Passat 2,0 Tdi 4-motion, any good for towing??

[joakimhansson]

I own a Audi A4 Quattro 1,8t today, and would like to have a diesel car soon. And wonder if the passat with the 4-motion system is any good for towing a rib??
I will drive cheaper with a passat 2,0 tdi 4-motion when i use it daily, if i compare to a Audi 2,0tdi Quattro.
Year -08 to -09

[Erin]

My old Audi A3 1.9tdi has a 1500kg towing limit. I think the manual version is slightly higher, something like 1550kg. It used to tow my old 5.8m rib fine. I would imagine the 2.0 tdi would have a slightly higher towing capacity, so it will just boil down to your boat weight. My new A3 which has the 2.0 TFSI petrol engine has a 1800kg towing capacity and when towing my old boat, I hardly knew anything was attached. It was much better than the Tdi, but it does have twice the horsepower. Both are front wheel drive. I would think the A4 quattro is a heavy car for the 1.8t. The 2.0tdi would be a better match, but the 3.0tdi would be even better

[Tim M]

I had a 1.9TDI A6 until last year. Was fine towing on the flat (towed a 7m Delta with it once) but it really didn't get on with slipways. Burnt the clutch out pretty quick.

[Chris]

I had a passat V6 tdi which was 2 wheel drive, a great towing car and could handle most slips.

[tinker]

Originally Posted by Tim M

I had a 1.9TDI A6 until last year. Was fine towing on the flat (towed a 7m Delta with it once) but it really didn't get on with slipways. Burnt the clutch out pretty quick.

Close to burning mine out on the slip at Mixtow ( Nr Fowey) and that was recovering a Ribcraft 4.8m. The clutch is the weak point on the 1.9 tdi.

[Jizm]

Had no problems with my 1.9tdi passat. Only a 4.8m rib though...

[joakimhansson]

Thanks,

I will testdrive a Audi A3 tdi 170hp quattro tomorrow and a Passat 140 hp 4-motion...
The perfect car should be a A4 3,0 Tdi Quattro, but i want "little" economy also...


And also... 4wd is good/fun when you live in sweden wintertime

[Petrov]

I have a A4 3,0tdi for sale if you are interested.

[Searider]

Automatic works well with 4wd on a slipway.

I've got an XC70 diesel auto that tows my 6.5m just fine. Bit bigger than a Passat but same sort of thing - no low ratio gearbox and part time 4wd (haldex?)

[spartacus]

VWs 4-motion system is not the same as Audi's quattro system. The Audi S3, A3 quattro and TT use a Haldex system (same as VWs 4-Motion). Basically it's 2-wheel drive when on the straight. Any loss of traction and the haldex unit engages the rear wheels. The quattro system on the other hand is permanent four wheel drive. More details here. http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?t=1986343

I've got a 2001 A4 (B5 model) 2.5 TDi avant quattro sport. The AKN V6 engine generates 153bhp. This is more than ample for pulling the RIBcraft 4.8m. It hauls like a locomotive, due to over 300Nm of torque available on tap, most of which can be utilised from a standing-start to 3,500rpm from the 6-speed box. The later A4 2.5 TDi models came with 180bhp and if chipped could be taken to over 220bhp, although I've heard a few horror stories about them running rough.

The VW Passat 4-Motion is a very nice car. Probably closer to an A6 in size. Roomier than the A4 for starters, (especially for rear seat passengers) and with a load bay that would put a transit to shame. Uses PD engine technology (130bhp), for cars up to 2005. Newer models with 2.0 litres gained another 10bhp. Personally I'd steer clear of petrol versions unless you like garage forecourts!