The Passat R36 is the GREATEST VW I've Driven
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- čas přidán 30. 07. 2024
- I've driven a number of Volkswagens in my time, and frankly all the turbo ones are a much of a muchness. But, I drove this R36 Passat expecting more of the same, and was surprised to discover a rowdy, visceral and engaging sports wagon.
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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:24 Exterior
0:39 Drivetrain
1:31 Interior
2:26 Driving Experience
Thanks for Watching! - Auta a dopravní prostředky
The 2000s was the golden era of German Cars!
Absolutely
VW's V6 is one of those very rare V6 engines that truly sounds awesome. We have a 206 TSI Wagon and it doesn't sound anything like the R36 but it truly is a beautiful car to drive. Better than any SUV in that price range and more practical.
206tsi is a good successor, how good is it on fuel?
Yeah they sound great
That's a VR6, not a V6. You can't have 3-pin crank throws in a 10.6° V-block. The VR = Verkürzt Reihen - is shortened in line with staggered 6-pin crank throws @ 10.6° V cylinder bores. It's a shortened IL6 with staggered 6 cylinders to shorten the crankshaft. This gives compact overall engine dimensions. The sound is more like an IL6 than a V6.
Another good review mate, I certainly remember when these cars came out, started to see a few around and I thought they were pretty nice.
And you know how some performance cars you see on the road never seem to be driven hard... well these weren't one of them haha, I used to see them get driven like the drivers arse was on fire!
Hahah nice
Your video makes me really happy. Thank you
Been a Passat lover, i'm completely agree with all you says
Thanks man yeah the R36 is great
great review. Great Car!
Thanks man!
was waiting for you to say, This is a FANTASTIC CAR.
It very much is
@@KiwiCarLife yes
I recently bought a 2012 VW CC V6 FSI and honestly I’m in love with it. I love the little roar it does when I start it, how smooth, and the power combined with the AWD and DSG Transmission. You can drive it like an every day car or you can floor it and make it extremely fun. 0-100 km time I got in so far is 5.5 seconds. Plus thr CC’s are so gorgeous to look at it. Best car I’ve owned so far by far.
Good vehicles
_Great review again 👏🏼 an interesting machine, I know a fella who’s got one that’s just had the timing chain done @ just under $3000_ 🥴
Nice, but yeah unfortunately it’s the one costly thing that needs doing on thrse
I have a 2010 VW CC with same setup exactly and was driving it only last week over that same hill! 😉 (Wainui) LH😁
Very nice!
I own an 07 US spec passat 3.6 awd wagon with the 280hp engine , 6 speed auto and Love it!!! Mine has luxury package where the r36 interior is the sport package state side. I lowered mines on vogtland coils and put 18” rennforms and merc v8 rotors. Ive been stopped numerous times buy chargers or truckers or tuner kids impressed with the speed and handling. Your review didn’t do this car justice. That engine is so underrated for both performance and reliability.
Nice man!
Fantastic! Any more insight?
This car is an absolute gem.
One day I want to get another CC with the VR6 and 4 motion like this one and really do some serious engine work to get the power at around 400 hp. Haven’t seen anyone build one of those so it would be a unique project. If it is feasible to manual swap it I may do that as well.
Love the content and the cars you review! Keep ‘em coming!
Thanks man and yeah that would be a very cool build
To get 400hp you’re looking at $6K+ and a manual swap is only feasible with forced induction as the car is too heavy
@@maximusbarrett3401 I figured as much for the power, but I wasn’t aware that the manual swap wasn’t as straight forward. The car is heavy but if some weight reduction is performed or at that point just find an Audi 5 cylinder turbo like people swap into their golf R’s and go with that instead.
I have this same 300hp BWS engine in my -09 Passat CC. Those "thumps" while upshifting are so damn nice and aggressive - just love those, and the exhaust sound is... Well, VR6. That's just audio porn, man. I agree that this gearbox is at its best when not driving slowly, but city driving is good too. It can be a bit clunky, but I much rather drive this than a manual. Haldex greatly helps daily winter driving, no need to clear the snow around the car, can just get in and drive it away, doesn't get stuck. It also allows for some AWD slides.
