Second-hand sense: If ever a car was designed to become a beast of burden, then the Volkswagen Passat is probably it. Sturdy, spacious, comfortable and with oodles of boot room, the Passat was once the car of choice for farmers, sales executives, vets and those who needed lots of family space.
It is still, of course, a good car but the world of car design has changed a great deal since it was introduced, and the Passat no longer really shines when compared with several of its competitors - the Ford Mondeo being a good example.
This week's choice is the estate version of the Passat because it is still hard to beat for practicality, sturdiness of construction and interior space. Its looks are nothing special and it won't turn any heads but the Passat estate is one of those cars whose inside benefits most from its exterior design and dimensions.
When you close the car door you will hear a reassuring clunk and when you drive it you will be conscious of its weight. It is very solid, the seats are big and comfortable, all switchgear and instruments are practical and easy to use and read and the covered boot space in the rear will be able to accommodate a dog, golf clubs, luggage and whatever else you care to throw at it with ease. Four tall passengers will find no complaints when it comes to head and leg room. There are several engine choices, but the one I favour most is the 1.9 TDi diesel, which will give a good 50 mpg if it is well looked after. It is by no means the quietest diesel but it is one of the most flexible, offering a good spread of power through the rev band. Driving it reminds one of how closely related the car is to its equivalent Audi relatives. You could drive this car several hundred kilometres and emerge not excited, but not stressed or with a sore back either.
You get the feeling that the Passat will last for ever. But it has had its problems. A few years ago VW was suffering, like other German manufacturers from quality control problems (door locks were a major problem in the case of the Passat) but serious effort indeed has been put into eliminating them.
Until 2005 the Passat had a four-star safety scoring in the EuroNCAP crash tests, being faulted only because the areas that the driver's knees might hit included hard sections that could cause serious injuries. Another test was conducted when the new model was introduced in 2005 and the car scored a rating of five out of five. The multiple airbags were praised as was the child protection afforded.
Between the early and late 1990s there were quite a few safety recalls on the Passat but only small numbers have been recalled in recent years for problems with shock absorbers and airbags.
The Passat estate does not come cheap but you should try for a car with a decent level of specification. The Comfortline, for instance, has air conditioning, multiple airbags, ABS, traction control, electrics and so on. A 2003 petrol version with 34,000 miles on the clock has an asking price at one Dublin garage of €20,000. A 2003 version with a 1.9 diesel engine and 89,000 on the clock is on offer at €17,000, while a 2004 version with the same engine and 60,000 miles is on offer for €23,950.
Please remember - the Passat can be very heavily worked indeed, and high mileage ones need to be looked at very carefully.
- DONAL BYRNE
FOR: Practical, dependable and has a great boot area.
AGAINST: Dull profile.