VW Passat B5.5 PD 130

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Discussion

j4ck100

Original Poster:

798 posts

144 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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Just picked up one of these as a courtesy car as mine is having some work done.

On the 51 plate and 163k up but what a machine it is.

The 1.9 PD130 tdi engine is very gutsy, much more so than i'd have imagined. Frugal, too. Saw 45mpg @ 80-85. Really genuinely impressed, supremely comfortable too.

A lot of car for shed money if anyone is considering a winter hack. Gargantuan boot, to boot!



S6PNJ

5,157 posts

280 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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I have a 53 plate (black estate) same engine on 180k and I'm also chuffed with it. Managed 15k in 9 months last year, probably averaged about 45-50 as well! Great car, comfortable and with enough grunt.

martin mrt

3,768 posts

200 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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The B5 Passat is a cracking workhorse, as you say comfortable to boot and they just keep on going.

I bought my ex FIL a 110 TDI Estate around 6-7 years ago, it's the only car that so far hasn't failed him yet.

Klippie

3,096 posts

144 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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The 1.9 PD lump was and still is a great engine they were everywhere my Fabia VRS was a riot of a car...I still miss it.

j4ck100

Original Poster:

798 posts

144 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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I'm in a petrol turbo having come from an e46 330d, and getting into this reminds just how effortless diesel driving is. Such a nice feeling wafting along on that torque without revving the nuts off of it to make swift progress.

colin_p

4,503 posts

211 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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Shhh...

These are a best kept secret. It is always normally old Saabs and Volvos that get mentioned when these Passats are better.

Same chassis, suspension, engines, gearboxes, brakes as the Audi A6 of that era but without the badge stigma.

I've been shedding one for quite a while except rather than shedding properly as per the thread title, I'm doing the exact wrong things and spending far too much on it. Anyway thread here...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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I have an Octavia tdi 130.
Had the camblet done, 2 oil changes, fuel filter change, air filter and coolant change and the engine pays me back by being faultless. I removed the under tray and it is loud, but the engine really goes and with a mild remap keep up with warm cars. Probably one of the best engine out there really, just enough technologically and old school reliability. Done 20k and now at 170k and runs fine.
After a nuclear war only cockroaches and these engines will survive.

MOBB

3,575 posts

126 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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Pd130 is probably my favourite derv engine

Wallop, change gear, wallop etc

You can keep your smooth revvy diesels thank you

MJK 24

5,648 posts

235 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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Possibly the best 4cyl Diesel engine there's been. Economy, reliability and longevity.

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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MOBB said:
Pd130 is probably my favourite derv engine

Wallop, change gear, wallop etc

You can keep your smooth revvy diesels thank you
I agree. I'm on my second diesel car now.

First was a PD Bora, and it had glugs of creamy torque on tap. I now have a 2.0 Passat Alltrack and the performance is rubbish in comparison, the engine feels strangled and it's supposed to be 190bhp.

PistonBroker

2,406 posts

225 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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My first experience of these was back in about '05 when I jumped in the W-reg Passat of a friend of a friend and we headed to Les Houches for a group snowboarding holiday. Not long after we got off the chunnel he asked me to take over and I immediately gelled with it.

A couple of years later I bought a Bora TDI 130 at auction. It replaced a Mk3 VR6 but it felt just as quick and was obviously a lot more frugal! Alas, it was only ever bought to make a bit of pocket money so it had to go and a 206 Dturbo replaced it. That car served me well, but not in the same league!

These days I'm in a Tiguan 150. Great motors.

Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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Yup had one for about 10 years. Great machine. Only sold it because we bought a new Passat, a 170....

Olivera

7,065 posts

238 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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MOBB said:
Pd130 is probably my favourite derv engine

Wallop, change gear, wallop etc

You can keep your smooth revvy diesels thank you
Can't agree. The proverbial bag of spanners diesel engine with an abysmally small power band. I'll concede excellent mpg for penny pinchers.

Trabi601

4,865 posts

94 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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B5 and 5.5s are awesome cars. I don't think anyone has built a mainstream car so nicely before or since. The quality and ergonomics were outstanding.

