Volkswagen Passat 1.8 T Sport Reviews

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Volkswagen Passat 1.8 T Sport
★★★★☆
3.6
68.0% of users recommend this
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Latest Reviews

“Volkswagen Passat 1.8 T Sport ”

★★★★☆

written by on 08/03/2013

A year ago we bought this estate from its first owner at 180,000 miles. Freshly MOT'd for £1,200. First impressions are that it has huge space, comfortable, smooth ride but a bit wallowy in town. Solid power but heavy weight to contend with. All the bells and whistles except for cruise control i really miss. Consumption in town poor at 21mpg but open road a fair 36mpg In the last 10 years and 198,000 miles the car had a total cost of ownership of £6,999.10 consisting of 26 751 miles - VW Service + wiper blades = £297.40 36 326 miles - VW Service = £324.45 54 403 miles - Kwikfit tyres = £345.03 54 983 miles - VW service = £207.24 54 983 miles - VW brakefluid change = £42.50 59 221 miles - VW brake pad replacement = £137.77 64 958 miles - VW lube service = £135.41 66 019 miles - VW brake pad replacement = £106.25 66 019 miles - VW cam belt replacement = £484.00 76 105 miles - VW Service = £320.38 87 213 miles - Kwikfit tyre = £87.03 88 234 miles - VW lube service = £135.41 89 200 miles - Kwikfit replace battery = £87.80 91 164 miles - VW brake pad replacement = £147.90 97 752 miles - VW service = £247.67 97 752 miles - VW brakefluid change = £42.50 115 656 miles - VW lube service = £145.96 115 656 miles - VW repair oil pressure switch = £45.00 122 966 miles - VW brake pad/disk replacement = £490.00 122 966 miles - VW replaced speedo binnacle (smoking dash) = #120.00 123 515 miles - VW replace temp guage sensor = £116.28 124 641 miles - VW service = £98.00 124 641 miles - VW cambelt replacement = 557.06 124 641 miles - VW repair alarm = £288.06 128 757 miles - VW service = £298.77 146 332 miles - Kwikfit tyres = £140.00 151 759 miles - VW service = £239.99 156 682 miles - Kwikfit tyres = £206.28 173 457 miles - VW service = £249.01 178 356 miles - Kwikfit tyres = £145.98 180 191 miles - VW cb boot replacement £174.13 184 601 miles - Oil change £20.83 187 673 miles - Filter and plugs replaced = £55.00 188 390 miles - Mr Clutch cam/aux belts replaced = £263.98 ~(50% less VW) 188 908 miles - Mr Klutch Oil and filter change = £60.72 189 075 miles - Replace main lightbulb £8.95

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“x reg Passat 1.8 T”

★★★★☆

written by on 29/09/2011

change oil every 6k.allways after journey when engine is very hot dont switch it off.wait for 30 sec let the oil go out the turbo.that the recipe to make it last for ever.k&n air filter.dump velve (forge).all u need to do.and u dont have to worry about all stories with broken turbo or black fog or any engine foults.suspenssion is to soft on corners the car goes like limo.but 225 or 205 tyres do the grip.speed great 238km/h thats what mine can do. consumption well... easy drive 40-47mpg motorways 45-55mpg town ride(racing) 8-15 mpg. very confy.and good acceleration specially on first gear and fourth.pulls well.lock issues remote recoding.BUT NEVER RUST ON IT.AND THE SILENT INSIDE PERFEFCT FOR IT PRICE.NEVER GET RID OF IT.IF...THEN BUY ANOTHER ONE

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“Volkswagen Passat 1.8T Sport Saloon”

