Hello, mate! Same here! My dad bought a B5 estate Passat back in 2014 from Germany, a 90 hp 1.9 TDI (AHH). It had 282 000 original kms and we did long distance travels around Europe with it. I fell in love with the car immediately, such a good, durable, practical car. Last year he gave it to me and currently it's pushing 490 000 kms and going strong! Wish you a lot of good travels and memories with yours!
These kind of cars are the true climate change heroes. They are so environment friendly because you can drive them hundreds of kilometres without having to fix or scrap them.
My Passat has 520,000 km (1.9 AFN 110) and has just got back from her latest trip around Germany, did 160 on the Autobahn no problem at all and averaged 4.9l/100km over the whole 3000km trip. It is also my everyday car which I use for everything. Change the oil twice a year that's it. Also only on second clutch from new :) I love it.
My B5.5 Passat is Highline saloon 1.9 AWX 130. 2004 54 plate, had it nearly 18 years....now only done 151k miles....nothing really. Great car and so spacious inside. Does like the odd CV boot though....several over the years.
I now own this Passat. Saw it and grabbed it. Never missed a beat. If you ever want to do a further review when it’s on higher mileage you’re more than welcome
I remember liking the look of these cars at the time. I was a company car driver and comfortable driving position, armrests and cupholders were very important.
Im on my 5th Passat! Best cars VW ever made imo. I had an R reg. 1.9TDi 90 bhp. Took her up to 200,0000 miles before selling and the only thing I had to change was an Air Mass Meter. Michelin tyres returned 105,000 miles on the rear and 55,000 on the fronts. 60mpg all day long. Currently have a B5.5 1.9tdi PD 130 Highline Estate on an 05 plate. Awesome cars.
I've had my B5.5 Highline saloon about 18 years now, 1.9 130 AWX. 2004 54 plate with a mere 151k miles. They do like a CV boot as I'm sure you know...but amazing cars these. Just fitted an ebay driver door window regulator...only £36 delivered, fits perfect, came with the aluminium panel. I added more grease on the cable and guides as it was a bit dry for my liking.
I owned a 01 Passat 1.8T, 5 speed manual, owned for a little over 75k miles in a little over 5 years; fantastic car! I regret having parted ways with it so soon. I,ve found myself still comparing cars I have purchased since, to this one… and have realized things don’t always progress for the better…
Got rid of mine earlier this year at 440k miles … Didn’t skip a beat even tho she needed a new turbo. Would love to get my hands on an example this clean
I have the B5.5 2002 2.0 litre petrol. I've had it for 14 years. It's my favourite Passat shape and is nearly at 100,000 miles, still on the same clutch, exhaust, has no rust and has never let me down or failed an MOT. It's so well engineered! I'm going to miss her when she eventually goes!
Thanks for doing this! I still have my Passat B5 from 1997, 110bhp TDI. Got it off the old man in 2004. Done 260,000 so far. The Aircon is bust and there's some internal bits falling off and there's a mild leak somewhere but it's been so reliable. I love it.
I've had B5 Passats all my life, two wagons that were 1999, 1.8t, and now a 2001 which is also the 1.8t but not a B5.5 as it was the last b5's made. I did have a B5.5 in a manual gearbox. Overall great vehicles
This was my first car and I still have it. A top of the line 2.8 v6 with leather and a sunroof. Its got over 300k kms on it now, which I thought was a lot, but maybe not! I use it as my bash about car because its so old, but people still think it looks good. I love the driving position too - very comfortable and feels a lot bigger inside than it is. And mine has NEVER let me down.
I have had one of these for years (130 PD estate) and have driven it in four countries, taken it on trains, on ferries, been camping in it, surfing in it and maxed it out on the Autobahn in Germany with three bikes on the back. It has become part of the furniture of my life. It's an unobtrusive car in the best possible way. It throws an invisibility cloak over you, a safety net when the doors thunk shut. The familiar churr of the motor as the red needles rise around the instruments has become something comforting and reliable like the rushing static on an un-tuned TV. Noticed or unnoticed but always there in the background.
Had a 1.8t v20 2002 for 14 years now passed its mot again yesterday no problems got 130k on it and only things and done on it over the years is both front coils spring broke but apart from that it just keeps going
I have the 2003, white, v6, 37K miles, pristine. The paint looks brand new. And I still love it as much as the day I bought it. My mechanic keeps asking me to sell it to him.
A Great Car The B5 Passat, because is was Based on the B5 Platform of the MK1 A4 B5 this Passat was very advanced as it had Double Wishbone Front Suspension. These Cars had it all, Proper High Quality Piece of German Engineering. VW at there finest. Proper 90s/Early 2000s Legendary Built Quality, Real Comfort, Reliable and Efficient Engines, Good Interior Space and Proper Weight and Feel from the Controls. The perfect combination of being new enough but also good old school at the same time.
Ive got a 1.8t 4motion with 330,000 km of harsh Canadian duty, when you repair something on it the problem is likely sorted for life. The body of the car was so solid and well sorted, only gets a fraction of the rust of cars half its age. Original powertrain (including the turbo), only the big ZF automatic is starting to protest on downshifts occasionally. Still shifts butter smooth 90% of the time, makes it a real pleasure to drive. New shocks going on soon, I never regret a cent I put into this car!
I've got a 2005 black one b5.5 trendline 1.9tdi diesel... It's done 135 thou, still drives like new.. all you have to do is this - change the oil (yearly) & all the filters AND change the belts every 60 thou as ive done since having it from nearly new... it runs like new...best car I've ever had in all my 60 years of driving..
Getting out a 97 mondeo xantia or laguna into one of these or even a 156 made you appreciate build, damping, shut lines and quality. The interiors were mind blowing for me. It felt and looked so solid and classy.
Had a Passat B5 1.8T from 1999, very very capable cars. I did a remap on it and many kilometers on it with no issues and sold it off after it had done well over 300.000 kilometers.
Overall a good car. It is popular here in Bulgaria. Because you get a lot of car for the price. But it does have a weak spot. The suspension is somewhat complicated and costly to repair. Could be a problem in countries with bad roads.
I had a 20 yr old B5 1.9 tdi s. It had 250,000 miles on the clock and was 20 yrs old . Paid £1500 pound for it and it lasted me 10 yrs and 94,000 miles. Best car I ever had.
Three of my four cars over the last 24 years have been B5 Passats, including my current 4motion estate. I've owned dozens of cars, most of them German, and the Passat ranks very high in terms of comfort, safety, performance, economy, and quality. They are however, fairly high maintenance.
thanks for this video. Today, no one appreciates the quality of vehicles anymore. I'm the owner of a 110 hp afn with 450000 km and the only failure was to replace the alternator at 300000 km. I have not had a single serious malfunction. Put the chip on 275000 km (140 hp) and the car flies. Just a regular small and large service with quality oil
No problem, thanks for watching :) I honestly think this Passat has to be one of the best built cars ever, there are so many out there with huge mileage on them.
