SirWired

I'm currently the proud owner of a '04 VW Passat 1.8T 5spd wagon which now has 125k-ish contented miles on the odo. I love wagons and think that among all the body styles, they make the most sense; they have the perfect combination of driving ability and practicality.

I expect that I could nurse my VW along for another few years without too much hassle; other than a few minor repairs (alternator, CV boots, wheel bearing), it's treated me well so far. However, I'm at a point in my life where I can certainly afford a replacement. The B5, while still quite reliable, is starting to show it's age; it needs a PCV overhaul to correct a crankcase overpressure causing a minor oil leak, and it's acquired the minor rattles that are almost inevitable after nearly a decade of faithful service. The B5 Passat (essentially a re-badged A4) was truly an exceptional vehicle (it pretty much swept "car of the year" awards when introduced, even Consumer Reports went gaga over it) unlikely to be repeated, but that doesn't make mine any younger.

There is a shocking dearth of wagons available today; the current choices include the Jetta and the TSX. Beyond that, it's either hatchbacks classified as wagons, the oversized and ugly crap (Flex, Venza), plastic-clad jacked-up pseudo CUVs (Outback, A4, XC70), or BMW/Mercedes that are more money than I want to pay.

I'm leaning towards the TSX if I replace the VW at all, but I'm concerned that it's inevitably the last year for the model, and it never sold well (and the wagon even worse.) And, to be frank, compared with the engines and transmissions available today, it's getting a bit long in the tooth; it certainly won't win any contests for engine, transmission, or technology innovation. I'm also concerned about long-term parts availability in the US. How good is Acura in keeping parts available for 10-15 years after the model is killed; I'd hate for my car to be sidelined because Acura won't stock a tail-light assembly for an eight-year-old wagon.

I know asking in an Acura forum won't exactly get me totally objective answers, but if you were in my place, would YOU make the switch, or keep driving my current car and hope better options present themselves in a few years? (Keeping the current car definitely has the advantage of zero payments... you have to make a LOT of repairs to have the switch make financial sense, and given what I know about the "weak points" of the B5 Passat, I'm not hitting any single car-killing repairs any time soon.)

Also, can I special-order the exact wagon I want, or am I limited to whatever over-optioned dreck in boring colors I can find in local dealer stock? I've never purchased an Acura (or a Honda) before, so I don't know how the whole process works. I want a Milano Red TSX Wagon Base; is that even possible to acquire, or is it just something to dream about on the Acura website?

Lastly, if I do decide to get a TSX Wagon... recondition my VW and Craigslist it?, or dump it on the dealer to handle?

kball

Legit concerns.
All us wagon owners are happy with the car though not 100%.
People bring up issues.
rattles
engine
soon to be extinct
seat comfort
limited colors
etc.

Go and drive and see if you even like it. I remember when i went for a test drive and i was hoping id love the mini countryman. Drove the wagon right after on same roads and no way i was buying that mini even though it was faster.

The forrester probably checks most of the tsx wagon boxes and will likely be available for many years.

You could always "lease for 3 years" and not worry about the part thing.

Or maybe go used on an a4 avant from a couple years ago. Those things are so nice. I remember parking right next to one same color and doing a walk around to compare looks. Love the tsx...but the a4 was just beautiful beyond words

whidbey

I recently purchased a Milano Red TSX Wagon w/tech. After driving different VW models over the years (45 of them years) I find the TSX sporty, refreshing, comfortable, quiet and plenty quick for a 64 year old. I have about 2K miles so far and may change my opinion later, though at this point, I doubt it.

Wagons don't seem to be big players in the US market so I don't think there will be alot of new stuff in the future.

And, if concerned about parts and reliability....well, it is a Honda.

Yasser22

I cross shopped the tsx and the jetta wagon and went with the tsx. This was a big deal for me because I am a bit of a VW fan boy.


The jetta just felt cheap and the automatic transmission was horrible! I also was considering a used passat wagon, but as you say they are starting to get older, and developing problems.

The A4 avant is nice, and if all wheel drive is a feature maybe worth it. But very expensive when optioned up.

The Outback is huge, forester is ok, but you'll be disappointed if you're used to a passat.

And that pretty much leaves the TSX. The nav/radio is showing its age but if you want the base model that doesn't matter. True you won't find bi-xenons, adaptive cruise control or lane keeping assist, on the US model. But the price reflects that.

Now for the good part: though the TSX didn't sell well here it is the ROTW Accord there will be plenty of parts available. You can get many of the engine, drive train parts and services from Honda dealers which are generally more prevalent than Acura or VW dealers.
It's a fun car to drive, very comfortable and gets great gas mileage.

ceb

There are no "options" per-se but some dealers do add pinstriping, nitrogen and other crap, but you can just say "I'll buy it without all that crap.

gonzo08452

Went through the same process when shopping for a car. We almost pulled the trigger on a TDI wagon but the dsg and fuel pump issues where a concern. Plus when I was at the dealer, I asked the SA service pricing on simple fluid changes and they are outrageous compared to the TSX. We owned an 06 Passat that was eventually bought back by VW due to reliability issues but that didnt prevent me from considering another VW. In the end, we went with piece of mind and chose the TSX and we love it. IMO, it looks better.