NSW R36, MK5 GTI, V8 Touareg and Diesel Multivan newbie

[Gonads00]

Hi there,

Long time lurker and VW owner signing on here. I've got a history of Fords when younger then performance Subarus when I could afford it. I was then introduced to the joys of european ownership after trading a Liberty GT for a 2004 Touareg V8. What a car! Since then I've had a MK5 GTI which had massive km but was an awesome car. One of the most comfortable quick cars I've ever had.

The family hack is now a 2010 Audi A6 Allroad which i love to bits and I've recently bought a 2010 R36 Passat. It drives like a dream and shames the Audi when it comes to a pure driving experience but maybe not quite as practical as the Allroad. I'm hoping to pick up some advice on the R36 as I intend on doing the majority of the work on it myself.

Cheers,
Ben

[kamold]

Welcome.
Interested to hear more of your thoughts on the Allroad v R36 particularly on the practicality front.

Love my R36 to bits and certainly not planning on changing any time soon given where I've got it to now with all the fruit but am always mentally car shopping

[Gonads00]

Welcome.
Interested to hear more of your thoughts on the Allroad v R36 particularly on the practicality front.

Love my R36 to bits and certainly not planning on changing any time soon given where I've got it to now with all the fruit but am always mentally car shopping

Hi Kamold,

The Allroad is a fantastic bit of gear and the 3.0 diesel is a revelation for a guy like me who generally hates noisy, stinky diesels. It's quiet and surprisingly quick when you're into it and the adjustable ride height is awesome, given that I live on a small acreage. It's amazingly quiet, compliant and the stereo is significantly better than the R36. The tan leather is great for family duties, especially compared to the absorbent nature of the black suede (alcantara) of the R36 interior.

The R36 is way more responsive in the handling department and the drive is more involving but I have not really had much of a chance to test it out. I bought the R36 cheap about 9 months ago with a check engine light (cam timing and crank timing synchronisation error) so I haven't yet registered it. My only driving is up and down the private sealed road between home and the highway, just to keep the oil circulating and the battery charged while I find time to get stuck into fixing the cam timing issue.

No doubt the Allroad is more practical for me and the family but I'm looking to get the R36 sorted and sell the Audi. Going for a drive needs to be an occasion, in my opinion. Once I sort out the cam timing issues, I'll be able to put forward a much more meaningful comparison. I'm hoping to get some guidance on the cam timing problems I'm dealing with on the R36 as I've had a difficult experience with the local VW dealer and I'm not sure I agree with their assessment. That's another story which probably warrants a thread of it's own.

Cheers,
Ben