(first posted 1/9/2017) Some cars don’t have to be new, expensive, or even particularly special to be fun-to-drive. I was recently reassured of this in the most pleasantly surprising way when I drove this ’03 VW Passat wagon my clients traded in back from their house the day before Christmas Eve.
Every once in a while, the Massachusetts RMV’s computer system will not recognize the VIN of a new car, resulting in us unable to register the car at the dealer. It’s something that can be corrected with a quick fix, but unfortunately it requires someone going to an actual registry branch, waiting in line, and dealing with all the pleasantness the registry has to offer. It also means that should the customer be getting new plates, they cannot drive off in their new car until this is done.
As it happens, we were faced with this exact situation with the 2017 MINI Cooper S Clubman All4 this Passat was traded in for. My clients had just done paperwork for and were expecting to drive it home, and because our runner who normally goes to the registry was not available, guess who got to take a trip to the Mass RMV?
I honestly didn’t mind one bit though, as it was a slow Friday and my clients, Gitte and Rick, couldn’t have been more wonderful people throughout the entire process. I had first met Gitte almost three months earlier when she came in just to take a quick test drive of the new Clubman.
She and her husband came in several more times before they finalized their selections for how they wanted their ordered car to be built, and I spoke with her numerous times giving her updates throughout the process, so we felt like friends by the time their new MINI arrived in a very quick five weeks from Oxford, U.K. – the perfect early Christmas present. Their exact car is pictured above.
They were initially going to trade in their 2006 MINI Cooper S convertible, but two weeks before the car arrived, she informed me that they wanted to hold on to it and would be trading their daughter’s 2003 Passat in instead, which had been in their possession the past few months as an extra car.
Having seen the outside of this thirteen year-old, 152,000-mile, manual-transmission New England car closeup when she brought it by for a quick appraisal the week before, I was honestly somewhat nervous to drive it back from their home. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised.
(Off to deliver Gitte and Rick’s early Christmas present in proper festive style)
After about two hours to, at, and back from the Braintree RMV, I slapped the plates on their new 6-speed manual Thunder Grey Clubman, got it inspected next door at BMW, and was off to deliver it to Gitte and Rick at their home in the nearby tiny coastal town of Cohasset, a scenic half-hour drive which I hardly minded.
For non-South Shore residents, Cohasset is a very picturesque, upscale community, with many beautiful old homes and an enchanting main street that’s been used for filming in several movies set place in New England. This was the view several houses down from Gitte and Rick’s gravel U-shaped lower driveway, their contemporary-styled house perched up on a hill overlooking the harbor.
After exchanging keys and a few minutes of pleasant conversation, I was headed back to South Shore MINI, just as the Christmas lights were beginning to come on at all the beautiful homes that looked like they belong in a magazine. With a few seat and steering column adjustments, I fired the Passat up and nervously shifted into first, bracing myself for a rough and jittery gear change as I released the clutch.
Thankfully, it was remarkably crisp, and second and third were even smoother. I found the buttery soft clutch pedal to catch at the very same high point as in the new MINIs, so there was no searching for its sweet spot. It’s shifter was was also super slick, all combining for an excellent “shift-it-yourself” experience.
Truthfully, this was the best-driving older manual transmission trade-in I’ve ever driven. Likely on its second or third clutch at 152K miles, this car was obviously well cared-for from a mechanical standpoint. Most trade-ins this old and high-mileage we get usually feel like they’re about to croak.
The sticker at the top of the windshield indicated it was up to date on its service and not a single warning light illuminated in the instrument cluster. Now when can you say that about a 13-year old Volkswagen?!
With no appointment for the rest of the day, and the likelihood of walk-ins showing up given the day we’d been having, I decided to take the long way home by way of Jerusalem Road.
For those who have never heard of it, Jerusalem Road runs along the scenic coast, and is locally well-known for its breathtaking views, numerous multi-million dollar homes, and a number of famous residents. Through Jerusalem Road’s many winding turns and short but sometimes steep dips, the Passat handled them with Teutonic poise, even on its under-inflated tires.
Despite this Passat’s rather unglamorous, workhorse persona, its German engineering made itself well known through its compliant chassis, precise steering feel, linear power delivery, and overall sure footedness. Lacking any squeaks, rattles, or moans, it took the twists, turns, and bumps with remarkable composure.
