Volkswagen's Passat has been around in Australia since 1974 although it wasn't until the late 1990s that local buyers started to take the model seriously. Partly because VW was still thought of as the Beetle car company, but also due to the fact that it wasn’t marketed particularly well. Passat is a solidly built car with the hewn-from-a billet feel that had endeared the German marque to Australians since way back in the Beetle days. These older Passats are probably best left to the enthusiasts, so we will concentrate on cars from the 1995 model onwards.

 

Though the VW Passat started to sell in reasonable numbers about this time, its unimaginative styling didn’t appeal to everyone and it still wasn’t a success on the Australian market. Resale value on the mid to late ‘90s Passats isn't great so you can get a lot of European car at a decent price. Keep in mind that they are getting on in years so be sure of the condition before committing your hard-earned.

Things changed for the better with the stylish new 1998 mode, and Passat's career improved further when Volkswagen head office took over direct distribution in this country in January 2001, throwing a lot of marketing might, and dollars, at the complete VW range.

Passat is a conventional medium-large car with a good sized cabin and huge boot. Initially all Australian Passat imports were four-door sedans but with the introduction of the 1998 model, five-door wagons were offered as well. Wagons continue to be a popular choice to this day as their squared off rear end makes for a practical load area.

VW Passat is easy to drive and park and offers better than average comfort thanks to well-shaped seats and suspension which is able to soak up just about anything thrown at it. Handling is good, with pretty well neutral road behaviour which gradually changes to safe understeer if the car is pushed hard.

Even the older Passats are well equipped, with alloy wheels on many models, central door locking and trip computer. On the safety side are ABS anti-lock brakes, a safety cell and multiple airbags.

 

Engine options show a fascinating variation, with four-cylinder, five-cylinder (yes, five-cylinder!), six-cylinder and eight-cylinder layouts. The V5 and V6 use an interesting design with a narrow-angle V which enables it to run one cylinder head covering both cylinder banks - it almost looks like an inline engine externally.

The 1.8-litre turbo-petrol, later rising to 2.0 litres, four-cylinders provide good torque without too much lag. Though four-cylinder engines in large cars aren’t always accepted by Australian buyers brought up on a diet of big sixes, the fours really do provide enough performance for almost all buyers. The five-cylinder displaces 2.3 litres, the V6s 2.8 and 3.2 litres. A very upmarket Passat W8 (a sort of compact V8) 4.0-litre was imported during 2003 and 2004, but failed because of its huge price – close to $100,000 on the road. Used examples are reasonably priced, but look out for high repair costs.

Volkswagen started a strong push on turbo-diesel engines in Australia in 2006 and quite a few of the 2.0-litre TDI models are now starting to appear on the used-car market.

A four-speed automatic was used in the pre-1998 model and a five-speed unit with tiptronic was then offered, the forward ratios were increased to six with a DSG installation from 2006. All-wheel drive isn't all that common in Australia, it gives better traction coming out of corners and on slippery surfaces and is worth considering if you are doing a lot of driving on unmade surfaces or snow and ice.

Spare parts are no longer a problem as the factory has put a lot of work into getting supply up to international best practice. Prices are similar to those of other European imports in its class. Similarly, the dealer group has grown markedly in recent years and VW is represented in most population centres of significant size.

Passat is a relatively complex machine but a competent home mechanic should be able to do a fair bit of work on it. Leave the safety items to an expert, though.


Insurance is generally not expensive but make inquiries with the company of your choice about the turbo engines as premiums can be loaded against them.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Look over the condition of the interior in case the Passat has had a hard life. It’s not common in a car like this, but can happen and rectification can be expensive.

The engine should start within a second of the key being turned and should settle into a steady idle within seconds. If there is a flat spot in acceleration there could be fuel-injection problems.

Check the insides of the front wheels for signs of severe brake dust buildup, indicating hard driving. This is more likely on one of the sporting models, but Passats do seem to attract people who like to pedal along hard.

Look over the body for signs of crash repairs, especially paint that doesn’t match and panels that don't fit exactly. Check the complete body, including hard to reach areas under the bonnet, in the boot and under the car.