engine will run forever, it's the rest of the car that will fall apart

with over a year owning it and 12,000 miles later. i replaced front and rear o2 sensors, rear stub axle, air flow meter, fuel pressure regulator, thermostat, a leaky drivers side door that needed welding. a bad door seal on the same door. finally the whole instrument panel went out and a bad wheel bearing is when i finally got rid of it.

I had the car for over a year and all i gave me was headaches and an empty wallet

OK - This is the newly refreshed 2001.5 Passat 1.8T/manual. It replaces my '98 Passat that had been problematic with streeing wheel clock spring failures (4X), a failed alternator at 20K, and shorted radio leads (headliner removal). I hope the quality is up a bit.

New car first impressions - Wow! Black w, tan velour, the chrome accents really move the looks upscale. The front nose has lost hte bumper ledge, and looks quite muscular. Then rear brake lights are now red/clear and look sharp. The front lights went to clear projectors and look great, plus the light output is superior to the "old" Passat. Plus, the new fog lights are low mounted in the facia - like the Beetle - and are actually functional.

Interior changes - the cup holder is now ih the center tray next to the brake handle, and they have prongs that grasp oversized drinks. Rather than the swing down armrest, there is now a storage box that looks larger than it actully is. It is divided into two compartments inside, neither is that soacious. Won't hold my sunglasses case. The console storage area is now in the center uner the radio. I installed a facory CD changer there. Looks good filling the console and the red lights all match. THe gauge clusters are now surrounded by chrome rings (like my Miata). They catch the red and blue instrument glow and look really great. The trip computer now also calculates distance to empty. There is new chrome strip gracing the interior load shelf of the trunk. Again, anice finishing touch leaving an overall upscale feel.
I understand that the new engine, advertised at 170HP is ACTUALLY 180 HP, but there is a corporate squabble with sister company Audi about advertising this fact. It feels quite strong, but most of the power is wrung out of the top. Doesn't feel quite as quick off the line as my '98, but it is STRONG and entertaining at high speeds.
MPG after a month 27.5 overall, 34+MPG highway. DECENT.

2 Year 24,000 limited warranty has me worried based on my '98's early trouble.

As much as I liked the first B5 - I am really taken with this refreshed styling. Hate to gloat, but the chrome trim and clear lenses make the earlier Passats look dated and rather pedestrian. This one is a real head turner, and you will impress yourself every time you drive it.

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Actually got it for less than I paid for my '98 (got the first one off the truck). You will LOVE upgrading. The exterior look moves to classy. Equally fine sitting next to 3Series, A-6s, and C_Class cars. Just don't tell them how much you saved!!

The turbo charged 1800cc engine is very powerful with no evidence of turbo lag. The five speed automatic (tiptronic) gearbox is beautifully smooth in operation. The quality of the dash. The blue illumination of the dash at night. Total reliability. The lovely, and durable, Colorada red exterior. The adventurous design. Interior roominess. Feeling of solidity and safety. Leather steering wheel. The efficient climate control system. Understated but quality image.

Poor headlights do not instil confidence in night driving. Ride slightly jiggly in town. Standard hi-fi speakers not up to the job. No tilt adjustment on driver's seat. Handling, though safe, is uninspiring. Tiptronic facility unnecessary as fully auto box does everything you need. Visibility for reversing restricted because of heavy pillars

I am reviewing my car not in the first blush on enthusiastic ownership but after 3 years experience of it. It has been a very satisfying car to own and I would highly recommend it to anyone on a middle income who wants a stylish, reliable vehicle that is comfortable and quick. I seriously considered buying a new 2001 year model. I fancied the V5 auto. However I decided to change to a BMW 525i SE auto. I haven't taken delivery of it yet but if it gives me the same amount of ownership pleasure as my Passat I shall be more than satisfied.

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Audi A4 non turbo 1.8. Engine in Passat is much quicker, quieter and smoother. Much more room in Passat. Generally more car for the money. A4 had a smoother ride.

