Just bought a B5.5 Passat estate

[Madman Of The People]

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Big news!  It's all change for the Madman fleet.  I've done a complete clear-out of my existing rolling stock.  The 1997 Honda Odyssey (AKA Honda Shuttle to you lot) is gone.  The Cadillac Catera (which I rebadged as a Vauxhall Omega) is gone.  Even the old Volvo 740 Turbo lawn ornament is gone.  The slate has been wiped clean.

 

Both the Odyssey and the Catera had developed issues which, although repairable, were really not worth the money, the time, nor the effort to put right.  I won't bore you with all the gory details but suffice to say I felt the time was right for a complete change.  Besides, I was getting bored and wanted something different, anyway.  That "something different" turned out to be a 2003 Volkswagen Passat GL 1.8T estate in Silverstone Grey Metallic.

 

So there you have it.  I have to say I'm really impressed with it so far.  I've heard some of these 1.8T Passats have had oil sludge issues and made it a point to check for this.  My trusted long-time mechanic (with plenty of Volkswagen experience, I might add) has looked it over and given it a clean bill of health.  Nevertheless, I've already done a full synthetic oil change, just for peace of mind.   I paid $5,500 plus tax and registration (secondhand cars in the US cost much more than in Blighty) and the dealership I bought it from was very courteous and professional.

 

The big question is........ Is is too good to be Shite?

[Cavcraft]

'The big question is........ Is is too good to be Shite?'

 

Sadly, I think you'll find it's the other way round.

[Station]

I was attempting to buy that £250 Passat (diesel/towbar/t&t) on RR, but everything seemed to block me from doing so and I lost it.

 

Are these any good, or is it just because it's a VW that everyone assumes it'll be AMAZIN.

[Lukas]

This generation Passat is very common here and a good car too, but sadly quite unreliable if you choose the wrong one. Big differences between two identical cars, like it´s always with VW. One seems to run forever, the other one is broken all the time. And nobody knows why.

[Cavcraft]

Are these any good, or is it just because it's a VW that everyone assumes it'll be AMAZIN.

 

 

No and yes. Probably the most unreliable car I ever had, and that's saying something.

 

Sorry, Madman, and I'm sure yours will be fine.

[cort16]

I had a 1.8T for 3 years and it was brilliant other then when the wishbone snapped and the wheel fell off, which is worryingly quite a common issue.

[dollywobbler]

My sister-in-law had a diesel one. Utterly reliable (apart from when the cambelt went) and they absolutely loved it. Purely due to age, they replaced it with a nearly-new, bought-at-auction Skoda Octavia knowing it was pretty similar under the skin.

[Rocket88]

They're pretty good, if bought right. Cheap to tune as well, 225 bhp for about £300 with a remap. Make sure the plenum chamber is kept clear of crap, otherwise drain holes block, and much pain ensues.

Other than that, usual consumables plus front suspension needs keeping an eye on.Central locking can play up

[gdhaydock]

I've had 2 of these, a 1999 B5 1.9TDI 110hp which was superb, 56mpg however you drove it and never went wrong, sadly it was written off on the M6, so was replaced with the same car, but slightly later (2001 MY I think) with the 1.9PD engine, this proved to be rubbish, lousy MPG, waterlogged ECU (plenum drain issue above), EGR failure and loads more.

 

Kept it for 2 years and then joined the company car scheme at work.

[Partridge]

I was attempting to buy that £250 Passat (diesel/towbar/t&t) on RR, but everything seemed to block me from doing so and I lost it.

 

Are these any good, or is it just because it's a VW that everyone assumes it'll be AMAZIN.

No, Pisshats are crap. My Dad had a 59 one when it was brand new, and even that was a nightmare.

[r.welfare]

Looks very clean, naturally I am disappointed it's not the W8 version though.

[Ghosty]

Looks great with no front plate.

[HMC]

No and yes. Probably the most unreliable car I ever had, and that's saying something.

 

Sorry, Madman, and I'm sure yours will be fine.

MIne was a disaster too. In terms of miles per problem, the worst car ive ever owned. Suspension, brakes, door locks, water leaks.

 

Mine had had a hard life, yours looks much nicer and very well looked after.

[Faker]

Don't listen to this lot!! (only kidding) looks mint in the pics. I had a passat b5 1.9 tdi and it was fantastic, replaced it with an a4 tdi avant, no were near the same room. Get yourself on passatworld and get your eyes opened. Enjoy.

[garbaldy]

There seems to be mixed reports on the passats build quality here,

in 03 I bought a 51 plate ex company 100bhp tdi passat with 56k miles, I traded it in 6 years later with 135k on it,

Number of faults in 6 years = 2 a slight miss caused by injection loom in head and the clutch pulley came of the aircon pump.

Apart from brakes and tyres that was total.

 

The passat did not have an easy life if it wasn't towing autox cars about it was doing 12 car events and the odd opening or closeing car, it was no good for auto tests though as the handbrake was not good enough.

 

It never droped below 50mpg was cheeper to tax fast enough and an all round good car. If I could find another with low miles I would have it for sure.

[Madman Of The People]

Looks very clean, naturally I am disappointed it's not the W8 version though.

 

 

I've seen two W8s for sale near me (one saloon and one estate) going for around the same money I paid for my 1.8T.  I was shocked at the depreciation, considering those W8s cost a fortune when new.  I can only assume that huge, complicated engine scares away all the punters looking for a cheap-ish snotter?

[Cavcraft]

I had a 1998 B5 TDi in 2011. Number of times it functioned properly in about 6,000 miles? Twice I think, probably the day I had the N75 valve replaced and the evening I found Jacques Cousteau looking for the remains of the Titanic in Capel Celyn in the back footwell.