I drive my b5 1.6 petrol. It has 350k miles and I am the one owner. The engine has no leaks or oil problems and never had. Also, no body corrosion. Very capable car!
Mine is on a Y plate,2000 I think.Diesel estate.Bought about 5 years ago in immaculate condition with 80,000 on the clock.Cost £1,200.Best car I've ever owned,I'm not used to my cars passing mot's first time.I've put 40k on the clock since and the only money I've had to spend is for warped brake discs last mot,which the mechanic was surprised was failed on as was very slight.
I had a mk4 Golf TDI with the 1.9L 90hp engine. I put 400K miles on it before I sold it. That car was insanely reliable - that diesel was bulletproof. Mine wasn't the PD engine, though.The guy I sold it to has put another 50K on it. I have no doubt it'll go for a lot longer assuming it doesn't get wrecked.
@@Blackmamba12345 I’d like to think otherwise that these VWs actually are going to go strong no matter what (the 1.9’s specifically). If there are old ass diesel pickups and what not going about their business still racking up miles, I’d have no problem in thinking that those particular VWs would also chug along no problemo…
They're great cars. I bought a 2001 TDi 130bhp Estate 8 years ago for £160 with a head gasket fault. I replaced the head gasket, and stuck a spare head I had on (from a car with 400k miles). Now there's 600k miles on it and it's going strong. Also managed to pick up a 2005 Highline 130 TDi (in black) last year for £200 with only 100k miles that was destined for the scrap yard due to rotten wings and a multitude of minor problems (like window regulators, seized rear calipers, alternator fault). Sourced all the parts needed for £400, spent a solid week detailing it and it's now a very tidy car. They are reliable enough engine and gearbox wise as long as the proper oil change intervals are followed. But they can suffer from water leaks, rotten front wings (due to the sound deadening used on the diesels soaking up water and grime), minor electrical gremlins and suspension wear. As they're now getting on in years check the axle and front subframe for rot also
I have VW Passat B5.5 2002 131hp AVF engine sedan. Every day driving is like a dream. Very stable car of course you need time to handle it. Economical and realible. Easy to drive from A to point B. And still have a look that most modern cars doesn't have. I love it.
I owned a 2004 Highline 1.9 TDI, in charcoal grey with a black leather interior. I owned it for 7 years and did about 130,000 miles in it. In all that time, apart from obvious things like tyres, brake pads. and the odd suspension bush, it went through one alternator and one power-assisted steering belt. And that was it. I eventually sold it on complete with its original clutch! It was the most reliable car I ever owned by a country mile.
We had a 2000 Passat 1.9 TDI 4 motion estate that my dad bought almost new and it was our famuly car for 12 years and then i had it for 8 years. The best car in the whole world. It took me and my friends and eventualy the wife to countless adventures and i have so much great memories with that car. But when the kids arrived i bought a 2016 passat (in 2020).. The old beater was 20 years old and had almost 450000 km. Never missed a single beat... Good i miss this car
I had a 2003 B5.5 Passat 1.8T Sport 5 speed petrol which I finally moved on ,in 2022,with 250,000 miles.It left me running well and using very little oil,with original turbo,clutch and apart from the flexible joint on the exhaust being replaced,the rest of the system was as it left the factory. Only parts ever renewed were the alternator and as a safety precaution the oil pump. I still see it occasionally on the road even yet. Enjoyed every minute of ownership. A superb reliable car.
My dad has a red one of these passat's in 2016ish, I liked it very much and I'm hoping to own a B5 preface lift in the future preferably in red. Great video keep it up.
I had the 2003 Passat v6 1.8 turbo and I appreciate your enthusiasm for all these points, however the gas mileage on my Passat was unbelievably atrocious. I’m not sure how different the 1998 version of this generation was though…. But Im surprised to hear you gushing about the gas mileage. I would get about 13 litres per 100km, on a bad day.
I 1996, VAG decided to try out a common platform for Passat and Audi A4. In order not to turn Audi buyers off, they made an Audi, and then let the buyers, that can live with the VW logo instead of the four rings, have the EXACT same car a little cheaper. And in the end, if you were to resell it, the difference in price would be evened out a bit. SO: It IS an Audi, they're identical in every aspect. Just look at four-link front cotrol arm set-up and the anti rust treatment. Here in Denmark it tops the list of cars with more than 300.000 km by a huge margin. Mine? A 1.6, 215.000 km, one owner before me, had it three years, love it
Last year I bought my first car, a 2005 B5.5 1.9TDI PD130 wagon. It has no service history, and we reckon it's been clicked twice and has close to 500,000km. I've put around 25,000km on it over my first year. So far, I've replaced the gearbox and the front upper control arms, and I've had a timing belt and water pump done for good measure. At the same time, the heated leather seats are toasty and very comfortable, the back seats have miles of room which I regularly use for stuffing friends in the back, the boot is massive and even bigger with the seats down, mine has a towbar which I've used for everything from bike racks to pulling stuck vehicles and pushing trailers loaded with massive generators around on site. It's just been a fantastic car for the money I've paid. The only reason I'm even remotely considering changing it is because of the Irish tax system. Since the car is older than 2008, I get taxed based on engine size, my 1.9 TDI works out at almost €700 a year. Audi A6 C6 estates are getting cheap now, a 2010 would cost me €4000 to buy, and only around €200 a year to tax as the new system is based off emissions. I still want to get another year or so out of my Passat first though.
What a great first car, much better than the usual little hatchbacks people end up with. I knew that car ownership can be expensive in Ireland but I didn't realise it was that expensive! The UK tax system is all over the place and makes absolutely 0 sense, as mid 00's diesels can be really really cheap to tax despite the fact that they are now villianized as polluters, yet a big petrol engine from around 2006-2010 can be £675 a year to tax. Yet be free to drive in London ULEZ :') Do you find the Ireland system to be consistent at least or is it as schizophrenic as the UK? A6 would be a nice car too 👍
All your observations are spot on. I saw a Passat Estate in a car showroom years ago and was about to buy it when I spotted a Volvo V70. I bought the volvo because it was in another class. And the interior of the Volvo was so much superior to the Passat. You're also correct that water leaks are a big problem with some models of VW cars. Another common problem are door locks.
I own passat 99 b5 but in 1.8T and trust me.. it´s exciting to drive. Month ago motor was totally rebuild and some other parts as well... That passat did 260 000km without touch inside of him.
Ive got 1998 b5 1.9 tdi lovely car. Now done a genuine (confirmed by mot history and 21 years of main dealer service history) 75,000 miles. Had it just under a year and booked for it's first mot under my ownership next week.