CC apparently has a slightly "better" interior, but mostly it's the same car in a different body shape. That engine, though... I absolutely love it. Mine has done 262k km now, owned it for around 2.5 years now. Has been reliable. Damn shame VR6 got killed, but I get that the TSI engines make more power, torque and are also lighter. Mk 7.5 Golf R or an Arteon would be cool, just out of my price range for now. TSI's lack the sound and character, but would be easy to tune to make more power.
Nice man
I just saw this video.
I have a black one which sounds a bit louder but its a a brilliant family wagon.
Children and dogs, sounds ballistic, all good mate and thanks for your positive review !
Cheers.
They’re good all round cars aye
@@KiwiCarLife Absolutely. Only 8 in Tasmania apparently
@@KiwiCarLife Mine has the sunroof and premium stereo options so yeah I love it (huge middle muffler straight piped......sounds even better)
Big fan especially in blue. You need to make your videos longer it's too short
Yeah blue ones are nice
@@KiwiCarLife Agree, I have the original "electric blue" version.
I have a 2007 Passat Wagon 3.6 4motion, not an r36 but def similar. It sound's so good ! That was a selling feature to me, plus it drives great.
Mmm yes good car
You say you're not interested in wagons now but it could be in your future when you have a family lol, and this Passat R36 could fit the bill. You can still have fun yet be sensible and practical!
Nah I’d still get an R36 sedan
I had one of these for about 8 years... and I sill really, really miss it. More than the C63s wagon I had after it. I'd love to see a modern version - what I would give for an RS3 engine in a Passat wagon!
They’re awesome aye
Believe me, if I had the money I would do throw one in
@@KiwiCarLife A great, mid 2000's all-rounder. Still the best car I've ever owned and I've had a few much more expensive cars over the years that left me underwhelmed. The R36 was really special.
@@maximusbarrett3401 I wonder if HPA's VR550T would fit...? Hmm
@@steventoo it would fit for sure, just unsure if the quality would be less due to it being Chinese made
Wow. Non buyer regrets. I nearly bought one of these, but couldn't find a good source of parts. The 3.6 is a rare motor. I would guess the 3.2 would use many of the same parts but didn't chance it.
Yeahhh that's the difficulty aye
The lurchy gearshifts at low speed probably have more to do with the specific car you drove which has higher kms and going by the condition of the alcantara, fairly hard kms. My lower-kms example which has been fastidiously maintained has low speed gearshifts akin to a torque-converter auto. Very smooth.
Yeah that makes sense
I have the Passat 3.6 4motion sport #2. Closest we had in the USA to the R36 😑 still, i love it! 🤙
Very nice
Wow, I love my wagons. If we didnt have our Holdens and fords this would have been my next option. 😊 May suggest you try and review a V8 Holden Adventra. Its an unusual car but it definitely has the same characteristics as this but in V8 form. I'd let you review mine, but im in Australia 😢
Yeah hopefully I’ll get a commodore on the channel
I've got the un-breathed-on version of this in Australia.
Still Passat, still DSG, still AWD - but the 3.2 V6 in it. (and sedan)
Few less horses but it does sound kind of similar when I give it a bit of welly - I love it a lot.
I still really want to drive/own the full-fat R36 one day.
Do they get R36’s in Aus?
@@KiwiCarLife Yeah mate. When they were new you could get them officially from VW dealers. While not super common, I have seen my fair share running around.
I currently own an Accord Euro R and am seriously considering making the jump to an R36 wagon. Seeing as you have driven both, what would your opinion on that swap be?
The Accord is a truly brilliant car which I always enjoy on the back road blasts. But the R36 sounds (and looks!) glorious. And seems would still be just as enjoyable on the B Roads?
