Faults:

Since I have had the car I have done nothing but service and MOT; brakes were an advisory, but are OK for now, the car is all round pretty solid.

Looking through the detailed history I got with the car, the most expensive items is the injectors had an issue at some point and was fixed by specialist. Clutch was the next expensive thing. All services and belt changes have been carried out by the previous owner.

Interior is wearing well but the bodywork is starting to rust at the arches - very common on this generation of Passat. Thankfully it is just surface rust - the underside and rest of the car seem to be OK. If I can get it fixed cheap enough I will do it as the car is very nice looking otherwise, and despite the age and mileage it may warrant doing it as it is the only thing letting the car down.

General Comments:

Got this Passat a couple of years ago for a very nice price and it has been a great car. Very smart and modern despite its age, feels 7 years old, not 14.

I could be wrong, but I believe I have the last of the 1.9 TDi engines - later they moved to the 2.0 TDi version, which is apparently not as reliable. The old 1.9 TDi is not very fast, but will do 50 mpg all day. Pretty fun to drive as well, handles very sharp.

My car is black and looks very nice. "S" model is the most basic, but you do get a nice set of alloy wheels. Inside you get front electric windows, and A/C. Pretty basic by today's standards, but it does me just fine, that is all I need. Seats are comfortable, cabin is quiet and smooth even at motorway speeds, and there is plenty of space. If I have any complaints it is this one thing - I know this has been said in other reviews as well but I have to agree - I also really can't get used to that electronic button for a handbrake. Much prefer a mechanical lever.

They can be expensive cars to fix, but get a looked after one for a nice price and you have one of the best used cars on the market currently.

Faults:

Cosmetic rust.

Oil leak.

Injectors (expensive!).

Intermittent DPF light.

Electronic rear brake motors/calipers replaced (see review).

Normal wear + tear, brakes, suspension, oil and belt changes, etc.

General Comments:

A very nice car to drive and in be in, my Passat SE with optional black leather is very nice. Silver exterior, which is a nice but very common colour, I think in the UK 80% of cars must be silver!

Alloy wheels look great, and are very easy to keep clean. Also has the small boot spoiler, was on the car when I bought it, not sure if it was from factory like that. Either way I'm very happy with this generation of Passat's sleek looks.

Interior as mentioned with leather is very comfortable pace to be. Electric everything as expected for an SE model. I could moan about the electronic parking brake as many other reviews have mentioned. It's not bad, but I just do not see the point in it, and as mentioned in above faults, the motors required are expensive to replace when they fail, a lever with old cables would be much better!

2.0 TDi is fast and you will get 50 MPG if you take it slow. Handling is sharp and I have no complaints about driving this car.

Overall it is a decent modern car that I got for a nice price and has served me well, the odd expensive repair aside (that you would have with any car). It is passing MOT inspections easily enough, however my biggest concern is the cosmetic rust - very disappointing to see on post year 2000 Passat's as I have owned every generation of Passat and even the 1980s and early 1990s ones stood up better to rust than this car is. I would still recommend this car, but inspect carefully for rust, this generation is over 10 years old now.