Maybe it’s because I had such low expectations, but I really have nothing negative to say about this car. It did everything it was supposed to and was a surprising delight to drive. Despite being a 3,300-pound, front-wheel drive midsize wagon with the standard 170-horsepower 1.8L inline-4, and not the available V6 or W8, it was remarkably agile and responsive, something no doubt helped by the fact that it was a manual.
It’s hard to believe that this time last year I didn’t even feel confident driving stick out on public roads. It truly takes a car like this, which would likely be so very much less amusing to drive in automatic, to appreciate the joy driving manual can bring. I still don’t think I would ever want a manual as my daily driver, as sometimes it’s nice getting to be lazy. However, if I were to purchase an older “fun” car to toy around with, say an E36 convertible, it would have to be stick. This Passat gave me a truly humbling experience, one that I’m truly grateful for.
Photographed: Towns of Hingham and Cohasset, MA – December 2016
3rd clutch? Surely not!
My ’00 New Beetle was still on its first clutch (and no signs of slipping) when I sold it at 219K miles. I see it still kicking around town occasionally four years later…
Not as many miles, but same deal with my ’00 Golf. It has the normal irritating problems with power locks (haven’t gotten in the doors to redo the solder joints on them) and other than a small loss of coolant that I’ve been monitoring recently it runs fine…original clutch, I’m also thinking about changing the timing belt (2nd time around). Body has a few dings, but otherwise pretty serviceable. I was surprised though how few miles I’ve been driving it lately, only 3600 miles last year (knew I didn’t drive it much, but thought I was doing 6-7k miles per year…and it is my only car…guess I don’t get around much). The car has been to both coasts (more than once to one of them) so I’ve taken it on some long trips, but don’t put on much local mileage it seems.
That’s the exact same mileage my ’95 Celica had when I got rid of it. Same original clutch.
My 2002 New Beetle’s clutch was fine when I sold it at 200,000 miles, too.
It all depends on:
1. Lots of city-/traffic jam driving or rolling down the highway mostly ?
2. Trailer tower or not ?
3. Does the owner think he/she is an amateur racing driver ?
4. Last but certainly not least: is there something fundamentally wrong with the driver’s feet/pedal-coordination ? If the answer is yes, then an automatic would have been the better choice anyway.
But I agree it can easily still have its 1st clutch.
My ’86 Jetta at over 300k miles is on it’s second clutch, the first was replaced around 140k miles slipping because of a leaky rear main seal. Original engine and trans still work fine. And lots of stop and go rush hour driving, for 7 years in LA and until 2009 the fun bumper to bumper Beaverton to Vancouver parking lot commute.
This 4 cylinder stick Passat is the most reliable of the bunch, powertrain wise. Weak point in these cars is early wear in the front end bushings. If it wasn’t on the other side of the US in the middle of winter, I’d be possibly it’s next owner. It’s really been taken care of, and equipped the way I’d want it.
“3rd clutch? Surely not!”
Two words: teenage daughter
At least from personal experience, I’ve driven many under-100,000 mile cars with very worm clutches, including one that was unsafe to drive. I also see many older MINIs have their clutches replaced under warranty/maintenance plan. It all depends on who was driving it.
’98 wagon 224k still first clutch. I would consider purchasing your trade-in to have when mine finally dies!
a 152,000 mile 13 year old VW *is* about to croak.
feel sorry for whoever buys that thing.
My boss’ 02(?) Passat with the diesel had well over 600,000 kms before it kicked the bucket. If you drive it right…
My SIL/BIL have had one like this since new, and they swear it’s been the most trouble-free car they’ve ever had, and it’s still going strong. And it is a very nice car to drive, having done so. This generation is essentially an Audi A4 with a bit longer wheelbase. Its dynamics are excellent.
The people I know that had the sedan version, tended to have a ton of issues with this car.
However, the individuals I know that had these did not purchase them new but instead used.
These VWs have not the best reputation for reliability here in Norway. Costly to repair and after the cars get to 10 years old they frequently needs repairs, surely you could find some exceptions.