I have had my 1998 1.8T 20v turbo sport for 18 years I drive it every day its done 170,000 miles and drives as smooth as ever very rare car now it is a classic car now it was made when the VAG group were at the top of their game sill goes some when you put your foot down my youngest daughter loves driving it and will inherit it when I'm gone very underrated car got a few little niggly jobs to do on it but always happy to work on it 👍👍👍👍😁😁
These are great cars, you can always tell when a car is prized by the TAXI community. I had a 1.8t and a 2.0 TDI. My late fathers B5.5 2.0 TDi is a 2003 and still going strong with minimal maintenance. I also had the later transverse engines Passat which was ok but didnt have that 'hewn from granite' feel of the older cars - I guess the accountants must have stepped in !
I had the next model Passat in the same colour. Mine had the 140PS engine and I loved it and took it to a reasonably high mileage when it failed the MOT the DPF. Was going to cost more than the car was worth so I sadly had to get rid. Hilariously, just as BSJJ was dissing the coffee you passed to him, the video had an ad break for...you've guessed it...Costa!! Thanks for another great vid JJ.
Would like to that next generation of Passat on, bet they're a great motorway car. 😂 that's amazing 😅 hopefully I'm not gonna get ads cancelled on me, didn't realise I was sponsored by Costa... Maybe all publicity is good publicity. I'll blame backseat JJ anyway, that coffee was nice enough. Cheers John
@@JJonCars Yes, much like the one you drove, it was a good, solid workhorse and being the '140 Sport' it had reasonable performance. When I got the news it had failed the MOT and the cost of a new DPF, my daughter said I looked so crestfallen. It was a great car.
I've been running my 2005, B5.5, 2.0 petrol estate highline for many many years now. Can't ever think what would be a good replacement for it to be honest. Apart from the ridiculous amount of oil guzzling, the engine and gearbox seem to be pretty bullet proof. Eventually some bits wear out, sensors and the odd rubber sealing o rings for the coolant unions etc. Unless you replace the door lock motors, you'll end up opening some of the doors with the key or from the inside. Love this car though, can fit an entire dining table with 4 chairs and still have room inside.
It's hard to think of anything modern that is such a great load-lugging shape with all that glass and visibility. And you've got the holy grail of B5s - the Highline :) I think you'll just have to keep hold of it as long as you can!
@@JJonCars absolutely, I certainly want to keep her running as long as possible. I think I've learnt the most maintenance through owning this car than any other 😆👍
still have a 2000 Passat (170k miles) and have no problem putting it on the road for extended drives as it's a strong and well-built car...the only issue is expensive maintenance which is quite off-putting.
I have now my second B5. A 12/1996 one. Very early model, Sedan, Green! gauges, LC9Z Black Magic Perl, the same cloth seats as this one, as this one, in extraordinary good condition, no scratches or rips on the seats or dashboard I have bought it at 360200km in Dec. 23 for 400€ and now i have 376500km in May 24. Although, the original powersteering pump failed (leak) at 363600km, and needed Replacement, there was nothing more that broke on it. I replaced the Powersteering pump with my dad at home. Cost: ~90€ Work: ~4h Invested in Alloy wheels for Winter, (I hate steel wheels) Recently i inserted fresh filters for Engine, Cabin and made a Schedular oilchange VW 505.00 Oil. Best MPG of all cars i've owned too. 5l straight on calculated average. (I dont have the MFD sadly, so i need to use Trip and liters filled in on the petrolstation.
I don't know why but I absolutely love the cloth interiors of these and other late 90's VWs. It's just so lounge like. Great cars and good to hear yours is doing well at high miles too.
I do own Passat b5 3b2(long boy with extra cargo space) and it is just beutiful. It has 1.8 (92 kw, 125hp) engine and it drives well sounds beutiful and it does not look half bad. It has 400k km on clock. My family and I use it as "comercial" vehicle (ie we fill it to the brim with stuff) and still it pulls very nice. I am very happy with it in simple words. German engeniring never dissapoints.
I own a 2004 Passat 1.9tdi pd100 with 230K kilometres on the clock. I will say that for 500 euros it was a good steal, easy to fix and maintain and the dang fuel consumption is so so good, like 4.5L/100km good!
Thanks JJ, some of those drive by shots looked familiar, I quite like the B5 Passat, your right it’s not an interesting car inside or out but they are good solid well built cars and are comfortable too. That mileage is staggering isn’t it? It’s a good recommendation for that engine but also a feather in the hat for the previous owners who’ve obviously looked after, younger passats look like they’ve been driven into the ground at less than half those miles, well done previous owner! Great interesting video once again.👍
Miles may or may not have been driving up and down that road 😄 Absolutely, huge kudos to whoever owned it... guess they probably don't search RUclips for videos of Passats, but I hope they do and see this vid 😂 Cheers Will!
Got one of these myself, 2003 version, over 347 000 km so far. I love it, its super reliable, cheap to sustain and comfortable to drive. I got it from my brother and he got it from my mum so the car is in our family since the beginning^^ But yeah, the waterleaks are a thing, I have the same problem with mine😅
I had a 1999 in dark green, had from 3 years old and covered 100 .000 miles in it. When I traded it in (2012) had done only 130k and was in perfect order. Much to my shock it was never taxed again and the car supermarket must have scrapped it, God knows why. I wish I had of kept it now.
Ah man, always disappointing when that happens. I've sold cars in the past that were fine, and then noticed they were scrapped soon after. I think when cars are old people just can't be bothered with them, which is wrong as they often have a lot of life left.
My wife wants me to sell our 1999 Passat V6 with 217,000 km which we have owned from new. Manual transmission is fun to drive. Really smooth and peppy. No rust ! They really knew how to paint them, and the metal has more heft to it than Japanese cars. I am keeping it! 😂
Got one of this from my grand father as my first car, also 500k on the clock. I would never buy a VW or a diesel car as an adult, but I love the particular one that I own. But they do need at least some care because I can't even list everything that was shot on the car when I first got it hahaha Also the 1.9 turned out to be a pretty much lego engine to make some funny power
Yeah I agree, I never really thought much of this generation of Passat, good or bad. But now it actually does have a very sleek shape that you just don't see any more. I guess its one of the reasons the 10 year old Tesla Model S still looks relatively fresh
I had a 1999 one of these in the same colour with about 100k miles on it back in the day. Got rid of it due to a water leak on the passenger footwell which has the ECU under it. A great work horse of a car but the leaks are insane and the placement of the ECU is incredibly strange.
That's a lot of milage and it's in great shape. The very first Passats in the 90's were front engine rear wheel drive. That kind of milage in the amount of time this car has, the secret to this cars milage is that this person drove it on lots of long trips with very few start and stop cycles. None the less VW pumpe duse motor is a perfected diesel. Just make sure to change the timing belts every 50,000
I didn't know about the first Passat being RWD! Yes you're totally right, can't get to half a million miles without taking care to drive the car the right way and looking after it.
