Faults:

Front headlight bulb blew. It actually exploded. Cost me 6 euro to buy a new one and 30 minutes to fit.

Car has a full service history with nothing major reported.

General Comments:

The engine in my Passat is the 130BHP one. It took me months to find the right engine, as I really wanted the 130BHP one. After viewing nearly a dozen cars for sale advertised as 130BHP, I soon realised after a quick test drive that they were not the 130BHP. Look at the tag in the boot for the KW of the engine is a dead give away. 98KW is the 130BHP version.

I'm 6'3", so I really needed a car with leg and head room. This car has plenty of it. The steering wheel is fully adjustable so it can move towards my chest unlike most cars, which only let you move the steering wheel up and down. Seats are fully adjustable and very comfortable.

Road noise is minimal and there is no wind noise. The car is very quick, but is in no way a sports car. It will roll to the left or right in corners, but it's not too severe. The suspension soaks up the bumps in the road, and the solid feel to the cars chassis makes for a very comfortable drive.

Faults:

My vehicle has had several maintenance problems, but mostly they have been part of recalls. Only once, at about 60,000 miles, did I have to pay out of pocket ($700) to have the fuel injection pump replaced, but a couple weeks later I received the recall paperwork for that specific part and was reimbursed for the out of pocket expense.

At about 85,000 miles I had to take the car to the dealership for another recall. They put me in a rental car and fixed the recall problem at no cost to me.

Now at 108,000 miles I have to pay $4,200 out of pocket to fix the engine block. This is the most I have ever had to pay for this car.

I like the car, but I am scared that it will cost me more in long run. Other than minor wear and tear, and parts that have needed replacing, this car has been good to me.

General Comments:

I love the outer structure of the vehicle. The interior is beautiful. I have the gray leather seats, and a lot of trunk space. My favorite thing is the neon blue light.

Faults:

Water pump.

Outside trim.

ABS sensor.

General Comments:

Purchased the car in late 2007. The previous owner had treated the car quite badly, however the car was cheap (late 2003 model, £4500).

After a full service and some niggly parts fixed, the car has been excellent on a run. You will get a realistic 50+ MPG if driving between 70-80 mph.

In town it is also excellent on fuel. Overall it's a really well put together car, let down by poor handling on the local country lanes. I am just about to try and sort this out by fitting a sports suspension kit; hopefully it will not ruin the ride too much on the motorway. I will update this ASAP and let you know how it goes.

The TDI Sport is the best Passat I have driven. I also tried the 1.8T & the 2.5 TDI, both of which I was not overly impressed with.

If you are in the market for a TDI Sport, I would suggest buying as cheap as you can, and have some money set aside for the servicing & replacement parts you will no doubt need.

You will be amazed at the lack of turbo lag and just how fast this model is in a straight line; you can have a lot of fun.