Vw styling was good until they started building car catering more to the North American market . The current Passat has lost all of its cool euro flare .
The cool thing is the B5 Passat actually was built on an Audi-derived platform (the longitudinal engine placement is a telling sign) so in essence the older Passat was a cut-rate Audi A4. Heck the old 4motion option was pretty much a rebadged Quattro system. The new one...well it has more in common with a Jetta than any Audi. Quite sad really.
VW in general has moved downmarket from where they were attempting to position themselves in the early 2000s. I can only presume they did this to get out of the "no man's land" of near-luxury cars and to make more room for Audi / incentivize those on the cusp to opt for Audi for the higher level of quality/style/equipment/cachet...etc.
Justin C in the American market perhaps, but in Europe the VW group has many brands such as Skoda, and Seat Leon cupra and vw bora and scirocco as well as the lupo and polo and pointer etc etc.
Rj Lopez mr. P Yes, agreed, it seems this phenomenon is really exclusive of the European market. I live in the USA so I can't really say but it seems in Europe VW still has the upmarket brand cachet and does make some nicer products (i.e. European Passat).
I've had my 2002 Passat for 11 years. It's totally rust free and been trouble free and never failed an MOT. I believe they over engineered these cars from Germany at the time it was built. It now has 78,000 on the clock and the original exhaust! Not bad for a 17 year old car. If I won the lottery I'd garage it and keep it!
Ditto - all paid for. And i have the rare W8 Wagon. Silver. And it is limited to 250kph. It's been to 220 and damn, those dotted lines become a blur. Rock solid. Something about driving a mini Bugatti Veyron engined car.
+Danny check the images online, the european version has a better shape and much nicer front lights and stop lights. I don't understand why they modified the car for US market.
lol you think thats bad you should see the north american base model passats, I had 2 brand new ones for loaner cars god they were terrible. The golf line beats the passats in almost every way from base model to basically high end model.
I have a 2000 Passat, 5 speed, 1.8T with 237,000 mi. Still love it average 29 MPG mixed. To me looks much better than later models, only chrome on VW logo. Upgraded to black 16" rims, WOW, looks bad, handles better. Thanks for doing this mashup.
I agree with Sidney Grimes below. I have a made-in-Germany 2003 Passat that I purchased new. It has 160k miles. I love it. The new made in America Passats don't compare. I was once given a 2015 Passat as a loaner by the dealer when I took my 2003 Passat in for service. As I was driving on the freeway, my 12 year old son said, "Dad, our car feels better." He was right on. My 2003 Passat drives and handles better than the new. If feels more stable and secure at high speed. I like that is smaller. It may weigh more, but one reason is the because the sheet metal is heftier. The old Passats were designed to run on the autobahn, the new made in america Passats are not. The new passat is not a German car anymore.
The drag race is totaly biased! You can't compare the auto gearbox in the old car with the very fast gearbox in the new car! If you wanted to be honest, you would have compared a manual old passat with this model, and maybe the old one would have won, certainly it would have been much closer, and also the fuel consumption would have been much closer. And another thing, the old passat in this video is a basic one, no climatronic, no leather, no sports seats, sports multifunctional steering wheel, no nothing, while the new one is full options. So, in conclusion, it's a shitty biased review.
Yup the old passat has almost everything in options like the new one has, you could even get heated back seats and a f**** Solar panel in your sunroof to power the AC if you pay enough The b5. 5 was far more luxurious back in 2002 than the b8 is now
B5.5 wagons are still great looking. I recently drove the TSi R-Line. I loved it.. great power-plant for a city car, and hwy mileage was damn near excellent
Got a 2003 Passat wagon same as that car and it just passed 272k miles on the odo 😂 drives better than most cars with a quarter the milage and all I gotta do is run the right fuel and oil and that thing has never given me grief
True, and the new one takes 87 octane. APR ran 93 in a stock B7 Passat and it made 191hp and over 200tq. The old 20v makes 170hp on 93 octane stock. So you get 21 extra hp by just putting 93 in it. Worth it to me. Just bought a 2015 Passat, gets delivered tomorrow. Cannot wait. But I also owned a B5 A4 Quattro and a B5.5 Passat and they were both absolutely fantastic cars in every conceivable way. Very reliable and good to drive.