★★★★☆

written by on 26/08/2011

Would have to agree with the positive reviews. Have a 1997 Passat saloon, with 115,000 miles for £770 and it was reasonably well looked after. The only expensive thing I have to shell out for soon,(which was obvious at time of purchase), is a new clutch (bitng point high). Having said that I've had a VW Polo go on and on with an old grinding clutch so who knows. My advice if you need a clucth- keep £400- 450 aside. Does anyone have advice on how long the clutch can last specifically on a passat, with only approx one inch of rise left from bite point? Be interested to receive comments. The MINOR niggles (see below), are simply due to the previous owner not fixing them. Luckily, I have a lot of MOT history with the car and some service receipts, which give a good indication (as with any car), of the maintenance effort the previous owner made. The 6 CD disc changer in the boot still works and the speakers are fairly crisp for an old motor- bang tidy. Now the niggles: - Rear passenger door lock pops up and has to be manually pushed down after locking drivers door, (probably won't fix as I don't mind) - Fob central locking buttons no longer work - Boot lock not working and needs new solnoid and lock- VW charge £150 for new parts so breakers yard here I we come - Scuff to rear wheel arch but car is HPi clear and no signs of chassis damage - AC needs re gassing but autumn is on the way so won't fix for 7- 8 months - One electric window isn't working - Dash box unit/ storage handle snapped off- I effectively see this as an easy way to lock it. (Close it, then walk off with the handle in my pocket- that's some good resourcefulness right there - Shock covers seemed to have crumbled but it has a new MOT with no advisory and handles fine- guess no problems to worry about No knocks, rattles, bangs or clunks. The turbo and throttle are smooth. The brakes are great- some think Passats are too snatchy but I like the ultra sensitive brakes, as I'm fairly soft footed. The clutch I can live with until it goes totally and it was a pleasant drive home (more than 60 miles on motorway) when I bought it. The cup holder pops out, the cubbie hole latches all work. For a high spec VW with a new MOT, £800 is a steal. Even with the cost of a new clutch its still good value. Can't say for the long run but I think (and hope) it will be with me for 4- 5 years. Find a good one with new MOT and service receipts, haggle on the price and enjoy. Would have happily taken the estate version as well- test drove one and it was just smooth. (NB: fuel consumption reading of 35mpg- better than my old car so happy days). Handling is fine, just don't compare it to the latest sharp handling exec cars and you won't notice it's race track weaknesses.

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Guest's Comment

Written on: 21/06/2012

I've had 170,000 miles on my 99 Passat,still feels good as ever.

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“I bought this car last year as a family hack. Ive been...”

★★★★☆

written by Bezza1969 on 19/02/2010

I bought this car last year as a family hack. Ive been very pleasantly suprised so far. The build quality is superb, the engine pulls very strongly and smoothly and the ride quality is excellent. Nothing squeaks or rattles. Only negatives are the slightly wallowy handling and being petrol, only 33 MPG or so, although the car goes very well down a bumpy back road. For value for money you cant fault this car in my opinion.

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“VW Passat 1.8 20v Sport Turbo 1997 R Plate 151000 miles. ”

★★★★★

written by on 29/05/2009

VW Passat 1.8 20v Sport Turbo 1997 R Plate 151000 miles.

I'm shocked at reading the reviews on this site. all I can say is get a car that's been looked after, my passat has had a oil & filter change every six months regardless of mileage since new and has been mechanically sound. All repairs I've done are wear and tear. Great car don't know what your all moaning about !

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Guest's Comment

Written on: 26/08/2011

Would have to agree. I just bought a 1997 Passat saloon, with 115,000 miles for £770 and it was reasonably well looked after. The only expensive thing I have to shell out for,(which was obvious at time of purchase) is a new clutch at some time soon (bitng point very high). Does anyone know how long the clutch can last with only approx one inch of rise left from bite point? The minor things that need fixing (see below) are simply due to the prevous owner not fixing them. Luckily I have a lot of MOT history with the car and some service receipts which give a good indication of the maintenance effort the previous owner made.
The 6 CD disc changer in the boot still works and the speakers are fairly crisp for an old motor- bang tidy.
- Rear passnger door lock pops up and has to be manually pushed down after lokcing drivers door
- Fob central locking buttons no longer work
- Boot lock not working and needs new solnoid and lock
- Minor scuff to rear wheel arch but car is HPi clear and no signs of chassis damage
- AC needs re gassing but autumn is on the way so no need to fix for 7- 8 months
- One electric window isn't working

No knocks, rattles, bangs or clunks. The turbo and throttle are smooth. The clutch I can live with until it goes totally and it was a pleasant drive home (more than 50 miles on motorway) when I bought it. For a VW with new MOT, £800- a steal. Even with the cost of a new clutch its still good value.
Find a good one with new MOT and service receipts, haggle on the price and enjoy. (Also got a reading of 35mpg- better than my old car so happy days).

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“This is my second VW passat estate 1.8 20v in the past...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by fenerjambo on 30/03/2009

This is my second VW passat estate 1.8 20v in the past 10 months.The first one was an "R" reg which eventually failed it's Mot miserably with ball joints and the complicated suspension at the front plus more letting it down! It wasn't worth the bother so I sold it for spares or repair losing nearly £1000.
Well you'd think once bitten twice shy but I bought another one a "v" reg which is Mot'd to end september 2009 for £1450. Had it 2 months and already renewed back brakes and just yesterday the driver's side suspension at the rear snapped yesterday going over a speed bump at 10mph!! Never buying one again and seriously want rid of this one ASAP!! They are supposed to be hard wearing cars but for the little mileage I do everything just seems to collapse!!

