Advantages: Great Engine, Great Body, Great Car
Disadvantages: Slightly soft suspension.

...Its with great regret that I prepare to say goodbye to my Passat 1.8T Sport. I chose it as a company car two years ago when my work required me to do endless long journeys, and it was perfect for that job. VW based the Passat on the same platform as the group's Audi A4 and A6. The A4 is slightly smaller than the Passat and the A6 slightly larger, but both are more expensive than the Passat. Some may prefer the Audi badge, but in terms of value for money, the VW is a clear winner. For me the 1.8T engine is the best feature of this car. The Passat version produces 150bhp, though the same engine is easily tweaked to 180 or even 225bhp in the Audi TT, so it clearly isn't performing under too much stress in the Passat. More importantly it produces torque across its entire rev range so the engine doesn't need to be thrashed to get... Read review

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Advantages: Big boot, Good motorway cruise missile, suprised in how cheap parts are.
Disadvantages: A bit thirsty, ride quality a bit soft. keep grouding on speed humps.

...is quite good on the motorway, very quiet, smooth but it gets a bit wishy washy on the back roads. I do find that on the sport models the ride hight is low and i am forever scraping over speed humps and kerbs causing a bit of damage to the nappy under the engine which does come loose if you don't keep an eye on it, and is a part of the cars aerodynamics. So make sure it's got one before you buy. Also check the suspension bushes on high mileage one's this can be expensive and there is a lot of them on the passat. The engine is a 1.8, 20 valve, Turbo charged unit which develops around 150bhp, its the same engine the Audi TT which runs at 225bhp. So the engine isn't under to much stress. The power is good, but i do find that it needs a bit of reving to get it goin of the line. I... Read review

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Advantages: BUILD QUALITY, RELIABILITY,VALUE FOR MONEY
Disadvantages: Near side lower ball joints don't last due to the state of our AMAZING ROADS

...BEST CAR THAT I HAVE OWNED I bought my VW Passat 20v Turbo Sport some 2 +years ago 2nd hand , the car was originally bought by a leasing company from new. Fully dealer serviced and looked after, the person that ordered it had all the usual extras fitted , so I benefited from their good taste without being out of pocket!! AMAZING PERFORMANCE! EXCELLENT ROAD HOLDING, but only with NEW REAR SHOCKS FITTED as they wear out gradually and you don't notice this until they are renewed. TURBO is constantly ON as is the AIR CON and so usually NEVER ANY PROBLEMS. Power steering is precise , I was recommended to have Brigestone Turanza ER300's, this really improved the front end handling and ride, road noise ETC. (£50 a corner) DON'T BUY BUDGET TYRES AS THEY ARE A FALSE ECONOMY, THEY DON'T LAST and CAUSE BAD HANDLING. I generally keep my cars... Read review

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Advantages: Great build quality, strong performer
Disadvantages: Harsh low speed ride, Rain sensor wipers.

...I've own this 2001 Y reg VW passat estate 1.8T Sport for just over 8 months and it is the most versatile car I have owned. It has good performance from the 1.8T, which is tuned to 150 bhp, it may not be the fastest car but swift progress is made with ease and the acceleration is linear with little turbo lag. The Passat has bucket loads of space, I'm 6'3" and you can still get a six footer behind me without being cramped. The boot is also large with a flat low loading entrance and with the seats down it will swallow most house hold items, I've had a full sized tumble dryer in it. In the rear of the boot it has got two 12V power points which will always come in handy when your away for the day. The interior may not be for all tastes, mine is like a charcoal black, which can seem a little dull but you cannot fault the fit and finish... Read review

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Advantages: fast, big, good looking list goes on.
Disadvantages: fuel consumption, rear suspension, seats, light steering.

