Some cars seem to have been created to be secondhand buys, designed to skip the irksome requirement for some luckless mug - or leasing company - to buy them in the first place. These are the cars that need to suffer from the necessarily catastrophic depreciation that will turn them into used bargains, a fate that many reckoned would befall the Passat R36.
Or, in this case, the Passat R36 wagon, an even rarer beast. When it was launched back in 2008, the collective wisdom was that the Passat R36 wagon's residuals would follow the similarly abrupt downward trajectory of most performance reppers - one similar to that of an anvil free falling through a perfect vacuum. This was one of those cars that keyboard warriors assured each other would be available in a few years for barely more than a packet of peanuts. (I was, I'll admit, guilty of
making the same assumption
Yet that didn't happen. The uber-Passat has indeed fallen a fair way, but it's not really done significantly worse than similarly priced rivals wearing posher badges have done over the same period and mileage. This well-maintained R36 is an excellent reminder of just how much there was to like about this unpretentious performance wagon.
The R36 marked the last time any European market Passat was allowed an engine with more than four cylinders. The naturally-aspirated 3.6-litre V6 was basically a bigger and slightly brawnier version of the narrow-angle V6 fitted to the contemporary Golf R32, which was itself a heavy development of an engine that can trace its ancestry back to the first Golf VR6, launched as long ago as 1992. Drive heads to all four corners, but not through the usual Haldex-style part-time system; rather the R36 uses what's basically Audi's Torsen coupling all-wheel drive system, meaning permanent engagement. The only gearbox was a six-speed DSG twin-clutcher, and with 295hp on tap it's more than respectably quick, with a 5.6-second 0-62mph time and a limited 155mph top speed; this meant it was more powerful and quicker than the earlier Passat W8.
The wolfish performance is delivered under a lambswool jumper of such light-bending boringness that very few will realise just how special the R36 is. Yes, it's been given a visual makeover with a bodykit and big wheels, but one that's similar to that of a fully slammed mobilty scooter. Only the most cognisant of the cognoscenti will realise this isn't a TDI wearing an aftermarket bodykit.
Such utter Q-ness is a double-edged sword, of course. It gives the R36 an invisibility cloak that enables its driver to startle other road users with its storming performance, and to enjoy the hard-edged soundtrack that accompanies wielding the big stick. But looking like a middle-aged Passat also means the R36 will be treated with the utter lack of respect common to all of its ilk; it's the soft of car that a certain type of driver just has to pull out in front of.
Performance was strong, and should still be, but the rest of the driving experience was closer to spoon than scalpel. The R36 feels very stable when travelling at speed - you'd have to factor at least one Autobahn based adventure into any period of ownership - but it's less happy when asked to deal with twisty and bumpy stuff. The standard 'B6'-generation Passat always felt like a bit of a porker, and the R36's meaty engine and four-wheel drive gubbins means it weighs more than 1,700kg. Grip is keen but fades to understeer in tighter corners and the firm ride can get crashy over rough surfaces. The gearbox is another plus, though, providing it's been looked after. This was one of VW's better early DSG implementations, even managing to introduce a bit of pop and crackle to throttle-open upshifts.
Running costs aren't too scary - low 20s average economy is a reasonable expectation and the R36 can be persuaded to do far more than that on a gentle run. A 250g/km CO2 rating does it no favours, though - that's £500 a year in road tax.
For £12,000 it's also fair to say that the R36 looks more expensive than some obvious alternatives; you could get an Audi A6 Avant Quattro with similar age and mileage for less money, although you'd have to look hard for one with a petrol engine. While the Passat's value has a way further to fall its residuals will be riding a far shallower glide path than before. It's a rare and different car, one that stands out as conspicuously interesting in a part of the market that seems to otherwise offer nothing more than default choices.
VW PASSAT R36 ESTATE
Price: £11,995
Why you should: Rare, interesting, quick
Why you shouldn't: Volkwagen, Passat, Estate
See the original advert here.