*Rides great.
*Handles great.
*Lots of smooth power (you will surprise those snotty 3-series owners ;) ).
*Does great in bad weather even though it only has front wheel drive.
*Considering it has a 2.8L engine - reasonable on gas.
*Brakes are strong.
*Lots of room.
*Features that you can only find in 70K+ cars.
*Solidly constructed - excellent build quality.
*Great sound system.
*Smooth transmission (5 speed).
*Cool dash lights that will blow away anybody who see's it.
*True German car.
*Clean European shape inside/out.
*Great paint.
*Heated seats, heated mirrors, heated windshield wiper jets.

*Suspension is a bit soft for my taste, but its OK. Can be easily fixed by getting the factory 1BE sport suspension kit from the dealer.
*Requires premium fuel.
*Dealer work can be expensive (I don't think there is such a thing as a cheap dealer ;) ).
*Can't get the 4Motion with a 5 speed in the US. What gives VW?

This is my 3rd VW. I have previously had the first and second generation Scirocco's and they were great cars. The second Scirocco was the 16V and it was ready for anything you could throw at it. Anyway I had a '93 Acura Integra that I gotten when it was new as VW was on its deathbed in the US. The dealerships were empty and nobody seemed interested in VW's anymore. Times have changed as VW has returned. The Acura was nice and reliable but was BORING with a capital B. It had no personality. It was an appliance with wheels.

I pretty much decided I wanted another German car. It came down to the Audi A4 2.8 or the VW Passat GLX. They both have the same chassis and engines and drive similiar. The pluses to the A4 were it was a bit more sporty especially with the sport package but thats easily rectified in the Passat if you get the European 1BE package from the dealer and have them install it. The interiour of the A4 is beautiful but the interiour of the Passat is not far behind. They are both very nice European interiours. The rear seat of the A4 is tighter than the Passat's. The Passat's rear seat is big and I have never had anybody complain about it. Downside besides the seat on the A4 is the price. You can expect an equivalently loaded A4 to run about 34k before tax as opposed to the 29K I paid with tax. Another thing is that you can get the Quattro drive on any A4. 5 speed or automatic, 4 cylinder or 6 it makes no difference. VW is a different matter though. You can only get the 4Motion (which really is Quattro) with only an automatic. I wanted the 5 speed manual so I had a choice, get the 4motion or get the 5 speed. I chose the 5 speed manual. My reasoning being that in most conditions (ie. when its dry) you will barely know the 4motion is there but you will have the 5 speed manual all the time. VW if you are listening, whats up with that?

I am sure you are wondering how the car drives. Well in a nutshell it drives great. It easily matches cars that cost 2x as much. Go check out a Mercedes C or E class and than come back to the Passat. You will be shocked out how it drives to cars costing a lot more. The car rides great and is very smooth. Its very quiet inside as well. I have read about some complaints about wind noise but I am not sure what people are talking about. It shifts very smooth. The GLX has electronic climate control, you just set the tempature and the car keeps it at that tempature. It has more than enough power and you will embarass some 3-series owners who thing they have "the ultimate driving machine". I would definitely recomend to anyone who wants a reasonably priced German car.

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*Acura TL - lots of power. Typical Honda. Build quality was nice but the interior has some cheesy plastic. The plastic wood on the dash was ugly. The rear seat did not fold down :( (have to have that). Honda seems to be marketing the car to younger people but all I ever see in them are seniors.
*BMW 3-Series. Very nice car. Handles like it was on rails. Can get very expensive with options. Lots of power. Some parts of the interior are so-so. Tight back seat. Paying to much for the BMW name. Dealers were very difficult to deal with - YOU PAY LIST in many cases. The car is rear wheel drive which means its treacherous in bad weather. Why do you think BMW came out with the 325xi (ie. the one with 4 wheel drive).
*Audi A4 2.8 - This was the car that tied with the Passat. It should because it and the Passat share the same chassis, engine, brakes, etc... The A4 was a bit more sporty than the Passat but it was not night/day no matter what anybody tells you even with the A4 sport package. Very smooth with lots of power. The back seat is tighter than the Passat. The build quality is gorgeious. The interiour of the A4 puts the BMW to shame.
*Nissan Maxima SE - Lots of power and handled nice. The interiour had that nice generic Japanse car look about it. It was put together well but it was missing something. It had lots of room inside but I was not to enthusiastic about it. I wasn't ga-ga over it.