Given the obvious care taken, does the dealer do anything special to make sure it is getting the full value out of the car. This is not the average condition of a 2003 model. Or does not being a 2003 Mini limit dealer interest.
Unless one of the dealer’s employees wants the Passat that thing is going straight to wholesale. As nice as it is a new car dealership doesn’t want something that old on their lot.
+1
Yeah we don’t typically retail anything that’s more than 3-4 years old and with 50,000+ miles on it, unless it’s in pristine condition. Even many cars that fit this criteria we send to auction, as some cars are just unsellable (i.e., a 2015 Subaru will not sell when someone can go to the Subaru dealer up the street and get a similar one with a certified pre-owned label, as it’s being sold through the original manufacturer’s dealer). Probably 95% of trade-ins at my dealer go to auction.
Possibly you mean more than 50,000?
Would the dealership sell it for cash to a private party who happened to be there the day it arrived? At wholesale price, this sure would whet my appetite.
Only if that private party was a dealer employee, as has been the case on several occasions. This usually when the car is a BMW and it’s one of the technicians who knows how to work on it buying it.
If i worked at that dealer I would have been interested in what would be a great car for me – roomy, fun and with a stick!
Sounds like someone is going to get a great car for not much outlay!
Maybe its second clutch at that mileage, wouldn’t be surprised if it had the OEM one. Looks like a well cared for car
I agree with you that this generation of Passat was quite fun to drive, which is not as surprising as reported given that it saw a return to shared mechanicals with the Audi A4, as the first generation (called VW Dasher in North America) had with the Audi Fox and the second generation (called VW Quantum in North America) had with the Audi 4000.
It was also the model that confirmed my bias toward lighter engines and two-wheel drive as the most fun to drive variation of most cars. I test drove a 1.8T, front wheel drive automatic wagon around 2001 and it was fun to drive, quick and surefooted! Ended up leasing a 2001 Saab 9-5 wagon for my ex-wife instead. About 2 years later, when I bought a 2003 VW GTI 1.8T for myself, my salesman lent me his car at one point, a VR6 4Motion Automatic Wagon. I was so excited to drive it, assuming the additional power and traction would make for an excellent performance wagon. I was wrong, it was heavy, sluggish, and apt to significant body roll. I reflected back to my late father’s 1998 Audi A8 Quattro and remembered it’s squealing, understeering front end and similarly disappointing performance. I also reflected back to a buddy’s 1998 VW GTI VR6 and remembered the engine to cause a front heaviness without enough horsepower or torque benefit to justify the extra weight.
I have driven some all wheel drive vehicles I have enjoyed to drive, including a 2003 Subaru WRX (too expensive and boy racer for me, but quite fun to drive) a 2007 Audi A4 loaner (the turbo and the 7 speed automatic did not mesh well, but otherwise the car was fun to drive), and my 2009 Cadillac SRX (https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/coal-capsule/coal-2009-cadillac-srx-a-whole-slightly-less-than-the-sum-of-its-parts/), but usually I find the unsprung weight and rotational resistance of all wheel drive to sap performance and blunt throttle response.
and I found the same to be true for the Mazda 6 I4 5 speed compared to the Mazda 6 V6 auto.
My sister had a Passat wagon for several years, though it was a few years older than this one. Hers was a diesel with a stick. I had the car at my house for a week or so once while she and her family were out of town. I drove the car a few times and remember really liking the way it drove. But then VWs have always driven very nicely when they are maintained properly.
It is funny that she has owned several VWs (I am counting six, almost all diesels) and despite usually keeping them for a long time, she has never experienced the kinds of problems that so many others seem to. Those only came when she traded the last VW for a Subaru. 🙂
As I recall, these were pretty expensive for what you got back then. Japanese or American was a much better value. But for someone who wanted that unique German experience, it was a lot better bargain than the high-priced three.
The 1996-2005 Passat B5 pretty much wiped Ford an Opel off the D-segment map here. So far they have never recovered. Ford and Opel went downhill in that era (mainly due to horrible cost savings), while VW -and also Audi- went uphill. That B5 was so much better than the contemporary el-cheapo Ford Mondeo.
