Volkswagen Passat

Do not trust Volkswagen – Many issues but biggest concern is the blatant denial of warranty. Do not ever buy a Volkswagen. We had a warranty issue with the air conditioning vent (it came off when we went to move the vent). Car was 5 days old and we didn’t for a second think there would be any issue as it was obviously installed correctly. However, when taken to the dealer… Read more

the request for repair was denied because the head office didn’t believe it could have been a manufacturing fault. This was despite the dealer mechanic saying it was and us having brought the part with us that was undamaged just not attached anymore. We hope nothing more serious happens with the car because clearly the warranty isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. Buyer beware, Volkswagen cannot be trusted. We will never purchase from them (or any of their subsidiary companies) again.

German engineering disaster – I bought a 2007 TDI wagon which had 198,000 k , log book service history and looked to be in good condition. It would have to be the worst car I have ever owned. Has been hard to start, won,t start at all now. The price of parts are more than the car is worth and it has had so many problems that I reel like burning it. Show details

Not suitable for travelling. Nice to drive though but reliability isn't there – I know I am very late to report this old model. However I owned one 2007 My08 Passat TDi for 10 years. It is a great car to drive. Performance and fuel consumption is great however reliability isn't there. TDi engines are durable however there is one design fault down at the Pulley Wheel and its timing belt. It is not covered up properly where… Read more

stones and dirt can get into the timing belt causing the timing to jump teeth destroying the engine. What happened is a minor diesel leak from the fuel filter made the serpentine belt to slip and break, it then gets behind the crank pulley wheel and shards then gets into the timing belt and jumped teeth where piston contacted valves destroying my engine. So that means an oil leak, fuel leak, power steering leak, worn serpentine belt or stone and dirt can kill the engine. Very common fault and easy to find on the net for those Golf, Jetta and Passat TDi with serpentine drive belt getting caught into timing belt. Also easy to find on the net of those Amarok TDi engine timing belt failure due to dirt and stones. I don't trust VW TDi engines anymore. Even the newer TDi models still have this timing belt cover design fault. To own nice looking Volkswagen cars, You must have lots of money, have another reliable car, prepared to take car into repairs 50 times a year and live near a Volkswagen mechanic and drive it only for weddings. Don't even think about driving it on gravel roads. Those cars are very attractive but breaks your heart badly once you own one. Don't buy a VW TDi engine if you are on a tight budget. I lost a lot of money on my car and ended up wrecking it. I went to look at the attractive looking 2020 Black Sports VW Transporter and found the new TDi engine timing belt covers still has not improved. Such disappointed that I had to walk away from new VW models. VW reliability still has not improved at all over the years proven by internet reviews.

Great Drive – Everyday use mostly in the city. Bought from and serviced by a major VW dealer. Chose R-Line to have more pleasing finish and features, but swapped in standard rims rather than low profile in order to achieve better ride. Chose the option with Adaptive cruise control - use this extensively on freeways and longer drives to avoid exceeding speed… Read more

limits. Had a third party tow bar fitted Maintained log book servicing roughly yearly- costs quite moderate and most services have been done mobile.

Plusses: ➕ Superb build quality. Excellent design. ➕ Comfortable and very roomy. Wagon provides excellent volume for transporting 'stuff' ➕ Excellent economy with Blue motion- stop-start - regularly achieve 7.5 l/100k around town - 5.7 on a long run. ➕ Able to comfortably tow a 6x4 trailer

Negatives: ➖ Soft brake pads create annoying amount of dust - replaced with third party hybrid ceramic. ➖ The CD player is like an afterthought and whilst it is a bit anachronistic these days, my wife insists on her CDs. It is quite badly lit and difficult to use. ➖ I was rear-ended whist stationary at the lights by a mobile phone zombie - I was without the vehicle for three months waiting for parts to ship from Germany so that the repairs could be finished.