I own an 02 4 motion and love it. But the only people that would believe you haven't had any issues are people that have never owned a Passat. I'm actually doing some work to mine today....
It's still my favorite car in this segment. VW has always been my favorite car company. I've always loved the feel of their cars. SomeThing that struck me when I saw my first Bugatti Veyron in person was that every line screemed VW. VW products are so engaging to drive and I've always loved the way that they make their interiors. I've appreciated their philanthropy over the years as, well but my opinion of them has been tainted in the past year. Knowing that they are working diligently on producing fully electric products with long range capabilities is a consolation, and if it comes to pass I will consider purchasing one as I've always wanted a VW.
Djonkie Bonk carbon buildup only occurred on the previous 2.0TSI models, and that was because of bad quality U.S. fuel. DSG and VW Automatic transmissions are excellent, comparative to CVT and other automatics. I don't know where you have the information about the intake manifold sensor, because you can replace a sensor independent from the whole manifold, and again, injectors fail because of bad fuel quality. Having worked for VW in Europe & VW in USA, I can tell the differences, and the main issue is people using regular fuel in the cars vs Premium fuel (which, incidentally, is still lesser quality than regular fuel in Europe.)
Samuel James The carbon buildup consisted of quite a bit of oil so it had to do with the CCV system and EGR valve. It also occurred on diesel models so it has nothing to do with the quality of the gas but more to do with the fact fuel is not being sprayed into the port which washes off the valve. MB has DFI on a lot of cars now but no carbon buildup issues like VW, Audi and BMW. You can blame poor design and emission regulations, if the CCVs could just vent to the atmosphere and no EGR was to exist that would help eliminate the carbon issue.
Do more of these! I love your channels and I think comparing old and new is a brilliant idea. One thing I hate about Motor Trend is that they complain of something being lethargic and dated, and I always wish they would drive an older model of some cars to see how far it's come
Guys, I like your channel but the production needs some work. Audio is all over the place. I know you have mentioned before that its a race to get videos out first, but we are still going to watch it a day later. Just a thought.
I have the 2003 W8, silver / grey wagen AWD. Speed is limited to 250 kph. 0-60 mph in 6. It has 285,000 and purrs like it was new. I know a man who had 480,000 on his and it ran perfectly. It is fun, a dream to drive, handles well, lots of room, sits low and looks fast. It is FAST. And the lighting system lights up the road like a football field. It is a delightful hobby car keeping it fixed! - new suspension arms, brakes, pads, spark plugs, headlights complete and new a computer fuel pump module - water damage my fault. But it is a challenge and sheer joy to putz on them, keeping them in great shape. Like babying a woman. When she is happy, everyone is happy! I learn a lot about German engineering - like how dumb are they when it comes to servicing - never talked to the mechanics! ~ OH yes - the big one - it's paid for long long ago. change the oil every 15,000 with Pennzoil Euro platinum and that engine will never die. OK, it only gets 20-23 mpg US, 24-28 mpg Cdn (11.3 l/100km). Who cares. No car payments! And yes, i have towed 3,500 lb trailer on 3 trips of 350 miles each over the Rockies, up huge inclines, grades, 3 mountain passes in the middle of winter at -30C. Way overweight and it sucked gas, (17 mpg Cdn) but it made the trips. Didn't even burp although the excess weight pooched my rear tires though! And I have a 2002 black / tan wagen V6. 235,000 on it. LIghter, fun to drive, snappy. have had it up to 195 kph and still climbing. What a blast. And it looks so sharp! James Bond would be envious - much better than BMW! When I look at these wagen's, and compare to today's Passat's, honestly, that wagen is one cool, bad ass, fun, enjoyable car that has the looks that few cars anywhere look as good, regardless where it comes from, regardless of year or country. Am I biased or is this true? I have a deal on another wagen I am buying tomorrow. V6 - needs tranny work - easy to do. Gotta love these cars. Oh, yes, can these suckers stop FAST! The W8 has a computer module that detects a panic stop and instantly doubles the pressure on the pedal. I can go from 80-0 kph in about 2-3 car lengths. no skidding. insane. The discs up front are larger than a dodge durango. And the rears are vented! That is safe! And when it comes to winter, mud, sand, ice and snow, this car is like a Jeep in 4WD. Sure it has some bugs and needs refinements and is heavy, but what of it? So what? Live with it. It has heart. And it likes me! Dave
I have an 2001 passat and it drives great. You can actually (more or less) mitigate the turbo lag by using the slapshift/tiptronic since the car doesn't like to get high revs in the lower gears. My experience at least.