...Why did I sell this car! I bought a passat because I needed a bigger car. I have always been into volkswagons so I know alot about the engines e.t.c. I started out by looking at the tdi to be sensible but saw a 1.8 20v on ebay which I payed £2200 for. My first suprise was how quick the car was, I knew it was 1.8 turbo but its a big car (bigger than some parking spaces). The fist few days i was driving it i was like a loony, how could a car this big go this fast. I then proceeded to take all my freinds out in it who were equally amazed. This car would give my golf gti a run for its money. After zooming the car around i realised i was going to the petrol station a hell of a lot, but i didn't mind cos i felt great when i was driving. You know the feeling you get when you are driving around in a nice car you are proud of. The climate... Read review

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Advantages: Fantastic Engine, Build Quality, Comfort, Space.
Disadvantages: Overly Soft Suspension, Not as fun to drive as rivals (Mondeo)

...My car is a 2000 'W' Reg VW Passat 1.8T Sport Saloon in Dragon Green. This car is absolutely fantastic. I am 6ft 4 and have a really comfy driving position, also when i have my seat in position there is still a vast amount of space behind. The engine remarkable. This is my first car and i don't have any other experience driving other cars but one thing is for sure, the engine is extremely powerful. You get power right through the rev range, and you really feel the turbo kick in at 2,000 rpm. I get over 30mpg even when i thrash it so its quite economical as well. The interior is the best thing about this car. The build quality is miles better than anything else similar cars have to offer. You also get plenty of toys. The climate control is great although you only really get extremely cold or too hot no in between. It also has a CD... Read review

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Advantages: Engine is FANTASTIC. You MUST drive it to believe it.
Disadvantages: Drinks petrol like it's gone out of fashion. Bad Jack point for tyre change.

...I have for the past week had the pleasure of test driving this car. The engine on this thing is phenomenal. 150 bhp. The acceleration is awesome and the top speed at 137 mph is frightening. If you are weighing up having the 2.0 litre SE with a few extras or the 1.8T with no extras I would throughly recommend having no extras and getting a car that will make you smile every time you get in it. The only problem is that becasuse it is very difficult not to step on the throttle you may only get 300 miles out of a tank of petrol (62 litres) Good basic spec with the SE. Single CD, Centre Armrest, Climate Control, Alloys. ONE THING TO BE CAREFULL OF WHEN YOU JACK IT UP TO CHANGE THE TYRE PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU LOCATE IT IN THE CORRECT PLACE ( 2 RIBS 10 INCHES IN FROM THE SIDE DOOR). I DIDN'T BECAUSE IT WAS DARK AND IT FELL OFF THE JACK... Read review

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Advantages: Suberb engine, strong build, refined ride
Disadvantages: costly servicing, low petrol consumption

...I've always had an input in choosing my parents cars since I was a kid. I was an avid topgear fan and read as many car magazines as I could get my hands on. But I did'nt help to choose this car and Iam glad I did'nt. I thought the passat was not unusual enough, too much like a rep car not a real individuals car. Maybe all of these are true but they don't matter when put against the sheer quality of the passat an understanding of the car only comes through owning and driving it and then you realise why so many people are driving passat's. This simply is one of the best cars if not the best car in this price bracket around. The car was purchased just before the new model came out in 2000. The dealer offered a substantial reduction and some extras and it seemed like a good buy. Having since driven along with my father and mother... Read review

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Advantages: Solid, best bits of VW and Audi
Disadvantages: Drive can be bland at times

...I love this car. It's basically the best bits of Audi and VW, but at a VW price. I have the full leather seats in mine, which is why the price shown here is above RRP. The body is based on the same B5 platform as the Audi A4 and A6, and is sized mid-way between the two. The 1.8T engine can be found right across the Audi/VW/Seat/Skoda range, and boy does it go when you put your foot down! The AirCon (or should I say 'Climate Control') is VW, which is great, since the VW unit is better than the Audi equivalent! The drive is a funny mixture of boring and fun. It's great in a straight line (good accelleration) but boring on cornering. Actually, that's wrong - it's bland rather than boring. It gets a zero rather than a minus score. You only notice there's a problem when you start looking. Best thing to do is just sit back and anjoy the car... Read review

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Advantages: Economical, Reliable, Great ride quality, Good motorway cruiser
Disadvantages: Not hugely quick

...did about 4 trips with some extra things in the Passat; you can get a huge amount in; the rear seats fold down, unusual for a salon car, so that the already cavernous boot is transformed into an almost estate like space. Space in the back for passengers is almost limo like, and they don't mind sitting there all day either. You get the famous VW build quality; our car has now done 120,000 miles and you would never know, there are no rattles inside and that great diesel engine runs as strongly as ever. No wonder VW did not change the design much for the facelifted model. The car was still class leading when it was upgraded. If I was to change the Passat I would go for a newer Passat - maybe the estate version this time!... Read review

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