They're best with a 1.8T, though. They hit 60 in under 8 seconds and still manage to turn in mid 30s mpg. Highly amusing if you get one in SE 'pensioner spec' with plastic wheel trims.

MagnaJeep

309 posts

153 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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I bought one as my first car. It was similiarly priced to comparable Octavias with the apparently bomb proof 1.9 Tdi, better spec and more room as standard for tall drivers.

This was 7 years ago and I just can't bring myself to sell it. It never let me down, no ruinous faults appeared, apart from a gearbox whine which was fixed for a whopping 300 € in Poland driven there on it's own power. I swapped to a V6 TDI gearbox with longer gearing and a remap, now it's almost perfect. Now on 160k miles and after a major service feels ready for the next 160k.

Negative points: Refinement, it is a bit rough on idle when cold, and there are some minor faults that have to be rectified on early models. Doesn't drift well hehe.

Won't change it for something newer anytime soon, maybe for a Phaeton just out of curiosity.



j4ck100

Original Poster:

798 posts

144 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
MOBB said:
Pd130 is probably my favourite derv engine

Wallop, change gear, wallop etc

You can keep your smooth revvy diesels thank you
This exactly. Do you know the science behind this? It feels way gutsier than the 2.0tdi units even though they have 177bhp and more torque!

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
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Our six fingered cousins over the Atlantic will probably not agree, but I think these represent the high watermark of VAG cars. Everything they've made since is noticeably flimsier and more "value engineered".

The 1.9PD feels miles faster than it is because of it's tiny, peaky powerband. Humans are sensitive to the rate of change of acceleration, not the rate of acceleration itself, so these sorts of engines feel dead exciting while actually being really very slow.

Rammy76

1,050 posts

182 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
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colin_p said:
Shhh...

These are a best kept secret. It is always normally old Saabs and Volvos that get mentioned when these Passats are better.
Having owned a VW Passat and now a Volvo S60 of pretty much the same age I couldn't disagree more.

My Passat had FSH and treated well with mainly motorway miles but it has been the only car ever to let me down at the side of the road with turbo failure and diesel runaway. It also rusted so badly it required 2 new wings and a new boot lid at the cost of £2800 (admittedly VW paid for most of this). It also suffered gearbox failure due to a knackered bearing, the interior trim gradually broke/fell to bits. I had numerous electrical faults such as the central locking failing, electric window regulators etc as well as the windows themselves falling in the doors. There's actually so much I can't remember it all.

As said before the engine itself seemed reasonably reliable but it had a horrible power band and a gruff horrible sound to it.
It did have very good fuel economy though!


Having been completely put off any VAG stuff I went with some recommendations on this site and bought an S60 for less money than an equivalent Passat. It is in a different league. The engine is smoother with a nice off beat sound, it's done the same miles as the Passat and been 100% reliable apart from an ABS sensor.
The seats are superb and the sound system is awesome and it is the most comfortable car I have ever owned for so little money. There is also no rust, it feels much better engineered than the Passat.
The main downsides are the turning circle is awful and the fuel economy is not as good as the Passat although still perfectly acceptable.

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
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dme12 said:
so these sorts of engines feel dead exciting while actually being really very slow.
I wouldn't say they are dead exciting or really slow. 130bhp standard they are not fast but this engine loves a remap and then it makes it brisk. Puts a lot of more expensive cars to shame, as well as being very solid.

Edited by The Spruce goose on Friday 13th January 02:00

j4ck100

Original Poster:

798 posts

144 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
dme123 said:
Our six fingered cousins over the Atlantic will probably not agree, but I think these represent the high watermark of VAG cars. Everything they've made since is noticeably flimsier and more "value engineered".

The 1.9PD feels miles faster than it is because of it's tiny, peaky powerband. Humans are sensitive to the rate of change of acceleration, not the rate of acceleration itself, so these sorts of engines feel dead exciting while actually being really very slow.
Thanks. I really might have to get myself a PD for commuting. Put a grin on my face in the way no diesel has done before! Agreed it's not quick, but the peakiness definitely keeps the illusion going. Effortless is the word i'd use. Actually going to be sad handing this back in a couple of days time.

Edited by j4ck100 on Thursday 12th January 22:15