USED Volkswagen Passat Saloon (05 - 11)

My car

Had the new Passat for about 3 months and I think it is a significant improvement on the last model. Quality is excellent and its a great car on those long journeys there are loads of nice VW touches that make things tha little bit nicer. Button hand brake is a little weird at first but its simple to use once used to it. Boot is huge and very accesible for a saloon. Sport spec addds some nice external features which make really add to the look of the car.

Consumption has been pretty close to the brochure and its easilty achieves 46mpg with fill ups about every 650 miles.

Whilst not being the fastest, flashest car out there its a great car and for the price is unbeatable.

My car

I have recently reviewed and driven several Passat rivals due to an impending car change. I drive about 30,000 miles a year, so it has to be a diesel.

I brought it down to the Honda Accord and the Passat. While the Passat is very good in some ways, for the latest design in the group I was shocked at how many sillies there are in the design. The electronic handbrake is silly, bordering on dangerous - try using it for hill starts. There's poor fit on some seals, poor side wind stability and road noise, although overall the ride is very good.

The biggest thing is the cost. I drive pretty positively, not mad, and I was getting about 34mpg in the 2.0 TDI - appalling for a 2.0-litre diesel. The Accord with a 2.2-litre diesel and much better torque was giving me 45mpg.

My advice to anyone looking at this class is to drive the Honda - the petrols and diesels are far more economical, and all the kit is included (try pricing a Passat on a like-for-like basis!). Ride and handling are better in my view, the dealer charges are far more sensible and it won't go wrong.

We have a selection of company cars including BMWs, VWs and Hondas,.The BMWs go wrong once a month, the VWs once every two months and the Hondas just work - 0 failures to date honestly! In case you haven't guessed - I'm waiting for a 2006 Accord.

My car

Having owned a '52 plate Passat and being very happy with it, I didn't rate the new models chances of being much better. I was wrong - it's good. In fact, it's very good. It handles well on both country roads and motorways.

It is also extremely comfortable, especially for those over 6ft high. Equipment levels are good with an impressive array of security and safety features and plenty of cubbyholes. Despite some electrical problems with the folding mirrors and parking sensors, I would recommend it.

My car

This is an update from the good review I gave this car last January. Since then the car has been a disaster, so much so that I have traded it in 18 months early.

My car has now covered 24,000 miles and has had approximately 34 warranty claims. Some of the problems have not been resolved and the dealer has struggled to get technical support from VW. In fairness, the dealer has been superb, but VW Customer Services are not really interested, as my car is over 12 months old and has done over 20,000 miles.

The majority of my problems have been electrical and have affected extras fitted to my car.