2003 Volkswagen Passat 4motion 1.9 TDi turbo diesel
Summary:
Nice family car, 4motion helps a lot when out for skiing
Faults:
So far the reverse gear switch failed (common problem), engaging the rear parktronic permanently, which is not very nice when sitting in city traffic (constantly beeping).
Also a leak of fuel (diesel) from the tandem pump, lead to an antifreeze leak from the breather hose in the rear end of the engine - turned out be a common problem for this engine as well (1.9 TDI-PD, 130hp).
General Comments:
I bought that car for long journeys with my family (4 fully grown).
Lots of space inside and in luggage compartment! (Passat Variant)
Nice fuel economy for 4 wheel drive car - around 6-6.3/100km with normal speeds round 110-120km/h.
Handles substantially better than a front wheel drive Passat! Adorable handling on snow (4motion IN this car relies on Torsen diff, which in my own opinion is much better than the Haldex)
Build quality is on a high level.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 8th March, 2010