THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION ARE SILKY SMOOTH, HUGE TRUNK LOTSA ROOM AND A GREAT RIDE

THE SEATS ARE KINDA HARD AND DONT HOLD YOU IN PLACE, IM SKINNY AND I SLIDE FROM SIDE TO SIDE IN CORNERS. AND IT HAS A BIT MORE BODY ROLL THAN SOME OTHERS I TEST DROVE. SMALL PRICES TO PAY FOR THE MONEY I SAVED

STICKERED AT 28 AND CHANGE. AT THAT PRICE YOU GET AN AUDI FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES AND PAY QUITE A BIT LESS THAN AN A4. I WOULD DEFINATELY RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE LOOKING FOR A REFINED CAR WITH ALL OF THE AMMENITIES WHILE STAYING UNDER 30 THOUSAND

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I TEST DROVE A 3281, A4, AND LINCOLN LS. THIS CAR HAS THE MOST FOR THE LEAST

Everything pretty much, what's not to like?... It is only a cheaper Audi A4 with more room?, Styling (Great looking 4 door sedan), Ergonomics (interior blue lights are awesome, everyone who sits in the car loves them!), Engine (power and fuel economy)... should I go on? free scheduled maintenance. Sporty... Awesome 8... yeah that's right 8 speaker system, trip computer, oh did I mention the 1 touch up windows (they are indispensible) Even the sunroof is great, why don't all manufacturers design the controls like this (rotary dial).

All wheel drive not offered with 1.8T, no middle rear armrest (no biggie), high octane requirement... and I mean I am being real picky!

I got a loaded 1.8T GLS 5sp and paid a couple hundred under dealer cost. I love this car! My wife, friends, and family enjoy it quite a bit. I am a huge Hondaphile but after driving an Accord (Can you say boring?) I had to move on. I tried a couple other cars and almost decided on the 2000 Outback, but then I said I should check out the Passat being a fan of Audi products. Wow, 2 words... Blown Away! I am so glad I did not go with a wagon... too stodgy. Here is my recommendation... If you are looking to move into a more family car and don't want something bland check out a Passat. If you really like Audi products but can't afford to spend the extra cash go for a Passat, same engine, suspension... etc... Get the V6 if you will use the automatic, but if you like five speed go with the 1.8T, believe me... I came from a 230 hp flat six and I am extremely satisfied.
If you plan on buying a car in the next year and need four doors, put the Passat on your short list of test drives, you won't regret it. As an avid car fanatic, you will certainly be happy you took the Passat out for a test drive. Good Luck!

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Honda Civic and Accord, Subaru SVX, Acura Integra, of what I have owned not to mention all that I have driven.

Roomy interior, great trunk w/fold down seats, heated seats, heated mirrors, power moonroof. Well optioned car for the money. 55 mpg highway; about 45 mpg in town. Handles well; quick pick-up/acceleration considering it's a turbodiesel (this model is not a TDI and was sold in Canada)

VW doesn't like to honor their warranties: BEWARE ! The Passat's have a long history of electrical problems, which has been very frustrating to deal with. VW refused to honor warranty and we ended up taking them to court. 95 Passat was sold with a 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty; most recently engine blew; mechanic advised us crankshaft bolt had sheared; VW refusing to fix. Looks like we will repair out of pocket (about $2500) AGAIN and have to sue VW AGAIN. The price/handling etc is not worth the hassles and headaches. POTENTIAL VW BUYERS -- STAY AWAY !!!!

Paid $27,000 Canadian in 1995 for turbodiesel. ($3,000 option). Our plan was to keep the car for 10 years. However, we have had nothing but problems with the car since the purchase. The Passat has had a recall but VW denies this if you ask them -- check the NTSA or Transport Canada websites for details. There are MAJOR electrical problems with the Passat which will cause you no end of frustration. (Fuel gauge would stop working; power windows stopped working; A/C fan switched melted; wiring harness to radio was scorched and radio "locked up" and had to be replaced; the car eats batteries due to electrical surges, so you are never sure if your car is going to start). Water pump replaced under warranty the first three months; trunk lock came out and had to be replaced; cup holders are pathetic and poorly designed; now valves in engine are bent due to crank shaft bolt shearing at 115,000 kms. VW also will deny any manufacturer's defects so you will have to fight them and/or sue them to be reimbursed for any major repairs. Too bad, since car runs well, but the hassle factor is not worth it. Once we get a new engine and transmission we plan to sell car and NEVER walk on a VW lot again. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS CAR -- RUN !! RUN !! -- unless there is a MAJOR shift in corporate attitude from VW - highly unlikely-- and electrical problems are sorted out -- highly unlikely.

