What car did you own immediately before your VW Passat?

[Leagle]

It seems that quite a few of us have defected from other AWD brands such as Subaru (I did).

So I thought this would make an interesting thread, what car did YOU own before your VW? If your signature does not make it clear, please also add what model VW/Passat you own now.

If you owned a VW before, why did you remain loyal? If you owned another brand before, why did you switch?

Ok, I will start off

Previous car: MY03 Subaru WRX

Current car: MY10 V6 Passat CC (check my signature).

Reason for change: Wanted a more mature car. More money to spend (thanks K. Rudd). New Liberty GT styling let it down. V6 Passat CC still offered high performance in a more luxury oriented package. The premium German badge, gadgets and styling (!) won me over.

[shakespeare]

Okay, I haven't made the change yet, but am almost there.

Previous car: Mazda 6MPS

Current car: VW Passat R36 Wagon (soon)

Reason for change: The Mazda is coming up to 4 years old and as it is used for work, I need a new one. However Mazda no longer produce an AWD high performance model, and their only Hi-Po models do not have enough space to fit family/clients etc. The current Liberty is just too horrible to mention here. So the R36 wagon fitted my requirements list perfectly, just need to get off my behind and order one Also my wife drives a Jetta 147TSI and so the VW quality and feel won me over.

As an aside, Leagle there is no Mazda MPS in your selection, can you edit the poll to add this, as I know of a few ex MPS drivers here who have made the switch to VW, and Swallowtail had an MPS6 too!

[Rocket36]

Previous car: MY9.5 VE Holden Calais V Sportwagon (V

Current car: VW Passat R36

Reason for change: Just wanted a change. Went for the best value for money German I could find.

[R36 Dreamer]

Current Car 2008 R36 Wagon

Previous Car - 2006 VW MKV GTI - Shadow Blue, DSG, Oettinger Loved it.

Reason for upgrade - wanted a bigger car, tracked the R36 with interest and preordered the car as soon as it was released in the uk - Jan 2008. loving it ever since.

[OilBurna]

Current - Tractor Wagon.

Previous - I didn't actually own a car for a while drove my wife's 1992 Corolla and Mercedes A160 so a step up. previous to that had a VT Dunnydoor as a company car. Last car I actually owned before the Passat was an R33 GTR.

reason for passat was.

had to be six speed auto or dsg
diesel preferred
wagon - room for pram / kid's stuff etc
rear side and curtain airbags
esc
avail of leather and sunroof

I'm envious of all these R36 wagons.

[Leagle]

As an aside, Leagle there is no Mazda MPS in your selection, can you edit the poll to add this, as I know of a few ex MPS drivers here who have made the switch to VW, and Swallowtail had an MPS6 too!

I tried to edit, but I couldn't!

When I originally set up the poll, ideally I would have liked to individually nominate all manufacturers individually but there is a limit of 10 options max and I tried to categorise it as appropriately as I could (ok, admittedly with a little bit of bias towards Subaru but this was also consistent with my observations from other threads that AWD Subie owners seem to defect to VW!).

I guess if everyone replies, we will have a more accurate picture anyway!

BTW the Mazda 6 MPS was a great car from what I read, I don't understand why Mazda still don't sell it!

[Howsee]

Pervious Car: 650rwhp XR6 Turbo Sedan

Current Car: Passat TDI DSG Sedan

Reason: Got sick of spending over $200 a week on fuel and $350 per 5000kms for a service, plus all the other expenses of running a big HP car. So got the passat as it was cheap to run and insure, very safe, well built, and well featured. And I haven't looked back since getting it

If I had the money I would have bought an R36, but I must say I am really impressed with the 2.0 TDI.

[okisub]

Current Car - 2009 Passat TDi Wagon

Previous Car - 1989 Mazda MX5 *wipes tears*

Reason for change - Babies don't fit too well in the old MX5 (would barely fit one in the boot).
Although the Passat is a lovely car, I'll be back in another MX5 as soon as the oldest girl is big enough to ride shotgun.

[OilBurna]

I like your sig okisub, thinking about buying an older mx5 to do up and teach my son how to drive in.

[adrock]

Previous car: MY07 Subaru Forester XT (and the 2 previous to that were new turbo Forester's also)

Current car: MY10 Silver R36 Wagon - first time VW

Reason for change: First child coming in 8 weeks so the wife needed something bigger than the Astra. Flicked her the Forester so I could upgrade to something still big but sporty with a good level of refinement for the $$. There's nothing really out there in a wagon that compares bang for buck.

[okisub]

I like your sig okisub, thinking about buying an older mx5 to do up and teach my son how to drive in.

Without dragging this thread too far OT, the MX5 would be one of the best cars to learn a bit of DIY with. Very basic to work on, with surprisingly lots of room to play around under the bonnet. Parts are cheap and plentiful and either the aussie mx5cartalk forum or miata.net has all the info you'd ever need.
The track days with the MX5 club were great as well.

[Dr Block]

Previous Car - Lexus IS250 Sport Luxury MY07

Current Car - VW Jetta (Loan car till my R36 arrives in Jul/Aug10)

Future Car - Refer my signature

Reason for change - Partners 12 yr old twins are both just a touch under 6' tall and Lexus was too cramped in the back. Previous ride to the Lexus was MY05 Territory Ghia AWD.Didn't want to go back to a SUV as was virtually driving along throwing $50 notes out the window with the petrol costs. Lexus didn't have anything else that I liked the styling of and I'd had a drive of an R36 sedan about 18 months ago and went and test drove the R36 Wagon late last year and instantly found my next car!

[R34]

Waiting for my new R36 Sedan to arrive
Current car to replace 07 A3 Audi

Reason: 3 year lease up and the R36 is such good value compared to an Audi A4
Keeping my R33 GTR and DR30 Skylines though

[JustCruisn]

Prev: 1984 Mitsubishi Scorpion. 2.6l Astron POS
Current: MK4 GTI 1.8T Goodness

[Pana]

Prev car: MY05 Subaru WRX

Current: MY09 Passat R36 Wagon

Why: WRX was too small for carting around the kid and his stuff, was also too small to use for work. Wanted a European car again and a wagon preferably and after a string of 4 cylinder cars wanted a 6+ cylinder again.