Road Tests: Long-Term Test

For the month of January, Senior Editor Christian Wardlaw was the man in charge of our VW Passat. This was his second month in a row, and after last month's declaration of intended ownership after the lease is up, Wardlaw has been fastidious in his protection of the Passat. Other drivers on staff have been told to be "nice" to his car and not to damage his car. As it turned out, it was Chris who should have heeded his own advice.

Chris was more than happy to use the Passat for a holiday excursion from Los Angeles to Phoenix. As expected, the car was a pleasure to pilot for the high-speed run along Interstate 10, getting excellent fuel economy while easily maintaining a pace of 80 mph or more and providing plenty of trunk and interior space for himself and his two daughters, ages two and four. He was a bit chagrined to learn that our Passat's right brake light was not working, a problem we mentioned last month. This time, we investigated it by removing the light housing and wiggling wires; it's not the bulb, it's the wiring. Chris says he's noticed this malady on several late-model Passats and Jettas, so it seems we aren't the only ones.

After Chris returned from Phoenix, overnight temperatures plummeted into the mid-30s at the Wardlaw house a couple of nights in a row. At the early morning hour when he left for work, the Passat was covered with dew and had been sitting for 48 hours with his cell phone plugged in to charge. Chris says it took a long time for the Passat to get running that morning. Was it the cold? Did the cell phone charger drain enough battery charge to cause the problem? Do we need a new battery? Was it a combination of all three?

Later in the month, the Passat sat for seven days at the Los Angeles International Airport. When Chris got in and started it, the car gave him a hint of difficulty. Chris thinks we might need a new battery soon. At some point, the car might need a new clutch, too. When leaving our office's subterranean parking structure, a dimwitted driver caused Chris to overwork the clutch when driving up a ramp. Shortly thereafter, the smell of clutch permeated the interior and Chris noted severe slippage in second and third gears for much of the successive drive. The clutch seems OK now, but certainly Chris' antics shortened the life of the clutch considerably. Still want the car, Wardlaw?

Current Odometer: 47,525
Best Fuel Economy: 27.6 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 22.7 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 25.7 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: Intermittent brake/taillight.