We have the B5 v reg. We had it from new. It has 248k miles on the clock. We are struggling to get parts now and it is leaking because the front cowl underneath the windscreen is cracked. I don't know how to find a replacement. I'm gutted because I love driving it. Just done Winchester to Aberdeen and back. Also the suspension feels a bit spongy and I don't know what to do about that either. Local garages are simply not interested in keeping it going.
Ah, the troubles of owning older cars. Perhaps a scrap Passat would be the best bet to find the cowl - on ebay you usually get people breaking cars. Shame about the local garages, I'd have thought they wouldn't mind working on older cars as they can be easier to deal with than the new ones full of electronics.
My mother owned a 1.9 TDI 2005 Passat, the engines outlast the bodywork lol - started to rust on the front arches a bit so she got rid of it otherwise would have still kept it - she sold it at 180k miles
We own a 02 b5.5 1.9TDI, and it has about 330k km . Boy, does it run like butter. We've had very little issues with it. the only issues are that it has very sensitive sensors. bought it for just under 3k, We had a Golf mk3 1.9TD before and we sold it for about 1k€ and funnily enough the person that bought the car, drove it to a mountain and ended up blowing the engine 😅
An observation and a question: I have a 2005 B5.5 TDI with the 2.0 liter PD engine with the 'pleather' interior. By the time I bought it - and having had owned a 1998 B5 Passat wagon with a gasoline engine- I was glad to see the flimsy if not interesting cup holder and the dinky front arm rest go away. It is interesting that the door panels in the video also have the same saggy material as every other of this kind over time. My experience has been very positive on the ride and handling. Upkeep is key, but not bad on the wallet if you're prudent. My question is why did the diesel you reviewed have much different advertised mileage in the UK than in the US as you showed? Was it because that the US only had an automatic transmission offered? I seem to get about what you posted on my TDI now , and only think its because I swapped the transmission out from the automatic (it ate itself) to a used European manual several years ago. Honestly, its a LOT more fun to drive and is way more 'tourqey' than the automatic.
Ah, that's because the US have a different gallon to the UK (Imperial gallon), so the MPG works out differently. US MPG is always less than UK MPG as a US gallon is smaller than a UK gallon. But the actual fuel usage is the same! I'm guessing it's rare to have a diesel one in the US? :)
@@JJonCars Ah.. the imperial gallon.. got it. And no, it’s not that rare to have a Passat TDI in the US even though that iteration was only sold the US for two years. They sold pretty well during that time and then there was a gap of a few years before they were sold as the next generation ‘ clean ‘ diesel engines. Mine is rare only because I converted it to a manual in my opinion.
JJ bro which one you think is better? This passat or the same era 6th gen Honda Accord. My sister's father in law has X reg accord with 317k miles and no problems whatsoever.
I haven't driven the 6th gen - though I am a fan of the 7th generation. I imagine they are pretty decent though. Would be a hard question to answer I suspect.
@@JJonCarsmy father bought that model brand new in 1999 here in Denmark. Can you imagine people looked at it when you were driving somewhere ? It was black color
My dad had it for 10 years, now it's mine, it's incredibly preserved and I love it a lot.
Btw, it's 2004 version 🙂
Nice one, always nice to keep cars in the family!
Hello, mate! Same here! My dad bought a B5 estate Passat back in 2014 from Germany, a 90 hp 1.9 TDI (AHH). It had 282 000 original kms and we did long distance travels around Europe with it. I fell in love with the car immediately, such a good, durable, practical car. Last year he gave it to me and currently it's pushing 490 000 kms and going strong! Wish you a lot of good travels and memories with yours!
These kind of cars are the true climate change heroes. They are so environment friendly because you can drive them hundreds of kilometres without having to fix or scrap them.
Amen to that
@@Blackmamba12345 The pollution that comes out of 1.9tdi during 500miles is much less than building a new car
Put one of then for a profile picture then not a porche
I for one think it’s one of the best looking cars ever made. Every part is exactly the right size and shape in exactly the right place.
Yeah, to be fair, they are definitely growing on me over time. The simplicity and curves of the design are quite pleasing
👍👍 because it was made by the VAG group which ae no longer
I own Passat B5 1998, 1.6 liter, 260000 kilometers and i totally in love with this car.
My Passat has 520,000 km (1.9 AFN 110) and has just got back from her latest trip around Germany, did 160 on the Autobahn no problem at all and averaged 4.9l/100km over the whole 3000km trip. It is also my everyday car which I use for everything. Change the oil twice a year that's it. Also only on second clutch from new :) I love it.
Amazing :) great engineering in that car
In 1.9 TDi form probably the best vehicle at that age for durability.. ideally with Highline trim
Especialy ASZ engines.
Durable as hell and fast too.
My B5.5 Passat is Highline saloon 1.9 AWX 130. 2004 54 plate, had it nearly 18 years....now only done 151k miles....nothing really. Great car and so spacious inside. Does like the odd CV boot though....several over the years.
I now own this Passat. Saw it and grabbed it. Never missed a beat. If you ever want to do a further review when it’s on higher mileage you’re more than welcome
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know - definitely keep in touch and let me know how you and the car get on :)
I remember liking the look of these cars at the time. I was a company car driver and comfortable driving position, armrests and cupholders were very important.
Yep, all very underrated features for sure
Im on my 5th Passat! Best cars VW ever made imo. I had an R reg. 1.9TDi 90 bhp. Took her up to 200,0000 miles before selling and the only thing I had to change was an Air Mass Meter. Michelin tyres returned 105,000 miles on the rear and 55,000 on the fronts. 60mpg all day long. Currently have a B5.5 1.9tdi PD 130 Highline Estate on an 05 plate. Awesome cars.
Wow, that's dedication to the Passat :) Got to love a Highline version.
I've had my B5.5 Highline saloon about 18 years now, 1.9 130 AWX. 2004 54 plate with a mere 151k miles. They do like a CV boot as I'm sure you know...but amazing cars these. Just fitted an ebay driver door window regulator...only £36 delivered, fits perfect, came with the aluminium panel. I added more grease on the cable and guides as it was a bit dry for my liking.
I owned a 01 Passat 1.8T, 5 speed manual, owned for a little over 75k miles in a little over 5 years; fantastic car! I regret having parted ways with it so soon. I,ve found myself still comparing cars I have purchased since, to this one… and have realized things don’t always progress for the better…
Got rid of mine earlier this year at 440k miles … Didn’t skip a beat even tho she needed a new turbo. Would love to get my hands on an example this clean
I have the B5.5 2002 2.0 litre petrol. I've had it for 14 years. It's my favourite Passat shape and is nearly at 100,000 miles, still on the same clutch, exhaust, has no rust and has never let me down or failed an MOT. It's so well engineered! I'm going to miss her when she eventually goes!
