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.
Snags are the snatchy, over-servoed brakes which are hard to use smoothly, and a gearchange which can be obstructive. The silky operation of the switchgear, the bold blue-lit instruments and the comfortable driving position make up for the snags, though.
The steering feels too light and springy, the brakes are too snatchy and the overall feeling is too anaesthetised to thrill an enthusiastic driver, although the Passat grips well and handles tidily and is relaxing on a long journey. It should be more fun than it is.
Satellite navigation is optional.
The entry-level 2.0-litre is a useful and more versatile replacement to the aged 115bhp version and the non-turbo 1.8 initially offered. The 1.8T (150bhp) is considerably sportier in sound and feel, though, and the 2.3 V5 (now 170bhp, uprated from 150bhp) is the real long-distance cruiser.
The four-cylinder, 1.9-litre diesels (100bhp and 130bhp) both now have PD ('Pumpe Duse', or unit-injection) technology and are quick and strong, and along with the high-performance 2.5 V6 TDI, prove that choosing a diesel needn't mean compromising on speed and performance, though the V6 isn't as quiet and smooth as it should be.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volkswagen Passat
wrote on 06 06 2006