Safety, smooth ride/engine, great fit/finish, highway cruising, comfort and ergonomics. I think it was an excellent value for the money.

Apparent weak/expensive VW service departments. Unique parts/fluids required (ie: Windshield wiper blades, 5w-40 motor oil). Hard on brakes (probably due to weight of the car and soft pads).

Just purchased a 2003 Passat GLX Wagon with 2.8 v6 and 5 speed manual transmission. In reading some feedback regarding these cars, I was very aprehensive about purchasing it. After driving the vehicle, I took the plunge. The vehicle only has 23K miles on it and so far it runs/drives extremely well. In the first 400 miles I put on it, it has been averaging 24 mpg with mixed driving. (80% highway 20% city). I will try to keep everyone updated on how it goes.

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Volvo 740, Subaru Leagcy Wagon

Handles well Great in snow Comfortable interior Tight turning radius

See above Mechanically unsound and very poor components

Do NOT buy a Passat. And if you are considering investing in this car, do your homework. Mechanically, the car is junk. Here is what has gone wrong with this car since we bought it new in 2002: * Defective ignition coils (well-documented failure of key component; VW never said a word until the story made the New York Times) * Brakes repaired/replaced four times in 30,000 miles (bad rotors) * Numerous electrical problems including a dead radio (waiting for replacement), miswired rear speakers (bought the sound system upgrade and the rear speakers produced only muted and muffled sound), failed rear window defogger (replaced rear window), malfunctioning rear wiper system * Tires need replacing at only 30,000 miles * Mileage rarely gets over 20 mpg -- and this is for a four cylinder, 1.8 Turbo! * Finish peeling from inside door handles... after only two years. Our dealer has been very good about fixing these problems (kudos to Jennings Volkswagen), but bringing the car to the dealership every couple of months for reasons other than standard maintenance is irritating and infuriating, particularly if you are used to driving a Honda or Toyota that requires simply regular maintenance (oil changes) up through 50,000 miles. We do all the maintenance on the vehicle according to VW specs at the dealership. I will never buy another VW and I'm sorry I bought this one... over the warnings of my sister who bought a new 1999 Passat and spent several years driving back and forth from the dealership with same bevy of problems I've had. (Sorry, sis, next time I'll listen!) How Comsumer Reports can continue to recommend this car is beyond me. That said, it drives well, handles well in the snow, and is comfortable. But is it worth the hassles? Not by a long shot. And we did not get a lemon. VW has a horrible repair history. Search the Web and you will find plenty of information about problems with VWs at reputable sites. Should you opt to but a VW, you best do your homework on local dealers. Pick the one with a highly-rated service department. You'll soon be on a first name basis with the folks there. Think twice before you buy. A word to the wise...

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Honda (have owned three... Not as much fun to drive, but far more reliable)

Classy European styling, outstanding handling, quick for 190 HP, rims, exterior and interior fit and finish, very supportive leather seats, heated seats, excellent heating and air conditioning. The cupholders are fine despite what other people on this site say. German cars are meant for driving excitement not sipping big gulps!

More storage space, but it's not a significant problem.

At age 37, this is not only my first VW, but my first stick! I checked countless websites for reviews on the Passat, Mazda 6, 05 Subaru Legacy and IS 300. I was very hesitant to buy a Passat because of all of the bad reviews on it's mechanicals and service dealerships. I have been in love with this car from day one. In fact, Liberty Auto let me drive it on 3 or 4 different occassions. That's how I learned to drive stick. They gave me an unbeatable price and all of the other dealers in the Chicagoland area swear I was getting low-balled!! Very polite and helpful service department! The manual six cylinder is MUCH more powerful than the automatic, which I wouldn't recommend ( 0-60 in 9.2 secs). Very smooth shifting. 3rd gear is bit short. Handling is the best I've ever owned. I previously owned '01, '97, '92 Accords and Celicas in the '80's. The Passat oozes of high tech German precise engineering. I plan on getting a GIAC chip for additional torque and HP! The '04 glx rims are the nicest I have seen on Passat! I've not experienced any problems in 7700 miles so far.

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'01 Accord V-6, '97, '92 Accords, '88 Camry All-Trac.

Raced a couple v6 firebirds and mustangs and beat them. The heat is awsome in the winter! Sun roof that retracts into the car.

Expensive parts!!! acts funny when weather is either too hot or too cold.

This car is the best car ever. I bought it a year and 1/2 ago for $4500 w/ 110k miles. It now has 129 k miles. I have put $4500 into this car since i have bought it and I do not regret it. My car will last forever! If you want a sturdy strong some what reliable car that is going to last you till 400k miles this is the car to buy!

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2002 Mercury cougar which i just bought. Doesn't compare to my Passat. I'm ganna miss you!

Fit/finish, safety, stereo (except for AM)

The notorious "clunk" that happens occasionally when slowing down for a traffic light...though there is supposedly a fix. Wish it had the xenon headlights and composite antenna for the price charged... gas mileage

Traded in an '02 Saab 9-5 Arc w/39k mi. Believe it or not I was somewhat happy to get a trade of $18.5k on a car that had a list of $41k 18 months prior...other dealers were offering as little as $15k (sheesh do Saabs depreciate!). Got car at $1k below invoice and bank finance of 2.9% for 60 mo. At first I mourned the loss of the Saab's incredibly comfy seats,ride, xenon lights and panache but I now savor driving the damn thing. Rides like it's on rails (noticed another reviewer describe it as such too)and the driving position/view are great. The fit/finish are superb, stereo is killer (except for AM) and the sound of the six is so pleasing. The blue-silver color is perfect and the paint quality is as well. The driver's seat is nicely bucketed for support but the left bolster cuts into the thigh causing numbness at times. I'm hoping that it will wear in so it's more comfortable. The gas mileage is only 20.4 in mixed driving...that's what you get w/ awd I guess. The safety features will make me feel more secure when my daughter starts driving in 2 years.