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“Hi. I have owned a Passatt estate 130bhp estate 6speed...”

★★★★★

written by on 07/01/2008

Hi. I have owned a Passatt estate 130bhp estate 6speed sport for some years now. My wife drives it 99% of the time.

One guy said his has a tendency to leak sometimes. Well, mine leaked into the footwell areas at the drivers and passengers side.

It actually went back to the passengers side rear foot well. I have learned that if you remove your battery and look underneath you may need to remove the plate that the battery sits on. There should be a hole to let rain water drain away sometimes this gets blocked with leaves etc and this area fills up with water and then enters the cabin area via cable holes etc all you need to do is unblock the hole. There are about three holes that should be kept unblocked in this area but the one underneath the battery is the most critical.

My rear wiper wash stopped working. On further investigation I found that if you open your boot and open the hatch on the left hand side where the hose that carries the water from the front of the car, there is a joint inside. If you put your hand inside the hatch up towards the window you will feel it. Get someone to activate the rear wash it can come apart and the water just squirts into that area. I can not fault my car.

My wife hit a speed ramp and busted the engine sump losing all the oil. The car told her to stop but she ignored that and drove for another 4 or 5 miles until she reached her destination. The car seized at this point. We replaced the sump and refilled with oil. The engine seized another five times after we started it but we just kept trying and then it started and has been going ever since.

I still tow my caravan with it and have total faith with it. I also have an A4 Avant which I drive and would rate the Passat better than the Audi. The suspension is a bit soft but I'm looking into spring assistors for some help from one of their products.

All I can say is that you should buy a Passat with confidence it will serve you greatly.

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“Of all the cars I've owned, of which this was not the...”

★★★★★

written by on 11/12/2007

Of all the cars I've owned, of which this was not the most expensive or powerful, it is the most relaxing and pleasurable to drive especially on long journeys. It also has a boot capacity larger than most estates and nearly all 4X4's i've found on the market in Europe.
Perfect car for my family of five and not too thirsty either.

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“The Volkswagen Passat is very roomy, very quick,...”

★★★★★

written by daveruss on 06/08/2007

The Volkswagen Passat is very roomy, very quick, comfortable and easy to drive. It swallows all my gear in the back with no problem and most of all my wife loves driving it. Prefers it to her Renault Clio. A very capable workhorse and family car it is my 2nd and i love driving it .

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“The Volkswagen Passat 1.8 T Sport is a fabulous car...”

★★★★☆

written by jlh on 02/03/2006

The Volkswagen Passat 1.8 T Sport is a fabulous car and I want another one, even though this has given me some grief with repairs.

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“I'm in the former colonies (US) and have what appears...”

★★☆☆☆

written by Dugaru on 02/02/2006

I'm in the former colonies (US) and have what appears to be the equivalent of your Volkswagen Passat 1999 1.8T. I have a love-hate relationship with my Passat. It's a joy to drive, very roomy, and has good performance for an

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“You poor unfortunate people out there I can only say...”

★★★★★

written by Riss71 on 03/05/2005

You poor unfortunate people out there I can only say there must be a lot of duds out there and you've found them, I have had my 52 plate Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI sport estate (130 bhp) for well over a year now, and I cant fault it 32000 on the clock and goes like a dream, thundery diesel maybe but it still eats mummys boys in their mummys saxo shopping bag! Off the lights and thats with a load of tesco shopping in the boot (approx 12-14 carrier bags) two kids and the hubby. Never had a problem, extremely reliable, very economical, comfy, nice looking, and since I live where I am the only one with a VW all 10 of my nieghbours drive Vauxhall corsas ( must be cheap) I feel very unique not to be a part of that crowd.

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“I bought my Volkswagen Passat 1.8 T Sport 18 months...”

★★★★☆

written by james foote on 07/05/2004

I bought my Volkswagen Passat 1.8 T Sport 18 months ago a 1.8T 20V on a V Plate with 30k on the clock, looks wise I've yet to see a Passat that looks as good, the VW garage I bought it from had lowered the suspension, and stuck 17" BBS W8 alloys on it, stunning!!!!