The ride and handling are terrific. It's such a pleasure to drive a tight German car again. For a mid size car it has a lot of interior room, leg room in the back is between an Audi A4 and A6.

I haven't had the car long enough to tell you much about the weaknesses but there are some little things. The cup holders in the front are in a strange location and the ones in the back sit right on the driveshaft hump so cups can't sit down in them, making the rear cup holders useless (I have the 4Motion version so maybe the hump is higher?). I really dislike having the CD changer in the trunk but I couldn't get one to go in the dash without changing out the head unit and installing a separate tape player. And one final point, the only way I could get 4Motion was to buy the GLX trim (the web says you can get it in GLS but the reality is they aren't imported that way). I realize this is an industry thing, not just VW, but I don't like being forced to buy options I really don't want or need.

One thing that bugs me is that I bought this car partly for driving in the snow. In Oregon you must carry chains that fit your tires (even with AWD). The 4Motion I bought (in Oregon) came with 205/16 tires. According to VW you can't even put cable chains on these tires! Now I really don't want to be driving in conditions that require chains on an AWD but, to be totally legal in Oregon, I can't drive in the snow without changing my tires and wheels!

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I was looking for AWD; Audi (nice care but $$$), Toyota 4Runner (I know it's not a car but I owned one for 10 years and love them), Suburu (too small), BMW 325xi ($$$ and short on rear seat leg room).

First of all...to the reviewer listed before me.....explain why you would compare a VW Passat to a Chevrolet Corvette...I am missing something here...why not compare the Passat to a Porsche Twin Turbo 911 or maybe a 1998 Twin valve, independent suspension, fully loaded, Kubuto Commercial grade Steam roller...I hear they make one now with leather seats and a AM/FM stereo with air conditioning...that might be a better comparison.

4-motion technology
GLX comforts
B-5 platform
Stock monsoon system is too bad
Spacious trunk
Drives like a European car should

none so far

I love this car.....

Came down to a COrvette or a Passat...just kidding

Seriously looked at the the Audi A-4 but for the money you can't beat the Passat. It truely is an awesome deal for what you get. DRives like a car 10K more expensive.

I put 17" wheels on it and dropped it 1.2" front and back with Eibach Pro Kit and it handles 10X better... a cosmetic and performance upgrade you can't lose with ..total cost for all upgrades was about $1500.00

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VW Jetta - Different Class
Audi A-4 - Same features but VW passat is 6K cheaper and 6" longer
BMX 323 - BMW suspension and steering system is hard to beat

Comfortable, fast, smooth transmission (5 sp.), decent sound system, good gas mileage, trip computer, trunk space, appearance, handling, brakes, A/C is strong.

cupholders, dealer is shabby, premature timing belt replacement.

I have been very pleased with the performance of this car. It is comfortable on long trips, fun to drive, economical around town. The turbo has not been at all fussy. The car looks good. My only complaint is that when repairs have been required, the dealer has been way beyond horrendous. Fabulously incompetent. The local owner just lost the dealership, though, so there is hope. The timing belt tensioner failed at 46,000 miles and VW didn't want to know about it. They ended up taking care of it, though, so they impressed me that they are taking customer satisfaction seriously. This car is well rated in consumer magazines and with good reason. A practical sedan that is fun to drive. Very cool.

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Mazda 626, Ford Contour, Honda Accord, Nissan Maxima. The VW has the best combination of performance and accommodations, but long term reliability is suspect.

This car just wants to go. With the manual 5 speed transmission, it's hard to keep myself from speeding away whenever I drive it. The interior is roomy and comfortable, with all the controls in easy reach. The trunk space is enormous (especially when compared to our 1997 VW Cabrio and 1986 VW Cabriolet), and we love how the seats fold down to hold even more! Hydraulic clutch is much better than the clutches of the A2 VWs, much easier to operate (especially important to me since I have ankle problems).