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Had a 86 diesel Jetta;ran flawlessly; awesome mileage (55+ mpg) gave it to my younger brother when we bought Passat; Jetta now has over 500,000 kms and going strong. Have owned a Toyota Camry but like Passat's handling better, although Camray was better built. Have owned a BMW but felt Passat a better combo of price/options/maintenance costs.

What can I say? Perfect! I never thought about Passat, but when I got it(7 days ago) till now- love it... For sedan you can't think anything better...You can't feel speed...Built strong...

As someone said: capholders....,no rear armrest(I don't care: there is only me and my wife),no trunk net.....!!!!(that's sucks)

I love it for now- it has been 5-7 days. I liked 2 doors, but now I think: why not 4? I just don't use it. It has everything:leather, autowipers,climate control,good quality Moonson stereo... It's powerful!!!
You can do it!!!!!! I just can't understand why they have 24 month warranty? Is that is because of quality? I hope not. It's nice, comfy...
For price of $31G I hope it's best sedan!

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98Maxima,93BMW-318...

Peppy turbo motor, roomy interior, good looks

Poor quality control, paint scratches too easily, mediocre reliability

I have owned this car for almost 3 years now. In that time, I have had several problems with it including:

- Radio was replaced twice within days of purchase
- Turbo died while on vacation, had it replaced.
- Rear door side molding peeled off (twice), was replaced (lousy paint job)
- Passenger side side mirror knob broken
- Glove compartment handle broken (by a 1.5 year old child!)
- Rear cup holders broken several times (awful design)
- Car aligment has been off for the past year. Car has been at the dealers about 4 times to correct right pull with no luck!
- Breaks squealed since day one (rotor just recently resurfaces - $$)
- Broken front air vent grill.

Overall, I have spent way more time that I wanted to on this car because of these major and minor problems. I would hesitate to recommend this car to anyone unless you consider yourself a lucky person and hope to get one of the few good ones that come out every once in a while. I probably would not buy another VW product again.

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Acura integra (near flawless over 7 years)

Speed, Luxury, Looks, Performance, V6

Cupholder, MPG, Parts, Repair Cost

First let me say, I love this car. This car basically has it all: Leather Heated Seats, heated mirrors, alarm, very ergonomic, no wasted space, and only 40k. This car flys on the highway--just get it above 3000 RPM and hold on. Love the manual transmission with a V6.

The only thing I don't like about this car is the cost of parts/labor (bought an extended warranty which paid for itself after the first repair) and the cheap cupholders. The electrical system isn't very strong (have replaced power window and power lock motors, had problems with the cruise), but otherwise this car rocks. Just make sure you get a warranty.

Got a 3 year 36000 mile warranty for $1400. One month in I had the power trunk lock replaced, power motor on passenger side, vacuum pump, and labor and the bill came to $1500. Enough said there, but they had the car for over 1.5 weeks to fix everything--good thing my dealer provides a free loaner. I loved driving a 2001 Passat for that week.

Bottom line: If you can find one in good shape, buy it.

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None

Fuel Economy, comfortable, and quite peppy.

Major Diesel problem is the execution of the pollution controls, specifically the EGR valve on the intake. Within 30K mi. and upwards, anticipate spending $1200 for a new intake, because the service department does not want to take the time have the intake cleaned. Save your old one !
All the same chronic problems are still there : water leaks, freezing door locks, door actuators, window regulators (I need another one on the driver door again, after having it repaired once already !)
Just had to repair the shift linkage last night as I couldn't find any gears other than 3rd & 4th. A stupit nut came loose ! Wonder what it would have cost to have the dealer tighten that !

Initial impressions were very good, mainly because of the items listed under Strengths. I had owned an Audi before purchasing this Diesel VW. Unfortunately, it has become quite evident that VW Corp. has not improved in the Design department. All the same chronic problems are still there : water leaks, freezing door locks, door actuators, and window regulators (probably some I already have forgotten). To add to this the repairs are expensive, and in the case of VW, not well executed.

