-looks
-BBS Rims
-great ride and nice acceleration

-costs of maintenance. I have had this car for four months and in that time have had to replace the heater coil ($607), thermostat and water pump ($450), sunroof seal ($170), and two tires at $140 each.

I love this car and that is probably why I keep on fixing it over and over. Beware buyers, have plenty of available money to pay for costs because the parts and labor on this car will break you. Just the other day took it in to get the oil changed and the car aligned and had to buy two new tires which only Dunlop and Goodyear make. Bought a Z rated tire from Dunlop at $140 plus tax and labor each but the car handles like a porsche and sticks to the rid like glue. I hope that this car will make it the next year without any more problems, but I am doubting it. Total have paid $2000 in four months for repairs and for that price I could of boughten a much new and more reliable car. If sales tax wasn't so high on cars in Nebraska I would sell it and buy something new.

Similar Products Used:

Have had a 98 civic which was a great car...no mechanical problems in three years and before that a 92 tempo which had no problems for the two years I owned.

Power, Appearance, Interior Displays, Comfort, Trunk Size, Memory Seats

Passenger seat rattle, VW dealer-interaction, no standard CD player, have to buy premium fuel.

We've had the car for about 3 weeks and we absolutely love it. Went back to a stick-shift this time around after ditching a Jeep Grand Cherokee (sick of the SUV gas mileage) and love the power it has. The good thing about the V6 is that your acceleration at the higher gears is unsurpassed. Between 1st and 2nd it's a tad weak, but unless you're going 35 for an extended period of time this is not such a big deal. Drove around Cape Cod a couple weeks ago and got a huge leg cramp due to 25 mph speed limits and slow drivers, but since we don't go there regularly it didn't really bother me too much. Discovered a rattle under the passenger seat that really only shows itself if there is no one in the passenger seat at the time. Called the VW dealer, they told me to come in before 4pm (very convenient...) and then when I got there they said they didn't have time to check it. So much for the bumper-to-bumper 24k miles. We opted to buy the 6yr/100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty through VW. I've heard some horror stories about Passats so we figured better save than sorry. The dealer is about my only gripe so far. Oh, and I already dinged the tire rim on the driver side front in a parking garage - was going about 3 mph and it'll cost $500. This must be why they do those slow speed fender-bender tests. A bit peeved over the ding but not enough to screw up the paint job by getting it filled and re-painted. Otherwise I love this car - very sporty and the new chrome accents make it look much fancier than it is. We probably would have gone for a BMW 3 or 5 series if given unlimited funds, but for now this is just a great car for us.

Similar Products Used:

Test drove an Acura TL - boring, dull
Honda Accord - Great car for the money but boring body style

Just so so.

Build quality. Electricals.

Couldn't believe that German technology could be as bad as that. Volkswagon probably set out to design a great car, especially in the latest models. But the VW technocrats seem to have overlooked the importance of details, and reliability in small bits and pieces which could become very frustrating and damaging to the brand.

My years with my Passat has been quite annoying in terms of the service frequency required to fix small electrical problems, and mind you, though the problems seem small, they ARE expensive to repair. Everything from the light switch, window switch, wiper, air con, ... are all prone to malfunctions out of no reason - apart from QC, build and quality concept.
These parts are not wear and tear parts!!! On a Japanese car, these parts are all working when you are ready to take it to the scrap yard!

I hope all of you owners of the new Passat get more luck.

Similar Products Used:

Toyota, BMW, Nissan

Unbelievable fit and finish (unsurpased German quality) Feels and drives like a small 5 series BMW!

None.

I just purchased a new 2001.5 Passat, all I can say is wow! Like some, I never thought of a VW, Always Honda, Nissan, Toyota etc. I must say, sinces purchasing the Passat, I may never buy anything other than a German sadan. The quality, fit and finish, ride and options can not be touched by accord, camry or maxima. The leather interior reminds me of all BMW models. The quality in the stitching and feel of the grain is remarkable. If I didn't know it, I would swear I was in a BMW! The newly designed passat is actually about 2 inches longer than the original 2001. I hope anyone who's in the market for a passat, chooses the new 2001, dealers still have old 2001 on their lots. My passat came with leather, heated front seats, sun roof, 6 disc CD changer 4 cylinder engine with turbo charger, good quality Mishelin tires and quality rims. The 8 speaker Monsoon stereo is excellent! Please, if anyone is in the market for a mid size sedan, before you consider Honda, Toyota or Nissan (God forbid an American car!) you must drive the new 2001 Passat, the ride and German engineering can not be beat!! (A must have)

Similar Products Used:

Maxima, Accord, Camry

Classy and roomy interior, unique (if not drop-dead-gorgeous) exterior. Lots of useful features, abundant power and torque, and the car feels very solid when driven more aggressively.

