Legacy or Passat - Estate car buying advice please - Subaru or VW?

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Sun 10 Oct 2010 08:09
Legacy or Passat - Estate car buying advice please - Subaru or VW? - Boris2807
Hi All

Could use some advice please..

Looking for an estate with the room to lug dogs around and to tow, once a week, a horse (laden weight is 1400kg on a braked trailer).

Typcal journeys weekly are short but then every couple of months there is a 500 mile round trip (no trailer) to consider, good fuel economy is therefore key for us.

With a budget of up to £16/17k or thereabouts, we've narrowed it down to a Subaru Legacy Spouterourer (2.0 diesel - probably the 2008 model) or a Passat Estate (again, 2.0 tdi 170 PS) any thoughts/considerations/experience from you would be gratefully received.

Cheers
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Sun 10 Oct 2010 12:28
Legacy or Passat - Estate car buying advice please - Subaru or VW? - a900ss

Well I had a rental passat for 9,000 miles last year and I've currently got a Legacy 2.0d Estate so here is my view.

Passat is bigger, more refined (engine and wind noise) and CONSIDERABLY more economical. For my driving it would easily achieve over 50MPG whereas the Subaru struggles to do 40MPG. However, you say you do lots of short journeys plus tomwing so you won't achieve what I am getting.

Does the MPG really make a difference to you? Lots of short journeys and 500 mile trips every couple of months - work out your annual mileage at 50MPG and 40MPG and you may be surprised at how little it actually makes to your back pocket.

The Legacy I feel is better built and I reckon would last better and not feel 'baggy' so quickly. It also has 4WD so may be better for towing especially if you go to muddy fields. However 1400KGs seems rather a lot for either car in my opinion.

If I was putting my private money into either of these cars it would be the Subaru. I feel it is the better long-term car however the Passat will be nicer the first time you drive it. The Subaru has plenty of nice features that you will experience over time, ie Xenon headlights, heated seats, heater elements in windscreen to stop wipers freezing to the screen, 4wd for sure-footedness in all weatehr conditions.

That's just my view.

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Sun 10 Oct 2010 13:30
Legacy or Passat - Estate car buying advice please - Subaru or VW? - Roly93

I agree with the respone above although I am a VW fan generally. The only snahs I see with Subaru is a weaker diesel engine and lack of dealers around the country.

However if you were comparing the Subaru with the old shape Passat (assuming hypothetically they still made them) I would change my mind as this was a better car than the new shape.

I too thinkl you are being a bit ambitious in what you are trying to tow with a car personally, I think this will take its toll in the short term.

Edited by Roly93 on 10/10/2010 at 13:32

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Sun 10 Oct 2010 18:26
Legacy or Passat - Estate car buying advice please - Subaru or VW? - Boris2807

Thanks both - really appreciate your views.

We've been VW fans having had several in the past and in fact the change this time will be from a 2.5tdi Touareg. The reason for this change is the poor mpg of the Touareg, its hefty tax burden and the fact that I'm so keen to get back to a 'car'.

The towing weight is within the guidelines for both cars (1700kg), but understand what you say.. are we being over ambitious?

We are erring on the side of the Subaru I think provided we can be happy with the towing issue - unless there are other options out there that we've not considered?

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Sun 10 Oct 2010 22:04
Legacy or Passat - Estate car buying advice please - Subaru or VW? - turbo11

Subaru for me My neighbours 08 reg passat TDI estate has had three separate faults this year alone, including a new air-con compressor. He is not very impressed.

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Sun 10 Oct 2010 23:43
Legacy or Passat - Estate car buying advice please - Subaru or VW? - Avant

The worry is that if you go for the Subaru the fuel consumption may not be that much better than the Touareg.

Maybe wait for 6-12 months until a nearly-new Skoda Superb estate comes within budget? I presume that for whatever reason you've ruled out the Mondeo: I suspect that the Octavia isn't heavy enough for the towing role. The Superb is Auto Express's towing car of the year.

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Mon 11 Oct 2010 09:12
Legacy or Passat - Estate car buying advice please - Subaru or VW? - a900ss
I think Avant's comment about the Subaru MPG vs the Toureg is valid. The 2.0 engine whilst towing will have to be worked hard. The Subaru has a boxer engine so the torque of this engine is higher up the range than a typical diesel; great as a drivers car but maybe not as good when towing.

FYI when I have 2 bikes on the roof I got about 30 MPG when I drove down to France ( at hish speeds admittedly). Same journey in a Seat Exeo (same engine as Passat) at similar speed was 40 MPG.

All I'm saying is, as per my first post, is does your mileage NEED super frugality? What is your annual mileage?

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