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First, to hear opposing views, you might want to ask the same question on the B5 Passat board at http://www.clubb5.com. The folks there are a great bunch with a similar make-up to this board; lots of family-types without the youthful "flamers" you might find on the general VW board.
I've owned a B5 Passat for three years now, and just purchased a 95 wagon for my wife. Here are my thoughts:
Room: 95 has more interior room, especially in hip/shoulder room. Passat has a more square cargo area, and according to the EPA has a larger cargo area (39 versus 37 cu ft).
Style: Highly subjective of course, but I think the 95 is nicer looking, more upscale, and sportier looking.
Handling: In purely stock form, the 95 handles better. The Passat GLS suffers from 15" wheels and skinny tires. It works much better if you upgrade to 16" wheels, at which point the two cars are close enough that tire selection can decide the winner.
Acceleration: Close enough that driver competence has more to do with the winner than anything else, especially with a manual. The 95 has more torque, but also has 20% more weight to move. Expect about 7.5-8 seconds 0-60 with either (w/manual). Can't say how the autos compare; I only drive stick :)
Mileage: I've averaged 29.5 MPG over 40,000 miles in my Passat; 35 MPG on the highway. Can't tell yet about the 95, but EPA ratings show the Passat gets about 3 MPG better mileage. Probably the weight difference is the big factor. They're both real efficient engines.
Upgradeability: If you're into that sort of thing, the Passat 1.8T is a little more easily tuned and has more tuner options (with an electronically controlled wastegate, you only need to reprogram the ECU or swap out a chip (about $200) to pump out 200 HP and 243 ft-lb of torque on the 1.8t; from my understanding (and I could of course be wrong), you need to replace the wastegate and maybe change a few other hardware items on the Saab to have a similar increase in performance).
Safety: Covered extensively elsewhere on this thread, but I think the Saab gets the nod here.
Luxury Quotient: No doubt the Saab has a more upscale feel and nicer amenities. Though the Passat has some features the Saab should have - retained power to windows/etc when the key is off, the ability to close windows/sunroof from outside the car with your key, and "puddle" lights in the bottom of the doors to illuminate the ground when you open them.
Warranty: Saab has better overall. VW gives you a long powertrain warranty but it only covers things that normally last 200,000 miles anyway.
Dealership: Saab wins hands down IMO. VW dealerships have not kept up with the quality of their cars, at least where I live. Saab service is awesome.
Bottom line: Depends what's important to you. The price difference makes the Passat look better on value per dollar. For a couple $K, you can make engine/suspension mods to the Passat to blow away the stock 95 in performance, and still pocket almost $10K in change. But if you can afford the 95, and you value the things where the 95 shines, I'd go for the 95 (we did).
Hope this helps. You'll be happy with either purchase; they are both great cars. And you have two great online communities to share your experiences. Good luck!
, Fri, 19 Jan 2001 10:31:11
, Fri, 19 Jan 2001 03:03:25, Fri, 19 Jan 2001 04:00:48
, Thu, 18 Jan 2001 16:38:49
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