Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £15,150 to £32,780
Excellent diesel engines, roomy and comfortable, classy-looking cabins
Not as reliable as it should be, near to replacement by all-new model
Good value for money as pricing/equipment levels get more competitive.
Like most Volkswagens, the Passat has that feel-good factor, with expensive-feeling materials and textures in the cabin and superficially excellent fit and finish - but owner reports suggest that it's not as reliable to live with as it should be. They report suspension trouble, gearbox problems and general quality defects - and even rust, in rare cases.
The Passat's performance in reliability surveys is also somewhat mediocre.
On the plus side, by now at this stage in its lifecycle, all the Passat's technology should be well-proven and de-bugged, so late models shouldn't be troublesome.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volkswagen Passat
wrote on 06 06 2006