It may have been love at first sight, but since the early days I have grown to dislike my VW more & more due to it's constant mechanical problems, Temp sender, CV joints, CV boots, Air mass monitor, N75 Valve, brakes, tyres (3 sets!!!!)and loads of other bloody stuff. VW's customer service at my local dealer is rubbish to say the least, recently though I had the thing chipped (194BHP) but soon found that there was little boost and have had to replace the boost valve, all in all a good looking car that could have done with a little bit more time spent by VW's development team making sure their Turbo powered cars are a bit more reliable.

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“We've had the VW Passat Estate 1.8T Sport 1999 for 18...”

★★★★★

written by Stubee on 03/01/2004

We've had the VW Passat Estate 1.8T Sport 1999 for 18 months (99 on a T plate). Came from a Golf MKIII 2.0 GTi that was quite nippy. The Passat can get a move on when required as long as you work the gear box, But then it is not a 'sports' car. What this car does best is cruise for long distances, at speed and very comfortably.
At it's last service I asked our VW dealer to investigate a lumpy feel to the top end power, and VW came back with a faulty Air Mass Meter. I'd never even heard of this, and to find out about it cost me £360 thank you very much!!
Other than this the car has been faultless in it's 74,000 miles, and still feels tight and well screwed together.
Now looking for a Golf GT TDi, but if you need a spacious, comfortable and quick family car, you can't go far wrong with the Passat (in my experience!)

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“"Beautifully Crafted" - What rubbish, my VW Passat...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by SWE1 on 28/08/2003

"Beautifully Crafted" - What rubbish, my VW Passat Estate 1.8T Sport 1999 had: New suspension all round, accelarator box, 4 new discs, new air conditioning unit, 5 new tyres at 3000 miles (they were "square") 3 new CV's 1 new drive shaft, all four doors "dropped" on their hinges etc., etc., etc. My advice - BUY A HONDA! NB My car has done just 33,000 miles.

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“I gave up looking for a VW Passat Estate 1.9 turbo...”

★★★★☆

written by seylectric. on 15/07/2003

I gave up looking for a VW Passat Estate 1.9 turbo diesel after doing 3 round trips of up to 200 miles only to find my intended purchase to have been sold before I got there, so I settled for the 1.8 sport turbo petrol. I bought a year 2000 model (3 years old) a month ago with 60k on the clock and I can't really fault it. It's quick enough though, if a little sluggish off the mark and faster than my old 2.0 Peugeot 406.

It feels solid, handles well and is more of a cruiser built for comfort rather than pace despite the "Sport" tag. It's a little heavy or "gangly" around corners at slow speeds (though this is to be expected for such a big estate I feel) but will grip round bends at speed without any problems, the big alloy wheels and wide tyres help enormously here.

You feel as though you are driving a big car immediately, possibly due to the high sills and screen - I'm 5 foot 11 but have to have the seat at full height to feel comfortable. Loads of features including air con/climate control, good stereo with 6CD changer in the boot behind a panel, all electric windows, remote central lockong with alarm and immobiliser, fog lights, electric mirrors etc. and all controls are neatly laid out.

All in all very pleased with this car, I've driven plenty and it must be the best in its class.

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“This is by far the worst car I have ever owned. Too...”

★★☆☆☆

written by stan. on 19/04/2003

This is by far the worst car I have ever owned. Too many problems to mention!

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“Overall I'm very satisfied with this car. Excellent...”

★★★★☆

written by Tim. on 06/04/2003

Overall I'm very satisfied with this car. Excellent build quality, brisk performance, useful interior space for family of five and good payload with the rear seats folded down. Fuel consumption not bad either (~38mpg on long runs).

Cornering is ok but not a very dynamic or fluid ride. Initially there were some problems with the electronic controller - doors wouldn't lock on the remote, spontaneous alarm triggering, radio didn't turn off when you removed the ignition key, but they settled down after a few months. Access under the bonnet is pretty awful - I had to visit to VW garage to find out how to replace a front sidelight bulb.

A practical family car that's good to drive

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“The VW Passat Estate 1.8T Sport (1999) is spacious and...”

★★★★☆

written by Jon. on 15/05/2002

The VW Passat Estate 1.8T Sport (1999) is spacious and favourably priced and equipped compared to competitors.
Main problem-too many electrics for the hopeless mechanics at the VW dealers to cope with. After 2 years they eventually found the fault - a loose wire in the steering column and now it's a great car (touch wood) with ample room for 2 adults, 3 child seats, dog and luggage.

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