Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Our associate editor was quite pleased with the prospect of having the Passat as her car for the month. Not the least of the reasons was that she had been stuck in cars that have been grating at her aesthetic sense for the past three months — the Celica, Focus and the Cruiser. "Finally, I get to drive a car that's actually appealing to me; I'm not scrunching up my nose in disdain as I'm approaching it."

Yes, the sleek, mellifluous lines of the VW charmed Kim, who likened the overall shape of the car to a Dove Bar. She especially liked the harmonious and unified look of the side windows that run along the profile of the car, a confluence of unbroken lines with no jarring or discordant edges. She's usually not a fan of the ubiquitous silver hue pervading the roadways, but the slightly pearly, milky sheen of our long-term vehicle earned her approval. She praised its monotone bumper, and Kim surmised that, while the 2001.5 New Passat is a handsome car, it doesn't quite carry over the wave-smoothened sea-glass allure of the outgoing model.

She lauded the Passat for its spirited acceleration and the turbocharged inline four that barely sipped fuel, at least when she drove it (While she was able to coax out an average of 30 mpg, other drivers mysteriously banged out only 20 mpg.). John DiPietro, our used vehicle editor, commented, "[The Passat had] great power delivery characteristics for a small displacement, turbocharged four-banger, an engine architecture that usually results in a peaky power curve that's dead down low. This little jewel manages to produce plenty of grunt at low rpm (peak torque is reached at under 1,800 rpm) yet doesn't run out of breath as you wind it out."

Furthermore, DiPietro said, "The suspension calibrations strike an ideal balance between sporty handling and a plush ride." But Kim disagreed, observing that the struts were too flaccid during stops, with dives reverberating throughout the cabin for several seconds after braking. It was a welcome comfort over speed bumps and road irregularities when she was the only occupant; but the rear end was taxed with two of Kim's flunkies in the backseat, resulting in an unpleasant scraping noise when the rear mud flaps traversed over speed bumps around their housing development. She must mention, however, that her passengers were content with the accommodations, with outstanding knee and shoulder space.

While the interior aesthetics followed the German design principle of simple-yet-chic, Kim would have vastly preferred the resplendent beige interior of the 2000 Passat GLX (that won our nine car family sedan comparison test) over our monotone long-termer. Sure, the lit-up gauges added a Euro-disco flair at night, but it was otherwise too dim for an already dark car (thanks to the Ray-Ban grade window tint). At least it's aging gracefully - our second-hander is exhibiting tight fit-and-finish, although there is a slight rattle coming off the dash when sailing over a rough road. Furthermore, she was able to find a comfortable driving position, but she opined that the seatback had too great of an arc to it; resting her head on the headrest required an unnatural arching of the spine. She also disliked the stereo system, with its needlessly small buttons and separate power switch.

By the way, she finally found the reason for which the cupholders have been resoundingly criticized — she placed a can of liquid refreshment in the holder, she made a moderately speedy turn, and out flew the contents of the vessel right on to the stereo. It still works, of course, but the number six button on the preset doesn't have the same click as numbers one through five do, thanks to the sticky viscous fluid that now resides in the crawl space between the buttons. Kim's hoping that someday the adhesive will lose its tenacity.

The Passat was due for its 30,000-mile maintenance, and Kim took it in to Santa Monica Volkswagen where a courteous J.D. Dotson processed the paperwork. She also asked them to look at the brakes, which sometimes squeal, as well as the clutch that seems worn out, as it engages only at the top of pedal travel. The service advisors concluded that all was as it should be, and performed the scheduled maintenance. They took their sweet time, though; the appointment was at 9:30 a.m., and she didn't receive a call until 5:45 p.m. By then she had gone home and the Passat had to be picked up the following day.

And, keeping in the tradition of "why does this always happen to me," the left low-beam headlight burned out the day after she picked it up from the service center. She tried to make an appointment, but apparently it requires an hour's worth of service, and they didn't have an opening until the following week. We'll let you know how it turns out.

Kim recommends the Passat wholeheartedly, especially in the GLX flavor, to anyone seeking a sedan under $30,000. In fact, she even found herself urging a friend to get a fully loaded Passat over her friend's choice, a stripped-down BMW 325i. "After all, she's not a driving enthusiast, and is not particularly critical of ride quality. Sure, the BMW is more racy on the outside, but what percentage of the time do you spend staring at the car from the exterior? For her, I think that the interior creature comforts of a Passat would be more rewarding."

DiPietro echoed the comment, saying, "[The Passat is] basically the same under the skin as the Audi A4. It's a good alternative for those who yearn for the A4 but can't quite afford it, as a comparably equipped Passat is nearly $3,000 less than an A4 and has more rear seat legroom to boot."

Current Odometer: 29,026
Best Fuel Economy: 28.0 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 18.5 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 25.4 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: $101.57 (oil and filter change, tire rotation, check fluids, check brake wear)
Problems: None