Ditto for the Opel Vectra. Sold better than the Mondeo, but it only went downhill so bad that Opel trashed the name and started over, and seems to be doing well now
One man stands in the middle of all of this: José Ignacio Lopez, a Spanish manager known for its very, very tough cost-cutting on parts. He’d force the suppliers to make the parts for much less, and then again less the next year. He’d started out at Opel’s Spanish factory in Zaragoza, which produced the Corsa, and was brought to the GM Europe’s HQ for his major cost saving abilities to be applied for all of Opel and, eventually, GM in its entirety.
However, it turned out the suppliers can only cut cost so much before quality starts to suffer, and it did. Stuff like crappy wiring, faulty switches, automatic handles that wouldn’t shift out of park without some serious manual convincing, and even Astras catching fire while fueling up. Lopez’ strategy was not without faults.
Opel was in the middle of its Lopez-era cost-cutting when the Vectra competing with this Passat appeared, and combined with the lacklustre design, it severely tarnished the Vectra name. The next generation was much, much better, but the damage had been done. Subsequent Astras (1998 onwards) still suffer from those faults to this day. It drove away so many customers that the already not all that profitable division went into the red deeply and very nearly killed GM Europe when 2008 happened. Quite the deadly sin.
These Passats and the Golf/Jetta IV where not without their faults either after Lopez moved from GM to VAG in 1993. Many switches and relays were combined into one not-that-well-developed combination and the quality of the early ones was uneven at best. However, because the basic engineering was still sound, VAG didn’t suffer as much.
It’s interesting to note that already with the next Vectra, but particularly today, Opel went the same way as VAG had done: make even the most basic variant appear to mid-level. Today, and for quite some years already, you won’t find any bare-looking modern Astra or Insignia, with unpainted mirrors and door handles, and tiny wheels. It took Ford quite a bit longer to realise that.
+1. The Lopez effect.
That’s maybe one of the reasons why a Corsa C feels so much more solid than a B.
And recent basic Opels? I only distinguish them by the headlight mask. They seem really well trimmed even in stripper form
Brendan.
Were interior fittings and trim still good in that Passat? When I rode in a 1997 even slightly abused, the plastics felt really good quality and rattleless.
Yes, it was a very solid and well put together interior. High-grade, good fitting plastics (especially considering the car’s interior design dated back to 1998) and upholstery.
All the switchgear felt solidly precise and there were no defects. Even the heated cloth seats were toasty warm. The plastics were not warped in any way as a result of sun and time damage.
In fact, there weren’t even any scratches from human accident, despite the fact that the owners used it as their utilitarian car to haul stuff around that would not fit in their other two smaller cars.
I sadly cannot say the same about most modern VWs’ interior materials. Still a cut above your average Toyota, but a lot rougher grain and hollow-feeling plastics and flimsy-feeling switchgear.
The interior was always one of the USP’s of these cars. It feels really “Audi-like” being in a late 90’s VW (except for the Polo)
By 1998 you mean 1998 MY? The B5 1.8T (150 hp) I rode in was actually first registered in late 1997. It had lumbar support adjustment, kevlar-looking trim on those little “bridges” that go from the door armrests to the upper door panel, and also in the center stack. Not bad for a 20 y/o midsize car. The only weak point was the blue lighting on the gauges that can tire the eyes.
As usual, great article, Brendan, and a very enjoyable read. And I should thank god my country doesn’t have the traffic jams of the US. That means nearly everyone (including the elderly) drives a stick in rush hour.
Another proof that the 90’s were peak VW in terms of interior design, this is the interior of a 1999 SEAT Ibiza. A B-segment vehicle from one of their budget brands (at the time)!! This one was not as good material wise, but looks wise was head and shoulders above the competition. (Pic from a Portuguese used car dealer)
The early 2000’s were really the last golden era for Volkswagen, as they occupied a very distinguished niche that no longer exists. Volkswagen’s lineup of Golf, Jetta, and Passat were the premium European cars that offered a ride and handling balance that the Japanese and Americans couldn’t exactly match, although you paid a price for it. Same story with the interiors. Today, companies like Honda and Ford can offer vehicles with sophisticated driving dynamics at prices lower than what a Golf went for during that era, with better quality interiors to boot. Of course, VW attempted to match them by cheapening out their interiors and equipping some of their products with less sophisticated suspensions, which has hurt their reputation, to say nothing of the emissions scandal.
