Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI Sport

Had the car for 18 months and it never stopped having faults. It had covered 102000 when purchased so you would expect faults but was never ending. Turbo, clutch, electric windows and suspension control arms/bushes.

The good side of the car is loads of room and excellent mpg. Feels very low and great cruiser.

Would recomend if you can find pristine example but be very wary of no service history.

2005 2.0 litre VW Passat TDI. Far too many problems for a £20K car. Been in for this and that software update, significant fuel delivery problems which are ongoing and the main VW dealer sems unable to fix. Very noisy engine and poor road grip despite the huge width tyres that are fitted to my model.

First VW for me and the last. My Alfa 156 was infinetely more reliable and sailed onto 96000 before I sold it. On present performance at 41000 the VW doesn't even come close - that's how bad it is.

For a 'Quality' car, there are too many issues with this model for it to be acceptable - VW were supposed to be a reliable marque, but (if mine is anything to go by) that is no longer true. Bring on the Far Eastern motors (Shame on us).

Good all round vehicle. Have just purchased my third Volkswagen Passat. A little to low to have mud flaps and the sump plastic cover has a tendancy to get damaged when fully laden and negotiating speed ramps, even when driving steady.

I have only owned this Volkswagen Passat for 12 weeks, it is 10 months old with an automatic gear box and replaces my previous gas guzzling Jeep.

It feels solid and has a good build quality with no shakes or rattles. The climate control is quiet and is very efficient. The seats are comfortable and supporting and the driver has good all round visibility. The gear ratios of the auto box are adequate, it changes up and down quietly without any fuss. There is bags of room in the back particularly with the rear seats down.

The engine is fairly quiet for a diesel, I am currently averaging 40mpg,I have been on 1 long run when I got 44mpg.

It should be cheapish to service bearing in mind it only needs a service once annually.

It's still early days for me with this car as I have only done 1,400 miles but so far I am happy.

Overall I really do like the Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI Sports car. Its a company car so when anything has gone wrong I haven't had to pay but so far I've had problems with a headlamp component (£250), air con component - it didn't demist properly(fixed under warranty) and the brake disks had corroded (prob due to keeping it outside but still not so good for a 3 year old car).

It has quite good performance for only a 1.9 engine - mid range is good for overtaking when in a petrol you'd not consider it unless you had a performance car. I get roughly 42mpg which is exactly what VW says it will get.

I'm not sure of the benefits of a 6-speed box. After all diesels are meant to be torque and the power range of the gears in the Passat is very narrow. You find yourself having to change down to 1st gear for a rolling start where in most diesels you'd get away with 2nd gear. It makes low speed driving rather jerky.

Also because you're changing gear so often the gaiter around the gearstick has worn badly in 3 years and you can go through a floor mat in around 6 months.

The interior does look rather severe in black and also dated but the controls are well places and easy. Apart from the cruise control. I have the multi-function steering wheel and the cruise control buttons are on the left whereas for me I'd prefer them on the right. My wife's Ford Focus has cruise that you can actually use on most roads because the button is responsive and on the right where I find it easier to use it. Passat's cruise is a bit unresponsive when reducing speed and really only any good on uncrowded A roads or motorways.

The xenon (optional) lights are very good but I get flashed a lot because you cannot manually adjust them. Be warned a xenon bulb costs around £150 + fitting (!) but does last way longer than a regular bulb.

The car is very spacious (almost Audi A6 size) with ample room for 5 adults and decent legroom in the back. The boot can cope with almost anything you can throw at it - very big and square.

The front seats are very comfy. The rear seats are rather hard and you sit on rather than in. Not a patch on an Audi A4 back seat or my wife's Focus.

The handling is OK but barge like. It is a big car and mine is the Sport with the so-called 15mm lowered suspension. I'd hate to think what the regular car is like! On fast sweeping bends and motorways the car is in its element. But it flounders on B roads. Having said that the ride is fairly compliant and not crashy.

In the wet its best to take it easy. I found that the quality and the newness of the tires plays a big role in safe wet road handling.

Breaks are good and don't fade to much.

As I said I do like this car despite what I've said here. Its a big friendly, rather good looking beast (mine's metallic red with rear privacy glass which goes well with the chrome window surrounds) that has decent road manners, ample overtaking performance (you can scare the odd Beemer!) and plenty of space for people and luggage.

My local VW dealer (Colbornes in Woking) has always been very good at carrying out services and any work.

I'd definitely consider the new Passat as a replacement.

Bought my 03 plate Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDi Sport new. Great car, don't regret my choice for a minute.

I wanted a car with space (wife and 2 kids), but with a bit of oomph, and preferably one that did not need refuelling every 5 minutes.

The Passat meets all these needs. Ok, it isn't ever going to leave a half reasonable Beemer at the lights, but mid range acceleration is very impressive; makes overtaking a doddle.

Drove down to Spain last summer in it, what an experience on those fast French A roads, mind you, it was equally at home on the long motorway stretches. This trip provided an average of 52mpg over 3000 miles.

During the time I have owned this car I have taken it back to the dealers once - for a rattle in the roof panel, which was fixed immediately.

Overall, very satisfied with this car. Only drawback is that engine noise within the cabin can become a bit noticeable when around town.

I've had the Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI Sport car for 2 years and to be honest I feel really disappointed with it. I bought VW because of the preceived higher quality of the marque but to date I've had a number of problems. First off was water leaking into the footwell due to a leak at the pollen filter - carpets now smell though I did my best to dry them out. The passenger side wheel bearing is noisy and the noise does intrude when on the motorway, the driver's side window regulator broke last week on my way to work and now the clutch is juddering - I am told it may be a flywheel related problem - more expense. Will I ever buy VW again - I don't think so, the price premium is unjustified.

I have had my VW Passat 1.9 TDI Sport just over a year, its on a 52 plate (2002) 32000 on the clock, what can I say about this car, nice looking, very comfortable, spacious, economical, very responsive. I took her over the Brecon Beacons in Wales, (lovely smooth roads that twist and turn for miles) excellent road handling. Very reliable haven't had one problem since I've had her. Full service costs around £260 not too bad, but when you get in and drive you know your in a good quality car. It looks good, drives very well, economical and above all reliable and they hold their price - they dont depriciate like other cars. My Dad's Vauxhall Meriva is 10 months old, he bought it for £12500, its now only worth £6995 - ouch thats got to hurt.