USED Volkswagen Passat Saloon (05 - 11)

My car

i had this car as a demonstrator for four days and absolutely loved it. The ride is very good9maybe a tad soft but not unbearable).The engine is fantastic , it just seems to eat up the road and the luggage space is amazing and easily coped with our family of four. The interior design is very modern and i really likedthe auto hold func for the handbrake.The only negative i would say is that there is a huge turbo lag which has to be considered when pulling out. I was so impressed i have just ordered this a my new company car.

My car

Got the new 08 plate in March 08, from day one the ride has been awful. I am bounced & shaken about at all speeds, this is the third Passat Sport I have had & I am very familiar with the ride, the car has been tested by two dealerships who say the car is fine & it is just the sport suspension which is simply unacceptable, there is also a burnt rubber smell coming from the rear of the car.

My car

Our Passat is now coming up for three years old and has done around 30,000 miles.

Overall, it's a safe, sturdy family car.

Performance is merely adequate and refinement is lacking, but economy, especially on longer runs, is excellent. 55mpg is achieveable, which is great for this size of car.

In terms of reliability, it's been OK. There have been a couple of recalls and it has been in a couple of times for airbag faults.

Dealer service has been good, but servicing costs are very expensive, especially when you consider that it only takes four litres of oil to fill. We'll look for a good independent specialist when the warranty finishes.

The car lacks some equipment (climate control and rear speakers should be standard) and interior finishes are not up to previous Passat standards.

Finally the electronic parking brake is a complete waste of time. It's a solution invented for a problem that wasn't there, in my opinion. It's a real pain to use and doesn't behave consistently.

My car

This car is a company car and I have had it for 2 yrs in June and it has covered 70,000 mls. This car is in direct comparison to the Mazda 6 TS it replaced. The pros.... It handles great. Solid , comfortable, stable and excellent balence. The boot is an excellent size. The SE is well speced and has some nice features. The controls are well laid out and are easy to use and understand. The standard stero is excellent. However, no controls on the wheel? The engine is great with real urge and will out pace most new 2.0TDI cars like the mondeo, honda ect. It will do an indicated 140MPH flat out and cruice at just short of 90mph at 2500RPM all day and give you 45mpg. For doing long journeys... its as good as amything in its class and as good as a BMW 3 I had. I would also rate it better than my brothers A6! The cons.. Build quality is poor. The electric seat broke. Dash board rattles, Alarm played up The fuel pump failed. The boot release jammed. The central locking broke. The clutch keeps squeaking. The A/C broke. The panels are a poor fit.

Its not good reading and since I had a Mazda 2.0TDI 6 for the same time with not one fault.. it look s very bad! However.... I still love the car and have driven to Andorra and Nice on two holidays in one day! It was a doddle. Set cruise to 90mpg and get comfy and just watch the contryside go by...

Would I have another? Well... I would have a good hard look at the new Mazda 6 TS2 and save the money!