Hopefully many more years left in her yet!
Keep hold of it as long as you can. The modern VW not built as good.
It always gets me when a so called car experts doesn't know the difference with a B5 and a B 5.5 I have a B5 👍👍
109,000 miles now!
Thanks for doing this! I still have my Passat B5 from 1997, 110bhp TDI. Got it off the old man in 2004. Done 260,000 so far. The Aircon is bust and there's some internal bits falling off and there's a mild leak somewhere but it's been so reliable. I love it.
Hey, you're welcome! They don't build them like they used to :D
I've had B5 Passats all my life, two wagons that were 1999, 1.8t, and now a 2001 which is also the 1.8t but not a B5.5 as it was the last b5's made. I did have a B5.5 in a manual gearbox. Overall great vehicles
This was my first car and I still have it. A top of the line 2.8 v6 with leather and a sunroof. Its got over 300k kms on it now, which I thought was a lot, but maybe not! I use it as my bash about car because its so old, but people still think it looks good. I love the driving position too - very comfortable and feels a lot bigger inside than it is. And mine has NEVER let me down.
Wow, that's awesome. 2.8 one too. Hope you manage to keep it for more years yet. And very cool to hear it hasn't let you down 👍
my dad had a 2002 1.9tdi passat for nearly 10 years, never wanted for anything, absolutely fantastic car
I have had one of these for years (130 PD estate) and have driven it in four countries, taken it on trains, on ferries, been camping in it, surfing in it and maxed it out on the Autobahn in Germany with three bikes on the back. It has become part of the furniture of my life. It's an unobtrusive car in the best possible way. It throws an invisibility cloak over you, a safety net when the doors thunk shut. The familiar churr of the motor as the red needles rise around the instruments has become something comforting and reliable like the rushing static on an un-tuned TV. Noticed or unnoticed but always there in the background.
Brilliant. You've summed up what is so great about a good, reliable workhorse of a car
Had a 1.8t v20 2002 for 14 years now passed its mot again yesterday no problems got 130k on it and only things and done on it over the years is both
front coils spring broke but apart from that it just keeps going
My uncle has a V5, he's had it for over 23 years., bought it brand new on a V reg back in 1999 and it's still going strong!
Ah man, that's awesome. I reckon it absolutely drinks fuel though, your uncle will have spent a fortune on petrol over the years 😄
I have the 2003, white, v6, 37K miles, pristine. The paint looks brand new. And I still love it as much as the day I bought it. My mechanic keeps asking me to sell it to him.
A Great Car The B5 Passat, because is was Based on the B5 Platform of the MK1 A4 B5 this Passat was very advanced as it had Double Wishbone Front Suspension. These Cars had it all, Proper High Quality Piece of German Engineering. VW at there finest. Proper 90s/Early 2000s Legendary Built Quality, Real Comfort, Reliable and Efficient Engines, Good Interior Space and Proper Weight and Feel from the Controls. The perfect combination of being new enough but also good old school at the same time.
Ive got a 1.8t 4motion with 330,000 km of harsh Canadian duty, when you repair something on it the problem is likely sorted for life. The body of the car was so solid and well sorted, only gets a fraction of the rust of cars half its age.
Original powertrain (including the turbo), only the big ZF automatic is starting to protest on downshifts occasionally. Still shifts butter smooth 90% of the time, makes it a real pleasure to drive. New shocks going on soon, I never regret a cent I put into this car!
I've got a 2005 black one b5.5 trendline 1.9tdi diesel... It's done 135 thou, still drives like new.. all you have to do is this - change the oil (yearly) & all the filters AND change the belts every 60 thou as ive done since having it from nearly new... it runs like new...best car I've ever had in all my 60 years of driving..
Getting out a 97 mondeo xantia or laguna into one of these or even a 156 made you appreciate build, damping, shut lines and quality. The interiors were mind blowing for me. It felt and looked so solid and classy.
Great reviewer, well spoken, polite and with good info, great review!
Thank you!
Had a Passat B5 1.8T from 1999, very very capable cars. I did a remap on it and many kilometers on it with no issues and sold it off after it had done well over 300.000 kilometers.
I have recently bought a b5.5 1.9pd estate, 6sp manual and 4 motion, just turned 130,000 miles (so just run in) and I'm loving it!
Overall a good car. It is popular here in Bulgaria. Because you get a lot of car for the price. But it does have a weak spot. The suspension is somewhat complicated and costly to repair. Could be a problem in countries with bad roads.
I had a 20 yr old B5 1.9 tdi s. It had 250,000 miles on the clock and was 20 yrs old . Paid £1500 pound for it and it lasted me 10 yrs and 94,000 miles. Best car I ever had.
Wow. £1500 and lasted 10 years!
@@JJonCars bought it from a relative.
Three of my four cars over the last 24 years have been B5 Passats, including my current 4motion estate. I've owned dozens of cars, most of them German, and the Passat ranks very high in terms of comfort, safety, performance, economy, and quality. They are however, fairly high maintenance.
thanks for this video. Today, no one appreciates the quality of vehicles anymore. I'm the owner of a 110 hp afn with 450000 km and the only failure was to replace the alternator at 300000 km. I have not had a single serious malfunction. Put the chip on 275000 km (140 hp) and the car flies. Just a regular small and large service with quality oil
No problem, thanks for watching :) I honestly think this Passat has to be one of the best built cars ever, there are so many out there with huge mileage on them.
I drive my b5 1.6 petrol. It has 350k miles and I am the one owner. The engine has no leaks or oil problems and never had. Also, no body corrosion. Very capable car!
Very impressive, especially for a petrol. I think that might be the most miles anyone has mentioned for a petrol yet, including B5 and Mk4 Golf :)
Mine is on a Y plate,2000 I think.Diesel estate.Bought about 5 years ago in immaculate condition with 80,000 on the clock.Cost £1,200.Best car I've ever owned,I'm not used to my cars passing mot's first time.I've put 40k on the clock since and the only money I've had to spend is for warped brake discs last mot,which the mechanic was surprised was failed on as was very slight.
Fantastic reliable cars :)
I had a mk4 Golf TDI with the 1.9L 90hp engine. I put 400K miles on it before I sold it. That car was insanely reliable - that diesel was bulletproof. Mine wasn't the PD engine, though.The guy I sold it to has put another 50K on it. I have no doubt it'll go for a lot longer assuming it doesn't get wrecked.
Probs get scrapped soon due to emissions regulations getting tightened and more low emission zones coming in.