Edward the early 2000s was the era of VW’s coil debacle, sludge and windows dropping into the doors among other things. Not so great for the people who owned them and had to pay for repairs.
+1
The Golf mk5 solved a lot of issues in the mk4. The only tradeoff was the cheaper interior. The mk6 (Golf, not Jetta) got a superb interior in all the benefits of the mk5, and the mk7, aside the Audi A3 8V, might be one of the best C segments ever (now let’s see if the reliability is good)
Trust me I know. My comment was meant to reflect the qualities of Volkswagen vehicles at the time of purchase, not the general ownership experience. We had a 2003 Golf that had horrible build quality issues that turned me off to the brand completely.
The Mexican-built Golfs seemed to generally have more issues than the German-built Passat, especially the dropping-window issue, which IIRC was not at all present on the Passat.
I think what Edward is referring to is that the Volkswagens of the late-1990s/early-2000s were typically of higher-quality, more premium interiors and of a greater sporting nature than models of any Japanese or American “mainstream” brand.
They truly offered owners a more rewarding driving experience with that precise German handling, and were serious, more reasonably-priced competitors to lower level BMWs, Mercedes, and of course, Audis.
This is in contrast to modern VWs (North American-market, anyway) that are marketed as a slightly more sophisticated, but neither no more premium nor sporty alternative to Fords, Chevrolets, Hondas, Toyotas, Hyundais, Kias, etc. In fact, I’d say that in the U.S., Kia is Volkswagen’s most comparable competitor. In an effort to gain more sales, VW has become much more of a homogenized, value brand.
Like most European cars, somewhat more finicky reliability was, and still is a given.
Brendan Saur writes “… I found the buttery soft clutch pedal to catch at the very same high point as in the new MINIs.”
Sounds familiar. My ex and I bought a new 2001 Passat GLX V6 5 speed sedan in late 2000.
It was beautiful to look at, luxurious to sit in, and wonderful to drive; it went like the wind.
It was also the last VW I would ever think of buying.
I complained (more than once) about the high take up point of the clutch, but they said (more than once) that it was within specs. To me, it felt so high, it was close to being in the same situation as someone driving while resting their foot on the clutch pedal. Eventually, the clutch went bad in a smoking screeching mess, and we had to replace both the clutch and the flywheel.
There were many other failures and needed remedial services, all quite expensive.
It sounds like this wagon was one of the good ones. But if I got this on a trade-in, I’d send it out to the auctions so fast it would bounce.
Unless the owner was a terrible driver or something bad happened to the clutch( such as a defect) the clutch should be the original clutch. My 1994 Ford Probe has almost 200,000 miles on it and the clutch is original.
I was once like you in regards to the apprehension of driving a manual car Brendan. I owned and drove a couple of automatic trans cars until I needed a car and a used 1990 Ford Escort was for sale for cheap by a neighbor. The car was in great shape but was a stick. I bought it and my father tried to teach me to drive it but alas he is not the most understanding person. I ended up taking it out around 12am(when traffic was non existent) and driving it on rte 32 and 95 for a few nights and then learned it enough to drive each day. Hills are the big sweat out area in driving a stick until you master it.
I own a 1994 Ford Probe with a stick and a 2011 Colorado with an auto. When I feel like being lazy, I take the Colorado but a lot of the times I take the Probe. It is nice to have a manual trans car to keep in practice but as I approach 40 years of age, the days of driving one every day is over(with my knees)
So your state requires a brand new car to be inspected before it is sold? In Maryland, new cars are exempt from inspection because it is a brand new car that has never been titled.
Every car, whether new or used must be inspected within 7 days of being registered in MA, and it must be inspected each year within that same month.
My ’89 e30: 162,000 miles, I’m the second owner, original clutch. Just did an 800 mile round trip in that. I’ve never had to replace a clutch on anything German I’ve ever owned. Our ’88 Camry? The clutch was toast at 113k.
Also, as the kids say here in Oakland, that’s some hella customer service, Brendan. 🙂 Great post, great photos. Made me miss New England tbh.
