Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Our 1999 silver Passat GLS has been with us for two years now and it's time to say good-bye. As we regretfully prepare to turn over the keys to a new owner, we find ourselves reflecting on the time spent driving this elegant, economical and enjoyable car.

Two things stood out in the mind of this month's driver, Consumer Advice Editor Philip Reed: build quality and driving pleasure.

Musing on this subject, Phil wrote in his logbook: "My feelings can be summed up by the fact that I often find myself being surprised by the quality of the workmanship and the number of thoughtful features. A good example of this is the mechanism that holds up the trunk lid. In other cars the trunk lid is connected by bent hollow metal tubing. In the Passat, this is controlled by a series of quiet, sturdy pistons and hinges."

He continued, "In the Passat, my expectations are usually exceeded. In other cars, when I look below the surface, I am often disappointed by poor build and materials quality and the corner and cost-cutting."

For example, compare the steering wheel in the Passat to the one in our 2002 Nissan Altima. In the Passat, the glossy VW logo is pressed into real leather. It gleams like a jewel on a velvet tray. In the Altima the Nissan logo is embedded into a cheap, rough-edged piece of molded plastic. While this may seem like a small thing, this detail is right under your nose the entire time you drive the car.

Besides the trunk lid mechanism and the steering wheel, Phil was impressed by the grab handles over the driver and passenger doors. In most cars, these slam back in place with an annoying thwack! In the Passat these handles are damped, returning to position slowly, luxuriously. The lid covering the ashtray slides back slowly if you nudge it past a notched detent. Again, this creates a sense of luxury not found in other cars of the same price.

What this means for the consumer is that, when you buy a Passat you feel you have gotten good value for your money.

The second point in Phil's summation was the driving pleasure the Passat affords. Much of the joy comes from the silky smooth action of the stick shift. It has just the right kind of resistance, as if it were a precisely milled rod passing between well-oiled and spring-loaded ball bearings. The sedan also handles quite well (more on this in last month's update) while still offering a comfortable ride. The suspension isn't overly stiff and the steering is precise.

At the risk of repeating himself Phil has to register several objections. The seat adjustments are difficult to reach and hard to use. The radio is kind of a disaster to operate since there are many fussy little buttons that are hard to hit while driving at highway speeds. Finally, the rear visibility of the Passat is restricted; the doors are high and restrict visibility, and then, the rear headrests reduce it even more. "If it was my car, I might remove the rear headrests," he wrote.

Few cars have held their lines and their appeal as well as the Passat. And few have held their value as well, too. Checking the True Market Value (TMV®) of the Passat, we find it is worth about $15,300. We leased the car two years ago for $19,775. This means it cost us only $4,475 (plus a multitude of fees) to drive the car for two fun-filled years.

Are you the current or previous owner of a 1999 Volkswagen Passat GLS? Tell us all the details about what your experience has been. Please e-mail your comments to editor@edmunds.com by Oct. 22, 2002, and be sure to include your full name and your city and state of residence.

Current Odometer: 55,616
Best Fuel Economy: 26.1 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 22.6 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 25.1 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None