Passat Wagon - 97/99 turbo

General Discussion
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1

Hello.
I am looking for a car and have come across two different passat wagons that are in my price range and both have under 150K miles. I haven’t gone to see them yet and am trying to do some research before I do. Edmunds seems to give them a 4/5 rating but says that the engine isn’t great. I have been trying to find a honda or toyota wagon but they are hard to come by and I only have about $2500 to spend. The passat seems great but I’m afraid that the repairs are going to be expensive. What do all of you think?

Thanks for your advise.

2

Run away form both. Late 90s was a bad time for VW. That’s why they’re cheap. Look for a Chevy or Ford in that price range.

3

Agree; the first major repair will cost you more than $2500. These cars are bad news.

A Chevy Cavalier or Ford Crown Victoria can be had in this price range and repairs on those are both less frequent and less expensive.

4

I agree with the others. A Passat is just another name for “money pit.”

5

A 97/99 anything could be a gamble and relying on info from Edmunds or other review sites to be the decision maker would be a mistake. An inspection pre-purchase or at a minimum, a lengthy test drive while paying close attention to how the car drives, shifts, accessory operation, etc is a must.

I would go for something a bit more generic; say a Crown Vic or Buick. With some footwork and patience you should be able to find a pretty decent ride for 2500 dollars.

6

For $2500 you won’t get much car. And you should have about $1000 handy for repairs that are likely with a cheap used car. So, if you have $3,500 available buy a $2500 car. If you have $2500 only, you are really looking for a $1500 car.

You should be able to find a Ford Escort wagon in your price range with some life left in it. Perhaps you should be looking for an old minivan. Lots of them around and for $2500 you might find an OK one.

An old Passat with a turbo on the motor, that has the potential to be a real expensive car to own.

7

The cost for parts alone on the engine is almost $6000, and the problems are across all years fo Passat 1.8T that you are interested in. I would pass on the Passat. I;m also skeptical of Hondas. and Toyotas, but only because they have high resale values. For $2500, you need to look for the newest car you an find i the best condition you can find. For $2500, you should concentrate on unpopular cars like a Chevy Cavalier, Buick Century, Chevy Malibu, or a Ford Contour, for instance. Maybe a Kia Rio. You could probably find a 2003 Cavalier in your price range. Also, look for a car that a senior citizen is selling. They tend to make them last longer to keep the total cost of ownership down. You can benefit from their attention to the car.