Passat B8 2.0TDI 150 DSG, a smooth, efficient, spacious sedan – The Passat diesel is my business transport and our family's car for longer journeys, we also have a Mazda CX3 petrol for local driving. With dieselgate impacting demand for VW diesel cars, the as-new condition Passat was purchased at 12 months / 9,000km old at a significant discount. This review is written after eight months ownership with just… Read more

13,500km recorded; COVID-19 has eliminated business use, and curtailed private travel. The Passat is a comfort oriented car, no sportiness in this car's DNA. A torquey engine, smooth changing auto box, good steering & brakes, plus well-sorted adoptive cruse control create a relaxed suburban and long distance car. Highway economy is exceptional, less than 5 litres / 100km @ 120km/h, and close to 4 litres / 100km is achievable when the ACC is set at 110km/h. The Passat 2.0TDI is the most economical long-distance car I have owned in 40 year's driving. Other positives include space for four adults, a large regularly shaped boot, bright LED headlights, good build and interior quality, 66 litre fuel tank, and a proper spare wheel rather than the next to useless sealer / inflator arrangement in our Mazda. Handling & cornering grip is good for a car set-up for comfort, however speed humps have to be taken slowly to avoid thumps. Interior noise levels are about average for a large sedan, the engine is relatively muted, it's road noise that intrudes when the surface is anything other than super smooth; more sound proofing needed. Something I've noticed is a slight DSG auto-box lurch which occurred when pulling-off disappeared after a few months ownership, I believe this could be due to the DSG learning and adopting to my driving style which is pretty relaxed. I've had zero issues with this car, not a squeak or rattle to complain about.....no reason whatsoever to contact the dealer. Although the Passat is a one of the best sedans on the market there are a few weaknesses including no auto-dim, rear seats which do not fold down level with the boot floor meaning a hump and a smallish pass-through opening, also limited glove box and center arm rest storage. Considering the Passat is a comfort-oriented sedan bought by an older clientele, the ride height should be 30-40mm higher to ease entry and exit. The Aerton is there for VW buyers seeking lower, sportier transport. To meet today's emissions regulations modern diesel engines are fiendishly complicated; the Passat has two EGR systems, three engine cooling micro-circuits, exhaust catalyst, DPF, Add Blue injection, numerous sensors, computers, etc. etc.....so lots to go wrong as the car ages. All this kit is tightly packaged in an engine bay with not a centimetre to spare, while extensive use of (possibly recycled?) plastic engine components & fasteners raise long-term reliability concerns; expect plastic exposed to under bonnet temperatures to crack and fail from year 8 or 9, sooner in a hot climate. One consequence of having to fit so much into a limited space is the (plastic) oil filter can not be accessed from above, this regular maintenance task demands the car be raised, under-engine tray removal, and disconnection of wiring....just to change an oil filter.....really bad design Volkswagen! I do my own regular servicing, ignoring the claims made of long life engine oil, filter & oil are changed every year or 10,000km. In summary, the Passat diesel strongly recommended, keep to age 7 or 8, then sell before the big repair bills start arriving. P.S. the scores below reflect the comments in this review.

Solid drive – Been using it for 7 years now. The initial years have been great. The car is well built and very powerful too. The air conditioner conked off in the 5 year and it costed me $1200. Had to replace the CAN gateway last year. I know that it is not easy to maintain this car but the drive feel is great and I can’t get rid of it. Show details

Perfect U need this car – A very good car nice to drive in and goes hard when your drive it out of all the Passat best one yet that my option I give it a 10/10 Show details

Beautiful car – This is an absolute pleasure to drive, from the moment you step inside this gorgeous car you are surrounded by all the quality you would expect from a Volkswagen. The passat is in a league of it's own a truly exceptional car, I'm so glad I made this purchase. Show details

Deceptive Marketing: Expect a little more, get a lot less from Volkswagen – We researched and purchased a VW Passat 140TSI Business wagon in early February 2020. The main sources of marketing were the Volkswagen website and the brochure that was available on the website at that time, as well as the same brochure obtained from the dealer. These sources of information proudly highlighted new features, namely a bigger… Read more

engine, LED headlights, and warranty extended from 3 to 5 years (whereas roadside assistance was reduced from 3 to 1 year). Neither the brochure or the dealers made any mention of any existing features being deleted in the new released model. Sadly, we should have asked to go through the features in fine detail as we were to discover that features that had been standard for many years had been removed when we received the new vehicle in early May.

