great styling, good handling for the first few thousand miles,roomy interior

unreliable, expensive to fix, poor workmanship, bad gas millage in stop and go traffic. volkswagen of america completely useless.

totally fooled me. this car is great for about 12,000 miles then look out.
everything breaks down and costs a bundle to repair. it stated with they radio. and every month a new problem. now after spending $500 for the brake disk. a week later the steering is messed up. it won't return after turning. i won't even mention all the broken nobs. on day the car just wouldn't start. then the next day it started no problem. i guess it was tired. if you like alot of headaches this car is for you. stay away.

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toyota camry

European Look all the way, look at all '93 car's and they look old and weak
Passat haves all the goodies that youre looking for in a reasonable price.

Too much air noise, no cup holder,stereo system totally weak need to buy a new one, climate control having a little problem to ajust it right.

Human and Machine turn's into one, I've been going up hill's over 120mph and car still have's power, as long you don't hit the red side of you tachometer youre doing ok.

It give's you the extra security on tight turn's, enough power to jump in freeway, even drag race against all those mustang's and camaro's just be sure it's raining or wet, that's the trick.

The interior space perfect, remember it's a car it ain't no minivan.

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Passat VR6 have's more power than any honda,nissan lexus bmw etc. don't go bye the book's check it yourself.
Interior space better than Ford Taurus 98, the trunk is bigger than a 88 oldsmobile, and lexus 92 (my Uncle and cousin haves them, boring)
Paint last longer, I still have original paint and my baby look's as new.

As others have said the similarities with the Audi A4 are striking, except the Passat has more interior space. This is one of those cars where the engineering is so good that your constantly finding subtle features which enhance the experience. With the V6 tiptronic, the car drives like a BMW or Audi with smooth ride and handling. Highway cruising is amazing in this car! The interior is luxurious with leather and the dash lights are cool. The wheelbase is an extended A4 base so it has more front and back space for adults. The car's footprint is smaller than Camry/Accords so it also maneuvers in tighter corners. The teardrop shape gives it really low drag and quiet ride.

The stock tires and wheels are plain. But there's tons of aftermarket VW stuff that will enhance this. The cupholders are a joke but discrete - who wants big cupholders in a refined car anyway?!! The price is higher than Camry/Accd/Maximas but a few grand less than A4s. Mileage = 18/26 = nothing great but it requires premium gas for the best performance.

Just test drive it and you'll see why this car is great if you want a sporty sedan and can shell out a higher price. If you need the V6, get tiptronic. Leather is nice in this car!

Unfortunately, VW has redesigned the exterior for the latest 2001 models with more chrome - not as nice.

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A4- the same engine, same interior parts, same under the hood engineering, but bigger wheelbase
BMW 3-series - maybe ride is not as sweet but the Passat is cheaper and the interior room and trunk space is cavernous in comparison
Camry/Accd/Maximas - More expensive because it's more luxury. Reliability is probably not as good but that's what the Japanese are known for.

European ride, very quiet at 80mph(autobahn car), Tiptronic gear shift, great leather seats

Cup holder, fuel consumption(<20 mpg), bit pricey with the options

I love the car at 8 months. So far the CD changer malfunctioned (replaced by VW)and the rear seat cup holder broke. Otherwise it has been working perfectly. The ride and tiptronic are a blast. Its the most fun you can have with a wagon this side of BMW.

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subaru outback, volvo v40

This care looks sporty and has lots of passenger seating in the rear. I have people compliment me on how nice this car is when they sit in the back. The dash board instrumentation layout is simple and logical. This car just wants to keep going on the highway. I barely have to tough the pedal and it actually spoke to me and said..."I wanna go faster...please!!!???" and I said..."ok." There are soooo many aftermarket parts and ways to make it even better. Huge Trunk. No, scratch that...Enormous trunk! I feel like I was adopted into a German family as soon as I drove it off the dealership.

The stock tires a little loud for my taste but I'll gladly put up with it to keep the cornering ability the way it is. I'ts a pancake on the road, almost too sticky that a driver might be tempted to do thing on public streets that one shouldn't. Quality of built is ok, but not great. the battery can drain for many reasons. 1. Engine Fan runs too long after the ignition is off. 2. Low guage stock wiring tends to loose conductivity. The headlights aren't bright enough for my taste. But they are good enough. they seem to light up things directly infront of me but nothing on the side, which we all know is important.

I love my car. I've driven Accords and Altimas and non of them make you want to keep driving as much as my Passat. The other cars will get you from A to B and passed C nicely but the Passat gets you there with some attitude. I'll give it up once I get a Mercedez Benz C43. That will probably be my new love. But for the price it can't be beat. There are so many aftermarket goodies you can add to enhance your ride and power not to mention looks, that I can recommend it with a smile on my face. It's good for those of us in our early to mid 20'.

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96 Honda Accord, better build quality but not as fun. 94 Nissan Altima, same build quality and not as fun. 95 VW Jetta same built quality but a little smaller and just as fun. VW...what can I say? Gotta love it.

Great Style
Comfortable
Quick
Good Gas Mileage
Great service

?????????What is this weakness?

Great car. 22000 miles in little over a year. Trips to everywhere. Rides well, V6 is awesome, tiptronic is fun to keep the boredom away. Recommend to anyone interested in any type of car. Look at the Passat before doing anything drastic. Looking at more VW purchases in the near future.

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Head and shoulders above the Camry, Altima, 626, Maxima.

