Alltrack 162TSI or 206TSI R-Line

[penguino]

Currently driving a Golf Alltrack 132TSI with the 6spd. Looking to upgrade to a Passat and tossing up between the alltrack and the 206. This will be the family daily and used for ski and camping trips.

Pros for the alltrack is the 7spd dsg which I understand is the same as the one used in the Mk7.5 and Mk8R (or is it the one used in the Tiguans?) This is good as I do a lot of highway driving. Realistically the 162 is more than enough power.

Pro for the 206 is more power and better looks. I can deal with the lower ride height for the occasional unsealed roads. The big downside is that it uses the same old Dq250 dsg in my current golf alltrack which is not that efficient on the highway (revs between 2500 to 2900rpm).

Otherwise I believe both cars are pretty much the same, except the higher ride height in the alltrack.

Thoughts or comments?

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[whitevx]

Whilst at times it can be difficult it all comes down to what suits you and your families needs. You mentioned the 206 sits lower. The area you visit for camping/snow trips. Would the 206 foul on any area ? You also made an inference that the 206 has the non preferred DSG box.
The all track through your own admission/comment has all the power you need plus the better DSG box too. Not that I'm telling you how to suck eggs, have you drawn up a list of pro/con for both vehicles and then looked at both vehicles from an objective view point.

With the 162 you could always add more power/tune to bring it up to a level you like. Think of it as a stealth vehicle lol

Best of luck in your decision making.

[ope126]

Currently driving a Golf Alltrack 132TSI with the 6spd. Looking to upgrade to a Passat and tossing up between the alltrack and the 206. This will be the family daily and used for ski and camping trips.

Pros for the alltrack is the 7spd dsg which I understand is the same as the one used in the Mk7.5 and Mk8R (or is it the one used in the Tiguans?) This is good as I do a lot of highway driving. Realistically the 162 is more than enough power.

Pro for the 206 is more power and better looks. I can deal with the lower ride height for the occasional unsealed roads. The big downside is that it uses the same old Dq250 dsg in my current golf alltrack which is not that efficient on the highway (revs between 2500 to 2900rpm).

Otherwise I believe both cars are pretty much the same, except the higher ride height in the alltrack.

Thoughts or comments?

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

Possibly a bot more research and specific ideas from your end first and foremost...

The Passat 206TSI has only just been re-launched, so details are only becoming available (I am lead to believe it is wagon only).
I am unsure of the DSG code, but the 140TSI Business and 162TSI Alltrack both use the 7spd DSG.
The 162TSI Elegance and 206TSI both use 6spd DSG.
Previous generation Tiguans / Superbs (140TDI) and Passat 132TSI and Alltrack were using the 7spd DSG also.

My 206TSI revs around 2200rpm at 100km/h on the highway, so I cant comment about your old Golf Alltrack.
I would expect the 7spd to be sub 2000rpm at 100km/h...

I assume you are looking at the Alltrack Premium, as spec for spec it is closely matched to the 206TSI. The standard Alltrack is not...

I love the look of the Alltrack, hence why I have one!

But I also love the idea of a Passat 206TSI in Lapiz Blue Metallic!!!

Have you considered the ŠKODA Scout 200TSI (it has a 200kw GPF / 7spd DSG), might be another option for you.
This has the power and the ground height advantage!!!

[PDRx]

I’d give the Skoda a very good look as an alternative. We’ve got the MY21 Passat Alltrack Premium, and it’s pretty underwhelming to live with.

[XM640]

As much as I enjoy my 206TSI, if you do a lot of highway kms as I do, I would not strongly recommend it. Penguino is correct in that the the 6 spd does run higher revs than ideal at highways speeds. So much so, I often get similar fuel consumption on a trip than I do around town!

Agree the Skoda Scout with the 200kw motor is a solid left field alternative.

[whitevx]

What about looking at a Skoda Supurb as another left field option.