@@Blackmamba12345 I’d like to think otherwise that these VWs actually are going to go strong no matter what (the 1.9’s specifically). If there are old ass diesel pickups and what not going about their business still racking up miles, I’d have no problem in thinking that those particular VWs would also chug along no problemo…
They're great cars. I bought a 2001 TDi 130bhp Estate 8 years ago for £160 with a head gasket fault. I replaced the head gasket, and stuck a spare head I had on (from a car with 400k miles). Now there's 600k miles on it and it's going strong. Also managed to pick up a 2005 Highline 130 TDi (in black) last year for £200 with only 100k miles that was destined for the scrap yard due to rotten wings and a multitude of minor problems (like window regulators, seized rear calipers, alternator fault). Sourced all the parts needed for £400, spent a solid week detailing it and it's now a very tidy car.
They are reliable enough engine and gearbox wise as long as the proper oil change intervals are followed. But they can suffer from water leaks, rotten front wings (due to the sound deadening used on the diesels soaking up water and grime), minor electrical gremlins and suspension wear.
As they're now getting on in years check the axle and front subframe for rot also
600k miles! You win! Amazing to think the car was basically revived from the dead 8 years ago and is still going strong.
I have VW Passat B5.5 2002 131hp AVF engine sedan. Every day driving is like a dream. Very stable car of course you need time to handle it. Economical and realible. Easy to drive from A to point B. And still have a look that most modern cars doesn't have. I love it.
I owned a 2004 Highline 1.9 TDI, in charcoal grey with a black leather interior. I owned it for 7 years and did about 130,000 miles in it. In all that time, apart from obvious things like tyres, brake pads. and the odd suspension bush, it went through one alternator and one power-assisted steering belt. And that was it. I eventually sold it on complete with its original clutch! It was the most reliable car I ever owned by a country mile.
4:50 That's correct VR5 not V5. But, the V6 is the Audi 90° V6, not the VW VR6.
have a 1.8 T year 2000 it is immaculate. When ever I service it at a new garage they are stunned
We had a 2000 Passat 1.9 TDI 4 motion estate that my dad bought almost new and it was our famuly car for 12 years and then i had it for 8 years. The best car in the whole world. It took me and my friends and eventualy the wife to countless adventures and i have so much great memories with that car. But when the kids arrived i bought a 2016 passat (in 2020).. The old beater was 20 years old and had almost 450000 km. Never missed a single beat... Good i miss this car
I had a 2003 B5.5 Passat 1.8T Sport 5 speed petrol which I finally moved on ,in 2022,with 250,000 miles.It left me running well and using very little oil,with original turbo,clutch and apart from the flexible joint on the exhaust being replaced,the rest of the system was as it left the factory.
Only parts ever renewed were the alternator and as a safety precaution the oil pump.
I still see it occasionally on the road even yet. Enjoyed every minute of ownership. A superb reliable car.
Always strange to see your old car driving about isn't it. The later Passats were nice but not as well built as this B5 that's for sure
My dad has a red one of these passat's in 2016ish, I liked it very much and I'm hoping to own a B5 preface lift in the future preferably in red. Great video keep it up.
Awesome, bet they look good in red! Good luck with your search for one :)
I drive the 2002 b5.5 130 bhp and I adore it 250.000 on her now and she is flying
100,000 miles more than "Miles" the High Mileage Hero - incredible. I have new respect for the Passat. Great video btw.
Thank you!
The vents do adjust, they scroll up and down to open and close.
But, do they adjust to point up and down? Doesn't seem like it!
@@JJonCars Yes, scroll them up and down. They're quite satisfying when closed.
@@tommorides8086 Sorry it took so long - I've now cut that bit out, you are of course right!
@@JJonCars No problem, we are all learning everyday, myself definitely included. 🤙
The Passat was popular with taxi drivers too I remember ('Looks and handling' not being high on their wish list! )😂
had a 2001 1.8t wagon manual.. Sold it in 2018 with 350k km regular maintenance and wear and tear.. Very reliable and fuel efficient..
I had the 2003 Passat v6 1.8 turbo and I appreciate your enthusiasm for all these points, however the gas mileage on my Passat was unbelievably atrocious. I’m not sure how different the 1998 version of this generation was though…. But Im surprised to hear you gushing about the gas mileage. I would get about 13 litres per 100km, on a bad day.
Wow, that is poor. This car is a diesel which will certainly help. An old 1.8 turbo petrol won't be so good.
I 1996, VAG decided to try out a common platform for Passat and Audi A4. In order not to turn Audi buyers off, they made an Audi, and then let the buyers, that can live with the VW logo instead of the four rings, have the EXACT same car a little cheaper. And in the end, if you were to resell it, the difference in price would be evened out a bit. SO: It IS an Audi, they're identical in every aspect. Just look at four-link front cotrol arm set-up and the anti rust treatment. Here in Denmark it tops the list of cars with more than 300.000 km by a huge margin. Mine? A 1.6, 215.000 km, one owner before me, had it three years, love it
We had a W-plate Estate version with the 115 TDI engine. Great car, sold it at 200k miles having done several European long distance trips.
Last year I bought my first car, a 2005 B5.5 1.9TDI PD130 wagon.
It has no service history, and we reckon it's been clicked twice and has close to 500,000km. I've put around 25,000km on it over my first year. So far, I've replaced the gearbox and the front upper control arms, and I've had a timing belt and water pump done for good measure.
At the same time, the heated leather seats are toasty and very comfortable, the back seats have miles of room which I regularly use for stuffing friends in the back, the boot is massive and even bigger with the seats down, mine has a towbar which I've used for everything from bike racks to pulling stuck vehicles and pushing trailers loaded with massive generators around on site. It's just been a fantastic car for the money I've paid.
The only reason I'm even remotely considering changing it is because of the Irish tax system. Since the car is older than 2008, I get taxed based on engine size, my 1.9 TDI works out at almost €700 a year. Audi A6 C6 estates are getting cheap now, a 2010 would cost me €4000 to buy, and only around €200 a year to tax as the new system is based off emissions. I still want to get another year or so out of my Passat first though.
What a great first car, much better than the usual little hatchbacks people end up with.
I knew that car ownership can be expensive in Ireland but I didn't realise it was that expensive! The UK tax system is all over the place and makes absolutely 0 sense, as mid 00's diesels can be really really cheap to tax despite the fact that they are now villianized as polluters, yet a big petrol engine from around 2006-2010 can be £675 a year to tax. Yet be free to drive in London ULEZ :') Do you find the Ireland system to be consistent at least or is it as schizophrenic as the UK? A6 would be a nice car too 👍
I owned a 98 variant. Traded ir in with 17 yearss and 495 K on the click. Best car I've had.
All your observations are spot on. I saw a Passat Estate in a car showroom years ago and was about to buy it when I spotted a Volvo V70. I bought the volvo because it was in another class. And the interior of the Volvo was so much superior to the Passat.
You're also correct that water leaks are a big problem with some models of VW cars. Another common problem are door locks.
Agreed that the Volvo interiors are definitely a cut above in terms of luxury.