Yeah R36 will feel bigger and heavier but I’d say it’d be a good upgrade
wooookieee. i love mine
Good car
When i first saw one of these on the road (having never heard of it before) I assumed the R36 badge was some kind of aftermarket thing, like the guy had swapped a bored vr6 in... blew my mind to find out its factory 😂
They’re epic aye
if the gears kick in hard, the clutches are worn. I recently swapped mine out and it runs like new now.
Regards from the home of the passat
Yeah makes sense
You should review 2016 B8 passat R-line, beautiful quick car, my dad has one and it's very surprising, in the 2.0 varient
Yep I’m doing a 206tsi
@@KiwiCarLife being 206kw and 1650kg odd, goes well
@@MrDamburger Pretty much straight line equal to the R36 because it is about 200 Kg lighter. Engine though lacks the character and also is slower to respond - result of being a turbo. Easier to lift the output to 220-240 though with a chip upgrade.
Assuming it's similar to the audi a3 3.2 gearbox, the hard upshifts depends on a few things: sometimes it means the mass airflow sensor is having some issues, or the electric throttle needs remapping, or just that the transmission fluid is a bit cold.
Wouldn’t be the last one but yeah could be or just the fact it’s done 200,000km
Depends on shift RPM, 90% of the time it shifts smoothly
I suggest you review the Toyota Blade Master G a Corolla with the 3.5 v6. FWD fun fury and fear.
Already done it
Try a TT with 3.2VR6 motor. My partner has had one for a few years now and I think it's one of those seriously underrated cars at the moment. Particularly the mk1 (mk2 got magnetic ride and it became more refined but lost some of that old school feel of the mid 90s design - I think it did get a wet clutch as far as I know and that is a very big positive). The motor-DSG combo is really good with aggressive upshifts. Not very fast in straight line but the motor with the standard TT exhaust sounds much much much better than a VQ. Great 8 tenths car on twisty roads. I'm surprised you haven't compared one of those to a Z4, 350z or RX8.
Nice
It is not an vr6 engine. It is audis own v6 engine.
@@iTzNitrOxZ The motor you're referring to is the 3.2 FSI which has similar stats but it is a 90 degree V6. The 3.2 VR6 was used in both R32, TT and Audi A3 as well as early Porsche Cayenne (replaced by this 3.6 later on). The 3.2 FSI was used in Audi A4, A5, A6 and A8.
Hey Mate i have a red golf mk5 r32 that you can review in auckland as you haven't reviewed one.
Oh yes definitely keen hit me up @kiwicarlife.yt on Insta
@@KiwiCarLife havent got insta do u have messenger
@@ztworks6524 yeah otherwise text on 022 017 6874
@@KiwiCarLife swt
Had 2 r32’s, in the market for an r36. The r32 couldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding, but the sound is addictive!
Really I thought they’d be quite fast
@@KiwiCarLife they are i have a 2004 MK4
My 3.0L vtec v6 makes 220 crank hp. Someone dyned it and the 3.0L j series with a 4spd auto made 190 wheel horse power. I have all the Acura 3.2 type s bolt ons such as the intake, injectors, fuel rail and much more borrowed from the 3.2l type s engine that made 260 crank hp stock. Also gutted cat and catback exhaust. My butt dyno says I’m making definitely 200 wheel horse power with my mods. I have a 2011 si that’s all stock and those make 198 crank horse power and my accord feels just a tad faster. I also have a jdm swapped h22a prelude Si that’s full bolt ons making 230+ wheel horse power on a dyno. And I’ve owned other modded Hondas and have driven many many different modified and stock cars. So I think it’s safe to say that my accord with the mods is making 200 wheel horse power…. Check out my CZcams channel!! All Honda content!!!!
Nice
Is this 3.6 direct or port injection? 3.2 is port injected?
Direct I believe
Sounds shit hot!!!❤️
That’s good
Have you had a chance to compare the R36 to a B8 S4?
