Volkswagen Passat 1.9 S TDI Review

Good Points
Very solid, quality build. Very dependable. Practical non fussy but stylish interior. Well lit cockpit at night. Efficient engine that pulls like a train, cruises effortlessly and returns high 40's to 50 mpg without trying. Understated yet sophisticated looks. High quality finish. Quality sound system.

Bad Points
Headlights not brilliant on low beam. Not much else.

General Comments
I can't really understand anyone disliking this car. I bought mine with 100k miles on the clock and have covered 30k of so far trouble free comfortable miles. Anyone who thinks this is a BMW, as I suspect from some other reviews that they do, should really have bought a BMW, or get promoted in their job and "upgrade ' their company car. This car is not pretending to be anything other than a practical, quality, powerful workhorse which should last for donkeys years and 200 to 300k miles if looked after. I have seen plenty of 10 year plus Passat which have been around the clock a couple of times, don't have a hint of rust, and are still going strong. It's not a sports car, and handling and ride are adequate rather than exceptional. Though the massive torque and 6th gear means that high speed cruising still sees the engine hardly breaking into a sweat, and you rarely get to stay out of the fast lane.