The Passat Wagon has had an automatic tailgate for over 7 years, so it was a shock that the 2020 model now had a manual tailgate. In addition, the previous model enabled personalised settings for each of the car keys, which meant each driver could have settings such as the driver’s seat, side mirrors and radio all activated by their key. The Australian 2020 model apparently has lost this feature because the necessary software is unavailable in Australia (the dealer’s service people unsuccessfully tried to undertake this personalisation). Finally, the voice activation feature has also been removed, meaning that telephone calls, satellite navigation, radio stations can only be done manually. The dealer advised that voice activation could be fitted for about $570.00.

We traded a 3 year old Passat Wagon with less than 20,000km on the clock to discover that the features we had valued highly had been removed with little publicity, meaning we had purchased a vehicle which we consider to be totally unsuitable.

So when the Volkswagen motto promises ”expect a little more” please look for what has been taken away. You may very well purchase an inferior vehicle.

Terrible transmission Very expensive to fix – I had the Passat for 1 year and it was nothing but trouble from the start. Transmission problems, EPC lights coming on and other issues too. Costs an arm and a leg to fix and not all mechanics touch European cars and even auto-electricians shy away from VW's. Interior is nice, with quality touches here and there but overall a very bad experience. Probably wont ever buy a VW or Audi in future. Terrible! Show details

Sleek and Sexy – The VW Passat is a dream to look at and drive. Sits solid on the road and corners well with exceptional braking and suspension. The seats are so comfortable that you have to force yourself to exit after a heavenly long drive. Eye-catching in any color and absolutely extraordinary in fuel consumption. I used my Passat for absolutely everything… Read more

such as shopping, daily commute to and from work, weekly drives through the countryside from QLD to NSW and back. I would only need to fuel up once a week. Easy to service, it only required two services per year. I found it very hard to walk away from this vehicle. My number one pick out of all the famous European models on the market today.

Absolutely Brilliant – Bought the Passat CC in 2016 with 150,000kms on the clock (MY11model). I've had the car almost five years now and have added over a 100,000km and the car hasn't missed a beat. Being a coupe it's low to the ground and has a very sleek sporty stance. Interior wise there is standard VW form and finish with very supportive leather seats- which show… Read more

no signs of stretching like some other leathers used by Merc, BMW etc. Room in the front is very good for my 6'3 frame and the two seats in the back are fine for the kids though due to the sweeping roof I wouldn't try baby seats if the kids are under 4 yrs. The infotainment has an older touch screen which is easy to navigate and a decent inbuilt navigation system. There is Bluetooth for phone calls which is excellent and instructions can be made via voice to Siri easily, including text messages. Unfortunately, Bluetooth for music is let down by the age of the system and music only comes through the right-hand speaker but luckily it takes SD cards and has 20GB built-in to compensate. Other features include adaptive suspension (Sport, Economy and Normal), heated front and rear seats, electrically adjusted seats (both front seats) and 3 program memory for the driver. Dual aircon up the front and rear air vents- both cold and hot are very good and the fan in unobtrusive. Safety-wise it had the standards of the day AEB, 4 wheel motion, a hold function (great in bumper to bumper traffic), auto wipers, auto lights (including auto cornering), front and back radar sensors( no camera, unfortunately) etc. Park assist, radar cruise, lane departure, blindspot monitoring and camera etc came with the 2013 refresh. On the road, the 3.6L V6 combined with the DSG is just superb. Plenty of power on tap- 220kw/350nm- for overtaking or getting out in front at the lights. There's a Sports function which holds the rev's a bit higher and auto upshifts but much later than the normal mode (set for the economy). There are also paddles and a manual function if you want a bit of spirited driving in the twisties- though it's more of a cruiser, to be honest. Whilst there is on occasion a slight hesitancy in first gear on occasion- a known DSG issue- being aware of it makes it easy to live with- though it is never an issue in sports mode or manual which is how I prefer to drive anyways. Fuel economy is about 11-12/100km city driving but I get 8.9L/100 average on the freeway (Melbourne). For a V6 and the output figures it has, I think this is quite acceptable, though there is a diesel motor with 130kw/380nm which apparently is fairly frugal by all reports. All in all, I've been very happy with the VW CC. Plenty of room in the front and back for the family, plenty of power, has been reliable and if serviced by an independent not too expensive either. If you need to go to VW it does get a bit more expensive, however, I've ensured all the big services are done there as they have easier access to parts and it gets a good clean in and out too! The car was discontinued in Australia in 2015 but is still available in other markets. I definitely recommend adding this vehicle to your shortlist if you want a sedan/coupe.

