Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI Highline Estate

Car looks great (for its class) and feels and drives well. But with less that 40K on the clock it has left me at the side of the road looking silly 6 times. All the VW garage will say is it is my fault. If I want a car that will not break down then I should buy a new one. Apparently at two years old VW expected it to break down!

Have spoken to a few people (while waiting at the garage) they seemed to enjoy their car breaking down as the "service the garage give is so good"! I don’t want someone sucking up to me when I should be somewhere else, you decide what you want to spend your time doing but be warned what a VW means these days.

For the larger part of the ownership of the car I have had an intermittant fault with the auto brake system. It has been to the dealerships who just want to plug a computer in to tell them how to fix it. It has been suggested it is the way I drive but I have proved by videoing the event but both Volkswagen UK and the dealership want to experience the fault before they will do anything to resolve the issue. The interior although sturdy looking rattles a lot.

Please google passat handbrake before you invest in a Volkswagen and look at my review on youtube to see the video http://youtu.be/JFOLrvDwfqA

The only possotive thing I can say is the car is great on fuel economy I average 51 mpg and got a mssive 68 mpg when I set he cruise to 60 mph.

I brought this car in 2010 when I left my companies car scheme, Initially I was disappointed that I could only afford the 110bhp Manual but I am so glad I got it.

Performance

OK this isn't for the boy racers out there but the engine does its job and is actually faster accelerating than my fiances Volvo C70 T5! It has even pull across the range and will cruise at 110mph for hours without any noticeable fatigue (Obviously done in Germany!)

Comfort

1300 miles in 26 hours, No Back pain, no sore legs, awesome!

Practicality

Large boot, lots of space for normal sized adults. On trip above we had a fridge and 2 suitcases in the boot and still managed to close the boot cover.

Noise

Very quiet car generally but of particular note is the engine, it simply does not sound like a diesel, Having driven Volvo's, Fords and Mitsubishi in the past this is the most refined engine that I have found.

Cost

When I brought it I could have an Audi A5 or a Mondeo estate for the same money. Much better than the Audi spec wise and much more refined than the Mondeo.

Service costs are service costs! I have had no issues so far with the car other than the services which I paid for upfront with the purchase. Time will tell on the repairs side.

Tax per year is £120 (2010) and my average fuel economy is 57mpg

Summary

Great car, fantastic commuting car and great for dogs and large loads