Used 2005 Volkswagen Passat Consumer Reviews
Used Passat for sale
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
My Passat TDI
Lisa, 11/22/2005
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS TDI Fwd 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have had my 2005 Passat TDI for a little over a year now. I absolutely love it! Not only does it provide a comfortable ride and good looks, it gets awesome fuel mileage. I do a lot of driving and I fill the tank on average about every two weeks. Also, it is very roomy and has lots of trunk space.The shiftable automatic transmission is nice too. It is a great car to have.
Love It, Love It, Love It
mypassattdi, 11/22/2005
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS TDI Fwd 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have had my Passat for a full year now and I love it even more today than I did the day I drove it home. The car is so fun to drive, so comfortable and who can complain about 36 MPG back and forth to work and 43 MPG on the highway? I absolutely love this car and it is not bad to look at either. Pretty much the only things I would change is that I would add more cupholders throughout the vehicle and the ability to completely turn off the headlights without shutting down the engine (I have to go through a guard gate to get to work and the guards yell at me all the time because I have my lights on in their faces).
2005 Volkswagen Passat for sale near you
Showing 3 of 4 listings
- GLS TDI Diesel SedanMSRP: $5,995555 mi away
- GLS 1.8T SedanMSRP: $4,4501,111 mi away
- GLS 1.8T SedanMSRP: $4,9501,238 mi away
See all 4 listings
Great little car and fun to drive
Otto, 12/05/2005
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Fwd 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I am very happy with my Passat wagon. It is nimble and a blast to drive thanks to great handling. The turbo motor lacks low end torque, but once you put your foot into it, the car has enough power to get you in and out of trouble. Its highway mileage is also a real plus, but the 91 octane requirement means you need premium fuel. It has good cargo room for its class and the high roof helps out here. The fit and finish are also very good. The interior is austere but very well done, but the glovebox is the only real storage space.
Best VW I've Owned!
TDIMichMan, 12/20/2005
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS TDI Fwd 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I've had my '05 Passat TDI for about four months now, and I love it. I was a bit concerned that it wouldn't be as peppy as my '03 Jetta Turbo, but it has quite a bit of zip. Its passing power could be a little better though. You just have to plan ahead a little more for passing maneuvers. The back seat is huge for a car this size. The gas mileage is awesome, although it will drop in the cold weather. Also, it's a dog on cold mornings, until it gets warmed up. Overall, I can't complain. For the money, it's a very nice ride. Now I just need to get used to the funny looks I get from the truckers at the diesel pumps, and the station attendants asking me, "Um, you know that pump is diesel?"
I Love My Passat
Tweetgurl , 01/16/2006
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Fwd 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I went from a Mitsubishi Lancer to a 2005 Volkswagen Passat. Every time I looked at a Passat on the road, I was envious. Finally, I bought a 2005 Passat that had been a dealer demo so it had less than 5,000 miles on it even though I bought it December 2005. I love my car! It takes some time getting used to, but I enjoy the experience. The ride is fairly smooth and I feel important driving this car. I checked out the 2006 Passat and was appalled at the price. I was able to buy my '05 Passat for thousands of dollars less than the current rate for a new '06 Passat. I don't like the new body style of the '06 Passat, though I do like the chrome in the front. Overall, I'm satisfied with my purchase.
Terrible Gas Mileage - Passat V6 GLX
JCrumley, 01/17/2006
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLX Fwd 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 5A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I purchased a new 2005 Passat GLX (V6 Auto) in Sept '05. The comfort of this car is awesome. I really like the car but the gas mileage stinks! I get anywhere from 13-15 mpg in the city and 17-19 mpg on the highway. The dealership states the car is OK....all checks out OK...sure, its not them buying premium gasoline and its a far cry from the "EPA avg. of 19 and 26" which is used in their sales speech! With this gas consumption, I should have bought a Tourag...then I could not complain. Most likely I will be getting rid of the car in the near future simply because of the gas mileage.
This Car Could Be With Us For 15 Years!
Dolphin, 01/17/2006
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS TDI Fwd 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I needed a new car, and it came down to the Passat TDI and a Camry SE. I am happy with my choice. The United Gray with gray leather interior looks great. We had some trouble with the original radio, but that was replaced. I am considering adding the rear fog light. This car will end up with my daughter when she goes to college, she is 10 now, and it is an incredibly solid car. It has room for 5 in comfort, and gets 33+ MPGs cruising at 80-85 MPH, with enough torque to pass anything in your way! it is a little heavy on the wind noise at these speeds, but I can still hear the sound on my kids video games!
Better than my BMW 325
mrlutgen, 06/23/2006
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Fwd 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought my wife a 2005 Passat. I like it so much that I am trading in my BMW for an '06 Passat. This car has all the same quality and handling of any other German car but the price is much more reasonable.
Great Car, Great Fuel Economy
Sail, 06/27/2006
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS TDI Fwd 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The new TDI diesel engines are extremely powerful, very reliable and quiet! This is a fantastic mid-size car that is solidly built. It handles like a sports car and has the comfort of a luxury sedan. I have no idea why anyone concerned with fuel economy would bother with hybrids (what do you do with the old batteries?). Gas cars with this kind of fuel economy are small, lightweight and underpowered. This car is solid. I feel very safe in it should I have an accident.
Pass 'Em
Ted, 02/11/2007
2005 Volkswagen Passat GL TDI Fwd 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I love to step on the gas (fuel) pedal and feel the smooth, rapid acceleration. This car will run. Its handling is superb. It is a very safe car. It gets about 30-32 mpg at 8 0mph with the a/c on. It has a huge trunk. It hauls five adults with ease and has no difficulty handling or accelerating with a load. It does have a slight vibration at idle from the motor, but no one complains. Most are surprised when they find out it's a diesel. This is my second VW diesel. The first was a Golf TDI which got totaled. We were sandwiched in a wreck, drove the car home five miles, and were surprised when the insurance company totaled. it. My wife wanted a trunk, so we got the Passat. It is a good car.