Great family car!! – Loving my Volkswagen Passat Alltrack. We bought it just before having a baby and it’s such a great family car. It’s comfortable and runs smoothly. Very spacious in the boot. Show details

Great car, no significant problems – I purchased in August 2017, new. Mine is build year 2017 and model year 2017. My km is now around 26k. I know this is not a high mileage but nonetheless I have had zero significant problems. The only problems I have had so far: - Creaky hinge on the drivers side (fixed in seconds at the dealership) - Left back seat would not drop when pulling the… Read more

lever from the boot. This was a simple problem of cable slipping out under the upholstery on the back seat. Again, fixed in seconds at the dealership (but has happened twice). You just pop it back in with your fingers.

That's it. Otherwise, it has been a quiet, luxurious car to cruise around in. I get around 8.5l/100km around town and about 5.5l/100km on the highway. I can drive for about 1000km before refueling on long trips.

The adaptive cruise control works very well including at low speed, so I use it all the time, including in urban areas.

Nice car but fundamentally flawed – Our company bought a VW Passat Highline 2 Litre TDi from the dealership in 2013. The car ran beautifully, it was a pleasure to drive and is very economical. There have been issues with the car relating to the wheel speed sensors and rattles which were relatively minor. However it had serious problems early on. About 3 months after the warranty… Read more

period and with 40,000 Klms on the clock (the car has always been serviced as recommended) I noticed that the coolant was dropping over a period of about a week. When I took it to the dealership, they told me there they could not service the car immediately, so I took the car to a local mechanic.

He informed me that if the water pump had failed completely the timing belt would have broken and the engine would have been destroyed. In short the dealership did not inform me of the risk I was taking by continuing to drive the car. The water pump and timing belts were changed at that point.

Recently with 93,000 kms on the clock, the engine tone changed slightly. I stopped the car to investigate and noticed there was a clicking sound coming from the belt area. There was damage to the synchronous belt, but it wasn't broken. When I restarted (I did not move it) the engine stopped and would not start again.

Investigation by a mechanic showed that part of the synchronous belt had become immeshed round the crankshaft pulley. This changed the position of the timing belt the resulted in the pistons hitting the Valves. The engine was catastrophically damaged and needed to be replaced. The recommended life of the synchronous belt is 100,000 kms, yet it had only done 50,000.

From my research, timing belts are the major cause of engine failure in VW's. In short if a $50 belt is damaged or fails it will more than likely destroy the engine, and there are multiple ways that can happen.

If a car is not reliable a long walk in a remote area will more than likely cure you of your vanity. I won't buy another VW.

