[jmkrug80]

Hi all,

I understand this is a tech forum and wasn't sure if thesis the correct place to post this. if this is the wrong place then please guide me to a correct forum. Anyways onto my question. I have owned two GTI's in the past with the 1.8T engine and worked for VW in 2003 but I know nothing about the 2.5L engine. I'm looking to get a new used Jetta or Passat and pretty much ignored the 2.5L models because I hear it's not a good engine. I'm hoping for first hand experience from people who have owned a VW with this engine. Is it actually a good and reliable engine? What is your fuel economy? It appears when i'm looking online at cars the 2.5L version is less expensive then the 1.8T. I'm hoping to get good feedback from fellow VW fans and owners. Thanks

 

[Master_P]

Define, "good and reliable".

 

[mkV Fanatic]

I've owned mine for probably 3 years now and I love it. 2005 to 2008 was the first version of the 2.5 5 cylinder which apparently it has a timing chain problem but I think it's all in how often you maintenance the engine. If you do regular maintenance it should last you a long time. In 2008.5 the revised 2.5 came out with minor changes but overall good ones. Mines a 2010 with the 5 speed manual so I have MK6 interior bits and electronics but MK5 body style. I like the 2.5 I think it's good engine. Sure it has minor issues but what engine doesn't? It's not a death sentence to get one but like every car if you take care of it it will last. Fuel economy is not bad I get about ~20ish miles a gallon an I do NOT baby it. But I also don't beat the **** out of it

 

[karlsvw]

Hi all,

I understand this is a tech forum and wasn't sure if thesis the correct place to post this. if this is the wrong place then please guide me to a correct forum. Anyways onto my question. I have owned two GTI's in the past with the 1.8T engine and worked for VW in 2003 but I know nothing about the 2.5L engine. I'm looking to get a new used Jetta or Passat and pretty much ignored the 2.5L models because I hear it's not a good engine. I'm hoping for first hand experience from people who have owned a VW with this engine. Is it actually a good and reliable engine? What is your fuel economy? It appears when i'm looking online at cars the 2.5L version is less expensive then the 1.8T. I'm hoping to get good feedback from fellow VW fans and owners. Thanks

Here is my take on this. I have owned my Passat for 15 months now. Except for a bad O2 sensor connector, not a thing has gone wrong in 25,900 miles. I have owned faster cars and I have owned slower. My opinion is that this is a good, solid all around motor. I have a manual and in 3rd gear going 40 mph and punching it, you get to illegal speeds very quickly. The top of 3rd is around 90 mph.

As far as mileage, I average 34-35 mpg in the Summer and about 28 mpg in the Winter. (bad gas, warm up)

And, the five cylinder sounds cool and is smoother than the four.

 

[halbwissen]

The 2.5l is under appreciated, in my opinion. I've owned a few of them starting in 2007 - all modified, including forced induction - accumulating approximately 150k total mileage with zero major failures. In fact, other than wear parts, I haven't had any failures. Having been a VW enthusiast for 15+ years now, I can't say that for any other VW engine I've owned.

Here's what I like about the 2.5l:
- Reliable
- Cheap to insure
- Inexpensive maintenance
- Takes 87 octane, however 91/93 offers best performance even with stock ECU
- Respectable fuel economy of mid-20s city, low-30s freeway
- Sounds unique, especially with an intake and exhaust!
- Fun to drive

The biggest hang up is going to be your need for speed. If you're a go-fast type person, you won't be happy with the 2.5l unless you throw a bunch of money at it. It's much easier to buy a 2.0T, or even the new gen.3 1.8T, and go fast. However, if you want reliable transportation that's still fun to drive with an exhaust note as unique as the VR6, the 2.5l is more than capable of delivering.

 

[joshua_7373]

I bought my 2010 jetta used at 15 k miles...I now have 80k miles with zero problems. The only thing I have had to replace is the battery twice...which isn't bad but it probably has something to do with Texas weather...I have done a transmission fluid change and spark plugs and regular oil changes.
Really I want to get about 200k miles out of this car as I will have it paid off next year and will still have a bumper to to bumper till 120k miles.*crosses fingers*

Sent from my LGMS631 using Tapatalk

 

[GoHomeBroke]

recently clocked 105k miles on my 2.5 engine. belts need to be done soon. of all the parts i've had replaced (most of them preventative rather than corrective), the alternator is the only engine related part i've replaced. it's a solid engine. :thumbup:

 

[tchilds]

Ran mine to 130,000 miles. Red line daily, ALL ORIGINAL PARTS. I am currently replacing the entire suspension to ps12/eibach springs, audi alloy arms/spindles, a bent tie rod, all 4 wheels, all belts, plugs, ignition coils etc. Popping in a 300ftlb clutch/10lb flywheel and running a torsen dif. Getting her ready for the next 100,000 of forced induction coming in spring.

