Other Volkswagen Passat (2005 - 2011) models:

  • Summary

    4 out of 5 4.0

    What does this car say about you?

    Mid-life crisis.

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

    Everybody seems to appreciate this model much more than I do, maybe because it is not reasonably priced here in the Netherlands.

    Would you buy this car again and why?

    No, I do not like long and low cars, I rather buy an SUV.

    What are you likely to buy next?

    Skoda Yeti or Mitsubishi ASX.

  • Buying experience

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Type of dealer you bought from?

    Didn't buy from a dealer

    Did you buy this car new?

    No

    What price did you pay?

    £0

    When did you buy the car?

    September 2013

    Did you get a good deal and why?

    It is a company car, I do not own it.

    Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

    Company pool car, I did not really had a choice.

    What was the dealer like?

    N/a

  • Driving it

    5 out of 5 5.0

    What's it like to drive?

    Smooth, fast enough for a diesel (but, of course, it is not a sports car, it looks faster and way more aggressive than it actually is). Fantastic on the highway, makes a journey of 1000km easy to endure.

    What's it like to park?

    The front and rear sensor help tremendously, without them, it would be very hard to park a bathtub-sized car with no visibility of where it ends. The parking sensors do not detect low obstacles, such as the concrete slabs used to limit parking spaces. Expect hitting (and braking) the lower front bumper a few times.

  • Living with it

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Have you had any problems with the car?

    The front power windows failed once and the mechanism had to be replaced. Bending lights stopped working around 130,000 km and it was sent to the dealer to be repaired.

    What's most practical about your car?

    It is a proper 5 seater, unlike the review makes you believe. There is enough leg and head room, even in back and even for tall passengers. It looks bigger from the outside than it actually is inside, but it is not cramped at all. It is actually very comparable to a regular passat.

    Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

    The sound system is of excellent quality, I highly recommend it.