I will NEVER purchase another VW (Passat or sny VW for that matter) – I have driven my 2008 (2009 Upgrade) Diesel Passt 2.0TDI for about 9 years. Whilst 11 years old it has only 115,000 kms on the clock. It has done short city commuting with a couple of longer country drives every year. A few months ago as I was about to emabrk on a 450km journey, my oil pressure light illuminated (after 2kms of the journey). The… Read more

alert stated to pull over and contact service. I did that. Car was towed to my service agent. Diagnosed eventually (after $1,800 cost) that the problem was that a hexagonal key that sits at the end of a part of the car called the balance module system had worn out. This hex key drives the whole oil pump system for the entire car. The balance module system is at the bottom of the engine and is a system that removes shudder from the car. The hex key simply wore out. The result, the whole balance module system needs to be repalced. About $4k. In addition without having the chance to stop any earlier on a main road safely the turbo has been affected. Total about $6k min. Uneconomic to fix. My mechanic has suggested tarde for a 2k min trade in or scrap value. The car is perfect otherwise. Fully serviced and maintained. The issue has never been raised with me, but evidence around the world indicates it is a well know design issue. Some Passat's have capacity to remove the balance module kit and replace the oil pump with a simple system, but my Passat does not fit this scenario. Evidence suggest more likley to occur about 200k kms but 115k. What a joke. By the way, contacted VW just to see what response would be. What a joke that was. So the car is rubbish and the value of the car is less than it might be anyhow because of VW's Dieselgate fiasco. Talk about double whammy. BE WARNED. Oh and the servicing costs are on the high side (naturally). I will stick with Korean. No expectation, full warranty. Who cares about Euro rubbish.

Automatic transmission is a money pit – We owned our 2010 Passat station wagon 118TSI for five years. It had the DSG gearbox. In summary, don't touch these cars, they're a disaster. First issue was the engine consumed about 1 litre of engine oil every 2000km. And the recommended engine oil is quite expensive. We did just under 10,000km per year, so the car would consume 5 litres of… Read more

oil, then need another 5 when it was time for its service.

Apparently this is normal as VW dealerships will to up your oil for free, but it's such a hassle to get to the dealership during the week, wait in queue for a service adviser, and then wait for a mechanic to come out, that in the end we just bought our own oil.

Then the DSG transmission is prone to failure. The control unit that is inside failed twice. It's $5,000 to replace, but because it's so common VW covers some of the cost even when the car was 4years out of warranty! The second time it failed, it damaged some of the selector forks as well, so the repair took 2 months and still cost us $2,500 even with VW contributing to the cost.

Some of the interior plastics for handles are rather flimsy with surrounds around the handles that fold down the rear seats breaking easily.

Getting a towbar fitted is very expensive as the car doesn't have convenient mounting points and the rear half of the exhaust had to be removed during installation.

Also the 118TSI taunts you that you have the base spec, by still having all the buttons for sat nav and bluetooth.

The car drives nicely, looks refined, is quiet and comfortable. But it just costs too much to maintain and keep running.

Passat R-line, Luxurious – I use this Passat R-line sedan for work and for private use. It is very comfortable but most of all, very economical. I can get a 1000 km out of a tank of petrol. I love the luxury package, the memory seat position, the stylish dashboard, the driver assist options, though at times it thinks it is smarter than I am and tries to make decisions for… Read more

me, ie, changing lanes in traffi:, if the car thinks the other car is too close, it would try to stop you from moving to the other lane. However, once you are use to driving this smart car, you will get use to the intellect. It is stylish and a pleasure to drive.

Fantastic car – Recently purchased the Passat R-Line wagon to carry our two bikes. This is the best car I have every owned, the comfort is just outstanding and the safety and mod cons is terrific. The car has a lot of space, more than the Tiguan we were going to purchase originally. This car has every luxury in it and is just a blast to drive, would highly… Read more

recommend this vehicle. The only negatives are the Satnav leaves a bit to be desired but I just plug in my phone and use Google maps through Apple car play, fixes that issue and also the car does not have a DAB radio which is slightly annoying. Other than those two slight problems that car is amazing.

Good car to drive but had a few faults – The car was used for general family transport with a few long holiday trips, it was in daily use for 6 years but has since been sold early this year, it was serviced at the dealership according to the service book. It had a number of issues, had to replace the thermostat at about 60000 k's because it would not warm up and the fan kept running.… Read more ·  1

After this was fixed the engine block started leaking water (Fixed no charge although out of warranty)

Reversing camera failed as did the GPS system, quoted $7000.00 to fix this problem as it alegedly needed the control unit in the car to be replaced. We replaced the car instead.

