New R36 Waitlister ?Biscay vs Icelandic ?Dynaudio

[Radius]

Hi Everyone!

I'm a new member to the forum, having just discovered you guys after placing an order for a Biscay Blue R36 wagon in Melbourne 3 wks ago (+sunroof & tint)... yep, been told to expect (at least!) a 3 month wait. It's our 2nd VW... the first one's a Jetta FSI. I think the R36 will be quite a step up! Having read threads from the lucky ones who already have their R36, all I can say is that these next few months are going to be p-a-i-n-f-u-l.

Hope it's not too early for a newbie to ask for some advice:
1. Am trying to finalise colour after having 2nd thoughts on Biscay blue... am seriously considering changing to Icelandic Grey as have always wanted a grey. BUT... like many others I've never actually SEEN one before... does anyone happen to have a bonefide picture of an icelandic grey anycar??? (Saw the photos of the grey sedan in CAR mag - but is that actually icelandic???)

2. Anyone really into their car audio - and if so is the Dynaudio option worth nearly $2000 over the already upgraded standard system? - I personally prefer listening to that 3.6 rev out but there's passengers to keep entertained!

3. Had anyone ever compared the R36 with the Volvo V70 T6 prior to buying and what made you settle on an R36 (realise that this may be a completely irrelevant/absurd q - pls ignore/forgive/forget if that's the case

Thanks lots for any metallic pearls of wisdom anyone may have!

[Swallowtail]

Hi Everyone!

I'm a new member to the forum, having just discovered you guys after placing an order for a Biscay Blue R36 wagon in Melbourne 3 wks ago (+sunroof & tint)... yep, been told to expect (at least!) a 3 month wait. It's our 2nd VW... the first one's a Jetta FSI. I think the R36 will be quite a step up! Having read threads from the lucky ones who already have their R36, all I can say is that these next few months are going to be p-a-i-n-f-u-l.

Hope it's not too early for a newbie to ask for some advice:
1. Am trying to finalise colour after having 2nd thoughts on Biscay blue... am seriously considering changing to Icelandic Grey as have always wanted a grey. BUT... like many others I've never actually SEEN one before... does anyone happen to have a bonefide picture of an icelandic grey anycar??? (Saw the photos of the grey sedan in CAR mag - but is that actually icelandic???)

2. Anyone really into their car audio - and if so is the Dynaudio option worth nearly $2000 over the already upgraded standard system? - I personally prefer listening to that 3.6 rev out but there's passengers to keep entertained!

3. Had anyone ever compared the R36 with the Volvo V70 T6 prior to buying and what made you settle on an R36 (realise that this may be a completely irrelevant/absurd q - pls ignore/forgive/forget if that's the case

Thanks lots for any metallic pearls of wisdom anyone may have!

Apom has just picked up an icelandic gray wagon, and has posted pics in the last few days. I pick up my icelandic gray sedan this afternoon.

Re Dynaudio - I'll tell you this afternoon as mine has Dynaudio fitted...

T6 - sorry, buying a Passat copped me enough crap, I'm not going to go near Volvo...

[Radius]

Thanks heaps! Found apom's shots.... fantastic car apom - the colour seems to respond to light/shade more vividly than the other colours... is it quite blue though.... or is that just the reflections?

Swallowtail - today must be the best day of your life... if it was me, I'd be having an anticipatory coronary by now! - Look forward to hearing your feedback on the Dynaudio

The Volvo thing... er yes, should explain - my 1st car was a 240 old-school Volvo... have a soft spot for them... and the T6's are ridiculously cheap atm, prob because everyone's buying R36's gwahaha

[Rocket36]

Welcome Radius! The R36 guys on the forum are a great bunch...

I originally went in to my dealer wanting a white one but the Biscay Blue in the showroom (and the 3 month wait) turned my off white. The one they had in the showroom had SatNav and Sunroof, niether of which I specifically wanted so they were a bonus. Now I love both! Sold my TomTom which up until then was the easiest SatNav I'd ever used... The VW one is just briliant!

