Volkswagen Passat Saloon (2000 - 2005) 2.0 Highline (130ps) 4d Owner Review

It's a great car for long motorway journeys, drives at speed with no complaints. But around town, it's a different matter. It's a huge lump of a car and feels it when driving down slow and narrow roads. It's incredibly thirsty, gets through more oil than any other car I've had. I had the typical problems such as water in the rear passenger footwell and the 'check oil level' sensor issue. Spent more money on repairs (including small things like disk break issues) in two years than I did in owning a Honda for 4 years, so disappointing reliability overall. Terrible MPG too, 25mpg for town driving, although better on long journeys and motorways. Spacious and comfortable for driver and passengers with nice features like reverse parking sensors and heated front seats. Climate control was ineffective. Very expensive road tax. The drive is fine, but a bit boring. Turning at speed feels a bit risky. Feels solid and safe, due to its size and bulk. Motorway driving is a pleasure, urban driving is a chore. Ride not too firm. If I was 60 and the high running expenses didn't bother me, I'd like it more, but I need something more economical and a bit more...fun and exciting.