Most would agree that the stock system in the Passat falls between adequate and sub-par. The bass is a little heavy, and the stock speakers leave something to be desired in the quality of the sound. I initially began my modifications by adding a Clarion 7470 cassette deck, mated to a Clarion 6-disk changer. However, I soon ran into problems with the Clarion, when the first the power button failed, necessitating constant use of the remote (for some reason the unit would not turn off when the key was removed from the vehicle) and eventually the entire face plate of the unit went dead. I removed the Clarion and sold the changer and decided to start over. I re-installed the factory head unit and then went to work. A local audio shop had all the equipment in stock so I went with their recommendations.

In the front factory areas, I replaced the stock speakers and stock tweeters with Polk EX component speaker. I then disabled the rear tweeters, and replaced the rear speakers with Polk EX coaxials. All four speakers are 6.5" and fit within the stock areas. We then added a Clarion 5-channel amplifier (not sure of the power output but I'll check the packaging soon) and installed a 12" MTX subwoofer in the left-hand side of the trunk. Not being an audiophile, the best I can say is that my system meets my needs. My reggae tapes play clearly, and CD's come through very clean. The bass is a little heavy, but not by much, and I think an equalizer would probably give me as much control to really get the sound just right. The trunk lid tends to rattle a little when the system is turned up and the bass is piled on, and I am in the process of investigating ways to resolve this. However, I don't usually play anything loud enough to cause this to happen frequently, so it's not a major concern at this point. The total cost of the system was exactly $1,000.00 and the price break down is as follows:

Polk Components: $200; Polk Coaxials: $99.00;

Clarion 5-Channel Amp: $350.00; 12" MTX Subwoofer: $200.

The rest of the money went towards labor and an adapter, which allows the stock unit to work with the amplifier. I also purchased the Panasonic 8-disk changer from Bid.com for approximately $170.00 and purchased the adapter from the above local audio store. The adapter allows the stock unit to control the changer. Disks 7 and 8 are selected by pressing buttons 1 and 2 twice, respectively.

In the future, I may get the faceplate for the Clarion replaced and re-install it, but for now the current setup is very stealthy and adequately meets my needs.

Not many images to show here. Below is one of the subwoofer, and I'll soon add a few of the amp, as well as the doors to illustrate how seamless the installation is.

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This site is in no way affiliated with Volkswagen AG. VW, Passat, 1.8T and all other VW related terms are the sole property of Volkswagen AG. The modifications detailed within are merely my thoughts on what can be done to this car. Anyone who decides to perform similar modifications based on those detailed here do so at their own risk.