While the car was very good to drive and very economical on fuel the repair charges were very high, dealer charges for service are over the top.

Remarkably good – A limousine like car with a smooth silent ride, a spacious interior and cavernous boot. An overall average of 7.2 ltr/km suggests economy rather than performance but it has surprising acceleration especially when overtaking. Fit and finish are excellent, well above others in the market of a similar price BTW the car was cheaper in Australia than… Read more

its equivalent in the UK or Germany! The car has been faultless so far at 50k with not even a rattle. We were so impressed that we bought the latest Polo as a second car

This car is the best car I ever owned – I bought 2013 Passat v6 4 motion 2 1/2 years ago .At the beginning I was heaving noises at timming chain Area,was Quoted at volks wagon $6000 to change it my mehanicar stripped it And everything looked brand new he replaced tensioner bolt for timing chain problem fixed Never had any problems again I am in love with it now, preformance is just amazing Recommend to change engine oil every 5000 km  Show details

Don't! – When going this car drives well and I'm happy with fuel consumption, trouble is the mechanical issues. We bought this car secondhand 11 months ago for $8000 and so far it has cost over $7000 in repairs. Timing belt (we were lied to about it being done, so our fault). When the timing belt is changed the oil pressure pump balance shaft should be… Read more

replaced as it is made of mild steel, ours wasn't as the mechanic claims he didn't know about it, we didn't either but is an inherant issue. Because the balance shaft wasn't changed we lost all oil pressure. Because we lost oil pressure (no low oil pressure light on dash) the turbo exploded. When the turbo exploded the fragments went in to the intercooler...so - Balance shaft, turbo, intercooler and labour - $6500, add on the timing belt which was $1200. Nowhere to go with this, VW don't even answer our questions. Will NEVER buy a VW again.

Not Reliable Emission Software Downgrade the performance – Very impressive drive, very enjoyable car overall with great power and economy, unfortunately the reliability is not there. Our car was purchased in 2009 and it was one of model build in Germany and I was happy as I was expecting the German quality and reliability but it was anything but. We have before an old Mitsubishi Galant 20 years old… Read more

with over 180000KM on the clock and it was running perfect bit heavy on the petrol but never missed a bit, but we wanted a more safe car with Airbags, ABS etc and also a reliable car as my wife was pregnant with our second child.

Just to cut the story short, we have replaced under warranty, Engine Body Throttle, The turbo was nearly replaced at 20.000Km as it was leaking oil and after more than 6 trips to the dealer it was finally fixed, electronic brake replaced as many time we got stranded for up to 10 minutes in various places including Bunnings car park we were unable to leave. After warranty at 50.000Km front ball bearings replaced $1200, I told the guys at the dealers common ball bearing on the wheels should be the last thing to go on the car not the first thing, Oxygen sensor replaced $900, one key stop working $600 as we did not need the actual key inside the remote as that one would cost more, numerous airbag light resets at the dealer @60 each and now after the emission software DOWNGRADE which was done more than a year ago it really destroy the joy of the car. The car performance is terrible, we lost the torque on the low revs, the engine was running on turbo and the car was picking up and go only at revs above 3000/min, with no torque, it feel like we have a permanent trailer behind our car, les responsive on the gas pedal and the car engine was more noisier having a loud pitch annoying diesel sound and the most annoying thing it was the shaking when at constant speed, you have to accelerate and the car was recovering from that.

After many complains to VW Australia, consumer affairs, and more than 12 trips back to the dealer we were told that our car is same like any other cars and no code faults in the system we were left very disappointing and frustrating, one day when my wife was driving the car under acceleration the car engine stall while driving.

A new software was installed finally and the car is better but it is not how it used to be and probably will never be, very disappointing with all the experience. Our next car will be a Japanese car.

