SECOND-HAND SENSE: There was a time when the Volkswagen Passat seemed unassailable as the country's favourite rep mobile. In its diesel guise it was also a preferred choice with taxi drivers and farmers and anyone else who needed the next best thing to a tank for high mileage and heavy duty.
The reasons were obvious - it was strong, reliable, very roomy, had a huge boot and it allowed you to step out of it after a long journey with a reasonably straight back.
But the Passat's big weakness was that it was dull to look at and to drive. Its reign ended when the Ford Mondeo began to get its act together and the Opel Vectra began to get the message about the serious lack of rear space. Just as the new Mondeo was being launched, VW's quality problems were also becoming very apparent - the fact that virtually every door lock on every Passat had to be replaced about five years ago is just one example of the kind of problems that began to hit VW at the time. Happily, this era seems to have passed but people have long memories.
A major turning point for the Passat came when the latest version was launched in the winter of 2000/2001. There were serious improvements not just in quality but also in handling, road holding, steering, braking feel and overall finish. The Passat was headed back to its former popularity, but the Mondeo was ahead again.
Starting with the standard 1.6, the Passat has always had a pretty generous choice of engines. My favorites are that basic 1.6 and the 1.9 turbo diesel. The former is familiar, dependable and pretty economical, while the latter has all the power needed for long-haul work but not necessarily for 0-60mph times.
You still have the big boot and the spacious interior and that overall VW feeling of strength. The doors' reassuring clunk is back.
The Passat has done well in crash tests but not as well as one might have expected given the five- star status of the new Golf in the Euro NCAP crash tests. The Passat has four out of a possible five stars, with a 75 per cent rating for frontal impacts and 89 per cent for side impacts. Pedestrian protection scoring is a very poor 36 per cent.
Most of the Passat's problems relate to pre-2000 models but not all second- hand buyers can afford a car less than four years old. Steering ball joints, cooling fan motors and throttle valves have all given problems with pre-2000 cars and there have been several recalls because of these and other faults. So get a pre-2000 car checked very carefully. German reliability took rather a battering at the time but things have improved since.
A 2000 model with a 1.6 petrol engine and 48,000 on the clock and with Comfortline specification (alloys, sunroof, electric windows, multiple airbags etc) has an asking price at one garage of €14,950, which is too much for my liking. However, a 2002 model - same spec, plus traction control - is even steeper at €21,950 but with a reasonable 13,000 on the clock.
The Passat still commands high prices second-hand, some of them very unfair, so don't rush into anything. The car may be a workhorse but is that what everyone really needs? Besides, the Mondeo is a better looking car. ...