Quality, appearance, comfort, spaciousness, amenities are all top-notch.

No Low RPM power. Suspension is a little soft.

I am really disappointed with this car for just one reason: it does not have enough power at low RPMs. The result is that the car feels very lethargic until the rpms get above 3,500. Drivability in stop-and-go traffic is terrible. I never use the transmission in automatic mode because it up-shifts at such low RPMs that there is very little pull from the drive drive. At high speed, i.e. above 60 mph, the car is great to drive. It is very comfortable and I love its space, AWD and quality. I've had not problems after 14,000 miles. Handling is OK. The suspension is a little soft, but not bad. Perhaps this car would be totally different with a manual transmission. But after owning manual cars for 20 years, I decided to try the Tiptronic. Great design, but you've got to have more low end torque from the engine to have acceptable drivability. I would recommend staying away from this combination. In addition,I'd test drive the car in different conditions to make sure you will accept its performance.

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1996 Passat GLX 1999 BMW 328i

Beautiful design. Very fast car! Very safe feel. I loved the roomy interior. People with long legs have NO trouble sitting in the back seat. Lots of trunk space.

Way too expensive to maintain (for me, anyway). Drink holders were pathetic (not that big a deal). Rides low, the skid plate is plastic, so you have to be extra careful when pulling in to steep entrances...I learned this the hard way.

I always wanted a VW, my sister owned a Passat and LOVED it, I did not have the same experience. I bought the car used, and the person who owned it before me must have completely ragged the car out! The day I brought it home from the dealership (never use Moritz of Arlington,TX...by the way) there was oil leaking from the engine. I took the car to the local VW dealer to have it looked at and also get the 80,000 mile maintenence done, I left with a bill of $1,800!!! And a week later there was STILL oil leaking from the car. I don't know if there were multiple problems or the people at the VW dealership just didn't know how to fix them, but the repairs were just getting way too expensive for me. It's a shame, I LOVED the looks of the car. It drove like a dream (when it wasn't leaking oil). I LOVED all the little extras that it had. But the repairs were just getting out of hand! Maybe I'm just a magnet for lemons!

Everything.

Interior storage and places to put "stuff". Not bad, but could be better, but I'm not going to argue with German engineering. I had to work for four hours and walk away twice to get the price I wanted. Buying a car is stupid at some dealerships. I could have got an afternoon back and life would have been much simpler if we could have got together sooner. I will buy another VW, but it won't be at Northtowne in North Kansas City, Missouri. Strictly bush league sales staff. Finance and maintenance dept.'s top notch, though.

Great car. Period. Handles great. Fast. Real fast. Handles great at high speeds. Mileage has been fine (around 27 on the highway). Lots and lots of compliments on the looks of the car. Functional to the max. No wasted space. Classic, simple styling. Understated, elegant. Lots of room inside and in the trunk. Super stereo. Super, super stereo. I love this car.

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Honda Accord, Toyota Cam...(whoops fell asleep just typing those two!)Looked briefly at the Maxima.

NICE INTERIOR/DASH. HANDLES WELL, QUICK OF THE LINE, NICE FIT AND FINISH

TROUBLESOME VEHICLE - ELECTRICAL WOES AND OIL LEAKS GALORE / EVEN VW DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!! TERRIBLE RESALE VALUE!!

THE WORST CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED. I TRADED A 94 ACCORD WITH 140,000 MILES THAT RAN BETTER AND GAVE ME LESS TROUBLE THAN THIS PASSAT WITH ONLY 30,000 MILES! WE HAD TURBO PROBLEMS AS WELL AS BRAKE TROUBLES AND ELECTRICAL GLITCHES. STAY AWAY!!

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1993 HONDA ACCORD, 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER

Brakes Power Options 4 Motion Service Quality And so fun to drive. It makes the drive to work worth it.

The oil changes are a little expensive, but they say that's do to the W8

Moving from a Volvo wagon to a VW wagon was a big jump and one I am glad I took. I managed to get a deal on one of the few W8's that made it into Canada. The car is fun to drive, handles great, lots of options and I can leave most people in the dust when I want to. The huge rotors stop that car quick and with the 4 motion I don't have a problem with Canadian Winters. I would recomend this car to anyone and I have never had a problem. Best car I have ever owned.