Space
Solidity of build
Blue instrument lighting

Handling / lack of fell through steering

Whilst the Passattt is a clasy, comfortable cruiser ideal for long journeys up the motorway, it lacks the heart-warmning fluent, more grip than you'd ever dare to use handling which my previous car (not available in the US - but I'd strongly recommend any enthusiasts on the west of the Atlantic to see an import specialist and buy a 406) enjoyed |(or should that be which I enjoyed). However, as my experience of American roads is that they are straight, smooth and hence nothing like the twisting back-roads in te UK, this car is probably an ideal auto' for anybody who wants an A4 at a svaing of several thousand dollars with only a slight loss of kudos (though you do get a bigger, prettier car on essentially the same chassis).
Incidentally, a top speed in excess of 130mph (where legal) combined with 25m.p.g. combined fuel consumption is exceptional, if only it cornered like the Peugeot..

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Peugeot 406 (previous vehicle for 2 years)

- smooth engine
- very good acceleration
- interior lighting (odometer blue, radio red)
- great balance between ride/handling
- very solid feel
- good factory stereo system

- a little thirsty
- velour seats hard to keep clean
-

I have had this car for almost three weeks, and I absolutely love it. It is a pleasure to drive. It is great for highway cruising, and also for city driving. At 100km/h it revs just under 2,500 RPM ,and is exceptionally quiet. Gas mileage is great for highway driving, but it is very thirsty when frequently stopping and going.It has the feel of a much more expensive car - it is a lot of car for the price paid. This car rocks.

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- this is my first car

Extremely comfortable to drive. Fast & smooth, excellent handling, great OE tires. Loaded with standard equipment. Good gas mileage for a V6.

No glove box. Clutch is tricky--I can still kill the car after all these years. Trouble getting into reverse, especially on cold mornings but we're in the middle of a heat wave and had to double-clutch this morning to back out of the garage. Body integrity questionable. A chunk of side moulding just flew off on its own while getting onto the freeway. Hood doesn't have hydraulic lifts--have to prop up with a rod--come on VW, even my 88 Audi 80 had lifts for the hood. Front fog & signal light placement makes them vulnerable to breakage. Currently have one fog lamp assy that's broken and anthe other is cracked and they're $100+ each to replace with new--asked a VW-specific wrecking yard if they had any and the guy laughed at me. Seat adjustments should be electric. Manual is a pain to get back where you want it after someone else has driven the car. Obscenely foul odor emitted from air vents after A/C is shut off. Dealer said it would be $$$ to go in and clean the evaporator and couldn't guarantee the problem wouldn't come back.

This car's number one attribute for me is that it's totally comfortable to drive. After a drive of over 500 miles I wasn't the least bit fatigued. Had a Mercedes 190 that was totally cramped (I'm 6' tall). One drive in the Passat made me forget about that 190 immediately, it was so comfortable and had the same or better 6-cyl power. I commute in this car almost 100 miles a day and cruise smoothly at 80mph. The computer calculates my gas mileage and even with A/C on I can get 27mpg. With 59K miles on it I've had to fix the driver's window riser (not the motor), driver's door lock tumbler and replaced the alternator at about 30K miles. Knocking on wood about this after reading the horror stories others have written here.
This was a VW company car before I bought it with 12K miles on it so it was never registered and was considered "new." All the new car warranty stuff carried over to me which provided peace of mind. Test drove a brand new '98 wagon the same day and immediately thought I was driving a TDI--rough, slow and noisy. I expressed my concern and the salesman told me it was the 4-cylinder. I drove it right back to the lot and went for the 6-cylinder with 12K on it. No comparison and I can't imagine who would want this amount of car paired up with a wimpy 4 cylinder.
Overall the car has been great and makes my commute more bearable. It still has a lot of the durability you expect from a German car and has remained solid despite daily driving on deteriorating California roads. I drive "over the hill" to Santa Cruz often and would never consider anything but a German car for the handling needs involved in driving this curving mountain highway. Japanese car fans may boast about reliability, but they never mention how BORING and wimpy their cars are, do they?
Biggest complaint is the dealer service dept. Bob Lewis VW here in San Jose processes too many cars to give proper attention to repairs. Had to bring the car back 3 times after the window riser repair. Had bad wind noise from the driver's door, then they managed to blow a fuse and I had no instrument panel lights, then a rattle developed when the door closed--that one they fixed while I waited. The car will go to Stevens Creek VW for any future repairs or maintenance. Those guys are ultra-professional in every regard, are customer focused and in an entirely different league from the inept jokers at Bob Lewis.
Bottom line: the only thing I'd do different is get an automatic instead of a stick. A stick becomes too much work in stop & go traffic but I have to admit it keeps me on my toes and it does have its fun moments. Based on my own experience, I'd recommend this car.

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96 Passat GLX Wagon with auto trans was equally enjoyable and less work to drive than a 5 speed.

Comfortable, good handling, good gas mileage

Minor - upholstery is a lint magnet that will not clean up.
MAJOR - went through a car wash 6 weeks ago and as I drove away I heard water sloshing around and my feet got soaked. I checked the doors and windows and all were properly closed. I thought I had made a mistake and shrugged it off. Last week we had torrential rain and I drove the car 3 miles and parked it for the day. The next morning there was 2 inches of water in the drivers side foot wells ( front and rear ) and the car would not start I had the car towed to the dealers where it still is. I hope they can find they leak ! As a corrolary over the last few months the fuel release button has stopped working and the power door locks have not operated reliably. I think this car has been developing a leak over some time.

Just over 2 years and I like the car. But I would trade for a passat with leather! The automatic is great, in fact its the first automatic I've bought ! The automatics in other cars I've driven don't compare. Whether or not I buy another Passat depends on how the dealer takes care of the leak. The 2yr/24,000 mile warranty really bit me on this one.

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3 other VW's - 1980 and 1982 Scirroccos and a 1995 Golf. Passat is a whole new world for VW - much more sophisticated than their older cars. I hope that their quality control lives up to all of the hype.