Amazing car VW PassatCC – Vw Passat cc is the amazing car to drive very very reliable and very efficient on full Diesel engines sound is very low very comfortable full lather interior wonderful to drive very powerful full luxury features heated seats low maintenance running cost is very low My personal experience is highly recommended  Show details

VW PASSAT – Coming from a 12 year old Honda accord I drove just about every car out there in trying to find the perfect upgrade. I eventually drove my Passat Wagon and it was perfect. Ticked all the boxes and was a standout compared to the others. It was zippy and no whining noise when changing gears at any speed, quiet as, so smooth a ride, it feels like it… Read more ·  2

is gliding along. It was the entry level 132 TSI 1.8 Turbo auto. I opted for the advanced driving package as didn't want the Leather seats and Sun roof in the Comfortline model. One thing I noticed was some vibration in the front seats just under the knees but fiddled with the seat settings and seemed to resolve that one. Only had it 3.5 weeks and done 1423 klm and now have a squeak in the drivers seat as your body moves eg when turning a corner, going round aroundabout. I did have an issue with my trailer lights not working and the dealer had a play. Not sure if they did anything but concluded that if I plug it in, turn on car and wait about a minute the lights will then work albeit with a warning light on the dash. It sounded a bit odd but that is exactly what happens and did again today. Still seems odd but I can live with it. The car is very comfortable, very easy to drive, has the safety features you now can get in most cars, Has plenty of legroom and a boot space you could almost sleep in, well a kid could and that is without folding down the back seats. I have only 3 trips of around 200klms but just find it a great driving experience. It takes about 1500klms to wear in I was told with the economy improving as it gets its act together. I have had it showing 7.6l/100klm around town but seems to settle around 8.x on trips so far. Not sure how accurate the readings really are as haven't done enough klms yet. With 15,000klms or 12mths between each service I thought that was a pretty reasonable running cost combined the expected cost/100klms to improve as I tick over a few more. This is the petrol version as drove a diesel and thought that was real noisy, sluggish and decided not for me. I would recommend you at least test the PASSAT based on my experience so far.

Tech, comfort, economy – You would love the driving experience, I do mean that on the highway, over 60kph; the gearbox is still a little bit worried me, as it is running not smooth in gear 1 and 2 under 40kph. But other than that, Passat is a perfect car for the family, I am having a B8 Passat Wagon TSI Comfortline. I love it so much (as mentioned, a little bit worried… Read more

about the gearbox - DSG 7 speed.) 16500km, average petrol consumption: 8L per 100km; carplay, andrio auto; full safety features. btw auto adjustment seat for driver only. lol

Love it – I am a international student studying in Australia from 2016. The reason I chose VW is that i believe both the quality and appearance, as well as the driving experience in German auto brands. The car is so quite and steady wherever places i drive both including the country roads or high way. The leg room is wonderful and it is quiet fuel efficiency on the highway.  Show details

The best car I’ve ever driven, german engenering, what can I say – Very comfortable, materials not cheap, very precise vehicle, joyable ride, like from not to distant future, spacious enterior, desing very beautiful and very functional with boot bigger than expected engine power even though being diesel is very powerful and yet so economical that is mind blowing so in conclusion one of the best cars in the world  Show details

Solid performer – I've now owned my Passat 125 TDI sedan from new for just over six years. During that time I have had no major issue, except for the stop start system which was stalling the engine when releasing the brake. This was traced to the battery and was replaced. Unfortunately it was outside the warranty period. The performance is more than satisfactory,… Read more

with plenty of torque and power and pulls like a locomotive. Handling is pretty good as are noise and comfort levels. The interior is typically German, designed for purpose and lacking some flair but ergonomics are as one would expect with adequate room. A couple of disappointments are the lack of a lower position with the manually adjusted driver's seat. At it's lowest setting one's knees tend to touch the steering column. The other is the sun visors that don't go all the way to the windscreen when down which is annoying. The back seats seem somewhat too hard.

