Volkswagen Passat Estate (1997 - 2001) 1.9 Sport TDI PD (115ps) 5d (AC) (2000/W) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Practical family man, AKA boring git, who keeps a keen eye on fuel prices but require a capable and safe car without the expense.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Absolutely nothing. It's not an head turner, it just does the job it's supposed to. Nothing more, nothing less.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Yes definitely. However, with younger kids I would definitely recommend leather interior. The velour is a pain to keep pristine.

What are you likely to buy next?

We're keeping this until it dies. It's not worth selling and we know its history. As a good alrounder, we haven't found a suitable alternative that has similar reliability and meets our criteria. Other than a new Passat that is. However, I'll be buying a new LR Defender 90 to do the donkey work, allowing the VW to keep clocking up the miles.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchise

Did you buy this car new?

Yes

What price did you pay?

£18,000

When did you buy the car?

March 2000

Did you get a good deal and why?

Yes, living in Germany allowed us to purchase through VW tax free. We were also given free mats and spare european head lights. Other than this, no.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Living in Germany and wife wrote off our car. We had planned to buy Mercedes E320 but could not hold our place on the build line.

What was the dealer like?

One of those friendly but, importantly, not pushy sales people.

What's it like to drive?

Designed as an Autobahn dweller, this car ably eats up the miles without problem. It will never set the world on fire, however, put your foot down and you can leave most boy racers standing. Having driven in Germany on many occassions it gets upto 135mph clock speed and handles well, cruising comfortably at 110 it returns a fuel economy of 35mpg. Driving in the UK, it returns an average of 45mpg with the aircon on. Drive economically and with the aircon off and you can achieve almost 60 mpg. However, you will feel like your Grandad on a Sunday.

What's it like to park?

Easy, light steering and good rear visibility leave the more modern tourer standing in this area and make judgement exceedingly simple. Believe me I know.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Yes. The Air Mass Meter has failed (£180) and this led to a huge loss in power and a real lack of acceleration. The Pollen filter housing leaked, allowing water into the passenger footwell. A modification (£50 if done during service) sorts this problem but the electronics under the passenger footwell and the carpet take some effort to dry. VW quoted £700 but it really can be done by anyone with an ounce of practical ability.

What's most practical about your car?

The huge boot and the excellent fuel economy. This boot could swallow a small moon.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Sadly, the retractable parcel shelf. Having owned numerous others it is by far the easiest to use. Otherwise a pretty good, but relatively unexciting interior.