[Lucas_R]

What about the freshly updated Tiguan 162TSI. Its a great looking car. It has the extra height off the ground you probably want/need for going camping without looking a bid odd like I feel the Alltrack's tend to look.

Otherwise my vote goes for the 206TSI Passat or Suberb. Both great looking cars, but they are quite low to the ground so may be an issue with camping/ski trips.

Im not a fan of the Alltrack personally, but obviously for you its worth considering.

Subaru Outback? Not sure if they still offer the fantastic 3.6L engine in these? The normal 2.5L is gutless.

[whitevx]

Only the 2.5 available in the outback these days, plus you have to contend with the annoying cvt transmission aka elastic band.

Id go a Skoda Supurb, available as a sedan/hatchback or a wagon.

[Lucas_R]

Only the 2.5 available in the outback these days, plus you have to contend with the annoying cvt transmission aka elastic band.

Id go a Skoda Supurb, available as a sedan/hatchback or a wagon.

Yeah I thought the 3.6L engine was no longer on offer. My dad has a 2019 Outback and it has the 2.5L engine and its not enough for such a big heavy car. The transmission isn't too bad - its not for me, but its better than some of the other CVT's around (cough...Mitsubishi).

[penguino]

But I also love the idea of a Passat 206TSI in Lapiz Blue Metallic!!!

Have you considered the ŠKODA Scout 200TSI (it has a 200kw GPF / 7spd DSG), might be another option for you.
This has the power and the ground height advantage!!!

The 206 in Lapiz Blue Metallic is very appealing to me and part of what makes me torn. Haven't considered the Skoda as I don't really like the styling.

I’d give the Skoda a very good look as an alternative. We’ve got the MY21 Passat Alltrack Premium, and it’s pretty underwhelming to live with.

What do you find underwhelming about the Passat Alltrack Premium? For me it's almost a logical upgrade/upsize from my Golf Alltrack

As much as I enjoy my 206TSI, if you do a lot of highway kms as I do, I would not strongly recommend it. Penguino is correct in that the the 6 spd does run higher revs than ideal at highways speeds. So much so, I often get similar fuel consumption on a trip than I do around town!

Yes, this is my issue with the Golf Alltrack right now, fuel consumption on highway is almost the same as around town.

What about the freshly updated Tiguan 162TSI. Its a great looking car. It has the extra height off the ground you probably want/need for going camping without looking a bid odd like I feel the Alltrack's tend to look.

Otherwise my vote goes for the 206TSI Passat or Suberb. Both great looking cars, but they are quite low to the ground so may be an issue with camping/ski trips.

Im not a fan of the Alltrack personally, but obviously for you its worth considering.

Subaru Outback? Not sure if they still offer the fantastic 3.6L engine in these? The normal 2.5L is gutless.

Really not a fan of SUVs so the Tiguan is not really on my radar. There are also practical reasons - the boot space in the Passat is also much bigger than the Tiguan which matters to me due to pram + large dog.

I considered the Outbacks when I bought the Golf Alltrack 4 years ago, but they were just so underwhelming. As you stated, the 2.5 is not enough power for such a heavy car.

I feel like I need to wait for the local dealer to get demonstrators of the Alltrack and 206 to compare. Brain is telling me Alltrack Premium. Heart is telling me 206 R-Line for the extra power, Lapiz Blue and Pretoria wheels.

[PDRx]

What do you find underwhelming about the Passat Alltrack Premium? For me it's almost a logical upgrade/upsize from my Golf Alltrack

The Good:
Lots of space in the boot for kit, with very good strap down options. (This is what lured us in when the Tiguan got a bit long in the tooth.)

The Bad:
Buggy MIB3 with overheating Apple phones and graphics corruption. The dealer is still looking into this.

B-Pillar rattles; I suspect it’s the height adjustment for the safety belt which resonates on certain road surfaces.