The transmission takes longer than expected to kick into gear. For example, when I shift into "D", the car seems to stall a little, then jerks into gear. This also applies to the reverse gear. It's tolerable, but sometimes gets slightly annoying. The transmission takes some time to respond to my shift commands (Tiptronic system), but I don't use it too often...cool gadget, though. Also, no standard CD player. The optional CD changer for the Monsoon sound system is rather expensive, and the GLX package is also quite a hit on the wallet, which barred me from purchasing a GLX. In my car, the wood trim on the passenger-side handlebar does not fit flush with the bar itself. Screw caps on roof handlebars sometimes fall open, blocking the pressurized handles from returning to their original positions. In an attempt to force the handle back (I didn't know the cover was open), I bent the cover.

Even though this is not the facelifted (and improved) 2001.5 version of the Passat, the car still smells of German class, and my friends are all impressed with the interior environment. It is definitely worth the money, even though the dealer salesman was rather stoic/expressionless. The dash is made of some soft, quality material, unlike the hard and dull plastic commonly found in cars. The wood trim looks rather nice (except the nag about the passenger-side door trim mentioned above), and the wood-trimmed shifter and chrome shifter base make this car look more expensive than it is. The seat sometimes makes small squeaks when occupied, but it's not overly annoying.
The performance of the car makes up for these small complaints. The V6 is smooth, quiet, and powerful, and quickly whisks the car to speed. Even though I personally would prefer a firmer suspension for more responsive handling, the car is a blast to drive. Highway cruising is quite impressive, as there isn't too much wind noise. My mom inadvertently screamed up beyond 100 mph on a freeway without knowing it, because it didn't feel very fast to her. I highly recommend this car to any middle-class family in search of a likable family car.

Similar Products Used:

The Passat stood out from all the other relatively boring (my own opinion) cars in its class, so I did not really try to consider other products.

Great pep and agility. Wonderul to drive, exciting and pleasing enterior, great hoursepower and torque. Absolutely beautiful exterior styling, good color choices, exceptional german engineering in its class along with tons of standard features and great value for the money.

hand cranks for seat back positioning and lumbar support are awkward to use and take a lot of getting used to. Not easily adjustable when driving.

OK, if you get the impression that I am totally out of my mind for the Passat then you are totally right. I can't say enough about the car. It has great handling and good get up and go, especially when you have the V6 with manual transmission, you do move. I had actually never considered a VW prior to looking at the Passat, it was always one of those car companies that was there but never solicited me looking at their vehicles, I only thought of it as a college students dream vehicle (cheap and cute and fun to drive). After having been drive in a friends new Jetta I fell in love with VW. The dash and grab handles are made of a wonderful material that does not say "cheap economy car", they are very pleasing to the touch. I was impressed with the long (and I mean very long) list of standard features and I also love the sun roof that does the work for you with one easy to operate turn switch that once set opens the roof to a present position without you having to monitor it. The space is unbelievable both in the front and rear seat areas. The trunk is expansive and for a car this price to have a cooled glove box is great. It is something that you never think of but once you have it you think great why dont all cars have it. The rear window sun screen is a great touch too. The instrument panel glows blue and red with silver trim around them that makes you feel like you are driving a sports car. The Monsoon (optional) sound system with 6 disc changer is wonderful and the sound is supreme. I highly recommend this car to everyone but ladies if you are like me, a mother and suburban commuter you should definately look at this vehicle it will make you feel like you have rejoined the world of people who have "real cars". I say kudos to VW and German engineering for this car truly feels tight and well put together and I can tell already that I will definately own more VWs in my years to come and once I feel like I want more car than what I have my first stop will definately be another German car manufacturer. You will not go wrong if you look at this vehicle and I believe that once you look at it you will definately want it.

Similar Products Used:

I shopped for several months prior to making my decision on the Passat. I tested (in many cases - several times) each of the following cars:
Accord - Boring and so very plain, too typical nothing great about it.
Hyundai XG300 - Loved the car but could not get past Hyundai name to buy it
Camry - Same as Honda (screamed middle age suburban wife and mother)
Mazda 626 - Cheap looking interior and no punch

Engine power of the VR6
Safety

Auto transmission
Interior quality
But the worst...Electricals, electricals, electricals!!!

