU where they are accused of making up records that do not match with dealer databases? I'm not accusing anybody, I just want to know if it's worth paying for

[@HipFireHero]

I've used it 3-4 times and I also know of someone else that used it twice. We both found it totally useless to be quite honest. Even on a car which I knew was Category N before I checked, it told me nothing except it'd been written off once. Nothing a free check couldn't have told me.

[@gafrers]

It's a YT sponsor of course it's not reliable, truthful and proper. Tell me 1 single YT sponsor that isn't snakeoil, false, criminal and an S-word, etc?

[@ianjenkins4641]

Stick to HPi. Not some KZbinrs sponsor which everyone is pushing.

[@carlopitti7500]

Pure Garbage, like all the sponsors. Wrong, fabricated and hidden info.

[@carlopitti7500]

And my comment is gone. 2nd try. It's Garbage. Wrong, missing, fabricated informations. Not a reputable company

[@kathleenmacdonald2843]

Pretty please do an updated car collection video

[@eric-wb7gj]

TY J! 🙏🙏

[@daggidding4478]

Not my cup of tea, but it is JayEmm, so I like it

[@PipperAK]

Hello, great content. About the Alltrack, stepping down to 17" od even to 16" wheels would largely improve the comfort. All im all, I'm not a fan of VW, but getting a TDI and making 220hp would be much better than a TSI im almost stock form.

[@dragostalks7501]

I have a regular Passat B8 estate and a friend of mine has a Passat B8 Alltrack. Mine is very confortable and his has the same suspension problems as the japanese from the video. So the alltrack does have bumpy suspension.

[@seanhershey3390]

Love these..3 friends have them here in the US

[@AntJoseph_]

I have a B7 Highline 2.0 TDI but never felt it has particularly firm suspension - what I feel is that it is extremely well planted on the motorway, maybe for such thing you mentioned

[@REPOMAN24722]

Non RS Skoda Octavias and base golfs in Australia have a Toyota torque converter in Australia

[@allareasindex7984]

Commenting to boost JM’s algorithm results

[@benpenagonzales6014]

Miss our B6 sport wagon with TDI and DSG. Great combo and with sports leather seats, it drove great on Michelin all seasons

[@YOCOSMINMAX16]

What mileage it had when you owned it?

[@Kulumuli]

I have a 2017 Opel Astra 1.4 Turbo estate. I traded in my 2005 Astra 1.8 estate. It feels much more modern than the old but the comfort isn't better. I guess it's because the new one has low profile tyres. Pirelli P7 for summer and Pirelli studded tires for winter. It does snow a lot here in Norway so studded tires is a good option. I don't know if the Pirelli tyres themselves makes a difference for comfort. It's certainly not a sporty car but it is OK for my use. Opel has usually used Continental tyres. That reminds me of the first Volvo 850. It was DESIGNED for ordinary steel rims, but when marketing the car they put on low profile alloy rims as standard. It looks cooler but is probably not the best solution for most buyers. Also the 'default' alloy rims many manufacturers put on their cars are pretty dull, like my summer rims. I had Opel OPC rims on my former car which looked a lot better. But I guess they ask a premium price for better looking inhouse rims.

[@timbushby]

Interesting. My imported 2012 1.4 TSI estate wallows around corners like a cruise ship - but yes, is suitably comfy.

[@MiniEggs1999]

It would be interesting to hear what the new twin chamber dampers on the new Superb are like.

[@interceptor-ss8kb]

The amount of Japanese imported passat estates in the country is actually more then people think, I was in the market for one last year and was blown away just how many were imports and that's a good thing as the Japanese cars haven't seen an salt roads so rust free.

[@rbeamish6492]

I remember reading reviews of the Alltrack when it was first released and reviewers saying the ride was bumpier than the regular Passat. The wheels will make it even worse - I have a Skoda Superb on 225/40 R18s and while it's generally pretty comfortable the wheels aren't very forgiving if you hit a big pothole.

[@Pmjs]

I used to have a VW Passat 1.8T Sport 99T and a Passat 1.9TDI 130bhp SE 4motion 03. I would've bought a Passat 1.9TDI Alltrack if VW had continued to use the A4 platform with the Longitudinal engines etc.

[@huss1205]

VW Passat station-wagon and Volvo V70 were the best selling cars in Sweden for maybe a decade or more. I had a new 2016 Golf All-track, looked more like this Passat, but with a diesel engine, it was smooth and fast...

