Volkswagen Passat R36 Estate - Road Test Review

“Jens Trulsson has been driving
Volkswagen’s barn-storming
Passat R36. With permanent 4WD
and 296bhp to play with, it’s one
very swift and persuasive driving
machine. Jen’s only complaint —
he wanted more noise!”

I AM LOOKING AT THE DEEP 'RS' BLUE COLOUR of the VW Passat to which I hold the key and I am strongly reminded of the old Audi RS2 — the first of many brutal Audis to come out of Ingolstadt/ Stuttgart and later, just Ingolstadt. Although the R36 has managed to do without the personal training from beefy instructors in Porsche's 'car gym', but rather has developed the muscles in its own right, it does share its 3.6-litre V6 engine with the Cayenne. I bet that makes many a Cayenne V6 driver mighty proud to know…

When a brand like VW repositions itself into the premium market somebody has to take its place, and that someone is Skoda. Owned by VW, they naturally benefit from the huge conglomerate that VW is by managing to produce overly sensible cars at a price anyone can afford. VW, however, is trying not to compete with its Audi sibling by cornering the premium market, but as VW moves in on their former territory, Audi has repositioned itself as a maker of luxury cars. If VW continues its streak of producing reasonably priced cars with quality and performance intact, then Mr Piëch will be able to sleep well at night despite his differences with Porsche.

At first I was surprised by how unfortunately-timed the launch of the R36 appeared. In the middle of an oil crisis, with everyone looking at fuel consumption as the number one feature when choosing a car, VW dropped a large V6 with 296bhp into the Passat and shouted 'Performance' from the mountain tops. Simple mathematics will tell you that an engine with a large displacement will use more petrol than one with a small capacity, yet the 3.6-litre powerplant in the R36 is remarkably stingy. For example, comparing the R36 to Audi's 4.2-litre V8-powered S4 (as it offers similar performance), shows the Passat to be about 15 per cent less thirsty.

Corporate drones with cars as a work perk (!) should definitely look into the case for running a Passat R36 (Ł31,015; Estate Ł32,175) as it falls into the 'Affordable but Fun' category. Very few other cars of the same calibre do. Take the classic BMW 525i SE (Ł30,865; Estate Ł32,920) or the Audi A6 2.8 FSI Quattro SE (Ł30,095; Estate Ł32,520) — both roughly equivalent in price to the R36, but nowhere near in performance and sportiness.

Which do you think makes the most sensible impression to the company accountant? BMW has always had bragging rights attached due to its fine Munich heritage, and Audi is fast getting there by being the industry benchmark for quality. The R36 is a car that will not only make you happy; it'll make your accountant jump for joy, too. And the only thing letting on are two exhausts mounted at opposite corners at the rear, a slightly wider body and a small 'R36' badge.

Just as the Golf R32, the R36 features large body-hugging Recaro seats front and back, a revised front-end with a matt chrome grille more aggressive air intakes (three deep airdams), extended wheel arches over 18-inch wheels with large brakes and callipers lacquered in blue. However, that is actually all that visibly separates it from a regular 2.0 TFSI and — unless you're trained in spotting the performance models from every brand — you could easily be fooled to take on this discreet family car. And be left eating its dust. A lot of the R36's charm comes from being so modest. There is no bragging going on here; no muscle-flexing or growling at other cars.

But being discreet and modest is not the same as being tame and uneventful. The R36 can keep up with some of the best. Throwing it around a track with a Subaru WRX STi proves a match but the R36 definitely holds its own and, as Patrick Swayze so eloquently put it in Dirty Dancing: "No one puts baby in a corner". When pitting the R36 against a 996 Carrera on an open road, the Carrera owner rather quickly decided to throw in the towel rather than risk being shamed for life! Admittedly if the driver is not up to the task, it hardly matters which car he drives — but neither the Subaru nor the Porsche were driven by slouches.

Volkswagen's use of the 4Motion four-wheel drive in performance models makes certain that no road conditions need be avoided. Traction is, naturally, greatly enhanced and any oversteer must be provoked by lift off, otherwise it is just calm and safe understeer. That said, the inherent balance of the R36 sees to it that it remains quite neutral when cornering; and the sports suspension (revised springs and dampers and a ride height lowered b 20mm) happily accommodates sudden changes in direction. I had to provoke the R36 really viciously before it let go.

The R36's multi-spoke alloys are shod with 235/40 R18 tyres that maintain performance without bringing much discomfort or noise into the equation. I particularly like the fact that VW has kept the width of the tyres moderate, and hasn't done what many other manufacturers have done by fitting, for instance, 265/19s to the front and 295/20s at the rear. Again, the sheer everyday sensibility of the R36 is a big factor in its appeal.

The R36's DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) is a fun instrument to play with. It serves as both an automatic gearbox and a manual and makes shifting both fuel-efficient and fast and pleasant. Not only does the driver get six forward gears to play with in Normal and Sport modes, but manual shifting via paddles on the thicker 'R' steering wheel sees gear shifts effected in just 100 milliseconds — the fastest shift speed yet achieved on a gearbox of this kind.

During full bore acceleration, upshifts are hardly noticed; downshifts are accompanied by a throttle blip and a subsequent growl from the engine — and anyone who's ever played Colin McRae Rally knows just what I am talking about. Sometimes, just to hear that particular sound, the number of gearshifts are increased to twice what the normal rate would be had not the feeling of mastering a rally car been there. For the record, the DSG also comes with launch control for whenever you feel a swift getaway is called for. And there's also a handy 'hill holder' function.

Fuel efficiency is more important now than ever in these 'green' times and the R36 is remarkably efficient. While it's true that a large engine displacement will naturally result in a higher consumption than turbocharging a small one, the point here is that the difference is acceptable. The R36's CO2 levels are a little higher than average, but I think even mothers of small children will be looking gratefully at it when realising how practical it is as the R36 can do the school run and shopping in half the time it takes in, say, a Volvo V70. Not necessarily because it's faster, but because the combination of speed and comfort makes it easier on both passengers and cargo.

One of the great things about the Passat is that it's a fantastic car and the R36 really hammers home the point of quality and performance at a reasonable price. In standard spec, the R36 is remarkably well equipped; its media centre is one of the best on the market. With a slot for a memory card and a 30Gb hard drive, it knocks out the BMW iDrive system in the first round.

The user-friendly touch-screen is a great design and, compared to some others on the market, a joy to use. The evolution of sound systems coupled with improved insulation from road noise is entertaining for all who travel in the R36 — if listening to the radio or music is what you're after. However, if it's the engine you want to hear then it's surprisingly quiet. The roar is there, but never intrusive. To fully appreciate it, you'll need to drop the windows and mute the music. Only then will you feel the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

This R36 is a brilliant car and my only complaint is the lack of a really audible roar from the engine, and if that's all one finds to criticize then it must be a darned good car. For stealthy transport of your loved ones with an extra punch if you need to make a quick overtaking manoeuvre or just want to prove a point at the lights, this is the car for you.
— Jens Trulsson

More of Jens' car reviews can be found at thecartorialist.com.

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