Interesting history on those cars, defiantly is a car that fly's under the radar, but is actually a nice looking car
i own a 99 passat vr5 with 283.000 kilometers on the clock. She runs like a beauty !
Nice! What fuel economy do you get with that car out of interest?
@@JJonCars 1:12 on the highway on cruise control for daily uses. I drive 50 kilometers each day.
I own passat 99 b5 but in 1.8T and trust me.. it´s exciting to drive. Month ago motor was totally rebuild and some other parts as well... That passat did 260 000km without touch inside of him.
Ive got 1998 b5 1.9 tdi lovely car. Now done a genuine (confirmed by mot history and 21 years of main dealer service history) 75,000 miles. Had it just under a year and booked for it's first mot under my ownership next week.
Wow, sounds like a superb example. Worth keeping hold of and looking after :)
I have had my 1998 1.8T 20v turbo sport for 18 years I drive it every day its done 170,000 miles and drives as smooth as ever very rare car now it is a classic car now it was made when the VAG group were at the top of their game sill goes some when you put your foot down my youngest daughter loves driving it and will inherit it when I'm gone very underrated car got a few little niggly jobs to do on it but always happy to work on it 👍👍👍👍😁😁
I've got a b6 passat which I love. I dont know if it will last as well as these b5s but the build quality is the best I've had in any car.
These are great cars, you can always tell when a car is prized by the TAXI community. I had a 1.8t and a 2.0 TDI. My late fathers B5.5 2.0 TDi is a 2003 and still going strong with minimal maintenance. I also had the later transverse engines Passat which was ok but didnt have that 'hewn from granite' feel of the older cars - I guess the accountants must have stepped in !
Yes, Taxi drivers know their cars :) Just driven the later B6 Passat, impressed with its spaciousness as it doesn't look as big somehow as the B5.
I had the next model Passat in the same colour. Mine had the 140PS engine and I loved it and took it to a reasonably high mileage when it failed the MOT the DPF. Was going to cost more than the car was worth so I sadly had to get rid.
Hilariously, just as BSJJ was dissing the coffee you passed to him, the video had an ad break for...you've guessed it...Costa!!
Thanks for another great vid JJ.
Would like to that next generation of Passat on, bet they're a great motorway car.
😂 that's amazing 😅 hopefully I'm not gonna get ads cancelled on me, didn't realise I was sponsored by Costa... Maybe all publicity is good publicity. I'll blame backseat JJ anyway, that coffee was nice enough. Cheers John
@@JJonCars Yes, much like the one you drove, it was a good, solid workhorse and being the '140 Sport' it had reasonable performance. When I got the news it had failed the MOT and the cost of a new DPF, my daughter said I looked so crestfallen. It was a great car.
@@Rjhs001 Ah yeah, the dreaded three letters, D P F, might as well be R I P!
@@JJonCars 😂
I've been running my 2005, B5.5, 2.0 petrol estate highline for many many years now. Can't ever think what would be a good replacement for it to be honest. Apart from the ridiculous amount of oil guzzling, the engine and gearbox seem to be pretty bullet proof. Eventually some bits wear out, sensors and the odd rubber sealing o rings for the coolant unions etc. Unless you replace the door lock motors, you'll end up opening some of the doors with the key or from the inside. Love this car though, can fit an entire dining table with 4 chairs and still have room inside.
It's hard to think of anything modern that is such a great load-lugging shape with all that glass and visibility. And you've got the holy grail of B5s - the Highline :) I think you'll just have to keep hold of it as long as you can!
@@JJonCars absolutely, I certainly want to keep her running as long as possible. I think I've learnt the most maintenance through owning this car than any other 😆👍
my grandad owns a 1.6 passat from the late 90s with 50kmiles and amazinggg condition, quite mad that he didnt get the 1.9tdi
still have a 2000 Passat (170k miles) and have no problem putting it on the road for extended drives as it's a strong and well-built car...the only issue is expensive maintenance which is quite off-putting.
I have now my second B5. A 12/1996 one. Very early model, Sedan, Green! gauges, LC9Z Black Magic Perl, the same cloth seats as this one, as this one, in extraordinary good condition, no scratches or rips on the seats or dashboard
I have bought it at 360200km in Dec. 23 for 400€ and now i have 376500km in May 24.
Although, the original powersteering pump failed (leak) at 363600km, and needed Replacement, there was nothing more that broke on it. I replaced the Powersteering pump
with my dad at home. Cost: ~90€ Work: ~4h
Invested in Alloy wheels for Winter, (I hate steel wheels)
Recently i inserted fresh filters for Engine, Cabin and made a Schedular oilchange VW 505.00 Oil.
Best MPG of all cars i've owned too. 5l straight on calculated average. (I dont have the MFD sadly, so i need to use Trip and liters filled in on the petrolstation.
I don't know why but I absolutely love the cloth interiors of these and other late 90's VWs. It's just so lounge like. Great cars and good to hear yours is doing well at high miles too.
I had a 1998 1.8T version from 2001 to 2010 and only things that ever went wrong with it were door and window electronics.
That's impressive.
I own vw passat b5.5 1.8 turbo 150 hp,307000 km,it's still running very well😊
I do own Passat b5 3b2(long boy with extra cargo space) and it is just beutiful. It has 1.8 (92 kw, 125hp) engine and it drives well sounds beutiful and it does not look half bad. It has 400k km on clock. My family and I use it as "comercial" vehicle (ie we fill it to the brim with stuff) and still it pulls very nice. I am very happy with it in simple words. German engeniring never dissapoints.
Long boy :D A limousine pretty much!
I own a 2004 Passat 1.9tdi pd100 with 230K kilometres on the clock. I will say that for 500 euros it was a good steal, easy to fix and maintain and the dang fuel consumption is so so good, like 4.5L/100km good!
Bargain!
I drive a 2005 2.0 TDI - The low end torque is like a small locomotive.
Thanks JJ, some of those drive by shots looked familiar, I quite like the B5 Passat, your right it’s not an interesting car inside or out but they are good solid well built cars and are comfortable too.
That mileage is staggering isn’t it? It’s a good recommendation for that engine but also a feather in the hat for the previous owners who’ve obviously looked after, younger passats look like they’ve been driven into the ground at less than half those miles, well done previous owner!
Great interesting video once again.👍
Miles may or may not have been driving up and down that road 😄 Absolutely, huge kudos to whoever owned it... guess they probably don't search RUclips for videos of Passats, but I hope they do and see this vid 😂
Cheers Will!
Love the videos man!
Thanks Austin!