[@GamerGabbar]

The one I'd like someone to review is the Passat 1.4 TSI, I'm interested in knowing in how the 1.4 turbo feels in pulling around what's quite a hefty car

[@marcinha1973]

I tried to buy one once, from a dealer, full legit service history. Which included 3 gearbox extractions and 4 engine extractions. First after 30k km, last at 160k. Total mileage 170k km. Said no thanks.

[@deadkemper]

I had a 2014 diesel dsg...it was fully loaded £41k ..had even Google earth in the binnacle. And a really good lane assist ..very hard to fault .

[@Birmingham_racing]

I loved my Passat b7 nice comfy daily that's practical just don't expect the diesel to me fun

[@nickmoulton446]

My mate just bought an Audi S4 Avant that had been imported from Japan. It’s nearly perfect, low mileage and cheaper than a UK model. Radio doesn’t work properly though.

[@EngineerLewis]

He can swap the radio for an EU version! Japanese car radios are limited to Radio 2 in the UK!

[@danielkerryann]

I imported a Lupo GTI - I couldn't find a UK car that was reasonably priced, rust free, and had not been dicked about with. It's essentially the EU car that beeps when you start it without being buckled in. It's awesome :-)

[@nomsky4719]

German cars are not made to be comfy while driving, they just need to look good in a bend on the Nurnburg ring for the marketing shot :D

[@Smammus]

Hope I’m not the only personal wondering what a Japanese Tuna Special was at the start, a seafood dish?

[@oskarjohansson3651]

I have this car (2014 passat alltrack) but in eurospec diesel, and can confirm the suspension is waaay too firm.

[@diogosousa4596]

Minha Audi A6 C5 Allroad tem o mesmo problema se suspensão, mesmo na regulação mais baixa nunca e firme vais sempre a ondular. Abraço

[@James-ld2jc]

Someone working in local government/planning sort of work suggested to me the roads will not be fixed, the backlog is too big

[@kjwilson862]

For goodness sake Jay drop the midlife crisis hair jell? Really thought ya got over that little phase!! 🤔 Apart from that excellent review as always 👏👍

[@Noneofyourbusiness99999]

Thank goodness - a normal car

[@paulmussett94]

The A4 Allroad of the same generation has a much more softer ride on the oem springs.

[@Swiss4.2]

13:00 I don't know about the B7 but I've been in a couple of Passat B8s and the ride was pretty good, not much worse than my Audi A8.

[@ogearhead2426]

Exactly. VW group does not put too much effort on making their car a lot different.

[@WeLikeFetaCheese]

i have a B8 Alltrack 2.0 BiTDi - I can confirm, suspension is super soft and floaty - at least with DCC shocks. Was quite surprised to hear the ride was firm on the B7.

[@zeroyon4562]

@@WeLikeFetaCheese I tested a bitdi Passat on the weekend, how has your ownership experience been? I thought it was quite good, I was pleasantly surprised at the engine response and torque, I’m wondering if it’s worth the premium over the 140kw (190hp) single turbo model (which I haven’t driven yet) though. Would you say it is?

[@ogearhead2426]

Quite a great car. An estate Touareg. But… not a fan of Germans, even tho I’ve got some myself 😂 much prefer a Volvo or Range Rover.

[@jo05dk]

Where I used to live someone bought a 2019 272HP Passat Alltrack TSI. Looks better than this, imho, and I wonder how much the extra oumph will help the experience..

[@demonic082]

I've got the SEAT Leon xperience for the last 8 years. its a shame VAG don't seem to make jacked up awd estates. Who needs an SUV.

[@baronvonjo1929]

I need a SUV because they don't make any desirable jacked up wagons in the US. Not particularly trusting of Subarus Outback. And anything from Europe is famously unreliable or at the very least not cost efficient to run and maintain.

[@kristoffer3000]

@@baronvonjo1929 Funny how they are reliable here in Europe but as soon as they go to America it's all bad all the time regardless. Almost as if there's some heavy xenophobia in the US or something

[@alexanderstefanov6474]

So he wanted something suitable for bad roads and ruined it with low profile tyres two inches too big?

[@baronvonjo1929]

Yeah that makes no sense. I want to go back to a SUV with better profile tires for my next car. "Cars" are simply not manufactured with global roads in mind. They must think we all drive on pristine, flat, roads.