No personalisation option per driver means only seat memory settings are stored in combination with the ambient lights. No other settings are stored for the driving aids, air conditioning, AID or radio. This is our own fault for assuming VW would retain current functionality, and maybe add more, while in reality they removed features from the previous model.

Driver memory seat only returns to the stored distance front to back, for height and lumbar support you still need to use the button next to the seat. Still trying to convince the dealer this is not a feature.

Creaky as hell panoramic roof when driving on diagonal undulations in the road, which I do frequently when in the parking for the sports ground. No issues with the Tiguan we had, or the Golf R we have, over the same section, all with sunroofs.

The “virtual pedal” boot opening is very temperamental, unlike the Tiguan. I’ve just reverted to using the key or boot button rather than stand waving my foot around like an idiot behind the car.

You have to be next to the car to close the boot with the key remote, but you can open it from a distance. My pet peeve when sending my kid to fetch something.

Damn light steering feel in anything but Sport mode.

Verdict:
The car has almost 1800km on the odometer, and I’m already looking at alternatives. We’ll be selling/trading this one as soon as the financial hit is reduced.

[penguino]

Thanks for the feedback. So many of these things you mention are things I would never consider to test or check out fully at a show room and would just assume it works just like you did.

Out of curiosity why did you get rid of the Tiguan?

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[PDRx]

Out of curiosity why did you get rid of the Tiguan?

We could do with the extra boot space for all the sporting equipment we’re carting around every weekend, which is where everything started. We’re very happy with the space the Alltrack offers.

The Tiguan was well out of warranty, being one of the first delivered after the 2017 facelift when they still had a 2-year warranty, and we thought we’d treat ourselves to an “upgrade” with the Passat.

Being familiar with the Golf in terms of driving position and height, we also prefer the “non-SUV” driving position, hence also looking at the Passat over the new Tiguan or Allspace. We were so pleased with the previous Tiguan (and still is with the Golf) that we (stupidly) looked at very few alternatives outside Volkswagen, and we didn’t notice the missing and troubling bits in the test drive.

The Alltrack would have been a very nice package if the memory and personalisation features were like those in the previous generation cars, and the if the MIB3 was as solid as the MIB2/MIB2.5 in terms of reliability and performance.

[HigherRide]

I've been driving my new Alltrack for a month now and - once a couple of niggles were sorted initially (one error code and another I now believe was with my phone), I've not had an issue. I am the only driver so seat memory is no issue. The Apple CarPlay chews through my phone battery when connected wirelessly however my phone is 3-4 years old and needs charging every day anyway so I don't blame the car for that.
No rattles, no noise from the sunroof. Has done a few pot-holed gravel roads and one washout with no issue.

As a comparison, I had a 2013 Allrack and loved that (diesel) so miss the fuel economy as I've not owned a petrol vehicle since 1995, but am enjoying the tech upgrade. I bought my 2013 after having a v6 Touareg and prior to that the v10 Touareg. Of them all I preferred the v10 though maybe because I came from a Patrol I drive my parent's Golf (diesel, around 2014 I think) and prefer both Passats to the ride and driving position of the Golf - maybe because I am so used to it and don't like my bum on the tarmac. I looked at the non-Alltrack wagon in the R spec and didn't like the visibility, and the Allspace R but the dog didn't fit!!

[Flipper Dog]

Not so much a comment on the Passat but more on MY2021 Volkswagens now.
I just went from a 7.5 Golf R-Line with the MIB2 to a T-Roc with the newer MIB3 and to say it is disappointing is an understatement.

It appears that all the older features, such as personal configuration, have now disappeared because we are not connected like the European models. We miss out on over the air updates, traffic information and the ability to send navigation directions. The new map layout is "basic" and some of the driver aids don't allow you the ability to adjust.
The only positive feature is wireless device connect.

MIB3 is a step backwards that is common across all vehicles that have adopted it. What ever you shortlist, make sure you are aware this.