term
Reviews
VW Passat GIX 4Moftm Wagon
Jack of all trades
Bv Brian Armstead
You are faced with a dilemma when you don't want an
SUV but seek the benefits of all-wheel-drive, plus you need
to haul the kids, the dog and all your stuff around.
What to do? Boogie on down to your local Volkswagen
dealer and test drive the VW Passat GLX 4Motion Wagon.
As we say goodbye to our long term Passat, we'll miss its
go-anywhere, do-anything personality.
Mv experience with the 4Motion Passat was positive, but 1
did notice a bit of drivetrain shudder when starting out in the
morning. This phenomenon was noted by Senior Editor Blair
Walker in his review of the Passat. My personal Audi, which
utilizes a similar all-wheel drive system (quattro), does the
same thing, and with over 160,000 miles on the odometer, it
shows no ¡11 effects from this.
Major Passat pluses include room galore for large passen-
gers, superior traction in all weather conditions, supportive
leather seats, an innovative sunroof that allows you to dial in
the amount of sun you require and a wonderful V6 engine.
One minor negative, which was also noted by Blair Walker
- there is no way to shut off the self-dimming rearview mir­
ror. The demographic for the Passat generally does not
include very young eyes. VW, give us old folks a break and
update this feature.
There has been a resurgence in the popularity of station
wagons recently, and there are several fine offerings on the
market. But for my money, I'll take the Passat. It is truly
German in all respects, which in my dictionary means tight,
well built and fun to drive.
Suzuki Grand Vitara Limited
Not a bad catch as far as sport-cute utilities go
fry Afary M. Chapman
You know how when you're dating someone and early on
you're getting decent vibes but you're just not sure yet? Well,
enter our long-term review of the Suzuki Grand Vitara. After
some 800 miles together, let's just say we're better off as
friends. But I have no regrets.
As it turned out, this sport-cute was an uncomplicated sort
— there’s something to be said for predictability — that tended
to handle rather nicely in all kinds of climates. Nice road feel,
too. Plus, the SUV was smallish enough to zip in and out of
tight spots, but not so diminutive that I felt vulnerable. It was­
n't bad on the eyes, either.
African Americans On W heels
The power, well, 1 liked that better early on. As time passed,
the 155-horsepower 2.5-liter V6 frustrated me by its lack of
pep more than once.
Our relationship was also hampered by a service light that
curiously lit up even after the Vitara was serviced, a moody gas
cap door, a non-working left-rear seatbelt, rather cramped rear
seating, a tough-to-engage four-wheel-drive system, and tiny
stereo control buttons that were too sensitive for the bouncy
ride of this kind of SUV
Still, the Grand Vitara is not a bad catch. But I'd hold out for
his new bro, the pricier, but longer and presumably smoother
riding, Grand Vitara XL-7. On the market come this spring, he
sounds more like a keeper.
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