Thank you 🙂
In addition to myself, I think I speak for my co-workers as well when I say we go above and beyond for our customers at South Shore MINI. Being a low-volume, premium manufacturer allows us to give customers a little more personalized experience than your typical big box dealer. Delivering cars to the client’s home, picking them up, or meeting them somewhere is a very typical occurrence for us, and usually it’s because we offer it before the client requests.
Having worked in customer service for most of my working life, it’s something that comes almost second nature to me. At that final point of contact with the customer, you want them to be as happy and satisfied as possible.
So (and slightly off-topic) it sounds like MINI is more willing than most to let customers special order a car? I know at most mainstream manufacturers, it practically takes an act of congress to special order–it’s dealer stock or nothing. Perhaps the dizzying array of configurations and options available make the cars more suited to custom order?
(I find myself particularly interested in the Clubman lately as a possible non-SUV candidate for my wife’s next car…)
Part of the deal with MINI is that 99% of the cars we stock are personally configured by a sales manager. It’s a benefit of being a low volume marque. Unlike your Honda, Ford, Hyundai, etc. the manufacturer doesn’t stock our inventory with a load of pre-configured vehicles.
There’s always more incentive to choose a vehicle that is already on the lot, as it’s more beneficial to the dealer. But at least with my MINI dealer, we’re very willing to do special orders if nothing comparable is out there to make a sale happen.
BMW is also very willing to do special orders (especially considering the SAVs are built in the U.S. and often arrive within less than one month) for no extra charge.
Definitely peak Passat. The car was roomy, drove well, looked great and had a really nice interior. The wagon was a hit out in California, all of the 30-something moms wanted one. The perfect anti-SUV. As you noticed Brendan the 1.8L gave plenty of power and with less weight over the front wheels it handled better than the V6. I read somewhere that the 1.8L T tends to use oil after about 70K miles. The clutch and shifter feeling good after 152K is impressive.
I quite liked the next generation, which I had in a 2007 2.0T base model plus alloy wheels with a six-speed manual. The horsepower was up to 200, the engine was transverse, allowing an even bigger interior (I believe), the electric emergency brake, functional key fob, chrome center grille and auxilary plug for iPod gave an upscale feel, and the vinyl interior was a good fake for leather. Fun, fast and functional.
I don’t recall the VW bus in the French woods having any warning lights lit on the dash either and that clutch was just fine too so that now makes two well-functioning VW’s in a row, yay! Things are looking up for VW…:-)
These are nice cars when properly adjusted, but just like Audis can fail in expensive ways if not maintained properly. And then there are some that just seem to be bad from the get-go. Still, it’s very attractive and the space inside is very usable, it’s almost Volvo-like in its cargo area squareness.
I had one of these in forest green with leather.
It was a great car until 70,000 miles.
Then it fell apart.
My problem with this era of VW/ Audi is the switch to a central electronics buss system- it killed our ’09 New Beetle (which we got VW to buy back) and set my best pal’s pops’ A8 on fire. There’s something to be said about keeping modular technology. A window sensor shouldn’t turn off the airbags, for instance. Cost-cutting at its worst, where it can’t be seen or fixed. I agree that the good ones were good and the bad ones were SO BAD.
This is one of my favorites of your pieces, Brendan. I felt like I was along for the ride, dusk / late afternoon is such an atmospheric time of day. And that’s a truly beautiful area – this felt almost like a coda to the holidays. Very nice work.
As for the Passat itself, I always liked the celery green paint available for this generation, and I’ve always found this generation of Passat very attractive.
My brother had owned not one, but two VW convertibles (an ’81 Rabbit and an ’89 Cabriolet) with high miles as a teenager, and from what I can recall and with his good upkeep of both (well, the second one anyway), he didn’t have a whole lot of problems. He owned the ’89 through his college years, and believe me, if that car was going to nickel-and-dime him to death during undergrad, he would have gotten rid of it.
Thanks Joseph, that means a lot, as I really respect your work and especially the very personal element you bring to many of your articles 🙂
Interesting, because I’m shopping for one of these right now. This was the last of the Bauhaus VWs, where function was emphasized over form. The crisp, uncluttered industrial design of it reminds me of a favorite saying: “Although nothing designed to be beautiful turns out to be useful, everything designed to be useful is beautiful.”