The DSG had a couple of strange episodes in the beginning, like a box full of neutrals when in manual mode, but this has seemed to have sorted itself out and have had no issues since. Running costs are fantastic with diesel being cheaper than unleaded fuel and great range / economy.

Whilst it lacks excitement, it's a great value for money performer. Always reliable and safe, gives the impression it could drive around Australia with no dramas.

Very happy with my Passat. (Shame about the Dieselgate affair and VW's actions).

Great car – Car drives smoothly and with enough power. I got the 1.8TSI wagon. Fantastic for holidays. Drive it everyday for work. Phone(s) connected and a panoramic sunroof. The petrol bills are low as well. 750 km on a full tank of 58 litres. Leather is great and overall a joy to drive.  Show details

Very reliable and light on fuel – VW Passat 1999 1.9 TDi FWD / When i first bought this car i was surprised that it didn't feel like a station wagon at all. Mine was only a Highline i think, interior had premium feeling for car of its age, no squeaking plastic panels. The 110hp 1.9L engine is so light on diesel, average 5.5L/100Km, highway was below 5L/100Km, but noticed choice of… Read more

tires made a difference.The diesel engine is quite noisy, especially during cold starts, reminding me of a Fordson Major tractor from the early 60's. With the low consumption there was still lots of torque, gets you up the hills without downshifts. Gearbox was a 5 speed manual that even with the car having close to 300.000 still felt nice and tight during shifts compared to other makes where you hope for the best that the right gear popped in!

Everyone has enough legroom if you are normal build and boot space is big for its category, and mine had cargo net making it possible to load the boot all the way to the top.

Problems i came across during the years i owned it: I refilled too much oil by mistake but did not think this would be a problem, even though it was just a couple of mm above the maximum line. The higher oil pressure caused a gasket on the engine pop out of its place, causing an oil leak, squirting oil at the CV joints. The following problem was that the rubber cover on these joints gathered dust and sand and broke quickly. Replaced a few CV joints before i realized the cause of them wearing out. The gasket on the engine was in such a bad spot, that the procedure involved a change of the timing belt (that already had to be replaced every 80.000km and costly).

Changing timing belts this often is not a expense i want. Also if you live in colder climates you will most likely encounter problems with freezing doors. Doors are frozen that badly that you cant open them and when you somehow get them opened they refuse to close until the car has warmed up.

Service your old Passat and I am sure it will treat you well. Although for a bit more money i would recommend the 2001-2005 model that is basically the same as the 1996-2000, but with upgraded interior, exterior, stronger engine and 6 speed gearbox plus other improvements.

Consumption: 9/10

Comfort: 8/10

Servicing: 4/10

Size: 9/10

Noise: 6/10

Overall quality: 9/10

Coolness 10 years ago: 7/10 =)

Alltrack Passat, great vehicle to own and operate – The Alltrack Passat is very smooth, quiet to drive and handles surprisingly well through the hills, we bought one recently and really impressed with the economy even though it has the diesel gate software update. We bought it used with 55k kms for a good price. We average around 6.5 combined hwy and city driving, a bit more than the catalogue… Read more

states at 5.9L combined, I suspect this is from the diesel gate mod. The car is loaded with features, Sat Nav, reverse parking cameras, heated seats, automatic tailgate just to name a few and has a really elegant interior design. We looked for a while first at SUV's then to wagons and this one was the winner by far, couldn't be happier. The only downside is the service costs are dear, I'm fortunate enough that I can do the servicing myself, but even still not as cheap as any average car because the VW spec oils are more expensive than the run of the mill stuff, I rate the car 5 stars for the price range, if you own one or are going to buy one preferably opt out from the diesel gate mod if you want that ever so slight amount more economy or power.

The best car I have ever owned – I bought my Passat Highline 2 litre diesel wagon in 2010 and have had 7 years of wonderful service from it. The car is so comfortable, powerful and yet frugal. It has been very reliable, never letting me down once. The only issue I have had is the air conditioning compressor which has been replaced twice but all done under warranty.  Show details