Great Car
Tom, 04/13/2007
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS TDI Fwd 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car is excellent. The quality, fit and attention to detail is great. The reliability is outstanding. Handling great. With 17" tires it sticks like glue to the corners. The car is leading edge producing 134 HP. It uses every bit of energy in the diesel fuel. Temper your MPG expectations, if based on these reviews. The EPA mileage rating is 27/38 and while some are stating solid numbers over 40, those come with caveats. For example, the quality of the diesel fuel. The west coast does not have the true high performance diesel like other areas. These high MPG are obtained on long highway runs. My personal best is 39 MPG. Average commute numbers are 32 MPG (30% city/70% highway).
Don't Pass This Car Up
Erik, 06/09/2007
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS TDI Fwd 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car is amazing! I have had over 48 mpg on two tanks of diesel. It is solidly built, quick, and fun. This car is worth every penny and should not be passed up if it's available. I am not sure how it will do for winter driving, but I suspect it will be fine. For me this car is better then any hybrid and compromises nothing in quality for fuel economy. I hope more car makers look toward turbo diesel technology, it is truly awesome.
I own two
Aldo Waker, 11/16/2007
2005 Volkswagen Passat GL 1.8T Fwd 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I own a plain vanilla GL sedan and a GLS wagon with upgraded 17 inch tires. Overall, both are good performing cars. Have never had a mechanical problem. The wagon is a great ride on the highway and the sedan is easier in the city. Handles well and good fuel economy. I wish the seats were a little bigger/wider. I'm 6 feet and 200 lbs and have sat in much more comfortable cars. Having said that, the interior is pretty roomy for a small car. Can seat 4 comfortably. There is a bit of turbo lag on the when you you want to accelerate which can be frustrating. Once it kicks in, it is pretty quick. They are very fun to drive. Trunk/rear space is excellent.
Bad Decision
bauerinav, 01/29/2011
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Fwd 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Bought a 2005 Passat in Nov, 2010 (less than 2 months ago). It's been in the shop 5 times already with the engine light on. Each time its supposedly fixed, yet within 2 weeks the light is back on again. Thank God it's still under warranty - car only has 60k miles on it! Issues have been:misfire, MAF, oxygen sensor, computer update, and vacuum seal. I'm beginning to think the car will need to be traded in before the warranty expires! VW has not been helpful at all. Wanted a vehicle with a great service department - have yet to experience that. Should've kept my Saturn - at 150k miles it had less issues!
Car is unreliable, CS is pathetic
mminch, 03/29/2008
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Fwd 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Have had the car three years. The first winter we had it, it did not start on 2 occasions. Both times the dealer did tow it, but could find nothing wrong. We were told misfires. On two other occasions the engine light when on, we took it in, and they told us misfires again. The battery also failed, but the dealer replaced it. The warranty recently expired and the engine light has come on, the repairs have run about $500. In total the engine light has come on at least 6 times in less then 60,000 miles. Very safe car when it starts, very unreliable. Our local dealer takes no accountability, their favorite sayings are "I'm sorry" and "I don't know" when I ask what I can do.
Best car so far!!!
Doug, 08/04/2018
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS TDI Fwd 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this Passat used because I needed another vehicle to drive to work that got good gas mileage! I'm proud of my decision! This car has all the comfort, gas mileage and acceleration I need. Visibility is great, the GLS Tdi trim package is the best! I would not trade this car for anything! With 163,000 miles, I'm just breaking that sweet diesel in!
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Can VW succeed with the Pheaton ?
VW Out to Lunch, 10/25/2004
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Fwd 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
The car is pleasant to drive. The big problem is that VW and their dealers do not seem to be on the same page when it comes to important things like what kind of oil to use for oil changes. The owners manual and VW say to ONLY use 5w40 oil which meets VW's 502.00 standard. That means a synthetic oil. Dealers appearently are tying to not give customers sticker shock on oil changes because they all use conventional motor oil on the order of 5w30 or 10w40. VW has recently issued an 8 year extended warranty for many VW's with the 1.8 turbo gas engine yet they don't seem to be able to convince their dealers to use the very oil that they, VW, says to owners is so very important. Go figure.
This is the car that saved my fanily...
Amine, 09/16/2005
2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS TDI Fwd 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Beside the looks and the performance, this car is one of the safest vehicles in the roads. I love the way it drive, the way it looks inside and out. But what I love the most is the safety that provides to me and my family. I originally bought 1.8T GLS on January 2005, but an eighteen wheeler crashed it against the concrete divider in the highway. Being hit by a truck Driven at 60 miles an hour, the damage was extensive, and the vehicle was totaled. However, my family and I walked out with virtually no injuries (my wife got a bruise when her legs hit the dashboard). I was impressed how well it was built, so I went and bought the TDI the next day. You'll never regret buying a Passat. I love it.
Overrated Junk Box
Chicken Lips, 01/28/2006
2005 Volkswagen Passat GL 1.8T Fwd 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
What a mistake. I believed all the hype and paid $21,000 for a small cramped poor performance car that needs premium fuel. My 2005 Volkswagen Passat has no pick up at all. I'm not a big guy, but the car is so cramped it feels like I'm wearing a straight jacket. German engineering, yeah right. Everything rattles and my brakes went at 3,500 miles. It burns oil too. Save your money and by a Hyundai Elantra!