I was close to getting the R-line Passat, but stuck with my MK7 GTI and do not regret it one bit. VWs are just great cars overall, idc about dieselgate, I would still love a TDI.
In the long run, if you think about it, less has changed about cars between 2002-2017 compared to 2002-1987. The 2002 model is still a fairly modern car if you don't include the most recent tech amenities.
We bought a 2003 Passat from the showroom and my wife still driving it. I have performed all the maintenance and repairs myself and I love the car. So much that when I needed a car for me just recently I purchased another 03 Passat but this time the wagon. The new ones are out of my price range now for what I use them. Good article.
I still drive the 2003 W-8. 113,000 great miles & still looks like a new car. The all wheel drive is great in Wisconsin. I wish I could just add the new tech. To it.
Because a base 2017 Passat has more features than a high trim 2002 car, and sedans, especially Passats, are not selling well and are highly discounted, you can purchase in actual dollars the 2017 now for thousands less than what the 2002 cost in 2002.
B5 Passats are considered the best so far. Easy to work, reliable and sturdy. Right, it's a high maintenance car, but it's a pleasure and almost therapeutic thing to do. Obviously throughout all these years, they've become more efficient and safer. Wouldn't change my B5.5 for a B7. B5 made in Emden, Germany. B7 made in Carolina, US. No brainer.
I'm a big VW fan but I'm truly confounded by how the turbo gas engines have always stayed just about the same power for years and years and years. It seems that the output has always been around 180 to 200 hp, going back to at least the Jetta 1.8T I remember almost 15 years ago. Might have been the same in the GTI even before that.
Because Volkswagen sucks now and has lost its way. They only care about putting out generic cars to the masses. They have turned their back on their enthusiast fans. Can barely find one with a manual tranny anymore and it is never the top model.
Interestingly enough, the late 2003-2005 Passats with leather seats actually had heating elements in the rear seats, though no switch to turn them on. Heated rear seats was only officially an option in Europe. You can easily wire the rear seat elements to the 12v and add switches on the NA models and get the heated rear seats. It's a little strange that they never wired them in though.
You need to remove the bench on the rear and look for a connector (or two). Removing the bench is a bit tricky in that you need to know how to press/pull. Look that up online. It would also be good to have a Bentley manual or look online for wiring diagrams.
I had this car only the 2.8 V6 and a 5-speed manual. The GLX model where it was stuffed with everything and the only additional option was if you wanted the 5-disk cd changer, oh, and all-wheel drive but was that 2004? Was honestly a pretty awesome car to own. The headlamp lenses did look yellowed and faded at the end. The heated seats did take a tiny bit to warm up but they would warm yer cookies nicely. Very nicely sized trunk and decent back seat. The Monsoon stereo put out some very decent sound. Pretty solid car and never really felt 'old' as some others tend to do. It aged well. Strange thing is that I otherwise heard all kinds of stories about horrible experiences with VW's and about how unreliable this generation of Passat was, but my sample of one was near bombproof. Got rid of it when I was about 110K miles just because it was time. We parted leaving me with fond memories. When VW 'Muricanized the Passat and tho bigger and cheaper, they styled it like a plasti-chrome-accented shoebox and also cheaped on materials and started pushing that "leatherette" bizniz. Never did trust it, especially after a life living with actual leather. It did undeniably give you more room and had a spacious trunk tho. Always thought I'd end up with a VW CC, hmm. . . It never happened, dont know why, I still dig how they look and to me were the next step forward from that Gen 6 Passat.