Anyhow... Regarding colour... My personal opinion is that grey cars (all grey cars) just end up looking dull. You can get a nice wet look shine but they're just not as vibrant. Personally, I would never own a grey car. The longer I have the Biscay Blue, the more I love it. And besides, it is the R-series "hero" colour. There's potentially more resale in a Biscay Blue model, but there's also likely to be more around come second hand or trade in time.

As for the Dynaudio, I have heard it but I don't think it's worth what they want for it... I can still play quality music loud enough that nobody can have a conversation while driving but I'm more in love with the exhaust than any other noise in the car. The standard system is a quality system that punches out plenty of base and volume without distortion (until you wind it up towards ear bleeding territory).

Volvo? I looked at Volvos, and I actually LIKE Volvos but I don't own a hat and white gloves. And like Swallowtail, I copped some stick about buying a VW (not that I care) so I can only imagine what buying a Volvo would do! lol Although I am very impressed with their latest safety feature which GARUNTEES you won't rear end someone at or below 15kph and will almost always avoid rear ending someone up to 30kph but if you do hit, it would just be a kiss. I'll try and find a video on that. [edit: here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DBf8GBVmME]

Hope this helps.

[Swallowtail]

Thanks heaps! Found apom's shots.... fantastic car apom - the colour seems to respond to light/shade more vividly than the other colours... is it quite blue though.... or is that just the reflections?

Swallowtail - today must be the best day of your life... if it was me, I'd be having an anticipatory coronary by now! - Look forward to hearing your feedback on the Dynaudio

The Volvo thing... er yes, should explain - my 1st car was a 240 old-school Volvo... have a soft spot for them... and the T6's are ridiculously cheap atm, prob because everyone's buying R36's gwahaha

It's like a gunmetal grey, so it has quite a bit of blue in it.

[alliance]

Radius,
Couple of things. First, I can't wait for lunch let alone a car. After a month of research, my clear choice was the R36 seadan. I looked for dealers who had stock and went looking. I found white, the 2 greys, black and blue all instock. Some had GPS, roof, audio etc, but by the time I did the deal I had the car I wanted and it's blue. The one in stock had GPS and the audio. Like I said, by the time the trade in and everything was out in the wash, I had a great car and a fair deal. Waiting would send me off the cliff. And you know the other problem. Waiting gives you more time to look and see other colours and start to ask yourself if you've made the right choice!!!!

As for the audio. It goes bumph bumph bumph and does what the standard one does. Maybe better if you're in to that. So I don't really see a benefit - other than its in the car I purchased.

But, the damm thing keeps shutting down the sound for no reason. Only way to fix it is to turn off the car and remove the key and start again. Anyone else had this problem??

I'm enjoying the R36 more than I thought.

[Rocket36]

I also could never wait 3 months for a new car. It was hard enough waiting the 4 days! lol

I certainly agree regarding finding one you want in stock somewhere.

[nting]

Hey Radius,

Welcome! Well I don't have an R36 but I got the 125 TDI Wagon and just wanted to share a little. Firstly, the colour is gonna be a personal choice. I love the R36 wagon in white, biscay blue and icelandic grey. Another colour to consider is Mocha Anthracite, that is if you like a darker colour, it's rather cool and quite rare. Brown/purple metallic pearl, interesting and cool.

I waited 5 months for my car!!! And I can say it was both painful and worth it (even more so for an R36). To get the specs we wanted (we added quite a few options) and the colour was worthwhile. Also if you order/wait, you will probably get an MY10 car instead of an MY09, so you may get some updates. For example, our MY09 Passat has the white MFD, which I can say I definitely prefer over the red MFD (not just due to the colour, it has extra options and a sportier layout).

Also, if you like the anti-rear end technology of the Volvo, ask the dealer about ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) in the Passat. I believe this is the same thing and should be on the MY10 as an option. It's in the current brochure at least.

Lastly, I have seen a video review online where they rate the DynaAudio in the Passat as the best sound system they have ever reviewed in a car, hands down. So if you LOVE your music and are an audiophile, you should get this. The standard system is still very good (we have the standard one) and you won't be disappointed either.