Note that these ARE DESIGN ISSUES and not wear or misuse problems. VW also consider any of these issue to be part of the 100K drive train warranty. I'm still wondering what that warranty is good for. I only have 70K on a car that should be able to last 250 + K.

VW - Drivers wanted - once we have you we can soak additional money out of you for repairing our design problems !

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1987 Audi GT coupe

The Best Stuff would have to be
The Driving experience. The car is very quiet and smooth yet handles well.
The Fit and Finish of the whole car. The stereo is great.
There is plenty of power with the 4cyl. The triptronic is fun.
The trip computer is usefull and handy. And the Gas mileage has been good so far.

The First Aid kit comes stock in Europe not in the USA. I know Kinda Picky. Would have liked a stock CD player.
The worst thing has to be wanting to keep the car clean all the time!!

This Car has been wonderful. It is such a pleasure to drive. I spent alot of time researching this car before my purchase. I liked the fact that Edmunds.com has the car as a "Most Wanted" And Consumer Reports has the car listed as a "Best Pick". You cannot find a car in it's price range that is safer than the Passat. End of Story! 8 Air Bags! Best pick in Accident Avoidence!! Others have commented on the Dashboard.. Well I have to say.. If you don't get excited about Driving at night with this Dashboard you have no pulse !!! It is very cool... Other things I enjoy are the fit and finish of the car. The Paint is first class, interior materials are very high quality. The Triptronic lets me have fun and allows my wife to have her automatic. I certainly Highly recommend the New Passat. It is a great balance between Cargo room, Safety, Appeal, Quality, Reliability, Price, and Driving Experience.

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I looked at a couple of MiniVans Honda and Nissan..The Camery and Accord are I little boring and there are to many of them on the road. But I have to tell you the car rides as well as my Mothers Lexus..

What a great drivers car. It is fast and comfortable and handles great.
Lots of interior room including a huge trunk. Car comes loaded. Heater works great, car heats up quickly. Great styling

Where to begin....This was my 2nd VW. They hold together for 30-40k miles and then they begin to quickly drain your bank account. I had to replace the o2 sensors twice, The check engine light was on almost all the time for some type of problem after 60k. Replaced pads and rotors at 60k. Fog lamps quickly cracked and quit working b/c of poor placement and lens quality (Cost $150 a piece to replace- I decided to remove them and use a reflective lens from the GLS model. A/C unit never worked very well even after several servicings. tires are expensive b/c of unusual wheel size. New set will cost almost $700 dollars. Drivers side window quit working and cost $800 to replace. Etc...Etc..

This is a wonderfull car to drive. It is fun, fast and comfortable expecially on longer trips. If it was a reliable as a Honda or Toyota it would have been a great car. Instead, this car is a hassle to own. At 40-60k this car starts getting very expensive to own and is frequently in the shop. VW's have never been known for great quality and this car lived up to that heritage. I finally got rid of it b/c I had a $340 car payment each month and was spending another $400 on average per month on repairs.
I love how VW's drive and would buy another (especially the 2001 1/2 Passat) if they can solve the reliability problems.

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None

* Great engine (1.8T), smooth, peppy, quiet
* Lot's of room (I'm 6ft 2in)
* Good seats (REAL leather - not that stuff the Japanese manufacturers pass off as leather)
* Reliable and great in winter driving (We get REAL winters up here - cold and lots of snow)
* Best brakes I've ever had
* Solid, rattle-free
* Great highway ride, grabs the road and tracks straight

* Not great gas mileage for a 4 cylinder
* Driver's seat needs tilt feature for under knee support on long trips
* Cup holders are a joke
* Dealer service has been patchy (misinstalled the oil filter on one service visit - leaked all over my garage floor when I got it home. Had it towed back to the delaer for replacement of the filter - mechanic forgot to reinstall both nuts holding the engine splash protector on - fell down on the highway on a trip back from Montreal - also left dirty fingermarks on the A pillar).
* Warranty too short at 2 years (understand VW offers a better warranty in the US)
* Too much brake dust
* Needs cargo net

Most solid car I have ever owned. Except for the dealer miscues mentioned above a couple of recalls, the car has been a real treat to drive and very reliable. Was concerned about the 4 cylinder engine at first but I'm a convert. Has the power of some sixes and it delivers right across the band. And the Tiptronic transmission helps it along. Every now and again I have fun with the clutchless manua feature. I would buy another one!

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Seriously considered buying a Nissan Pathfinder. With gas prices zooming these days, I look like a genius!