03 Passat with the 2.8L v6 and a manual???

What is there to know about these?

http://www.machens.com/used/Volkswagen/2003-Volkswagen-Passat-43577de30a0a000221b9555fe46a22e3.htm

This dealer is desperate and throwing all sorts of stuff my way. This is the only one I found mildly interesting.

it's the only engine and transmission combination of that chassis Passat that I'd say go for it about. Every other combo I'd be telling you to run for the hills.

Didn't these have horrendous timing belt/waterpump issues? I think they're basically a throw away engine. As in, it's too expensive to fix anything on them...

I drove one once. It was pretty underwhelming.

Yeah, I am not terribly excited by it but am willing to consider it if you guys give it the go ahead. It is local to me and wouldn't take much effort to check it out.

Sorry but no!

I have had 6 VW's and just bought a 2003 Golf 1 1/2 weeks ago. Do NOT buy a 98-2004 Passat. It is the one car I regret buying.

They are a lovely car to drive but once they sink their teeth into you (your wallet), the blood (money) will be gone.

One of my co-workers got one for free (2.8/Auto) and $6000 later he wished he would have bought his daughter a Honda.

1.8t>2.8

My sister had an 04 with the 2.8 and it was a money pit. I had an 03 Audi A4 (same chassis) with the 1.8t and it was perfect. Yes I did the timing belt at 70K, but still.

In reply to chili_head:

3.7 qts of oil sludged into a tennis ball 110 durameter density ball of sludge would disagree.

Understood. That one is a complete no go. I knew asking here would weed the E36 M3ty VWs out of the good ones.

In reply to captdownshift:

Touche...But I never saw an ounce of sludge in mine. Sold it with 110K on the clock and more than half of that with bigger boost. I guess they are a crap shoot but still better than that 2.8 garbage. The 3 liter was better-ish.

I like VWs and I would say no... That gen of Passats are a heap...

oh I'd rock a 3.0L 6-spd car in a heartbeat, but would prefer the A4 if given the choice. Ironically I think higher boost helps 1.8T avoid sludging issues a bit.

In reply to chili_head:

My moms 01 ate coil packs like nobodies business. Ended up selling it for 800 bucks while it was running on 2 cylinders.

Run like hell.

My sister and her husband owned several Passats of this generation. Only one of the three was any good (a B5.5, if I remember the nomenclature correctly). If you get a good one and keep up with it, it might only be an expensive car to maintain. If you don't get a good one, not even god himself could help you.

I think you should shop Honda Accord coupes. They don't rust like the maximas do. And they make the same power. Only a couple grand more than the Maxima and you get a nice place to rack up miles.

captdownshift wrote: In reply to chili_head: 3.7 qts of oil sludged into a tennis ball 110 durameter density ball of sludge would disagree.

If quality oil is used and changed regularly there isn't any sludging issues. Some owners just think it's just like the Civic they traded in and you only change the oil when the low oil light comes on.

In reply to clutchsmoke:

I would consider one of those if I could find a decent one with a stick. I am pretty set on my transmission choices and have to go way up market (was looking at a TL) to consider an auto. And yes I know that you could get the TL with a stick but I have never seen one and doubt many came to the center of the country.

The only thing that car is good for is as a mid-engine kit-car donor (engine mounts longitudinally), but I'd rather it be a 1.8t. And the asking price is too much to anyone who knows VW's from that era.

I hate that these cars are so unreliable. In my opinion, they are attractive, decent to drive, comfortable, and a great interior. If they were reliable they'd be pretty awesome. If they were RWD and reliable, they'd be absolutely stellar.

I'll get back to talking about reliable Passat's in a minute; my unicorn is neighing and I have to go feed it.

Didn't those also have that crappy soy wiring in them that rodents love?

I had one, a 2003 V6 Passat GLX witk a 5-speed stick. It was a good, not great, car: moderately dependable, quick and quiet, fun-to-drive and safe. I went for a Passat over an A4 or Golf because a rear-facing child seat fits in back without pushing your front passenger through the firewall. A Passat is an OK car for parents of small kids. I deliberately chose a V6 based on my foreign car mechanic's recommendation as the less troublesome engine. Mine had had the major front-engine services (timing belt, tensioner, water pump and radiator) done by VW right before I bought it, so I figure I side-stepped some trouble that way. Even so, mine had a chronic PCV problem that seemed to doom valve cover gaskets to fail quickly.
The interior had tons of irritating squeaks and rattles and a weird rear door water ingress problem that was never able to be solved.
I was never able to find a comfortable seating position, and on trips I would develop excruciating sciatica. The automatic climate control system blows, as does the stock Monsoon radio. I sold mine and bought an '88 Mercedes 300SE, and aside from the manual gearbox, don't miss the Passat at all.