Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Besides less-than-stellar high-beam headlights and the slight lack of power at slower engine speeds, Technical Editor Miles Cook found our long-term Volkswagen Passat to be the near ideal sedan.

"Is this the perfect car?" he wondered. Probably not, but it's mighty close for several reasons. First up is the engine. The 1.8-liter turbocharged four makes good power considering its small size. The five-speed transmission shifts like a dream with what Cook felt was excellent clutch take-up and a nifty shifter that's precise and easy to use.

There's also the car's comfy interior with its pleasant front seats, trick blue-lit gauges at night, impressive-sounding stereo and roomy backseat. In short, there's really nothing to nitpick this month about our long-term Vee-Dub. In fact, one of the most pleasing aspects of the car is its ability to travel more than 400 miles on one tank of fuel, easily getting nearly 30 mpg on the open road. After driving such vehicles as our long-term Mazda Tribute, which requires refilling after less than 300 miles, this nice feature becomes even more enjoyable as time in the Passat passes by.

Since our staff enjoys driving the Passat so much, it's no wonder that its 35,000-mile service is already upon us. We didn't even need an appointment at Volkswagen of Santa Monica for its oil-change and inspection service. An oil-and-filter change was performed along with a filling of the washer fluid. The tire pressures were set and the oil-pan bolts were also retorqued. We were on our way out of the shop after three hours. The total cost for the service work was an impressively low $34.43. If a dealership experience is any more painless than that, we'd sure like to hear about it. For the rest of the time, Cook motored happily about, always finding praise for the Passat's road manners each time he climbed behind the wheel.

The only issue that concerned us a little bit this month was the chime that sounded along with the brake light coming on. According to the owner's manual, this meant the brake-system master cylinder was low on brake fluid. Cook checked the reservoir and noted that it was at the "min" (minimum) level. Topping off the fluid to the full mark solved the issue and we were on our way. At the 40,000-mile mark, we'll also have the brakes inspected since on the 35,000-mile service receipt, the pads were noted to be fairly worn and might need to be replaced at the next stop.

Contributing Editor Erin Riches also spent a few days in the Passat this month. She relates: "Although it turned out the brake-system master cylinder was low, the brake-warning indicator didn't come on at all for me. Braking was as strong as ever, but I could certainly do without the suspension dive that accompanies short stops.

"The tilt and telescope adjustments for the steering wheel are an excellent feature for a family sedan. I'm always able to find a comfortable driving position in this vehicle, manual seat adjustments and all. The seats are really supportive, too — I really enjoy using the Passat for my commute. It's very easy to remain comfortable in this car, even when traffic is crawling along.

"What a great powertrain. I can't believe how fast the 1.8T feels even though it's lugging around a 3,000-pound family sedan. I guess it's the easily accessible 155 foot-pounds of torque (1,750 to 4,600 rpm) and the extremely refined nature of this powerplant. Even though I like the performance with the manual, I'm curious to try a pre-2001.5 Passat with an automatic (which would be a preferable combination for most commuters). That said, this is the most agreeable manual transmission I've ever encountered — you don't need a background in performance driving to get a smooth downshift (a perfect car for someone who has just learned to drive a manual). Also the wide torque band allows the Passat to scoot along smoothly in first gear in 10-mph traffic — the performance of a manual versus the ease of an automatic is not really an issue with this car. Still, I could do without the loose shiftgate — I've never missed a gear, but shifting into third feels vague and rubbery. Also, I wonder if clutch wear is getting worse — it seemed to take a long time for first gear to "catch" this time around.

"I found the steering a little overboosted at highway speeds — the extra play makes the front end feel a bit loose and wiggly. A tighter ratio would increase the driver's feeling of control and, ultimately, my enjoyment behind the wheel.

"I noticed earlier that some people were unable to eject the CD cartridge. I assume that this has been resolved. I have never had any difficulty with it, though (and I always listen to CDs) — the trick is definitely to hold down the eject button for a couple of seconds until the cartridge releases.

"While the aftermarket glass tinting causes some distortion at night, it definitely helps keep the black interior cool. I'll remember this, as I'm definitely partial to black interiors.

"I've grown to like the Passat's ride-tuned suspension, at least for commuting purposes. Its priority is certainly to soak up everything in its path, but it does so with a high level of control. Absorption doesn't mean float or wallow to the Passat. And the driver gets just enough road information to know that she's driving something sportier than an Accord or Camry. Still, a sport suspension would be a nice addition to the option list, something similar to the Nissan Maxima SE's."

With the new 2001.5 Passat now available, the '99s will be even more of a bargain. Based on our experience with our example, we'd say the current-generation Passat would be a wise purchase for anyone shopping the family-sedan market segment.

Current Odometer: 36,016
Best Fuel Economy: 28.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 26.0 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 25.5 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: $36.43 (oil-and-filter change, brake inspection and windshield washer-fluid top off); $2.00 (brake fluid)
Problems: Low brake fluid in brake-system master cylinder