[@ogearhead2426]

@@baronvonjo1929 Volvos, Range Rovers and Rolls Royces are always comfortable 🤪

[@kristoffer3000]

@@baronvonjo1929 Funny because all the SUV's I've been in have had a far worse ride than normal cars, they HAVE to be stiffer because they're so tall.

[@typxxilps]

Sorry, but ours has been a softer, more GT like style than a GTi Check if the suspension might have been upgraded or changed cause ours has not been hard at all, even though it was firm to get around the corners. And then it might be time to check the dampeners too. At the end it should be fixable cause the car you had driven is jumping inside at least a lot based on the camera, your body and car movements event though often hard to judget from that alone. A good shop should be able to find out if something is wrong and what can be achieved if you emphasize the comfort part enough cause those shops usually tend to prefer the more GTi or sporty way to drive and misinterpret what the customer really wants and then it can get disappointing. At the end this is a japanese car in quite a good shape and I also wood have stayed with the wooden trim. And: the engine should be checked too if the particle filter is clean cause that has caused issues and it might also need a faster ride for a few hours across european highways just to give the engine its power back cause japanese import cars suffer quite often from a use case with lower speeds or better lower rpm . They haven t seen the limiter and that is a must from time to time for a good diesel that should last long and let you have fun with the car. A buddy also had one with an automatic from Japan and for him the automatic was shifting a bit slow or lame until he did a flushing of the transmission oil which has made him smile again. After 10 years and multiple hands it is always hard to judge about a car if you do not know who had done what kind of improvement . You do know what the owner has improved, but no one really knows what the previous had thought and improved or not. Japanese cars also become more and more a bet which means we have seen here cars which had gotten a crappy suspension / dampener for export (AMG / Mercedes) cause which customer will open a claim 6 months later from 12.000 miles away. If you have no photos and no description how the car looks from underneath risks are increasing, also all the undercarriage protection cause you can no longer see anything of tear and wear or leakages.

[@cristiancristi9384]

I had the later B8 Passat, the touring... I think they tuned its suspension according to previous generations' complaints: it was soft and very comfortable in any circumstances However, at high speeds if the road became just a tad bumpy, it occasionally started to have the heavy back jumping all around and got even scary at times.... In those moments I wished to have a firmer suspension ( as the B6 / 7 had) ..... So I think they have overdone it...I guess... That experience alone was for me scary enough and I never went past 110 km/ h in it anymore.... ✌️😁 Well, that was a family car anyway so maybe it was intended to be driven slowly all the time , anyway Other than that, it was a great car.. . The 2.0 diesel was very reliable,, smooth and economical, over 200.000 km no problem Now I got a Jaguar F-pace, that everyone says had a too hard suspension.... However mine has the 18 inch alloys, the smallest available, and the ride is very comfortable.... I guess they have a bad experience having the big alloys which always tend to make the ride less enjoyable, for the good looks only 😄

[@AntJoseph_]

Oh so a B7 is actually better on the motorway...

[@cristiancristi9384]

​​@@AntJoseph_ If the motorway is smooth ( as it should be ), it is the perfect car to cruise in good comfort for long distances and very economical too.... The German Autobahn for which many German cars were designed is smooth anyway 😅 However, if the road gets twisty and uneven , I am sure the previous B6/7 versions with firmer suspension should be better -- more stable on such unpredictable surfaces There is a video you can search on KZbin with recent vehicles failing the famous ( or infamous) Moose test --- among them there is a VW Arteon , built on the same platform as the B8 Passat, and it behaves in a similar manner on the road.... If at speed the road becomes all of a sudden twisty, the soft suspension allows the heavy back of the car to bounce and lose grip ...being bumpy even worsens all this... If you see the video , you can bet the driver wished he had a firmer suspension 😆

[@RHus14]

The big alloys will just make it worse. Why on earth put it on 19s.

[@alexanderstefanov6474]

Ridiculous, should be on 17s max

[@jamiespinks3657]

Agreed, my car came standard with 18's and has a good ride/handling compromise. While 19's would look better I am not interested in ruining the ride quality in pursuit of looks & slightly better handling, especially given the roads here in Australia are often crap.

