| Overall Rating |
 |
| Description |
| Passat is comfortable, spacious, safe and built to very high standards. It has strong engines but is not an exciting drive. But it's family-friendly and designed for practicality, especially the capacious estate. |
| Handling |
 |
| Comfort |
|
| Quality & Reliability |
|
| Performance |
|
| Roominess |
|
| Running Costs |
|
| Value for Money |
|
| Stereo/Sat Nav |
|
| NCAP |
| 4 |
| Best Models |
| 1.9 TDI PD 130 models |
| Worst Models |
| 4.0 W8 4Motion |
| Replacement |
| by current Passat in 2005 |
|
| Road Test |
| It's hard to go wrong with Passat, whether you choose a saloon or an estate. There's a wide range of petrol and turbodiesel engines, so whether you want diesel economy or a high performance petrol engine with a turbo, or refinement with the beefy but smooth W8, the choices are all there. Passat works best somewhere in the middle ground as a comfy, high quality, spacious family car. The styling is subtle but handsome, and overall it bears favourable comparison with much more expensive executive cars, especially the well laid out interior. Buyers after a sporty drive should look elsewhere, but that's really not the point of the Passat. Here is a car that spoils its occupants with first class materials, lots of room and good levels of standard equipment, safety features and refinement. Ownership costs are reasonable, making it a hit with companies and lease firms, and reliability is very impressive. |
| Positive Points |
- Unrivalled in class for build quality
- Superb TDi PD turbodiesels, especially the 130
- Spacious, comfortable and safe
|
| Negative Points |
- Firm ride on Sport versions
- Much higher used prices than other mainstream rivals
- W8 is a misplaced executive wannabe
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