Overview & Reviews
GLS model vanishes from radar as Volkswagen prepares for launch of all-new Passat in mid-1997.
- Huge interior with lots of leg room, superb seats, excellent road manners
- 2.8-liter V-6 responds sluggishly when harnessed to automatic transmission
User Reviews:
Showing 1 through 10 of 43.00-
Poor Mans Bimmer - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By Seekrr - September 4 - 10:00 amI bought my Passat on a trade-in and what a difference from the Mazda I drove! Solid, responsive, balanced...yeah, a little underpowered with the auto, but a blast down the hwy. or back roads. Sure it needs fixing more than a Ford and parts arent cheap (not to mention my dealer sucked!), but for pure driving enjoyment, I couldnt have made a better choice!
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Disappointed - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By sbgoff - May 27 - 2:00 amCar burned oil at 5 qts per 5000 miles - dealer rebuild engine - never the same. significant electrical problems - electric windows in rear dont work - doors wont open - check engine light on constantly - a lot of cheap plastic parts in interior that broke within 1st year and were not under warranty - Electrical issues aware of by manufacturer but not covered by warranty
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Sporty but unreliable - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By So Cal Passat Driver - September 20 - 10:00 amOur Passat is like a race car; great high-performance fun to drive, but spends a lot of time in the mechanics pit. Since buying ours in 1997 problems weve had include: 7 power window repairs; 4 oil leak repairs (still leaks oil); peeling interior door handles (replaced twice, still peeling); side-mirror control failure (twice); heater core failure; alternator failure; air conditioning failure (still doesnt workreal fun in summer!); check engine light regularly comes on (VW dealer will then charge you to fix problem, then the light comes on again as youre driving away-- 6 times so far for us, and the light is on again).
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Love my Passat - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By Love my VW - February 17 - 8:13 amI bought my 97 GLX Passat (manual trans.) new and have taken great care of it. I LOVE this car. Ive had few minor issues, and infrequently need service. I call it my Poor Mans BMW, as I liked it MUCH better than the used BMWs I test drove at the time. Its spacious, fun to drive, reliable, and has held up incredibly well. The only consistently poorly built item is the cup holder, of which I went through three before I gave up. Mileage could be better, and it is fairly noisy on the highway. Very spacious, huge trunk space w/ folding rear seats, and the leather has held up quite well. I highly recommend this car, if its been taken care of properly. Im at 120,000 miles and going!
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not too shabby - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By vdubtuna - August 21 - 10:00 amthe auto trans shifts awkward sometimes but overall at good daily driver. powerful but nimble enough to handle city driving. i would reccommend the manual version since i know some people with it with almot no problems.
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Drivetrain to die for! - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By JimboTheFed - July 2 - 2:00 amYes, it has hardware issues: door latches, power window alignment, ignition keyswitch (recall issued), electrical gremlins... But even with all that, I love this car! But I am an engineer and tinkerer, own the Bentley repair manual, and dont mind pulling the door panel off, either. 179000 miles and climbing 30K+/year. Well grow old together. Drive this car hard and it will NOT ever smoke - the computer craves to be driven!
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Reliable Daily Driver - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By Northern VA Passat - January 18 - 10:00 amI bought my 97 Passat with 15,000 miles, it now has 34,000. I have not had one problem, other than bad factory tires. This car works perfectly, and is a good family, or commuter car. It is very bouncy however, not meant for hard cornering. It is quiet and luxury is at hand. A good buy.
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Great Car if You Take Care of It - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By f1forkvr6 - November 8 - 4:33 pmLike any other car, if you take care of the little things, the Passat will be reliable for as long as you wish to drive it. I have nearly 300,000 miles on mine, and other than VWs self destructing heater core, its never, ever left me stranded. Its fuel economy is okay on the highway (27-30), but what makes this car shine is its fun-to-drive factor. Its pretty nimble for its size, and offers very predictable but sporty handling. It has enough room to move a small office, carry a 9 x 12 rug, or a Christmas tree (inside, trunk closed), and offers rear seat passengers enough leg-room to cross their legs withough kicking the driver! this is an all around good, fun, value.
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one owner TDI - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By Dave - August 26 - 10:13 amThis car was chosen for size and mpg. Best mpg has been 56 and 36 is the lowest. Performance is suprisingly good with 1 or 2 adults in car. Add 2 more in the back seat and they will be suprised at the space, but driver needs to reconsider passing on two-lane roads. This car does hold its speed very well on the interstate. Climbs mountains as if they are ant hills. As long as the glow plug relay gets the right signal, this car starts like a champ on sub-zero mornings.
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Love this car - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By DSL - October 17 - 10:00 amI have been really happy with my 1997 Volkswagon Passat Wagon. The only feature that I dont like is the electronic locking system which freezes every winter. Otherwise, its a fun and good handling car.