Other than the lack of cupholders (which is a petty complaint; cars are meant to be driven, not used as mobile cafeterias), can't say we have any complaints.

We haven't had any problems or complaints. Haven't had any repairs to do on the car in the whole year we've owned it, despite the car now being 10 years old. Like all the VWs we've owned, this one has great endurance, and I'm sure we'll have it for another 5 years at least! As far as we know, the previous owner also did not have any problems with the car, and other than your basic oil changes and such maintenance, has not had to do any repairs.
I would definitely say this is the driver's kind of car.. For people who enjoy to drive, not just view cars as a means of transport from Point A to Point B. And trust me, anyone who enjoys driving will enjoy driving this car!

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None

Roomy interior, responsive engine (I have auto with Tiptronic), more economical on petrol than A4, very comfortable seat and ride on long journeys. Good size for families. large boot.

Defrosting of windows can take up to 10 minutes on cold days (I don't have a garage) if just left to own devices so I have to scrap front and rear screens first if I am in a hurry to get underway. difficult to reach as I am quite short. Climate control struggles and overheats on long journeys. Recently developed a rattle on parcel shelf which will need refitting. Radio reception very poor on AM and dealer unable to rectify. Glove compartment door crookedly fitted. Passenger wing mirror does not auto defrost although I have winter pack. Lights point to much to right for left hand drive in UK.

Major problem is door locks - which have major design flaw. They can be easily removed with a screwdriver and the alarm disabled at the same time - this actually happened to me. There are NO deadlocks on 2000 model whatever VW say and VW do not want to know about problem. (Is this since 98 modification to enable windows to be closed from outside with half turn of key in lock?) This means nothing can ever be left in it, even in the boot as once inside the car thieves can get access to boot via the split fold rear seat. Am told same locks are on Golfs and A4s.

Dealer helpful but seems to be getting dispirited by catalogue of minor build errors.

Compares favourably with the A4 for the price and petrol consumption and is very comfortable to drive. Irritated by the apparent impossibility of getting AM radio working and by way climate control overheats on long journey. But very alarmed by door lock design weakness and VWs refusal to acknowledge this.

Will not have another unless security is improved.

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Audi A4 1.8SE. This had its share of problems - rear light bulbs had awkward housing meant did not always light up, wing mirrors did not defrost (problem with glass) and took 6 weeks for replacement to come from Germany, battery had faulty cell - took three trips to dealer to diagnose but main problem was climate control - needed gas replacing twice in third year, stuck on hot and then flooded car when returned and was back in garage for 6 weeks. Remote control lock - batteries never worked after replaced and dealer denied every supplied it in the first place (quite untrue). Also during ownership Audi "upgraded" dealer network i.e. halved number of dealers which meant became very inconvenient to get serviced. No problems with radio on A4 and compact size meant all parts of car within easy reach.

Nice Ride, Great Visibility, Good Fuel capacity, Lots of interior room, Lots of Trunk Space, and good in the snow. Great car for trips with friends or family.

Crazy repair costs! You have something break your in for pain. If your transmission has a problem get rid of it! It's costing me $3500 for a new Tranny. I think the early '93 GLX's had some bad transmissions in them. It's not worth getting them rebuild, just replace them!! Also have the dealer work on your car. Outside shops don't seem to know how to deal with the VR6 engines too well. Once I started having the dealer work on my car (any paying big bucks) a lot of my problems stopped coming back.

Have your power relays checked after 70,000 miles. I had a friend that had one go bad, and them mine did the same. They are not much to replace ($150) but they can cause a lot of headaches.

I like my 1993 Passat GLX, but I wish to god I hadn't gotten a used one. The person that had it before me did hardly any maintience on it so it's been one sick bird. I've sunk a lot of money into getting it fixed and hopefully after I get the transmission replaced the big issues will go away.

My advice would to be to buy a 1995 or newer Passat. From talking to people I think the 1993/1994 Passats had too many bad automatic transmissions going around.

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Mercury Topaz LX my first car. Was very reliable, but so weak in performance. The visibility wasn't all that great in it either. Like most American cars it made way too much noise, but it was a comfortable ride.