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Volvo 850 Turbo 1998 Audi A6

- Smooth, powerful engine that sounds good too, especially freed of the auto's shift patterns and weight. - Exterior and interior design look great and function well. - GLX comes standard with a lot of features.

- Suspension set-up not up to the sport wagon message you get from the V6/manual combination.

We've had a great experience with this car -- a sport suspension option would have raised it to a 5 star rating. We have the V6 with a 5-speed manual, which feels much quicker than the auto version. It's easier to take advantage of the power in the upper half of the rpm range (which is necessary given the engine's a little weak under 2500 rpm). It cruises at 80-100 mph so smoothly, it makes you dream of the autobahn. The power comes on around 70 and the car's rock steady, urging you on faster. Definitely invest in a good detector. The clutch is a little tricky -- pedal somewhat stiff, grabs pretty aggressively, and has a somewhat narrow engagement area -- but after 15,000 miles it's starting to loose a little of its hard edge (or else I'm getting used to it). The shifter is also a little notchy, but I'd still take the manual over the auto any day. I think the exterior of the wagon strikes the right balance of sporty vs. conservative, and I've even come around to the chrome accents. I would definitely recommend the anthracite blue color. Wind noise is minimal even at highway speeds, though I've recently noticed a slight whistle through the sunroof. The interior is also terrific. We went with the black leather, as my parents' tan interior looks a little beat after 60k miles, and we have no complaints. The leather is comfortable yet tough, which is good for a family hauler. Everything has functioned well, and it looks great. The wagon area is huge, and the square-ish back end makes it even easier to fit large items. We've had only two small quality control issues, which were (1) a loose A-pillar airbag cover and (2) the leather of the driver's seat came untucked where it meets the plastic cover underneath. Both problems were fixed for free, which leads me to point out that we've had no problems with either of the dealerships we've used -- Riverbank in Stamford, CT and Prestige in Turnersville, NJ. Things I would change: 1. Stock Michelin MXV Energy Plus tires. I'm sure they'll last forever (curse them), and they're comfortable and quiet, but they provide no help in the traction/handling department. They make it hard to use the engine's torque at takeoff since they're always chirping and setting the traction control off, even on dry pavement. They're not great in the wet, either. 2. Suspension set-up. Typical of recent VW's, the car floats too much. The ride is excellent, but given the great engine and meaty clutch the car just feels too soft. It rolls too much around corners, and it doesn't help make your shifts less jerky.

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1999 GL Sedan with V6/Auto 1997 Jetta GL with aftermarket springs, shocks, wheels and tires.

Superior Built Quality Excellent Interior materials Very Smooth shifting transmission Great Handling/Excelleration for a wagon Interior Space Class leading Re-sale value

Only averages 19-21mpg between cty/hwy driving w/ premium fuel

4500 miles on my 2003 GLS Auto Wagon and not one problem. Sticker was 26,060 for everything but leather package and bought for 23,500 which is more than an exceptional value for the build quility and excellent resale of this car!

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01 Saturn L Series 03 Honda Accord

Sleek lines Smooth ride Great sound system Handles nice at high speeds

Cranks on cold starts Revvs to high in between gears Too many engine problems that VW can't even fix Terrible gas mileage

Problems started less than a month after purchasing the car. Has cold start problems that the VW dealer can't seem to fix after taking it in FOUR times. Looks nice, but has cost me more than it's worth for only having 25,000 miles on it. Great car for people who don't commute.

Beautiful well design car with poor Manufacturing problems.

Dealers are the worst and they don't have good mechanics!

I am encontering a terrible problem VW refuses to fully cover for defect on cow. Water is coming inside of the car, I live and work in Washington, DC and can't drive this car when it rains! I would like to hear from Passat owners about similar problems.

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Mercedes Benz, never had any mechanical problems!

Solid ride. Safe. Sporty. lots of small options that set this car far ahead of any cars in it's class.

Wish I had two.

This is the best car I have ever owned. My wife has a Discovery, which does not even have half the options my car has. It is fun to drive. I have never felt so safe in any car before. It has such a soild drive. The car will stop on a dime, I have had to slam on the breaks once really hard, I was more worried about the camery behind me being able to stop as quickly as my Passat. Actually buying the car could not have been a more pleasent experience, friendly, non-aggresive, and curitious. I think I might be a VW owner for a long time. The price was much less than I expexted paying for a car with so much value.

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Altima, Camery, Maxima, Infinity g30