2003 Volkswagen Passat

While I love my W8 Wagon, I made sure sure that I bought an extended warranty. These are rare cars with expensive drivetrains, I have heard what it costs for some seemingly mild fixes, and I can;t afford to find out myself. If you want an 8 cylinder German wagon for cheap, then this is it.

I owned a W8 for 2 and half years. In many ways, it was the best car I ever owned, fast, looks great, fun to drive, handles nicely, best car I've ever had in snow [I've owned lots of AWD cars in my life]. BUT, its probably also the most expensive car as well. Thousands and thousands of dollars to fix [no exagerating here], can't find dealerships or other mechanics that know how to fix the W8 [even though they claim to], the warrantee company lost a bundle and started to come up with excuses why they would not cover fixes. Small things like dime sized filters cost $3000, Cam adjusters that cost $6000 to 8000, an engine overhaul [I ended up not needing this but who wants to worry about it] that cost $12000. Even an oil change cost nearly 100. PV joints cost 800. the list goes on and on. I finally found a good mechanic but he was 50 minutes away from where I live. In the meantime, the value of the w8s are dropping like a rock. I bought the car to $23000 two years old and could only get 7500 for a trade in 2 and half years later because nobody want to loose their last penny on the W8. Keeping in mind brand new the car cost just under 40,000 , that the fastest devaluing car I ve ever had.

I JUST BOUGHT THE VW PASSAT FOR TRADING PURPOSES BUT I DO LIKE THE CAR. ITS VERY CLEAN FROM THE INSIDE AND THE OUTSIDE. NO DENTS OR SCRATCHES ON THE BODY, DRIVES GREAT N REALLY GOOD WITH THE GAS MILAGE. I'M THINKING TO SELL IT BECAUSE THATS WHY I BOUGHT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. BUT AFTER I GOT THE CAR I THINK II WANNA DRIVE IT FOR A WHILE N SELL MY OTHER CAR THE BMW.

I was looking for a car with lots of power and fun to drive. I never have cared for Japanese cars - yes, I agree they are great cars and I recommend them to my friends who are looking for a good dependable car but they just don't do anything for me personally. I've always been a fan of German cars, I've owned several BMWs and a few Mercedes.

I started out looking for a BMW M5 but got a little concerned about some of the discussions I read about high maintenance costs and expensive repairs to major systems. I was shopping on Ebay and ran across a Passat W8. Not knowing much about the Passat W8 I did some internet research. I found a lot of good reviews and only two negative comments. The negatives were the car was overpriced at $42,000 to $52,000 new and one reviewer said an 8 cylinder was totally unnecessary in a Passat. I have to agree the cost of a new W8 was very high but I wasn't going to pay anywhere near that so that wasn't a concern. An 8 cylinder totally unnecessary? Who ever wrote that obviously isn't a true car guy. An 8 cylinder is a plus in my book!

So, I bought my 2003 Passat W8 for a great price. The car had 47k miles on it and I bought it for under NADA low book. I flew from Washington State to Dallas, Texas to pick up the car. The seller was fantastic and the car was better than expected. The 2500 mile trip back was great, had no problems and averaged 21 mpg. Somehow the speedometer hit 116 mph at one point and it wanted to keep going. The power is great (270 hp), it's not a super hot rod but it zips around like a go kart and is a blast to drive. The quality is fantastic, everything is very tight and no rattles. The 4motion (all wheel drive) works great. Shortly after I got home we had a big ice storm followed by 7-8 inches of snow. I pulled out of my house through 7 inches of snow with no problem. The Passat was pushing snow underneath the car as I drove.

Bottom line? I love this car! Great power, handling and quality. The overall size of the car is perfect, not to big but four doors and can carry a couple of extra people easily when I need to. The 4motion is nice to have also. The only down side I can mention is the looks aren't overly exciting, it doesn't have the prestige of a BMW or a Mercedes. However, put on a spoiler or two, a nice set of wheels and tires and tint the windows and it won't look like a garden variety Passat. As far as price goes the used W8s are an exceptional value. If you shop a little you can find a nice one on Ebay for at or under low book.

I highly recommend the Passat W8. It's a lot of car for the money. It's a perfect all around car for a true car enthusiast, a real drivers car. Shop around, compare features and what you get for your money. Read the reviews, try to find someone that doesn't love the W8. If you do, it'll be the guy who said an 8 cylinder is unnecessary. If you want to listen to him then this probably isn't the car for you. To all you true car lovers and drivers out there - if you choose a W8 you will not be disappointed!

I have a hard time taking the exit ramp, this car drives like it is on rails and I just want to keep going. The w8 is a real pleasure.

We love this car! Looks and feels like "quality." Handles beautifully, makes a tight turn just like our Jetta and is a pleasure to drive. Maybe because I'm used to driving 4 cyl vehicles, but my only "issue" is getting the car to accelerate "easy"--the horses under this hood want to bolt!

I didn't know that VW made a high-end model like the W8 model. I was looking at a Mercedes CLK 430, but this has every option that the Benz has at a lot cheaper price. It's not quite as sporty, but still a great car. It has a 270hp V-8 that's a little slow off the line, but has good pick up at highway speeds.