[@temothee6243]

DRIVE Alfa's 156 Sedan when you can . Cheers

[@DRB3055]

I think manufacturers need to start going away from needlessly large alloys. I get it on performance cars that need to fit massive brakes in but not everything else, a lot of SUVs look better with more side wall in my opinion and make more sense set up for comfort rather than handling. We have a top spec Sportage that came with 19s and the ride around town is terrible, much worse than cheaper trim with smaller wheels that I've driven, not worth it for the slightly neater handling on a B road as it doesn't suit being driven hard. Not to mention the additional wear on suspension, my wife's old 7 series on 20s ate through suspension components and kept cracking alloys just on motorway miles with our terrible roads.

[@jamieflanagan7946]

I own a JDM Volvo 2005 XC70 Ocean Race 2.4 D5.

[@jdmguy44]

Love a JDM import. Obviously. But this is 🥱

[@ahahahhahaha9145]

I have a 2023 Passat 4 Motion with 200ps as a company car and I have nothing but problems… new engine after 10k km and a new transmission is coming next week and many more things. I really can’t recommend them anymore

[@kristoffer3000]

They've been bad for a long time.

[@valdurmagi230]

@@kristoffer3000 Last ok Passat was B5.5.

[@kristoffer3000]

@@valdurmagi230 I had a 1.9tdi 130hp 4motion, wasn't very happy with it, the seats were pretty bad but that I think was mostly because they were leather, electrical problems were commonplace, the chassis was pretty crap and the driving experience was extremely dull. It didn't use a lot of fuel, was excellent on snow and ice when you got it to not just understeer by throwing it into a corner and my one was a very well specced example so it was alright inside but there was just no emotion in that car at all.

[@ahahahhahaha9145]

@kristoffer3000 the version I‘ve had in the past was very reliable. The one with the 2.0 Tdi and 140ps was amazing. Had it until 350k km and only had to change the turbo once at 320k km.

[@kristoffer3000]

@@ahahahhahaha9145 The most reliable engine in them for sure. The cars themselves are not very reliable though, they're plagued with rust and both electrical and mechanical problems.

[@jondonnelly4831]

No interest in the car whatsoever, but here for Jay.

[@GregSmith-ox5ou]

I had a Passat Alltrack just like this, but the Diesel. I wanted to like it, but the quality was poor. I’ve never had a car with so many interior rattles and creaks. Really annoying!

[@Ferraridude13]

Seems like he should've just gotten another R36.

[@rjbiker66]

All reports in australia suggest the ride is ok on crap roads.

[@robertcroft2905]

JayEmm going on about throwing good money after bad with the suspension comments. Oh the irony.

[@icy_swoosh]

Looks like a Touareg in the thumbnail!

[@JayEmmOnCars]

CarVertical: The History Checking Service Use this link or code "JAYEMM" for a discount! www.carvertical.com/gb/landing/v3?b=1e4c9523&a=JayEmm&voucher=jayemm&chan=jayemm

[@sandersson2813]

Seems absolutely mad to spend so much money and effort importing such an average and dreary car. I used to have a B6 Passat and whilst it was perfectly acceptable as a car, it wasnt remotely noteworthy or praiseworthy. Just an adequate car.

[@JCW-jx6ld]

Those 19 ruined it ,go back to 18s

[@Will_M600]

Is this basically an audi allroad?

[@ogearhead2426]

Yes.

[@Kernwaffe88]

Audis have air suspension at least option.

[@kristoffer3000]

@@ogearhead2426 Not even close.

[@ogearhead2426]

@@kristoffer3000 Volkswagen Jetta and Passat = Audi A3 and A4 They’re not the same, but they’re surely close. Just like a Touareg and Q8.

[@kristoffer3000]

@@ogearhead2426 I suppose, if you count the A4 Allroad as an actual allroad car, the A6 is a far more competent car in every way and it's also closer to the size of the Passat.

[@heyhey3887]

Those window accessories are atrocious

[@Kernwaffe88]

What about oil consumption, haldex and dsg problems?

[@NY20N]

The Passat is the wiseman’s Audi a4

I like the R36. And that's it. But for the UK I understand the Alltrack choice. Your roads are like a third world country.

[@knutsandin755]

First

[@alancrisp1582]

🥱 And nothing intelligent 🧠 to say or add to the conversation. Sad 😔 really !..

[@SamboKearney]

Also the Japanese men really look after their cars, suprised that didn’t come into your head when wondering why it would be imported from Japan,