W8 Passat owners comments wanted
Discussion
I've been looking at a couple of high performance japanese estates in the form of a highly modified Legnum VR4 and a Legacy GTB but just by chance I came across the Passat W8 estate and I'm very interested in buying one I've been on the mainly american forum but would like to know what owners over here think of them. I understand no dreaded cam belt and service is quite reasonable from main VW agents is this true? the servicing that is I know about the timing belt.
I have driven the manual and auto W8s and can confirm that they are not very fast and very uneconomical meaning you are getting the worst of both worlds.
It is a bit of a pup really, as it doesnt sound especially good and has all the drawbacks of a V8 without the benefits. The auto is terrible and really stiffles what power there is, add in the 4 motion and the power is really sapped away.
The W8 was introduced to be a economical large capacity engine, but failed on all counts hence it being dropped pretty sharpish!
Avoid unless it is a manual and very cheap. Sadly the few manuals out there mean people will claim it is a rare car, for some cars there is a very good reason why they are rare!
It is a bit of a pup really, as it doesnt sound especially good and has all the drawbacks of a V8 without the benefits. The auto is terrible and really stiffles what power there is, add in the 4 motion and the power is really sapped away.
The W8 was introduced to be a economical large capacity engine, but failed on all counts hence it being dropped pretty sharpish!
Avoid unless it is a manual and very cheap. Sadly the few manuals out there mean people will claim it is a rare car, for some cars there is a very good reason why they are rare!
I bought my 2002 W8 Auto in May for £3650 with 67,000 miles and FVWSH. I'd been looking at all sorts to replace my 1996 Golf VR6 - I was looking for something more comfortable for longer journeys and considered the Auto since I do a lot of town driving. One of the most important things (for me) was the Q-car appeal. No-one knows what it is - aside from the BBS split rims and the quad exhausts, it looks like any other 1.9 TDI s
tter. Relatively speaking, it handles like a barge and doesn't feel that fast, but in terms of value for money I can hardly think of anything else I'd have for the money. Mine was an-ex VW car, so has all the options - full leather electric memory heated seats (front and rear), solar sunroof, auto-fold mirrors, climate control etc. The engine is fairly muted unless you're really hammering it, but I intend to replace the stock exhaust for a full custom system when funds allow. I would average around 24-26mpg with 50% town driving and 50% A-road driving. The build quality is the one thing that has surprised me. Anyone who drives it comments on how solid it feels compared to their BMW/newer VW/Merc and can't believe how much I paid for it. Obviously some parts are expensive since a lot of them are bespoke to the W8 (£460 for front brake discs as only VW make them!) but most parts are shared with the bog standard B5.5 Passat and other VAG cars. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it if you're looking for a comfortable, well-equipped, well-built, stealthy family saloon.
tter. Relatively speaking, it handles like a barge and doesn't feel that fast, but in terms of value for money I can hardly think of anything else I'd have for the money. Mine was an-ex VW car, so has all the options - full leather electric memory heated seats (front and rear), solar sunroof, auto-fold mirrors, climate control etc. The engine is fairly muted unless you're really hammering it, but I intend to replace the stock exhaust for a full custom system when funds allow. I would average around 24-26mpg with 50% town driving and 50% A-road driving. The build quality is the one thing that has surprised me. Anyone who drives it comments on how solid it feels compared to their BMW/newer VW/Merc and can't believe how much I paid for it. Obviously some parts are expensive since a lot of them are bespoke to the W8 (£460 for front brake discs as only VW make them!) but most parts are shared with the bog standard B5.5 Passat and other VAG cars. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it if you're looking for a comfortable, well-equipped, well-built, stealthy family saloon.Thanks for that helpfull answer, I'm in the market for an estate and would have hoped for a little better fuel consumption although considering the size of the engine I'm not suprised, your handling comments have perhaps swayed me more towards the 1998/9 Legacy GTB's Ive been looking at as I tried one at the weekend and its swift and handles very well. The brakes on the VW are way over the top regards cost though.
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