2003 Volkswagen Passat

I purchased a new '03 Passat GL 1.8T manual transmission as a compromise with my wife -- I wanted a sports car (or the closest thing I could afford), but she wanted a sensible, family vehicle. I was on the fence between the Passat and the new (at the time) Mazda 6. The Mazda, comparably priced, would be loaded with leather, sunroof, etc. for the same price as the Passat GL with alloy wheels. However, it was the test drive that hooked me (and believe me, I thoroughly enjoyed the Mazda 6 tiptronic). We grabbed the keys from the dealer to take the Passat on a weekend joyride through SW Texas. As soon as I merged onto the interstate, I was shocked to realize that I was pushing 90. The car just feels so solid and smooth and the turbo provides constant and consistent acceleration. It felt as if I was driving a supercharged V6, not a turbo-charged 4 cyl. Climbing mountain roads did not significantly slow down the turbo, either. Admittedly, this car is no rocket, but for those who like the occasional squeal of tires from a stop light or the assurance of plenty o' passing power at any speed, this car delivers! This was my first new VW (I owned an '89 4dr Fox) and my first turbo experience - 2 things that I plan on repeating!

Like any serious driver, I love manual transmissions. The Passat's clutch is weighted perfectly, lending to quick shifting while providing ample feedback to the driver. The 5 speed shifter is shorter than I would expect on a family sedan, again lending an immediate sporty feel. I think that shortening the throws by 1/2 an inch or so would match perfectly with the feel of the clutch.

The car feels well balanced, not quite as balanced as the Mazda 6, but able to carve through a corner, just begging you to push it to the limits. The stock suspension seems well tuned, allowing both a smooth and refined ride with agility and composure in high-speed cornering. The ride quality does begin to suffer on severely patched and pot-holed roads, though.

The 1.8T is a beautiful engine. It provides a surprisingly wide torque band starting at approx. 1700 rpm, that gives immediate throttle feedback (and a smile to your face). If you are below 1700 rpm, you'll experience some turbo lag while everything speeds up, but there's no doubt when it kicks in. You can even make out the faint whistle of the turbo if you listen hard. The regular engine noise itself is quiet both inside and out, only intruding into the cabin when invited (during quick acceleration or high speed driving). Caution to those in northern climates: Use caution when accelerating on icy roads, the quick spin up of the turbo can cause loss of traction when it suddenly kicks in. A nice smooth application of power, along with the standard ASR system (Anti-Slip Regulation), will provide adequate traction in nearly all driving conditions. The 1.8T also provides great fuel economy when driven a tad more conservatively. The standard fuel computer provides instantaneous mileage feedback and can teach you how to maximize fuel economy through pedal pressure and the use of different gears. When not pretending that I'm driving a sleek, sporty Audi, I can consistenly achieve 28 - 32 mpg on premium fuel. Lots of city driving will drag the numbers down to about 25 mpg. If I drive extremely miserly, I can even get up to 40mpg (my max was 47mpg), but I didn't make any friends by driving 55 mph everytime I got on the freeway.

Maintenance for this car has been a relatively good experience. The engine is reliable with no maintenance required other than an oil change every 5K miles. I've experienced no electrical problems other than both lowbeams for the headlights burning out after 2.5 years -- an easy replacement, I just went to an auto store and bought 2 new bulbs, borrowed their screwdriver, and was done in 10 min. No transmission or turbo problems (and I use the turbo daily). All of my routine mx was performed at VW dealerships, however these can be pricey. My work-around was to wait a bit longer for the scheduled mx checks and roll 2 or 3 of them into just 1 -- for example, waiting for 57,000 miles to do the 50K, 55K, and 60K checks, making sure that the techs knew to follow whichever one was most comprehensive.

The exterior of the car looks great. The chrome is very tastefully applied and when compared to Passats 1 or 2 years older (w/out the chrome) it's immediately apparent that it adds an expensive, upscale appearance. The windows came with a 3% tint, but a tint of about 15% or so really adds to the look. Get the alloy wheels if you can, the hubcaps don't fit the sleek design at all. I've seen several that have been modified with spoilers and ground effects, and they really make the car appear just as sporty as an Audi or BMW, but I've been satisfied with the slightly understated luxury look of the car as is.

The interior is very comfortable and well laid out. Steering wheel is fully adjustable, seats are also height adjustable and have adj. lumbar support, the CD/tape stereo is more than adequate unless you require head-splitting highs and lows, the environmental controls maintain a comfortable cabin and are straight forward in operation, steering wheel stalks are elegant and control the trip/fuel computer, cruise control, wipers, blinkers, and high beams, and the seats are comfortable for extended drives. The only weak point, in my opinion, is the fabric for the seats in the base GL model. They are a patterned velour that does look attractive, however, the fabric acts as a large lint brush picking up fuzz from your favorite sweater and holding onto it just long enough to transfer it onto your favorite suit coat. Also, reclining either of the front seats feels tedious and a bit akward using the rotary dials that are on the bottom, rear, outside portion of the seats. I wish I were able to buy this car again so I could load it up with leather seats, dual climate control, seat heaters, and a sunroof. So far, the only wear and tear that I've experienced over nearly 70K miles in 3 years is the gear shift knob and boot -- the leatherette on the boot is worn on the passenger side of the knob where my hand tends to rest between shifting gears and the chrome-plastic ring bordering the shift diagram on top of the knob began cracking and flaking off after about 2 years.

This car provides excellent utility and flexibility, in addition to all of its other strengths. The trunk is huge, the 60/40 folding backseat is both comfortable for pax and a lifesaver for carrying large items, and just recently I pulled a 1000 lbs. U-Haul trailer for 2000 miles and still got about 22 -26 mpg!

To summarize: I was originally reluctant to admit that I was now a responsible "family man," but when I'm alone behind the wheel, this car allows me to forget that there are four doors, a respectable, conservative exterior, and a 4-cyl under the hood. The 1.8T is a "driver's car" undoubtedly. And I've been proud to pull my modest V-'dub' alongside colleagues' BMW's and surprise them with its classy good looks, performance, and standard features. An EXCELLENT, RELIABLE, and unexpectedly SPORTY car all around.