Hope some of this helps you.

[Radius]

Thanks everyone for your help! Yeah, having too much time on one's hands tends to let the mind wonder a bit. To be honest the car I test drove was Biscay and I did fall for that first... and it got the seal of approval from the "boss" (must be a "hero" colour then). Still... The Icelandic Grey is a pretty good take on what can agreeably be a bland shade if done wrong (Toyota grey comes to mind).

As for waiting for the car, yes, that's the other half of the T6 story! My dealer assures me that there's nothing left in dealer stocks of any configuration. I didn't think waiting for 4 months is particularly palatable either.... except the only obvious alternative in a similar config/performance/price range is the T6....

And Dynaudio doesn't sound like the go heh? I'm into quality over quantity of sound, so if the standard set up sounds accurate & images well then that'll allow me to allocate that $2000 to a good couch to sit on for the next few months!

[Rocket36]

ACC is not the same as the anti-rear technology of the Volvo. But I would love to have ACC for the highway. The only thing I was a bit annoyed I could get on the CC but not the R36.

[Radius]

nting, thanks for your advice. As Rocket mentioned, unfortunately ACC isn't currently available even for the MY10, which I'm assured is what I'll be getting in return for my patience. So that's a 125TDI Score 1 vs R36 0. Maybe R36's aren't designed to "cruise" behind others. =)

MY10 upgrades was something I specifically enquired about when ordering. The dealer has apparently checked the appopriate VW bulletin and confirmed that "there are no SIGNIFICANT changes". So I'm assured that the MY10 will still have 4 wheels and a seat I suppose lol.
I'm sure that Dynaudio 10-channel amp and 500+ watts must do something...
wouldn't have guessed it would shut your car down intermittently though!

[pj's]

Welcome Radius.

I have a Candy White R36 Wagon and as has already been mentioned colour is a very personal choice.
When I was looking at the R36 I also considered the Volvo V70. The R36 won because (a) it handled a lot better, the Volvo even in Sport mode felt a bit like the Queen Mary and (b) was faster and more responsive. Don't get me wrong the V70 is a nice car but aimed I think at a slightly different market.

As for the Dynaudio not really sure if it is worth the money. I'm currently upgrading my system with a new amp and sub woofer. In the process discovered the standard amp, which lives under the front passenger seat, also has xovers in the amp. Which makes it more difficult than firs thought.

cheers

pj

[Lance B]

Welcome Radius.

I have a Candy White R36 Wagon and as has already been mentioned colour is a very personal choice.
When I was looking at the R36 I also considered the Volvo V70. The R36 won because (a) it handled a lot better, the Volvo even in Sport mode felt a bit like the Queen Mary and (b) was faster and more responsive. Don't get me wrong the V70 is a nice car but aimed I think at a slightly different market.

As for the Dynaudio not really sure if it is worth the money. I'm currently upgrading my system with a new amp and sub woofer. In the process discovered the standard amp, which lives under the front passenger seat, also has xovers in the amp. Which makes it more difficult than firs thought.

Good to know about the amp and the xovers. Don't suppose you know whether they are adjustable and/or what the crossover points are and at what dB they roll off at?

I'd be very interested in your results of your upgrade.

[DUB36]

After spending 15k on dynaudio home speakers,yes the upgrade is worth it,just remember to run in your speakers too!

http://www.dynaudio.com/eng/auto/vw.php

[Rocket36]

After spending 15k on dynaudio home speakers,yes the upgrade is worth it,just remember to run in your speakers too!

Although I completely disagree, I'd like you to explain why in order to help me understand.

How is having the Dynaudio going to improve my experience in the following circumstances:

Full car, conversations, radio for background music.

Single passenger, talking occasionally, some good (taste not quality) music playing and level that means I can still hear the car and traffic around me.

On my own, listening to the music I love most, loudish but not so loud that it's all I can hear.

I can ALWAYS here the parking sensors no matter what the circumstances if that helps. Please explain to me how $2000+ is worth it when the stock system easily handles all the situations.