German Handling, build quality. Punches up the mountain passes, thanks to the turbo. Buckets of room in the boot(trunk). Bags of headroom for anyone over 6'2"

Labor Day!! On Labor Day 1998 blew a turbo hose in the mountains doing about 2,500rpm. VW Roadside assistance left me stranded in the middle of nowhere for 8 hrs! Labor Day 1999 engine management computer blew up, fortunately I was parked at my condo. VW assistance read the notes from the previous problem - they were there in an hour! I think I was unlucky with these two problems, I've done some research and I haven't heard anything similar. Sometimes you get a lemon!Got bored with the Tiptronic very quickly. The five speed auto is versatile enough that I became lazy, not worth $1,000.00 extra. Turbo Lag is a pain at low revs, it improves after service tuning but gets worse fairly quickly. Cup holders are pathetic, obviously an afterthought when 'Herr Designer' realized that they were shipping them to the land of the Big Gulp!It will carry a Grande Latte but you'll have to persuade it to come out with two hands.

I think I was unlucky with my problems, but I still had them so the car does get dinged. Overall, this car was a joy to drive and it's decent in the snow. If I had had the option of the V6 5 speed I wouldn't part with it. In fact that is what I'm looking for now. If the SAAB 93 came with a V6 it would be in contention, turbo's around town drive me nuts.

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Audi A4, SAAB 900. If you're thinking about a two wheel drive Audi, don't. The Passat is the same car with more storage for less $$. The suspension and engine parts are stamped 'Audi'! The Audi is certainly more sporty looking but not for the $$$.

good looking with spacious interior room. nice remote features. convenient access to pannels and buttons. the tiptonic makes the acceleration very smoothy and powerful.

with auto drive trans, feels a little bit choken when merging at "D" mode. the 5 speed tiptonic overcomes this problem and makes the acceletration super smooth and powerful.

1.8T 150hp GLS plus: 0) power moon roof; 1) moonson sudio system; 2) leather package for $23,300. is it a good deal? i dont know! but i like it.

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saturn LS1, Olds Alero, Pontiac Grand Am.

Finally realised what the term "German Engineering" means; nearly every part of this tiger is tight, solid, and... right! My speedometer continually shocks me as I quietly exceed the speed limit, how did I get my speed THIS high without noticing? I fear I'm in for trouble with Johnnie Law.

My Passat is LOADED with features, standard. I bought it after the first test-drive because of the 190 hp V6 and firm control, but I'm pleased to keep learning of new feature after feature. I didn't even know it came with a car alarm until a day after I bought it!

The lines of my Passat are, unique. The snub nose brings to mind cab-forward, but the roomy cab says "Beetle". This lets me see everything on the road around me, and I feel safer sitting higher. But when I park my car, I tend to end up two feet from the stop! In 10 days I've received two compliments from strangers on the Passat, and I'm finding I like it's individual curves more and more.

The turning radius is incredibly small (my dealer said "Welcome to the World of Volkswagon!"), I've never felt anything like it. Parking is a snap; I'd bet I could three-point in a parking space if I needed to.

The seating is surprisingly roomy, and the seats themselves have at least four different adjustments.

Coming from a lower-riding Laser, I've learned I need to alter my turning habits a bit; this is a sports SEDAN, and the higher profile and hotter gearing call for different shifting habits.

With air on full, starting from zero into a turn can half-stall the Passat. Most of the fault is mine, I just can't HEAR the engine anymore (damn quiet!), and I'm still dropping the clutch like I did in my Laser. The air conditioning itself seems a bit weak. Luckily the sunroof can suck a lot of heat out the car.

The front seat cup holder seems flimsy, and is a bit snug on my cup. I've jerked the cup out a few times to splash hazelnut cream onto my stick and steering wheel. May not sound much to rural drivers, but us urban commuters NEED our coffee on our way to work. I'll either buy a new mug or a cup tray for the passenger seat.

Saw the car on the Internet at 10 AM. Went to the VW dealer for a TEST DRIVE that afternoon, but after I was in my Passat I couldn't think of a reason NOT to buy it, and that night drove home in my new black 2000 Volkswagon Passat V6 stick. NO buyers remorse, the car just keeps on surprising me. I've never had a car that I like so much, and I got the impression that Volkswagon will bend over backwards to please me in after sales service.