The only service I actually followed out of the manual was the fuel filter. Everything else I just let fly and it did great except for the ignition coils... which worked but were not very easily removed recently. They actually came out in pieces and were siezed into the head on some cylinders. There was several inches of calcification and junk from water going down into the holes (no engine cover for 123,000 miles). I had to blow out the plug holes with air compressor, after I vacuumed the inches of calcium dust out, then still after I removed the plugs found rust under the crush washer they seat on. It wasn't fun and I had to polish the holes up to hopefully stop that disgusting build up. It was BAAAAAD looking but it ran fine with only a single misfire up to almost 130k. VW makes bad ignition coils, period. Bad design, bad reliability, bad everything. As long as you aren't paying the dealership $600 to replace $200 of ignition parts then its not a bad thing for you as an owner though.

I would say, stay on top of plugs, coils (replace the coils with your plugs every 60,000 miles),fuel filter, and oil changes. Everything else can go double or triple the recommended intervals. The plugs and coils only get destroyed by water sitting in the holes so I guess with the OEM engine cover they may not even need to be replaced either for 120k+

One last thing, my water pump is starting to go out soon. I believe it has started weeping coolant very recently but my coolant needs to be changed anyway so oh well no big deal.

That's about it! Very long winded, nothing concise, just my feelings at the moment on the 2.5. Would I buy one with 200,000 miles on it knowing nothing other than it starts? YEP!

My car put down 194whp at indy rpm dyno day on the Southside of Indy. It has been fun and power/lb beats walks a lot of cars it shouldn't be able to. Its been a very good car. 2009 VW Rabbit, redlined to 7500rpm daily since 7,000 miles.

 

[le0n]

just ticked over 177k miles on mine (2009 5-speed mkv rabbit ) this week.

a P0106 MAP sensor code back at ~100k miles (cleaned the oil out of the intake and it was good after that).

total repairs since, Dec 2008 when i purchased it new:

• front o2 sensor @ ~45k miles - $160
• clutch slave cylinder @ ~160k miles- $60

^^ that's cheap.

aside from the slave cylinder, it has never left me stranded. honestly, i should have changed the slave cylinder at around 100k miles because of how much use that mechanical part gets.

i change the oil every 10-12k miles.

 

[karlsvw]

just ticked over 177k miles on mine (2009 5-speed mkv rabbit ) this week.

a P0106 MAP sensor code back at ~100k miles (cleaned the oil out of the intake and it was good after that).

total repairs since, Dec 2008 when i purchased it new:

• front o2 sensor @ ~45k miles - $160
• clutch slave cylinder @ ~160k miles- $60

^^ that's cheap.

aside from the slave cylinder, it has never left me stranded. honestly, i should have changed the slave cylinder at around 100k miles because of how much use that mechanical part gets.

i change the oil every 10-12k miles.

:thumbup:

 

[tay272]

2.5s are some of the most reliable engines VW has made recently in my opinion. I have owned a mk4 2.0 and also a mk3 2.0 before that. Both of those cars ended up having multiple problems although they were both higher milage. Ive owned my 2.5 with 32k on it and just about to roll over to 104k. It has been heavily modified NA wise since around 55-60k and I havent had one major issue with the engine so far. Battery finally died last year so I replaced that, Vac pump has been leaking oil for awhile so I got that taken care of with an IE blockoff plate, along with a secondary o2 sensor about 2 years ago. Other then that, no issues so far. Just take care of it and it will take care of you for a long time.

 

[edsiajb]

I currently have 5 VWs - 3 of which have the 2.5l engine - all 2.5l versions have been trouble free so far (and why I keep buying them). Two are 2012 and one is a 2013...two Passats and one Jetta. Two are now over the 60,000 mile mark.

I also have a 2001 Jetta TDI and a 2012 Passat TDI. We are a family of five - with a son in college and two daughters who are both dual-enrolled in high school and college...so with all that commuting, miles are piling up quickly.

