The time has come to review my car. I've avoided this for a while mostly because I'm not a car reviewer, but also because there are too many auto reviews on the net to begin with. I have recently noticed a lot of people visiting my site, however, looking for a review of the Passat, but only finding my brief words in the "what's new" section. Well, no more. Here it is, official and in full.   (Or skip down to the service history log.)

I came from a Honda family. I learned to drive on an '85 Prelude. Mom drives a '91 Accord (218,000 miles and still going strong!!). Dad used to drive a '93 CRX. In college, I bought myself a '91 Prelude. Brother drives a 2000 Prelude. Well, that all changed when my father bought a barely used BMW 3-series ('98, I think), and we all experienced the joy that is precision German engineering. It's a much different feel than the solid, reliability of the Honda. It's a feel that says, "Go ahead. Take her up to 90, and you'll feel like you're standing still."

With that in mind, I found myself in need of a car. My '91 Lude suffered a rather unexpected (and VERY uncharacteristic) engine failure, one that given its age and mileage was not worth repairing. So, CarMax made me an offer I couldn't refuse, and I took to the world of car shopping. I had a few ideas what I wanted - something new, something fun, something that I would be proud to drive, and something that would be an absolute pleasure to drive.

I researched until my eyes bled. The world wide web can be an interesting place, especially when it comes to consumer testimonials. Horror stories, happy stories, lemons, and cream-puffs. It was all there. I went to a couple of car shows, too. Got all the brochures and literature. In the end, I narrowed it down to three cars: VW Passat, Audi A4, and Volvo S4. Strangely, I only briefly considered another Honda. Not sure why - nothing about it really appealed to me anymore. Anyway, I know what you're thinking - those three cars are practically identical. They're all big, comfy family sedans. Certainly not a car for a 24-year-old tech geek. Well, my momma always taught me to be educated before making an opinion about something.

So I test-drove the Passat. I admit, on the way to the dealer, I had the aforementioned thoughts about the connotations associated with these cars. I might as well get married, have two kids, and take the family on a road trip to Wally World. That was before I got behind the wheel of this car. Dear Lord in Heaven above. How they got 170-HP into a 1.8T, 4-cylinder engine is beyond me. This car MOVES. This car purrs.

Next, I test drove the Audi A4. Yum. On the outside, this is a much more sporty car than the Passat. On the inside, believe me or not, the cars are identical. In every way. Except for the handling and the price. When I drove the A4, I felt like I would only be comfortable driving this car on one of those roads in the sports car commercials; tall mountain, twisting roads, etc. It was the kind of beauty that only Audi's AWD can offer. But, and this is being picky, the dashboard (to me) was not organized well. The climate and radio controls demanded too much attention from the driver. Finally, the price was about $4K too rich for my blood.

In the end, I didn't even need to test drive the Volvo. Like the Audi, it was a bit pricier than I was ready for, and if cars have an image, Volvo is a Monet. It just doesn't fit my personality. So, I bought the 2002 VW Passat. I went for the low-end model, the GLS, which is their 4-cylinder. Strangely, VW has not found it necessary to make an in-dash CD player standard (what are we, in the 80's?!), so I additionally purchased the enhanced VW soundsystem ("Monsoon") and a CD player. Also, I must have my sunroof, so I purchased the "Luxury Package" which included alloy wheels, sunroof, rear sunshade, and anti-theft wheel locks. Oh, and 5-speed. MUST have the 5-speed.

Everyone should get a chance to drive a car like this. It's a precious, wonderful experience. Yes, I miss the "sporty fun" of my Prelude, but in my opinion, this is altogether fun and sporty in a distinct way. At normal highway speeds, the comfort and quiet is incredible. As I told a friend of mine, the car drives like a panther on wheels. It's got subtle yet unmistakable power, the kind that sneaks up on you when you're driving 50 mph in a school zone in second gear. The responsiveness is scary -- no sooner do you think it than it happens. Gas mileage is reasonable for city, unbelievable for highway, though VW demands the Passat have the highest octane gasoline. In addition to the engine specs, the safety features are well designed and thought-out. Driver and passenger air bags and two sets of side-impact air bags are standard. It has day-time running lights, and a standard security system. And we've all seen that VW commercial with the guy who learns he can lower all the windows from outside the car -- that's ever cooler in real life.

So, that's it. I've had the car for just over three months, and have already taken it on a few roadtrips. I've been through the "break-in" period¹, and feel like the car is my own (though my bank would dispute that). I love it. My last thought: If this car drove the way people perceive it, I'd be a woman driving 10 mph under the speed limit in the right lane with the signal light on. That bluish-gray streak you just saw was me screaming by you -- try to keep up.

Update, 07 Feb 2002: A consumer information magazine that rhymes with Conbloomer Retorts published a really great review of the '02 Passat in their January 2002 issue. It was their highest rated "family sedan," and scored a 4/5 for "predicted reliability." Get your hands on this issue if you can. There's good information and product comparisons.