I sold the car to myself on the test drive, and so spent the couple hours in the salesroom chipping the salesman's offer down. It's fun to do when you really do have the money for something more expensive (Audi A4) but found the same features for much less.

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This is my first Sports Sedan, but I'm pleased with the realization that although I may lose to a sports car in the quarter mile, I would likely win in the mile! The car justs wants more, more, more above 50, 60, 70 MPH.

acceleration, paint, sports suspension, super small turning circle

Reliabuility, parts cost, parts avalibuility, the suspension rides too rough. VW should have thought twice before shipping this car over here to North America, it wasn't designed for stop-and-go driving, this is a true Autobahn car

This was a nice car but it wasn't ment for North american stop-and-go driving. The Reliabuility was horrible. The rear windowes never went down, the first day I had it the muffler fell off, once it didn't start, $1000 and all they did was put a new pully,the fan belt broke once in the middle of a family outing, the Fuel pump broke in the middle of a trip a two hour return trip turned into nine hours!!! and then it broke again!!!!!, the CV joint went, the Transmission would shift rough and late into forth gear, this was probably the computer but the estimates I got were $1000 dollars for a look,and around the end it was leaking alot of oil. The paint was remarkable, I had it for seven years and never waxed it once and the paint still shined. It might have been a good car if I had lived in Berlin.

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I also owned an 87 Jetta, TOTAL OPPOSITE!!!!!!! It may not have been as sporty as the Passat but it keept on going and going, it was a Diesel.

My wife and I looked at several cars. The Passat blow them all away. It looks great, has all the comfort and gadgets you would want and all for less money then a BMW, Acura etc. The engine is very smooth and powerful. Build quality is great. The new 4motion (read: quattro) is a great safety feature.

Cup holders.

We paid about $700 over invoice. I highly recommend this car.

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BMW 323, Audi A4-A6, Acura 3.2TL

-High quality overall
-Very roomy
-Good torque
-Great value
-Classy looks
-Well made interior
-Good handling
-Very stable ride
-Very comfortable

-Uninvolving handling
-Distant diesel sound
-Not very exciting

I paid $24000 (Inc. Taxes)
This car is based on the platform of the Audi A6 but is cheaper and has more room than an Audi A4, so value is great. I was surprised with the overall quality of the car, especially the interior is very well made and feels and looks very luxurious. It's also very roomy and has a big trunk. The handling is very foulproof but it feels as if you're not involved in the action. Comfort is excellent. At high speeds the car feels very stable. The Passat is an excellent car for long-distance travelling but it isn't much fun in corners or in the mountains. I found the diesel engine to be surprisingly quick. Thanks to plenty of torque acceleration is adequate and overtaking a piece of cake. Gas mileage is simply superb, it's great to drive to Southern-France on one gastank (650 miles). While cruising the car is very quiet although the distant diesel tone can be annoying. When I bought this car in '97 it looked very special and classy, but now I think it looks to common. Perhaps it's because there are too much of them on the road, but I think that's not a problem in the U.S. I would recommend this car to anyone who's searching for an excellent long-distance family sedan, but I'm more happy now with my gorgeous and fantastic handling 1998 Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 T.S.!

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Mitsubishi Galant
Toyoa Carina E
Alfa Romeo 156

Excellent ride, great winter car (but for the doors). Much roomier than the competition.

Doors freeze several times per winter. Doors can be open, but won't latch shut until cabin is warm. Electrical accesories prone to fail (electric window motors had to be changed on each window, some three times, heater blower controls twice, electric roof, rear wiper motor, ignition switch). Very expensive exhaust system.

Expensive to maintain (count $1300 CAN/yr average for 8 years, including sets of winter and summer tires), but...
Still have a grin while driving....

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Taurus, Camry, Accord

Just about everything! Handles like a sports car but has plenty of room for family of 4. 1.8T / 5 speed has amazing pickup for a 4 cylinder - you'd think there was a 6@190hp. Accelerates very smoothly and quickly at high speeds. Interior finish is excellent (except for cup holders). Amazing Monsoon 8 speaker audio system!
Got it fully loaded black / black leather in Novemeber. Heated seats are a must (especially up here in winter. Seats hug you as you drive without feeling restrictive. I'm 5'5" and the car fits like a glove. Can't say enough about it.