The most reliable VW I've ever owned is the 2001 TDI (ALH) - and probably why I've kept it for 15 years. The least reliable was a 2008 Passat Lux with the 1.8T engine - it was terrible! The least reliable of my current VWs has been the 2012 TDI.

As an owner of many VWs for many years, I've learned to avoid new VW engines for the first year or two. And with that said, I think the later 2.5l engines may be very reliable by VW standards...and possibly very reliable by even Toyota standards (yes, I have a Tacoma truck - boring but reliable).

 

[nydrell]

Oh yeah

Well here's my 2 cents
I bought my 06 2.5 jetta from Carmax in September of 2k9 and I still have it to this day.it had 44k miles when I bought it and I just cracked 150k last week. I drive the dog out of it for years and the only time the cel came on was 3 yrs ago and it was the n80 purge valve, that's it.other than regular maintenance I think it's a bullet proof motor,oh and I never put premium gas,always regular from shell,texaco,chevron, you know the top tier gas stations and every other fill up I put in 6 o/z or marvel mystery oil in the gas.thats it.

 

[TDI57]

Hi all,

I understand this is a tech forum and wasn't sure if thesis the correct place to post this. if this is the wrong place then please guide me to a correct forum. Anyways onto my question. I have owned two GTI's in the past with the 1.8T engine and worked for VW in 2003 but I know nothing about the 2.5L engine. I'm looking to get a new used Jetta or Passat and pretty much ignored the 2.5L models because I hear it's not a good engine. I'm hoping for first hand experience from people who have owned a VW with this engine. Is it actually a good and reliable engine? What is your fuel economy? It appears when i'm looking online at cars the 2.5L version is less expensive then the 1.8T. I'm hoping to get good feedback from fellow VW fans and owners. Thanks

I know of a 2007 Jetta 2.5 with 260,000 miles and runs as good as new. Every oil change done by the book at the dealership. This car is so nice I may end up buying it!

 

[joshua_7373]

Just hit 77 k on mine...I have it since 22k miles. I believe my AC compressor is starting to go but it should be covered under warranty

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

 

[le0n]

the 2.5 seems bullet proof.

although, vw's 2.slow has been highly regarded as such for years and are still being put into new vw vehicles today.

i wonder how those compare side-by-side in terms of actual mechanical & electrical engine-related issues that result in their owner's wallets getting reamed?

 

[Trainz1786]

Tips on purchasing a golf mk6 2.5L

I'm actually in the market of purchasing a used golf 2.5 mk6 certified pre owned by my local dealer. Is there any tips on what to look out for when purchasing one? Example like leaks, head gasket check, etc etc. I have always had my golf 4 door MK2 as a daily driver. So I don't know too much on the 2.5 except reading the treads on VW vortex.Thanks.

 

[le0n]

if it's an automatic transmission, get the records for the transmission service.

if they can't prove the filter and fluid were done at 50k miles, then you can bargain with that knowledge.

do not trust if they tell you that the transmission is a "sealed" "lifetime" unit that doesn't need to be serviced.

you can peek around for leaks, but the only place i've ever heard of these leaking oil was at the vacuum pump.

not sure on the mileage of the mkvi you're looking at but the brake lines have to be flushed every two years, regardless of mileage. another bargaining point if they can't show proof that it was done.

 

[Tenac]

the 2.5 seems bullet proof.

although, vw's 2.slow has been highly regarded as such for years and are still being put into new vw vehicles today.

i wonder how those compare side-by-side in terms of actual mechanical & electrical engine-related issues that result in their owner's wallets getting reamed?

I agree that VW N/A engines are bulletproof, fun engines to push to their limits and last a very long time with less parts to fail. However, the statement above in bold text is false, VW is moving to all forced induction engines instead of naturally aspirated unfortunately

The 2.5L engine has been discontinued and is being replaced with the 1.8T engine, producing 170hp.

As for the 2.slow engine.....
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?7226028-The-2-0L-Engine-Will-Be-Replaced-Info-Inside

It's getting repalced with a 1.4T that produces 150hp (Same as my 2007 2.5L) which is pretty damn impressive.

 

[le0n]

^^ whoops. my bad.

when did that happen? last year? in the relative sense of things, that is almost today, hah hah.

i'm assuming that the 1.4 will be bullet-proof

i'd rather buy an older 2.5 before getting into a 1.4 trimmed model.