Small correction– this car didn’t offer the VR6, but a 2.8 liter 30-valve V6.
Ah that’s right, good correction! The VR6 was for transverse applications and the 2.8 V6 was the longitudinal Audi A4 engine!
Matt Spencer
Something about these Volkswagen dash lighting that I really loved the deep bluish-purple.
But there is such a high level of blandness about this era Volkswagen.
Blandness is what draws me to VWs…my ’17 Jetta 1.4t reminds me of the 80s era BMW 528e’s I used to drive…boxy, plain, simple interior with rock hard vinyl seats, smallish tires that don’t cost a fortune to replace, nice driving dynamics.
Embarrassed I merely assumed without doing my research for that note! My mistake 🙂
The B5 Passat is nice enough to drive — we’ve had a 2001 Passat Wagon since 2003. VWs are annoying because the labor time required to service most, if not every, part in the car, no matter how mundane, makes routine maintenance overly and surprisingly expensive. Along with the requirement of synthetic oil in that 1.8turbo. And if the work is not done by someone who is really familiar with the car, you’ll find it will have to be done all over again!
But with a modern design done in the 1990s, front, passenger and side curtain airbags, and one of the best safety records around, it was definitely the right car to let my son learn to drive in over the last few years; the Volvo’s vaunted safety being designed to a standard 25 years out-of-date.
Ed N. writes about the B5 Passat: “But with a modern design done in the 1990s, front, passenger and side curtain airbags, and one of the best safety records around…”.
I agree. My ex wife spun her 5 speed V6 2001 Passat out of control on a snowy and icy road at 70 mph (don’t ask) and went spinning into the woods. Every panel on that car was bent and smashed, every air bag was deployed, and none of the wheels were turning when it was pulled out of the woods on a wrecker’s cable. But, my ex was uninjured and fine (or as fine as she usually was under normal conditions).
Which leads me to ask a relevant question: If a car is trouble prone and expensive to fix, but very safe for its occupants, how does one do the math on that conundrum?
Along with the requirement of synthetic oil in that 1.8turbo.
VW turbos and the way they liked synthetic. VW launched a version of the Gol in Brazil with a small 1.0 turbo. Most owners didn’t care about that requirement and slapped mineral oil in there. Now it’s rare to find a Gol with that engine.
Wow, no rust at all!?
Looks like there’s an ugly rust spot by the rear window close to the taillight. Otherwise, it looks very clean. As someone who lives in salt country, one strength of these cars is that they do seem have pretty good bodies that are resistant to rust.
I dig your sweater Brendan. If it weren’t for my sweaters I’d have to move south.
Sweaters are kind of my thing – definitely my preferred cold weather choice of fashion, and probably my favorite part of colder weather 🙂
We have an ’01 New Beetle, since new but only 85K miles, mostly urban. Original clutch still feels fine … in general the clutch,shifting and steering/brakes are still wonderful compared to the few newer cars I’ve driven. But on the other hand, it has quite a few rattles and clinks, not just interior trim but I suspect many chassis and suspension bushings are quite worn. The interior plastics, many of which are painted, have not held up particularly well either, which I suspect is a combination of chronological age (despite the low mileage), and perhaps the Mexican sourcing. Overall though, this two decade old 1.8T + 5 speed powertrain is far more pleasant for daily driving than my previous 2.5T + 5 speed Subaru or my current 3.5V6 + 6 speed auto Tacoma.
Wow! Not one mention yet of the tiny plastic part in the window regulators that would break at the slightest provocation.
And the fact that the window regulator is part of the stamped steel inner door skin, so you have to strip out the entire thing (drilling out the rivets to remove the door speaker is so fun too) including the wiring harness in order to remove the inner panel.
And good luck removing the interior door panel if you don’t know where all of the secret hidden fasteners are. You’ll also likely break the plastic retainer clip on the end of the cable coming from the inner door handle and then have to replace that.
I got to replace the same window regulator twice on the same car, within two years. The first time it took me about four hours total. The second time, about 1.5 hours.
These cars are nice to drive though – but I still can’t recommend one unless you do at least some of your own repairs.