A little noisier than I would have liked - especially at highway speeds. Flimsy 2 yr / 40k warranty but maintence for 2 years is included.

Paid $31,600 (Canadian dollars - thats about $1.49 U.S) ;)
Shopped around and searched web-sites and magazines before buying it. Figure I paid apx 5% over dealer cost.
Insist that dealer change stock Continental Tires - very noisy. I took a set of Michelin 4 seasons instead.

Go for it - you won't be disappointed.

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Looked at BMW 323 and Audi 4 before buying Passat. BM is nice but too expensive for what you get compared to Passat. As far as the Audi - the Passat IS an Audi (same engine, platform, suspension etc) with a few less frills.

I love driving my Passat. I drove the Accord, Camry, Mazda 626, Prelude, and Jetta before driving the Passat. To me, there was really no comparison. The Passat handles extremely well, moves quite fast, and the build quality is superb. My friends have gotten to drive it and love it. In fact, friends who bought Accords recently are regretting their decisions. This car may not be for everyone, but anyone who loves to drive definately needs to give this a try. The 1.8L 4-cylinder is not as smooth or refined as the V6. However, it is sporty - not for you Camry-lovers out there... Fit and finish are superb. I actually like driving it more than my dad's new A6 4.2 quattro.

The CD changer was overpriced as a dealer option. You need to get a Panasonic or Clarion - no way around that if you want it mated to the stock receiver. But, I got mine for 250 (installed) at an aftermarket place.

I got mine for about 800 over dealer cost. Great deal! I would recommend this car to anyone who loves to drive. At least test drive it.

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1998 Audi A6 2.8 quattro
2000 Audi A6 4.2 quattro
Nissan Maxima
Honda Accord 4cyl and V6

I WAS FIRST ATTRACTED TO THE UNIQUE STYLING. I LOVE THE UNCOMPLICATED LINES. THE INTERIOR ROOM IS GREAT. THE TRUNK SPACE IS HUGE. WITH THE FOLD DOWN REAR SEATS YOU CAN REALLY PILE IT IN. THE V6 IS VERY FAST. THE TIPTRONIC TRANNY IS THE MOST FUN I'VE HAD SINCE MY 525 MANUAL BEEMER. THE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE HANDLES PRETTY WELL, BUT I DON'T HAVE THAT INVINCIBLE FEELING I HAD IN MY OLD BEEMER. BUT FOR 15 TO 20K LESS IN PRICE FOR A NEW 5 SERIES BEEMER, I CAN'T COMPLAIN. THE PREMIUM SOUND SYSTEM IS OUTSTANDING. I PAID AN EVEN 30K (OUT THE DOOR) FOR MINE. IT HAS EVERY OPTION AVAILABLE, ELECTRONIC HEATED LEATHER SEATS; MOONROOF; CLIMATE CONTROL AND LOTS MORE...ALSO CD CHANGER. A REAL SOLID CAR. NO PROBLEMS YET...12K MILES TO DATE. ALL AROUND CAR FOR YOUNG AND OLD. FEELS SAFE. GERMAN ENGINEERING IS EVIDENT.

POOR GAS MILEAGE. CITY DRIVING AROUND 16MPG. HIGHWAY AROUND 21MPG. SMALL GAS TANK. 2 YEAR BUMBER TO BUMPER WARRANTY IS WEAK BUT 10 YEAR POWERTRAIN KIND OF MAKES UP FOR IT.

I WOULD RECOMMEND THE CAR BUT BEWARE OF THE GAS MILEAGE IN THE V6...I SOMETIMES WISH I WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THE 4 CYLINDER BUT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FELT UNDERPOWERED AND WISHED FOR THE V6. CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.

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1990 525 BEEMER AND 1998 C230 MERCEDES. NOTHING BEATS THE BEEMER. PASSAT MORE FUN TO DRIVE THAN THE BENZ BUT NOT AS ECONOMICAL. THE BENZ IS A SOLID PRACTICAL CAR