Road Tests: Long-Term Test

When you've got less than $25,000 to spend on a new family sedan, the choices seem obvious: Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. In fact, those are the models most people choose because they do the job asked of them competently and without whimper. They also perform well and hold their resale value, so that when it comes time to trade-in on a new Accord or Camry, owners are able to extract a fat down payment on the new car from the old.

Snoozemobiles, you say? Sure, but most people in this world are Point-A-to-Point-B kinds of drivers. They don't care about road feel, a zingy powertrain or fine-tuned driving dynamics. All they want is a simple, roomy car that starts every day. Accord and Camry have delivered that experience for years.

For sedan drivers who crave a little more from the commuting experience, the Nissan Maxima and Volkswagen Passat stand ready to serve. Nearly a year ago, in response to Edmunds.com reader suggestions, we acquired a certified-used 1999 Volkswagen Passat GLS for a long-term test. As we approach the 12-month/20,000-mile mark, we have little but good things to say about our VW every month.

Senior Editor Christian Wardlaw was most recently charged with piloting our silver Passat. "Aside from a broken air vent vane, a creaking center console and an odd squeak coming from the vicinity of the parcel shelf, our Volkswagen remains drum-tight," he reported.

After several days of commuting 80 miles round-trip to the office, Wardlaw declared the Passat his ideal family sedan, citing its communicative chassis, plush ride quality, comfortable seats, confident handling and impressive fuel mileage. He also quibbled with those who've reported in the past that the clutch take-up for our manually shifted transmission is too high. "I jumped in the Passat without having driven it in months and quickly acclimated to the clutch and shifter. Yes, the take-up is high, but to my recollection, that is a common characteristic of Volkswagen products. Everything operates as it should, so to characterize the clutch as a problem without having had it examined by a dealership seems unfair."

Without re-hashing myriad complaints about the lame cupholders (which VW has properly redesigned on 2001.5 models), Wardlaw did vent a couple of minor gripes. "I wish the seat height adjuster raised the driver's chair even higher." Readers, take note that Wardlaw is a freak who would drive with his head planted into the headliner, if he could. He also groused about the light-effort steering assist, but most of us think it's perfect for urban duty without losing its responsiveness at speed.

Really, there isn't anything significant about which to complain. All of our staffers roundly praise the Passat, and when passengers find out what we paid for this slightly used German sedan, equipped with leather and a sunroof, their mouths gape wide open. Got $20,000 to spend on a new car? Skip that new Chevy Malibu and try a certified-used Volkswagen Passat on for size. You'll be glad you did.

Current Odometer: 38,492
Best Fuel Economy: 27.5 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 22.4 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 25.5 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None