I bought a brand new Passat with a VR6 2.8 engine. Not a cheap deal to start with (around $40,000). The 1st year or so, the car was okay, but then little frustrating problems emerged repetitively.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, those problems were not fatal ones with safety concerns or related to the engine itself, but the electrical parts. More frustrating was the fact that those parts were supposed to stay okay for the life of the car (for Japanese cars), as they were not subject to daily wear and tear like tires, brakes, or engines.
First came the light switch. The headlights and high beam could not be turned on and alternatively I could only use the fog light. I, or any other average car owners, at the most turn the light button on and off two times a day. How could it break in just a year? I was lucky that it was still under a factory warranty and it was replaced.
Secondly, the wipers, which were still working but came with a low-pitch mechanical sound. The wiper motor was replaced, and I was lucky that it was still within the warranty period.
Time rolled on and more to happen after the warranty period!
Then came the rear window. Neither the button on the door or at the driver control could make it. Again, how many times do we open and close a rear window??!! I took the car to the VW service who quoted me $2,500 to fix it! The service manager even said that if I could leave the window closed most of the time, he would advise me to save the money. With no alternative, I took his advice and until now, that faulty window stayed closed forever!
And guess what. The two faulty items - the light switch and the wiper motor - were back again! This time I paid for the light switch and just left the wiper problem to bear with the strange mechanical noise.
12 months later, the light switch I paid for to replace went faulty again. And I totally lost confidence so I continued to use the fog lights.
8 months ago, on a hot summer day, I lost the air con. I took it to the VW service who quoted me $6,500 to fix the entire air con!
I found an external service garage and fixed it for $1,200 but the technician told me that they replaced the compressor and the duct for me, but the original VW coil could still be a problem. And he was right, I got a very cool compressor but the VW coil leaked coolant that I needed to refill coolant every three months.
Just three months ago, I got rid of the car, and all I could do is to wish the next owner well, and I wanted to share this unfortunate experience with all propspective buyers - think well and hard enough before making your decision on a VW!

Similar Products Used:

BMW, Ford, Mazda

-Audi-quality feel
-Feels MUCH more expensive that it is
-Beautiful, sleek design
-POWER with 1.8T
-Safety

None so far. But if I had to gripe, the Monsoon stereo is a bit bland.

Passat is definitely the best value for the money, especially the updated 2001.5 model. It is a beautiful, German-engineered car that loves to be driven. There are tons of little features that make this car better than the typical Accord/Camry. Heated seats, quality leather, silicon in the grab handles and glove compartment door, huge trunk, blue and red dash lights, chilled glove compartment, one-touch up and down windows, a key that operates windows and sunroof from outside the car, a very elegant yet sporty interior, tons of room front and back, etc. I'd highly recommend the Passat if you like to drive.

Similar Products Used:

2001 Volvo V70 & XC -- overpriced, questionable reliability.
2001 Saab 9-5 -- Beautiful car, great lease deal, but it's still a lease.
2001 Accord -- Uhhh, bland. Cheap, though.

Engine, lots of thought in the design, features, mileage, power, handling/acceleration, flexibility, front wheel drive ..and many more .

Dealer's and other's with an axe to grind (sore gasket from slow sales ?) bash the car with clumsy slander. Don't believe it, the Passat is an amazingly well designed car. Example ...what's the reviewer talkinga about saying *all* 4 cyclinder Passats have an enging rattle from 1700 to 2400 rpm (or something like that) ? ? The turbo 4 is one of the best, smoooth, powerfull, efficient ...and hard to even tell it's a tubro because it has such a wide power band.

The Passat is excellent, I've only been happier with it every time I drive it .

Similar Products Used:

many

Driving competency. 1.8T engine is an excellent well designed machine-- not enough room to talk about this. Very nice short throw shifter. Braking is very strong with redundancy and differential braking. Excellent front seating with various adjustments. Very useable trunk 15 cubic, plus individual fold down back seats. Excellent ratings in safety crashes.

Cloth upholstery cleans your clothes-- you have to use a brush to remove all the lint. Car could use a clock located near the center console. Dealers often don't maintain sufficient common stock.

Outstanding car! This car provides a very good overall driving experience. It's obviously not the driving car that a BMW M3 would be. But, it is a very good automobile. I had spent sometime test driving a series of disappointing cars before finding the Passat; my last car was a 1993 Honda Accord LX. Of course, I wouldn't consider buying another Accord since Honda refused to honor the car's warranty- but that's another story.

The first test drive convinced me. The 1.8T(150bhp) is well suited to the 5 speed and the car has tremendous pulling power, especially in 2nd and 3rd gear, with near even maximum torque from 2000 RPM and up due to the low inertia turbo, with ceramic bearings-- compare that to similar cars which have to rev up to 4K or 5K for such torque; this makes for excellent driving ability in traffic. Consider a 5 speed for this car, why be a passenger with an automatic and why burden the front axle with about an extra 150 to 200 pounds from an auto or tiptronic.

Similar Products Used:

Honda Accord-- too cheaply designed and Honda Motor has not honored their commitments. Maxima-- excellent engine but not a great overall package because of cheapening in various areas, such as the 5sp. Toyota Camry has an anemic 4 cylinder and good 6 cylinder, but why be a passenger and not a driver?