[mr_mbuna]

My family and I are deciding which car to get to replace our 1995 Dodge Caravan SE (hahaha!). Originally, our list was:
Acura 3.2 TL
Audi A4 1.8T
BMW 325i
Nissan Altima 3.5 SE
Volkswagen Passat GLX
Volvo S60 2.4
We drove everying except the Altima, which we sat in at the Washington Auto Show, and have finalized the list down to:
BMW 325i
MSRP: $31,990
-STEPTRONIC auto tranny
-Power Glass Moonroof
-Power Seats w/ Driver Memory
-Heated Front Seats
-Metallic Paint
VW Passat GLX
MSRP: $30,375 (but you should know that, right?

)
-Tiptronic auto tranny
I realize this is a VW enthusiasts' website, but could I please get some opinions to help us choose? This car is for my mother, and she commutes 2 hours a day, and has fibromyalgia (if you know what that is, you know it sucks). Both are very nice cars. Even though most of you will say "get the Passat," please do tell about your experience choosing between these cars, or a comparison of the differences, or whatnot.
Thank you!
Ben and Family

 

[kevindow]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (mr_mbuna)

Get the Passat: it is plenty sporty; has more interior room, especially more leg room for your back seat passengers; probably less likely to be stolen by punks; probably costs less to insure; and you are less likely to see a Passat on the road -- I see many BMWs during my commute, and only occasionally see one Passat.

 

[BBear]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (mr_mbuna)

Here's the way I think of it. The B5 is at the top of the VW line. The 325 is at the bottom of the BMW line. Just my .02 worth.

 

[USER]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (mr_mbuna)

Coming from a van, you'll be better served by the bigger Passat.
If space is not a critical requirement, I'd get a 325i. Ever seen how ridiculous high resale values are for a 10 yrs-old 3 series?

 

[quailallstar]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (BBear)

When my dad told me that he was going to buy me a new car for christmas I wanted the new A4 as my first choice. I drove it and loved it

. But giving that im 6'3 almost 6'4 the car is like a clown car for me. So I went for the second best in my opinion. GET A PASSAT!!! I agree 500% about the masses of BMW's I see on the road. Ive only seen few passats on the road...and one wagon last night.. Thats rare in Miami..... Passat is WAY BIGGER, and to me it has a more unique look. Plus you get more for your $$$$$$!




[Modified by quailallstar, 1:55 PM 2-10-2002]

 

[SpecialKDog1]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (mr_mbuna)

If you value rear legroom, then go with a Passat. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

 

[vwguild]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (mr_mbuna)

Ben...Get the Passat and take the $1615.00 savings and help your Mom
put together a great resume so that she can find a job closer to home...

 

[passaturge]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (vwguild)

In my opinion the 325i and the Passat GLX are different cars. The BMW is a sports sedan, with a trunk that's about 2/3 the size of the Passat, and costs more to boot. But its much more satisfying to drive, IMO. However, is it worth the extra money for the cachet of driving a BMW? To me, no. My 1.8t has the driving dynamics I like, and costs loaded less than the 325i is at a base level. Again, personal preference rears its ugly head.

 

[SAEDave]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (mr_mbuna)

For safety: the Passat which with front wheel drive and some understeer is quite forgiving on wet or icy roads versus the slightly twitchy oversteer behavior of the BMW. The Passat may not be as popular a target for thieves.
For fun and resale value: the BMW
For lower ownership cost including insurance and maintenance: Passat
For passenger comfort: Passat

 

[mr_mbuna]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (vwguild)

Yeah... but she's got 25/30 years in the Montgomery County Maryland school system, and if she moves that will do hella bad things to her retirement plan! She's actually worked for 35 years now, but she moved a lot: South Carolina to North Carolina to Virginia to Thailand to Maryland!
Ben

 

[vwguild]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (mr_mbuna)

Then just save the $$$$...

 

[Colin M]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (vwguild)

I just wanted to point out that in addition to being an excellent value {of course}... perhaps most notably is the fact that the Passat has a softer ride. This softer ride will undoubtedly help ease her fibromyalgia pain.
HTH

 

[nasTTcar]

Go With the New A4

I own 2 99 Passats, a 00 Cabrio, and a 01 Audi TT, and 2 BMW's (635 and M5) prior to these. Also, today I was at the Chicago Auto Show.
I would definetly go with the new A4, and a S4 if you can swing it. The BMW may be a bit tighter on handling, but not to the regular driver. The Audi A4 is more the size of the BMW and the Passat is a little bigger.
I think the BMW is a great car, but I would currently choose the A4 or A6 over the Passat due to the interior, otherwise the Passat is the same car.
Tough Decisions

 

[AlphaPepper]

Re: Go With the New A4 (kudzu101)

Get the A4 or 325i!
..Alpha

 

[vwguild]

Re: Go With the New A4 (AlphaPepper)

Alpha...You havin' a bad day???

 

[candywhitepassat]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (mr_mbuna)

Go with the Passat, it has a better warranty.
Also, take a look at a 10 year old Passat, and a 10 year old 3er. Note how the interior panels of the Passat still look almost new, and the BMW's are peeling off, and shrunken.
Passats have a superior build quality, and better quality of materials. The BMW might be a little tighter in corners, but the Passat will last you a long time without too many reliability problems.

 

[E36BMW]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (candyweißpassat)

Get the Passat. I'm seliing my BMW and getting a Passat since I've been so impressed with my wifes car.

 

[AlphaPepper]

Re: Go With the New A4 (vwguild)

quote:[HR][/HR]Alpha...You havin' a bad day???[HR][/HR]​

Yes, I was having a bad day (my CEL came on again). I'll append to my original answer:
The Passat has more room and is a better deal, although I enjoyed driving the A4 and 325i more.

..Alpha

 

[The Swami]

Re: Passat GLX or BMW 325i? A purchase will soon be made! (mr_mbuna)

Let's get one thing straight! Both the 325i and the Passat GLX are great cars. The 325 is a great handling sports sedan when compared to the FWD Passat, but the Bimmer's passenger compartment is small and there's no trunkspace. I'm 6ft. 3 and a 3 series BMW is out of the question!!! My neighbor is a BMW nut, but he will be the first to admit that he hates driving his car in the snow.

 

[DCdave]

Re: Go With the New A4 (AlphaPepper)

You also have the people who think ALL BMW drivers are jerks and thus won't let them merge in traffic. (I see this all the time.)
Also, can you believe this sentence is actually true?! You'll get a standard CD player w/ the VW as opposed to the BMW--if that's any part of your consideration, that is.