VW Passat Saloon 1996-

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  • Economy

    Costs

    3 out of 5 3.0

    OK. servicing a bit expensive.

  • On the road

    Driving

    3 out of 5 3.0

    OK. Gearbox a bit clunky, steering rather vague.

    Performance

    3 out of 5 3.0

    1.6 too small for a car of this size.

  • Living with it

    Reliability

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Not as solid as VW suggest.

  • Security and Service

    Security

    4 out of 5 4.0

    No problems in four years.

    Service

    1 out of 5 1.0

    VW decided to close the local franchise. The only other dealer was a massive flash showroom miles away! These guys were expensive, couldn't fix a wheel-barrow and couldn't care less! VW effectively gave them a monopoly. Parts take too long to order.

  • Problems and Ownership

    Problems

    Engine

    Head gasket failure at 60K miles.

    Other

    Sticking seat belts. Rattling passenger seat. Electric window mechanism.

    Ownership

    Did you buy the car new?

    New

    Would you buy the same model again?

    No

    Did you buy from the same manufacturer again?

    No