Got one of these myself, 2003 version, over 347 000 km so far. I love it, its super reliable, cheap to sustain and comfortable to drive. I got it from my brother and he got it from my mum so the car is in our family since the beginning^^ But yeah, the waterleaks are a thing, I have the same problem with mine😅
Haha, well, no car is perfect! Glad to hear its been a good car though
Back seat JJ really didn't like that coffee 😂
He is a bit of a snob in general 😂
I had a 1999 in dark green, had from 3 years old and covered 100 .000 miles in it. When I traded it in (2012) had done only 130k and was in perfect order. Much to my shock it was never taxed again and the car supermarket must have scrapped it, God knows why. I wish I had of kept it now.
Ah man, always disappointing when that happens. I've sold cars in the past that were fine, and then noticed they were scrapped soon after. I think when cars are old people just can't be bothered with them, which is wrong as they often have a lot of life left.
Loving Back-seat JJ....
He says thanks 😄
I got a 99 B5 2.8l v6 w/315k miles that doesn't look nearly as good. But it's still fun to drive!
My wife wants me to sell our 1999 Passat V6 with 217,000 km which we have owned from new. Manual transmission is fun to drive. Really smooth and peppy. No rust ! They really knew how to paint them, and the metal has more heft to it than Japanese cars. I am keeping it! 😂
Got one of this from my grand father as my first car, also 500k on the clock.
I would never buy a VW or a diesel car as an adult, but I love the particular one that I own.
But they do need at least some care because I can't even list everything that was shot on the car when I first got it hahaha
Also the 1.9 turned out to be a pretty much lego engine to make some funny power
The "no frills" design isn't exciting but it ages much better than many designs which were considered fashionable at some point in time.
Yeah I agree, I never really thought much of this generation of Passat, good or bad. But now it actually does have a very sleek shape that you just don't see any more. I guess its one of the reasons the 10 year old Tesla Model S still looks relatively fresh
I had a 1999 one of these in the same colour with about 100k miles on it back in the day. Got rid of it due to a water leak on the passenger footwell which has the ECU under it. A great work horse of a car but the leaks are insane and the placement of the ECU is incredibly strange.
Genius design haha
@@JJonCars German engineering at its finest
looks absolutely beautiful simple German styling
Yeah, that's a good description!
That's a lot of milage and it's in great shape. The very first Passats in the 90's were front engine rear wheel drive. That kind of milage in the amount of time this car has, the secret to this cars milage is that this person drove it on lots of long trips with very few start and stop cycles. None the less VW pumpe duse motor is a perfected diesel. Just make sure to change the timing belts every 50,000
I didn't know about the first Passat being RWD!
Yes you're totally right, can't get to half a million miles without taking care to drive the car the right way and looking after it.
For its time it had good looks and seemed like a well built car
👍 for sure
We have the B5 v reg. We had it from new. It has 248k miles on the clock. We are struggling to get parts now and it is leaking because the front cowl underneath the windscreen is cracked. I don't know how to find a replacement. I'm gutted because I love driving it. Just done Winchester to Aberdeen and back. Also the suspension feels a bit spongy and I don't know what to do about that either. Local garages are simply not interested in keeping it going.
Ah, the troubles of owning older cars. Perhaps a scrap Passat would be the best bet to find the cowl - on ebay you usually get people breaking cars. Shame about the local garages, I'd have thought they wouldn't mind working on older cars as they can be easier to deal with than the new ones full of electronics.
One of the best cars I've owned
Have an 04 130hp doing 600 miles per week and never misses a beat.. 175k and I would have no worries going for another 175k
Were the water leaks due to blocked plenum chambers which bought water into the footwell and soaking the control unit which is down there…?…Anyone..?
My mother owned a 1.9 TDI 2005 Passat, the engines outlast the bodywork lol - started to rust on the front arches a bit so she got rid of it otherwise would have still kept it - she sold it at 180k miles
We own a 02 b5.5 1.9TDI, and it has about 330k km . Boy, does it run like butter. We've had very little issues with it. the only issues are that it has very sensitive sensors. bought it for just under 3k, We had a Golf mk3 1.9TD before and we sold it for about 1k€ and funnily enough the person that bought the car, drove it to a mountain and ended up blowing the engine 😅
I bought a 2005 model 1.9 TDi sedan today. It has some mileage but it feels tight and good. We shall see...
Well, fingers crossed for you. They can definitely rack up the miles as this car has proven!
An observation and a question: I have a 2005 B5.5 TDI with the 2.0 liter PD engine with the 'pleather' interior. By the time I bought it - and having had owned a 1998 B5 Passat wagon with a gasoline engine- I was glad to see the flimsy if not interesting cup holder and the dinky front arm rest go away. It is interesting that the door panels in the video also have the same saggy material as every other of this kind over time. My experience has been very positive on the ride and handling. Upkeep is key, but not bad on the wallet if you're prudent. My question is why did the diesel you reviewed have much different advertised mileage in the UK than in the US as you showed? Was it because that the US only had an automatic transmission offered? I seem to get about what you posted on my TDI now , and only think its because I swapped the transmission out from the automatic (it ate itself) to a used European manual several years ago. Honestly, its a LOT more fun to drive and is way more 'tourqey' than the automatic.
Ah, that's because the US have a different gallon to the UK (Imperial gallon), so the MPG works out differently. US MPG is always less than UK MPG as a US gallon is smaller than a UK gallon. But the actual fuel usage is the same!
I'm guessing it's rare to have a diesel one in the US? :)
@@JJonCars Ah.. the imperial gallon.. got it. And no, it’s not that rare to have a Passat TDI in the US even though that iteration was only sold the US for two years. They sold pretty well during that time and then there was a gap of a few years before they were sold as the next generation ‘ clean ‘ diesel engines. Mine is rare only because I converted it to a manual in my opinion.
JJ bro which one you think is better? This passat or the same era 6th gen Honda Accord. My sister's father in law has X reg accord with 317k miles and no problems whatsoever.
I haven't driven the 6th gen - though I am a fan of the 7th generation. I imagine they are pretty decent though. Would be a hard question to answer I suspect.
I always wanted the estate version of this. Now I have 2010 Skoda Octavia 1.6tdi with 367000 miles
Nice one. Wonder how those two cars compare. I'm betting the Passat would be a bit more comfortable and spacious. Octavia is a great car though
Early Passats of that shape suffered too with electrical problems surprisingly. I think the simple shape of it has gotten better with age though
Agreed, it was probably quite bland/boring when it came out, but now it stands out a bit as a sleek smooth shape
@@JJonCarsmy father bought that model brand new in 1999 here in Denmark. Can you imagine people looked at it when you were driving somewhere ? It was black color
I replaced my rear bushes and put a sport model anti-roll bar and it cured the body roll
Nice work 👍
Can anyone with the 90hp version tell me what top speed u managed to achieve
Is this the 1.9pd?
driven a b4 b5 and a b6, b5 is just a class for itself, i would buy it new if i could!
If only we could buy them new!
Bulletproof cars!
I have an '05 2.0 TDI. 215,000 miles. New turbo, but no tranny work to date. Engine uses NO oil... 👍