2003 Volkswagen Passat TDI Sport (130) review from UK and Ireland
"TDI rocket madness"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Water pump.
Outside trim.
ABS sensor.
General comments?
Purchased the car in late 2007. The previous owner had treated the car quite badly, however the car was cheap (late 2003 model, £4500).
After a full service and some niggly parts fixed, the car has been excellent on a run. You will get a realistic 50+ MPG if driving between 70-80 mph.
In town it is also excellent on fuel. Overall it's a really well put together car, let down by poor handling on the local country lanes. I am just about to try and sort this out by fitting a sports suspension kit; hopefully it will not ruin the ride too much on the motorway. I will update this ASAP and let you know how it goes.
The TDI Sport is the best Passat I have driven. I also tried the 1.8T & the 2.5 TDI, both of which I was not overly impressed with.
If you are in the market for a TDI Sport, I would suggest buying as cheap as you can, and have some money set aside for the servicing & replacement parts you will no doubt need.
You will be amazed at the lack of turbo lag and just how fast this model is in a straight line; you can have a lot of fun.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 2003 |
| First year of ownership | 2007 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.9 turbo diesel Manual |
| Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Most recent distance | 99 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Mondeo |
| Date of Entry | 3rd September, 2008 |