Faults:

Front differential seal at 5K miles - under warranty.

Coin "drawer" got stuck - fixed myself but required 75% of the fake wood trim to come off. But doable in under an hour and nothing broke.

General Comments:

So far so good, but the ride is a bit rough over bumps or expansion joints, and the engine hesitation from a stop is very annoying. A flash upgrade to the tranny firmware improves an unbelievable lag to a barely livable one.

The car drives and handles well and is excellent in the snow. It's very fast as well with the 3.6 280 hp engine. Gas consumption is good in the low 20s average. Same motor as the new CC.

Buy another? Yeah maybe - I like german cars.

Faults:

Fuel pump started to rumble at 32000 miles : Manufacturer call back saw this replaced under warranty.

Cable cover loom inside the driver door sill broke off : Dealer replaced this for free.

Electronic Park Brake failed just before its last service at 35000 miles : Fault code checked and new switch fitted under warranty by same dealer.

General Comments:

The VW Passat SE is a very competent and versatile car.

The space inside the car is amazing, it can accommodate 3 in the rear fairly comfortably, 2 rear passengers will find it spacious and the cup holders inside the arm rest are ideal for those long trips.

Strong is an understatement, got hit in rear by 7.5 ton van. No damage at all bar minute scratches and a little bend on the bumper!

The driver seat and controls layout are very good; better than my previous Passat. The boot is an ample size and will swallow all types of luggage, it's no removal truck though... if you are in that business, take the estate version.

The 1.9 TDI unit (rated at 105 PS) pulls well, but lacks the grunt of its sister 2 litre unit (rated at 138 ps). Marvellous on fuel, a trip to Paris saw the average MPG hit 50 +!!

The 2006 Passat is a little tricky to park in a tight spot, and I have a PCV license!!! I would advise to splash out on park sensors. But on the whole it's easy to live with.

My dealer in South Wales was brilliant. Much better than previous experiences I've had with VW. Any work carried out was done quickly, and my Passat always returned cleaned and checked over.

Verdict; apart from a few little flaws, a great all rounder. Wouldn't look out of place on Saville Row either!

Faults:

Nothing significant. Currently checking possible leak in window washer bottle.

General Comments:

This car is superbly built, fast, comfortable and economical long distance tourer.

It is an electronic marvel which is far smarter than its driver!

Electronic handbrake, self leveling headlights, parking sensors, tilt alarm, individual climate control and heated seats make this car a joy to live with.

Safe and solid with multiple airbags yet feels light and airy.

Faults:

HID headlights failed the day we took delivery and required 2 weeks to repair.

At 15000 miles the original engine failed due to a sheared bolt in the oil pump. It took the dealer 2 weeks to replace that engine, and the factory replacement engine failed on start up with the same problem. After another 2 weeks, the dealer told us that the second replacement engine (third overall) failed on start up with the same problem. A week later they called to say that the car was repaired. We took delivery and the serpentine belt fell off after 10 miles.

After they fixed that, we have driven it about 600 miles with no failures, but are afraid to drive far from home for fear it will leave us stranded.

General Comments:

A lovely car with great interior room and lots of luxury touches. The 3.6L engine has superb power and the all-wheel drive is great on wet and snowy roads. When it runs we love it, but we are afraid of driving it far now for fear of breakdowns.

Overall, a great car let down by horrible reliability and poor dealer service - the car was out of service for 7 weeks in the first 6 months of ownership!