I really loved the Passat, the 1.8t engine was quick, and the automatic transmission shifted great... when they were working correctly. I constantly had to fix things to keep it running right, water pump, 02 sensor, fuel pump etc. But when it ran it was pretty damn fun to drive unless it was loaded down with 5 people. The suede leather interior deteriorated real quickly, a common problem I see in these cars, but I put in new cloth seats and they look great. People comment on this car a lot and always think it is newer than it is, for a 15 year old car the styling is really modern. All my friends love my car. Like I said earlier it was pretty quick in a straight line, and it felt way faster than it really was. Had a lot of body roll around even slight corners. The brakes were awesome despite my lack of abs. (Module went bad.) I felt real confident merging around town and on the highway, and confident in the rain.

I bought my Volkswagen Passat because I really liked its styling and I had heard good things about the reliability of Volkswagens. In addition, I was somewhat nostalgic for my youth, in which my first two cars as a teenager were Volkswagens. I think the Passat handles well and offers a very smooth ride. Its acceleration is very good and so is its mileage, which is an important feature in this time of rapidly rising gas prices. However, the Passat requires premium gasoline, which tends to offset the great mileage in terms of fueling costs. The VW Passat handles like a dream, brakes smoothly, and is a joy to drive. I definitely feel safe driving it because it hugs the road. Other than the fuel issue, the only negative has been the rather high purchase price and the fact that repairs and maintenance costs are typically higher than the costs I have incurred with previous comparable vehicles (a Toyota and a Nissan).