I have not
I have a MK5 R32 with the R36 engine swapped in. Only one in nz I think? 🤔 based in Auckland
OH I’d be so keen to check that out
Yeh boy
Yess
Styling reminds me of a Honda Orthia
lol
Think the owner needs a dsg service, i have this car and shifts are smooth. I love it and hope to keep it as long as possible. Rust is the main problem here (uk)
Yeah possibly although I kinda like the harder shifts
@@KiwiCarLife as long as the mechatronic unit keeps working!
I’m the owner, it indeed does not need one, it’s in good condition
I got mine done around 40 K miles. Now at 60k and DSG seems fine.
Occasionally jumps out of reverse but works second time. It's done that for last ten years so I've just left it.
They get a lot of criticism but I'm a big fan of the DSG system. Had 3 now in VAG vehicles and all have worked brilliantly.
Could you review a ford focus xr5 turbo please
Potentially
@@KiwiCarLife those 5 cylinders go crazy
My old man got one 2 years ago for 15k. Has spend 15k so far fixing all the known problems with them. Absolute lemons. Gorgeous, fast, godly sounding LEMONS XD
I had the same experience with an Accord CM2. It all boils down to how well they were treated in the end...
@@The_Noticer. A Honda Accord is a swiss watch compared to these XD
@@trustfire But you can be extremely unlucky with those as well, if its been abused. I get your point but.. sometimes even with an inspection you can't really know the abuse its had.
@@The_Noticer. yeah this was a non abused one. It's just the cost of the tech. Timing belt change is almost the cost of an engine recon. CVT is thousands to even recondition. Electricals, don't get me started lol.
@@trustfire mine had bad service, meaning the CV boots leaked and were damaged not long after I took ownership. The Steering pump and rack also failed for similar reasons (ran dy). There was also a horrid shudder when accellerating, that after one year of faffing about I hopefully managed to narrow down to an engine mount...
Bought mine for 5K, and spent nearly 8K already on it (admittedly that includes mods and paintwork). It's ... not fun anymore.
Corrado vr6 it s one of the best vw
They’re good, but that 2.8 is pretty gutless compared with this
@@KiwiCarLife put a 3.2 vr6 or 3.6 in a Corrado with some modification s , suspension , breaks etc and it s another car , this passat it s one of the best vw yea like
I only thought VW made a R32. I never knew there were more 🥺. Now, I wish that SA got R36 Passats 😭😅
Yeah it’s an odd one aye
We got the CC in 3.6 VR6 form...we dont see much of them on the road I remember the Ghost Sqaud from the City of Cape Town Traffic Services had a few of those cars....also I saw one black one in Blaauberg often with an aftermarket exhaust....that noise man...I owned a MK3 VR6 golf for just over 13 years amd that specific CC sound very similair considering thay its not a 12valve engine.
@@ozzi4627 okay nice I'll do some research. Baie dankie. A 2.8 vr6 sounds lekker if you have a proper exhaust😁. I'm not sure if I heard one with a induction 🤔🤔🤔... I have a mk3 cli jetta as a project car wish it was a vr6😅. Almost there but so far🤣, the ride comfort is way better then the new polo vivo/old polo's (in my opinion).... Anyway, I learned something new and I really appreciate it 🫶🏼
@@twinturboray I wonder what that word is 🤔🤔🤔
@@twinturboray I'm actually Afrikaans, in duits klink dit seker snaakser as wat dit in suid Afrikaanse Afrikaans klink 😆
Sound is unreal. I have 2017 RLine and does not sound like that 😂lol.
This one has the mufflers chopped off, and the 2017 will be 4 cylinder turbo not vr6 like this
I imagine this never made it to the US
Potentially not? I thought they did tho
Does it move like a muthufucku,wheel spinn in 5 gear,strraight pipe❤
It does not
It'll be as reliable as a politicians promise, and about as expensive to fund.
lol
Incorrect. If you take care of it it’s perfectly fine. If you can’t afford it you shouldn’t buy one full stop
@@maximusbarrett3401 Here, we take very good care of our politicians, but still they cost a lot to keep.
