B6 VW Passat ..VS.. (Yawn) Camry?

[B5Marc]

Just curious, now that most of you have seen a B6 Passat in person, and now that some owner real-world pics are starting to show up, do you still think it looks Camryesque? Or has your opinion changed? While it is not the linear/teutonic B5, I just don't see the Camry in this car (at least not more than I see the German/Bimmer influences).













Surely This B6....


Looks more like This Bimmer...



Than it looks like This Camry?

[pacent]

Still not a fan of the B6 grill...Sad to say, but I like the styling of the Toyota better.

[MasTRE]

I'm not a fan of the back (at all), and the sides (but cen get over it). The front is okay (I actually like it). The ABT above looks more like a tricked-out Benzo from that angle (love that color).

[Lance]

Originally Posted by pacent

Still not a fan of the B6 grill...Sad to say, but I like the styling of the Toyota better.

I think the Camry is one of the most bulky, style free, boring sedans on the road. The Passat has always looked Bimmer to me e.g the concave doors. Its styling is differnt and refreshing. Can't see any Camry similarities apart from the sloping stance.

Big boring people like big boring cars IMO.

[ashman78]

I think it's more like the Camry because the proportions are just wrong. The ratios between the sides vs. windows vs. wheelwells just makes the car look more like the Camry/ES330.

Now, granted the new Bangle 3-series has the same crease and a few other styling cues, I think it's the worst looking 3-series in the past 3 or 4 generations (the previous Bimmer 3 and 5 were probably all-time bests, IMO).

[B5Marc]

Originally Posted by Lance

I think the Camry is one of the most bulky, style free, boring sedans on the road. The Passat has always looked Bimmer to me e.g the concave doors. Its styling is differnt and refreshing. Can't see any Camry similarities apart from the sloping stance.

Big boring people like big boring cars IMO.

Ditto. To each his own, but I am not a fan of the Camry styling either. Both the Camry and the Accord have a frustrating look to them. They are begging to be compared to toasters IMHO. Both have major design flaws of proportion. The Accord just looks downright awkward from the back and especially from the front with headlights that look like they were drawn into the design by a 2 year old..... at night..... with a crayon..... when the lights were out. :biglaugh:

Its almost as if Toyota & Honda want to put it right in your face... you know the concept that "These cars are excellent in quality so look how ho hum we can design them and still get away with it........"

I don't know many people that feel passionate about an Accord or a Camry. ZZZZZzzzzzzzz. Say what you will about the B6 styling, but it is something the CamAccord has never been: passionately controversial.

[Profbooty]

id say it looks more like another toyota product, an extra large corolla.

[Artb5.5]

there's a 20K gap between a value edition camry and a loaded 3.6....that's HUUUGE. but that's OK, there's a 40K gap between an Aveo and a E350. (not serious, you guys kno wthat..)

[heritagewayne]

The shape will take some getting used to but when you look at both side by side that are as similar as one might think. I am waiting to see one that has aftermarket wheels, lowered etc.

[JamesBondage]

It has the same narrow fenders, narrow wheels, and narrow STANCE as the camry...

[chillg8r]

They are as similar as the Toyota Solara and the BMW 645









This is what the Japanese do, they build cars that look like the more expensive cars for cheaper. IMO, distinguishing between the two is easy if you want to look. Its like the difference between a Diamond and a CZ. Or a pair of audiophile European speakers vs a pair of Japanese speakers with huge woofers and tinny tweets.

[passatfish]

The Solara does NOTHING for me. I would wager that most people who buy a Camry (or any Toyota for that matter) could most likely care less about the driving experience and more about getting from A to B. Which, I guess, isn't a bad thing if you look at the number of cars Toyota sells and how profitable they are.

[chillg8r]

I think the reason Accords/Camry's sell is that they present good value, are extremely reliable and their dealers offer good service. IMO, the Passat offers good value as a small step up from the Japanese competitors (or a small step down from the $30k+ competition). If they get their reliabilty and service issues straightened up they will do well.

Not sure if they will sell many $40k Passats, we'll see.

[Whatnow]

From a purely esthetics view, none of the new car styling (if that word can be used when talking about these cars) does anything to win awards. To find a truly good looking car you have to go see the cars we don't get, almost any Alfa Romeo, Polo, Lupo. These cars must have a visual appeal or they wouldn't sell, I mean Alfas aren't known for their reliability. I think Toyota, Honda, Mitsu, and VW are all playing off the, if you want what we build you don't have a choice, mentality. Mazda, is the only Japanese car company making cars even remotely appealing to the auto enthusiast, may be Nissan too. If, you can afford a VW but not a BMW what choice do you have they've got you over a barrel. Not me though I will buy old B5 and B5.5s until they make a good looking car again. IMHO