My own Passat! (click to enlarge)

For more information and product specifications, check out the following sites:
The Passat, c/o VW.com
Edmunds.com

Overall rating : A (beep! beep! weeeeee!!!!!)

^[1] Check your manual for information about your car's break-in period. Generally speaking, you should be "kind" to your engine for the first 500 miles.

Service Log

April 26, 2005
63k miles. Goodbye, Passat! After a surprisingly painful selling process (I guess too many people have been reading my site!), I finally handed the VW off to Carmax last night for a decent amount of cash. It's actually been in excellent running condition since the brake job in January, but it was just time for something new.

January 8, 2005
New rear brakes and resurfaced rotors, $148 from my trusted local mechanic. That's a lot less than $480, isn't it?

January 5, 2005
61k miles. Car is in the shop now for the 60k scheduled maintenance, which is estimated at just under $300. The "outer CV boot" is cracked, which will cost me $200-something. My rear brakes and rotors are also shot, and VW quoted me at $480. I told them that I'd shop around - I can hopefully get a better deal with my local mechanic. VW also told me that the "big" scheduled maintenance is the 80k, so perhaps I'll aim to sell it before then (while I can still get close to $10,000 [blue book] for it).

October 1, 2004
57k miles. The "check engine" light came on the other day, and this gives me a chance to share a tip: before calling VW, stop the car, unscrew your gas cap, then screw it back in. Passats (and probably Audis) have a pressure sensor in the gas tank, and if you don't cap up the tank after a fill-up the check engine light will come on (that lesson cost me $80 of needless labor a few months ago). Anyway, that wasn't my problem. I had a bad vacuum hose. Warranty work, no charge. I also got an oil change. And I'm saving up now to get my 60k scheduled maintenance in a few months.

September 1, 2004
Speaking of oil changes, I just received a letter from VW corporate. This article, regarding engine failure due to oil sludge buildup, pretty much sums it up. I'm a regular oil change kind of guy, anyway, but come on. Now that I'm paid off on ol' blue, it might be time to shop around for a used Accord - at least then I can drive a car with confidence.

June 25, 2004
54k miles. Oil change!

May 16, 2004
52k miles. Four new gorgeous Michelins.

April 22, 2004
51k miles. I'm not sure if it's officially been declared a lemon, but Consumer Reports is now giving thumbs down all around to the '02 Passat. I had it in for service about a month ago (right at about 50,200 miles - JUST as the warranty had run out) because the check engine light was on. What wasn't wrong. They replaced the evap canister, solenoid valve, some oil gaskets and adjuster seals, cylinder head cover, and camshaft adjuster. By the grace of God, I had purchased a small extended warranty back when I bought the car. So all that cost me $0 and 3 days with a loaner car. I'm sad that I can't trust my Passat anymore.

February 17, 2004
49k miles, in for 50k scheduled maintenance. I'm somewhat alarmed by the drastic performance difference from an oil change (and other service tasks). I guess the oil had become very dirty but after the service, the car ran significantly better. Cost around $100.

November 13, 2003
44k miles. Recall for some sort of rear protective housing. Free. Had air conditioning issues recently, resulting in four visits to the shop. They finally traced the problem to a bad compressor clutch relay in the dash. Free of charge. I've also had recurring problems with the glovebox door jamming shut. They've replaced the latch twice. Ug. Free of charge, though! Warrenties are great. The car is still running beautifully!

April 28, 2003
30k miles. Running headlights continue to need regular replacement, thankfully still for free. Scheduled maintenance now costs a few bucks, but nothing unreasonable. Coil pack failure (see service log: 05 Dec 2002) has been acknowledged as a full-on model defect by VW, affecting 1.8, 2.8, VR6, and W8 2001 and 2002 Passats. Coincidentally, a second coil pack failed for me last week. This time, the dealer replaced all four, free of charge. If yours haven't failed yet, talk to your dealer about a pre-emptive replacement.

December 5, 2002
21k miles. Two maintenance issues to date. Each "scheduled service" check has gone well (though I'm now paying, as of 20k miles). Issue #1, with the daytime-running lights always on, I've already had two bulb replacements. No biggie. Second, and this was a bit more "freak," the coil pack on the first cylinder burned out causing a misfire. No charge, but for a car with so few miles, a bit unsettling. Otherwise, it is still a gorgeous ride.

April 1, 2002
I need another "new Passat" owner to please contact me. This may seem to be a strange question, but the service department at my local dealer has not been too helpful. My rear floormats. They are not "secured" to the floor like the front floormats. They have the "female" connector, but there is no "male" end on the floorboard. The dealer said, "No, the rear floormats aren't meant to be secured." "Well," I said, "why do they have the female portion of the locking clips?" "Ummmm.....," they answered. Brilliant. Is this model supposed to have secured rear floor mats? Please contact me! Thanks!

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