Fit/finish, safety, stereo (except for AM)

The notorious "clunk" that happens occasionally when slowing down for a traffic light...though there is supposedly a fix. Wish it had the xenon headlights and composite antenna for the price charged... gas mileage

Traded in an '02 Saab 9-5 Arc w/39k mi. Believe it or not I was somewhat happy to get a trade of $18.5k on a car that had a list of $41k 18 months prior...other dealers were offering as little as $15k (sheesh do Saabs depreciate!). Got car at $1k below invoice and bank finance of 2.9% for 60 mo. At first I mourned the loss of the Saab's incredibly comfy seats,ride, xenon lights and panache but I now savor driving the damn thing. Rides like it's on rails (noticed another reviewer describe it as such too)and the driving position/view are great. The fit/finish are superb, stereo is killer (except for AM) and the sound of the six is so pleasing. The blue-silver color is perfect and the paint quality is as well. The driver's seat is nicely bucketed for support but the left bolster cuts into the thigh causing numbness at times. I'm hoping that it will wear in so it's more comfortable. The gas mileage is only 20.4 in mixed driving...that's what you get w/ awd I guess. The safety features will make me feel more secure when my daughter starts driving in 2 years.

Everything, cant find a flaw.

None yet.

I love this car. This is my first VW and I am very pleased. The car rides smooth and I find myself driving between 85 -100mph on the open highway way to often. I have taken the car up to 135mph and it rides and handles very nice. My gas mileage runs between 24 and 26 mpg but that’s due to my driving habits. The car drives very well in the snow and rain. The service people are very friendly at Boston VW and seem to be knowledgeable. I used carsdirect.com and received a great deal. Boston VW sold me the car $100.00 over invoice plus gave me $1000 cash back. This was not a customer cash back, but was a VW to dealer cash back incentive. I called 2 other dealerships and they told me that there wasn’t a cash back deal to the dealers. (Go figure?) Anyway, I received that plus the VW $500 customer cash back and also 1.9% financing. I think I got a great deal on the car. I would recommend this car to everyone. My car currently has 10,300 mi on it and I have had one small problem, which VW fixed. I needed a new pressure regulator and this has been taken care of.

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Was a Nissan family

Awesome fit and finish. Excellent interior materials. Looks. Drive and comfort.

Misfires. Electrical problems. Burnt smell odors. Harsh clunky Auto Trans. Poor,extremely poor customer support and the repair techs dont fix the problem.

After about 33 repair invoices and thousands of miles to the dealer for repair, including a tow, VW of America bought it back. NUFF SAID!

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1999 Passat-low miles nothing but fix, fix, fix!! This is why I bought the new one. Didnt know I would be in the same boat of fix, fix, fix! Each trip to the dealer was approx 250 miles! Bought a Mazda Protege brand new and NO Problems!! Not quite as nice but it runs and no weird odors of burnt electrical.

Interior/exterior asthetics (first car I have seen under $40K with a luxurious shifter for the automatic and attractive cloth seats), rides as smoothly as a luxury car even at high speeds (important here in CA), responsive and smooth power steering, trunk space, seating space (a lot for a sedan), safety and believe it or not (since it's sold as a safe but attractive family car), the girls at my college love it! Good job on that, VW!

Acceleration (1st, 2nd gears) is severly lacking. This is a VW turbo sedan and my mom's factory-everything Civic puts it to shame. The turbo is also lukewarm (I had more turbo power in my '87 Saab with 200K on it). The A/C only stuck around for the first 70K or so and is too expensive to fix. Factory wheels should be 16". The sunroof is noisy - there should be a lip added to the roof to slightly deflect wind. Suspension is a little too bouncy (although still stable), should be stiffer, like its expensive sister, the Audi A4. But its not sold as a sporty car, so I understand....

A great car overall - wish I could have afforded it brand new (I bought it at 90K!). The interior is very accomodating in space and options and the exterior is sporty, yet unpretentious. The A/C, turbo, wheels and cooling system all need some attention.

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No similar. Last car was 1987 Saab 900T (more of a compact coupe, than a sporty-looking family sedan).

safty, performance, MPG, comfort, Sound system, quality of materials, trunk room, style, ride, silence at 80 mph, brakes.

interior storage

I have never written a review before but some of the things I have read about this car on this site just don't make sense to me. I purchased this car in July of 2002 and have yet to have a problem either with the car or the serviced received (coils replaced and shield for the fuel tank recalls). I also owned a 1998 version of this car which saved my life when I was forced off the road. The car was totaled but I came out without an injury! I just can't say enough good things about this vehicle. i have never had a car that was such a pleasure to ride in and drive. It will cruise in silence at speeds well beyond the legal limit while returing great MPG. I am not saying this is a perfect car because I doubt that will ever happen. There are compromises in all cars. I just picked the one with the least for my taste in cars. I would recommend this car to anyone who enjoys quality at a reasonable price (by todays standards). I know that some of the dealers in my area have bad reputations and avoided them. VW should do more in that area so that more people can enjoy their cars. This is not a CHEAP car so I expected that mataining this car will be a little more expensive then some but the payback to me is worth it. Going in blind to this fact is really pretty dumb. There are many cars out there that will get you from point a to b with little if any trouble. i guess it is just how much you enjoy the actual driving experience that will make the difference in choosing cars. this one is the best I could find within my budget and when comparing the features that came with it as well as the security it provides it was a pretty easy decision for me. I am driving a car that cost me 23k and feels like 45k. That's what I call value.

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1998 VW Passat Honda Accord