I apologize that my single hour with this car did not experience any personal car repairs. All I can say is that this car was well-cared for, everything worked properly, and it was a surprising blast to drive.
I always found these Passats to be attractive; in fact, to me, the best of the whole line. The B5 debuted with a clean shape but boring details; in the B5.5 those details were corrected and made interesting. The clear-lens projector lamps, detailed tails, and a number of other little changes really made the whole car sing.
At one point, back in 2006 I believe, I looked at these as part of a wide-ranging cross-shop. However I never made the step to actually driving one. In retrospect I kind of regret that; sounds like it would have been a much better experience than I was expecting.
Late reply I know, but an interesting fact about the Euro pre-facelift B5 we diddn’t get here was projector beam headlamps. It’s not a big detail but I feel it really cleaned up the bland look of our North American front:
Sorry, Cjiguy. Volkswagen never offered the projector headlamps for its B5 anywhere in the world. The revised B5.5 (2000-2005) did receive the OEM projector headlamps (either HID or halogen bulbs).
What you see is the aftermarket retrofit kits from various manufacturers. One good projector headlamp retrofit kit for B5 from Hella:
http://allworldautomotive.com/auto_parts_for_sale_hella_lights_and_lenses_ots6341.html
That is absolutely bizzare then. I distinctly recall Top Gear magazine (before it became trash) testing a low spec yellow Passat like the one I posted above versus the European Accord circa 1999, and it had projection lamps like the units above. Something seems off there, as I wouldn’t have even known to bring them up otherwise…
Someone above said these were made in Germany but I can confirm the crappy reliability of the Mexican build MKIVs as I am the original owner of a 2000, 5 Speed, 2.0 Jetta that I still drive (now with 145K on the clock). Falling windows, shorted out door lock modules, faulty mass air flow sensors, broken glove block hinges, center arm rest, and cup holder, grease leaking out of the doors, shattered oil stick housing, two failed alternators, worn out bushings, the coolant “crack pipe”, disintegrating blend door foam that pours through the vents and renders the heat minimal…
My parents had great experiences with an 86 Jetta and 87 Golf, and then they got a 90? Jetta that was Mexican-built and it was a NIGHTMARE. The bumper covers kept trying to fall off the poorly designed brackets, the body was apparently built out-of-square and it kept popping windshields, electrical gremlins galore. They haven’t bought a VW since.
As Matt Spencer notes above, I too prefer to avoid AWD…I did an even trade with a co-worker for his 95 Jaguar XJ6 and my 98 Audi A4 1.8t quattro automatic…he wanted AWD for his new GF’s hilly driveway and I thought the Jag sounded like fun.
I hated driving the A4. I bought it as a total loss and built it, so I had never driven it until I fixed it, and it just felt heavy, ponderous and no fun to drive. Give me RWD or FWD but I don’t enjoy AWD. That dumb A4 made me mad too…the oil filter mount blew out a seal and puked out 4 qts of fancy 5w40 synthetic oil all over the parking lot at the bank one morning while I was at the ATM. Thankfully I caught it before it hurt anything but the oil was only 500 miles old and changing out the housing to get to the seal was a giant PITA. Just changing the oil on that car was a pain.
As the owner of a 2003 GLS manual wagon, I can appreciate the vehicle in the story. At 250K, first clutch but second engine due to a belt idler pulley bolt failure, is not without maintenance, but it is a well built car and a pleasure to drive. It has made multiple trips to the rocky mountains and Chicago and recently traveled to Greenbay from eastern Iowa with the car eating up the miles at 29 mpg. I would have no issues with purchasing a 10 year old Passat wagon with 150K on it. The next owner will get many enjoyable years and miles out of this car. Enjoy.
I have been in that general area, but not on Jerusalem Road, in the past. Most recently it was driving from Hyannis to Boston on my way back from a vacation on the Cape, to see the Blue Jays play in Boston one night. A most beautiful area for sure.
That is one nice Christmas sweater!
Driven properly the clutch will outlast the rest of the car but very few people really know how to drive a manual often slipping the clutch to take off and leaving their hoof on the pedal while driving, A VW automatic would be scarier for reliability at high mileage than a manual.