First let me say thank you for this great video. I means something to me as I still own my Passat of yesteryear (2000 B5 model year) with significant upgrades. Even before I had the extensive engine upgrades to my Passat from yesteryear it was faster than what he was driving on that video. I think he just wasn't pushing it hard enough. I also love when I see these videos and they talk interior space, I am so glad I am only 5'6", I don't ever notice any of those lack of room problems taller people always seem to observe. One final thought, everyone knows those fuel economy numbers were insanely conservative for the Passat of yesteryear, anyone who ever owned one always reported higher economy number when asked. The only time I got those low advertised numbers were when I was driving hard.
very true about comparing fuel economy numbers across 15 years. It hit me right away when i watched the vid. also, no mention of cost adjusted for inflation and no comp of safety features and ratings although, again it would again involve diff standards.
It's actually called a four link because the upper and lowers aren't connected and move Independently. Usually only found on premium cars. I agree. It's one of the reasons I love my b5. Four link with some Vogtland springs and some Bilstein dampers and it's amazing. Miles ahead of a camry, taurus, Impala or similar. Don't forget the fact that it's all aluminum too.
you know .. I used to have an 06 passat, the B6 .. total loss in an accident, but now I have the older one B5.5 (got for a few months, ended up keeping it) .. and I honestly think, that the B6 was the best one ever made.. if you guys would make a mash up of B6 and B7 or B8 .. I think, the result would be surprising..
sorry guys not turbo lag!. It is the transmission programming. Easy argument.If it is over 1850 rpm's It's not lag. At 1850 you are already at peak TQ thus it's the programmable transmission you are actually waiting for.
I have a modified 2002 Passat GLS Wagon. Reliable, a couple dash lights but shes reliable. 1.8t is the same in other audi & vw, I don't know why people hate on it.
That 2002 Passage and my 1998 Audi a6 are almost interchangeable. Granted my Audi has leather seats and heated seats but they're practically the same car when it comes down to it
We will never see the equivalent of my 2001 GLS with Audi 30V and 5-speed. The smell of the leather, real wood trim, the powerful shudder of the engine on cold start, and a stick shift that takes a fair bit of skill to drive smoothly. Tastes changed, and Camry-like reliability (and cupholders) took precedent. If the B5 had quality to match everything else, it would have really been something. I hope owners will keep these around, as unique as they are. Makes my day when I see a well-kept 1998-2001 Passat (or A4/A6) on the road, especially in adult hands.
Longitudinal mounted engines are better in terms if torque steer (none) when compared with the less expensive current transverse method of engine mounting. Since the centrifugal force vector is perpendicular to the rotation of the crankshaft. But it cost more to manufacture. And an Audi 4 is merely a VW Passat in disguise with optional 4 wheel drive. Same company after all.
I have the 2002 to 2005 model v6 passat and that thing is PEPPY! When I get on it it doesnt smell like every other car I've owned. Mine has 136000 on it I'm 2nd owner and I'll say no other vehicle drives the way this passat does. It's amazing. This thing takes turns like a Camaro I'd know I also have an old Camaro.
The 2002 was based on the Audi A4 platform with a longitudinal layout. The new Passat is based on the Golf's FWD platform. So the old one is inherently a higher class vehicle with a fundamentally different platform. Arguably the B5/B5.5 Passats are the greatest ever.
a friend of mine and i rented a 2015 passat to travel back to vermont from north carolina after helping my sister move down there and let me tell you that car was surprisingly quick and it drove nicely down the highway at 80-85 mph. the only thing i didn't like were the brakes they were way to touchy
herrdoktorprofessor it’s possible. My 05 Audi A4 1.8t (pretty much the Passat) still has its original power. Unless the turbo is bad then you won’t have the original power
Thanks for mentioning the B5/5.5 wagon, which is my favorite Passat, as well. It is most regrettable that we Yanks don't get a wagon version of the new Passat!
It's probably better that way. I've got an '03 and, while I love it, in the couple years that I've had it I've almost racked up the cost of the car in repair costs (if I count what I've done myself by the shop's labor rates, I'm well past it).
Allen Adams that's been my experience as well. i had a 2010 passat and the repairs were costly and frequent. i got rid of that headache for a boring but much more reliable Camry.