@@MrWilliam.Stewart You missed the point, most European cars are expensive to maintain, this one isn’t actually that expensive
Love it, it’s just the notoriously bad reliability of these. It probably has a check engine light after that video 😅🤣
As the owner I can confirm it does not. It actually runs very well and I keep it up to date with maintenance. If you look after it you’ve got nothing to worry about.
Yep as with everything, the poorly maintained ones give cars a bad rap. It’s an n/a engine there’s not much to go wrong
wrong these are very reliable compared to a vw with the 2.0 tsi or fsi engine.
i have a 2010 r36 wagon with 147,500km, original dual mass flywheel, original timing chains, no repairs have ever been necessary throughout it's lifespan, just good quality oil and dsg fluid maintenance. I'm guessing the 2009-2010 varient of the r36 has updated waterpump and timing chains because my pump is original and my timing chains are good too, i also never have the need to go anywhere near redline and drive style also determines longevity. if you want to beat on a VW DSG, then then expect to get your hands dirty replacing your flywheel and clutches every 120,000km. once you get good at that (its not even that hard) you'll find your ownership experience to be great. the replacement flywheel and cluthes in parts are less than 1.2K AUD.
@@greyskiesrainfallandpeace3006 where did you source the clutch pack and fly wheel from ? . Do you recommend replacing both at the same time.
If you like this V6 wait till you drive a Mitsubishi 380.
EUGHHHH MY WORD they’re awful
@@KiwiCarLife My dream car, we are all different, love my 380.
@@KiwiCarLife I guess you have driven a 380 VRX , manual, a lovely FWD chassis. Give it ago if you get the chance.
LH
Yes
Meh, RS4 mpg in return for Golf Gti performance.
Speed isn’t everything
Are you fried?
I can't understand you. Aerh 36 for 6 and ehhhr 6 of 6 seelinders and heeds? Sheered between an inline... holy hell.
Do your people even speak engilsh?
Just because I have an NZ accent doesn’t mean I “can’t speak English”. You’re just not used to hearing it
A GARBAGE, not only because HUGE understeering platform, but also for "permanent FWD" type of awd (even when haldex in engaged, to the rear it goes some 120NM ..which is PATHETIC for a 1.7ton wagon).
But let's talk about RELIABILITY of that car.. which is even WORSE.
If you want to show BEST vw of all tge times.. pick one of those build on AUDI platform, running TORSEN awd system.
Nah I’m good I’ll stick with this
You complain about understeer yet prefer an Audi ? That is a strange choice, all the Audi's understeer badly, even the RS versions tend to suffer from it, because they have these large engines way out beyond the front axle. At least with the R36 the engine is barely in front of the front wheels. There are kits to update the rear anti-roll bar from 24 (I think) to 26-28 mm and that sharpens up the turn in, though for such a big car it is pretty nimble anyway. And you can do Haldex and DSG chip upgrades to give different shift patterns and push more drive rearwards, up to full time 50:50 though I'm not convinced of the wisdom and reliability of that.
@@edsnack1181 haldex is a garbage, then YES i do preffer Audi. A3/rs3 ISN'T AUDI and never was! That car is a rebadged vw golf, SAME base platform as that r36. Real audi are AWD TORSEN based and got RWD bias and even if the engine is a little bit in the front of the front axle, the car is neutral in corners and is even able to oversteer (i do donuts sometimes.. of course, larger than you can do with a rwd..)
Yeah mate you don’t know what you’re talking about.
@@maximusbarrett3401 but YOU know.. i'm shure, you have strong knowledge from auto catalogs and propaganda movies😅. When did you builded with own hands and mind an entire dragrace project, from engine to transmission to aero? Why did you dare to trash other opinions as you are nothing but NOISE online?