That's what I do. It helps a ton with the total bill for sure, but the parts still cost money. It's also pretty annoying having to fix you daily all the time.
Justin Noker: I would if I could. Unfortunately I haven't the tools, the space, nor the time to do EVERYTHING. That is the plan once I get mine paid off and get a good daily in the stable.
It's a little strange that they used a basic model for the old one and a highly optioned one for the new one. The old Passat had some pretty cool options that aren't found in the new ones.
CosmicBlu EvoX it probably would've broken on the way to the shoot. But also totally different comparison, then. the w8 was more powerful than the b5 s4, and bigger... nothing like that in the current vw stable. Honestly VW sucks now...
Yeah it was kinda a shame they used a povvo-spec B5.5. They could be optioned with heated seats front and rear, factory navigation, HID headlights, sport leather seats, climate control, auto wipers, six speed manual gearbox, and a load of other cool stuff.
Just purchase a new 2017 Passat SE/tech. Love it. No other family cruiser in my opinion in this price point is more fun to drive. Bonus is the rear plug in jack and vents for my son. Plus heated seats. Thanks guys for the great videos.
Great idea for a series!! I love your channel. Please invest more into your production quality. Get a cameraman coach or an editing coach for yourselves or something. I want to see this channel grow.
Had a 2001.5 and all it's ignition coils were replaced ... twice. Dual-mass flywheel clutch gave it up after 32k miles. Replaced it with an aftermarket clutch. Still, I liked it. Not sure I would go that route again though.
The European one is built better in every way. It's more expensive and superior to the us model in every way except space. Vw decontented the us model and made it bigger to appeal more the American market.
Passat B5.5 is EU model just exported to US. Thats the reason for a huge number of available engines. This Passat is still veruy popular in EU. Especialy 1,9 TDI 130 HP.
Had a 2000 Passat V6 5 speed manual. It was T-boned by a Ram 2500 going 45mph into the driver's door. Wife walked away. 26mpg city and 32 hwy is what I averaged. Best car I ever owned including the A4 and RDX that replaced it.
I've had my Passat for 17 years. I don't think the modern ones will last as long. Far too complicated and too much unreliability. The 2002 Passat parts are easy to obtain especially if you source them from Germany OEM Manufacturers. The 1.9 tdi is the same design as the golden years of Audi 100, pre A series. I Wouldn't change my 2002 passat as its far cheaper to replace worn parts. The 3B3 has plenty of room in the engine to work on with the 1.8 and 1.9 but the v6 its a different story.
Nathen, you forgot to compare LED tec versus old lighting, I just drove a Passat and man those LED lights are really cool! Much better beam pattern! Comfy as well! Thanks!
The best passat at least in Europe is the 1.9tdi pd130 in the b5.5 model. I'd avoid the S and SE trim and go for the sport or highline. Dashboards can be swapped out for android auto double din units. These old cars come with heated seats, aircon etc and they are fast enough, even faster mapped. Not to mention they also come in 4 motion torsen 4wd guise which is better than the newer transverse cars.
I had a 2003 Passat GLX wagon. I'm more fond of the way the older VWs drive, he is completely right about the steering. The older model was a nightmare as far as reliability went. Mine was pretty decent, but I either knew someone with loads of issues or someone whose Passat was near perfect. Either you get a good VW or a lemon 😂
If you want an explanation for the old one being heavier, look at the build quality, specifically, open the door and look at the hinges. The 2002 you can put all your weight on the door and it won't bend, I wouldn't try it on the new one (it looks a lot cheaper). If you want the old school quality, get a CC, they are available w/huge discounts and quality is first rate!
Okay, I'm a VW die hard and I love both cars. I currently have a 2004 VW Passat (which is the same as the 2002) and I can get 34/35 mpg on the freeway. So, those numbers aren't accurate. But, that city rating is spot on.
Interesting video. I have a 2016 Jetta, and there's very little turbo lag in the 1.4 T engine. They've really engineered that out over the years. The reason the newer one is lighter, despite being larger, is because they use lighter components nowadays. For example, they've replaced iron and steel with aluminum, for many parts, such as in the engine.
