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VolksWagen Passat 1.8 Turbo
I am a small car loving man. I just cannot see why most people like their cars as big as their homes, but they do. So I braced myself and set out to examin VolksWagen's luxury 4-door sedan, the 1999 Passat.
It looks good.It has this sort of a futuristic look to it. I can hardly say it's a beautiful car, but then again, judge for yourdelves.
The first thing you notice when driving this car, is how steady and comfortable it is. This excellent shock absorption system uses a rear suspension taken from the Audi A6 and a front suspension borrowed from the A4. People who buy these sedans value a smooth ride, and the Passat gives plenty of it.
The engine has five cylinders for every valve. The turbo version squeezes 150 horses, taking the car from 0 to 100 Kms/Hr in 10 seconds. I would seriously recommend not taking this car without the turbo engine, even though the non-turbocharged version is quite capable of pushing the Passat reasonably well.
Interior space is huge in the Passat, better by far than that of the competing Opel Vectra or Audi A6. Your shoulders and feet will than you emmensely for sitting in it, even in the back seat. They made the 99' model a bit wider and longer and it shows.
Finally , a word about the gearbox. You can get the Passat equipped with a very interesting gearbox: an automatic transmission system which allows you to switch gears manually by moving a shift fowards and backwards. It makes it much easier to go down the gears in severe slopes but still, as always,I strongly suggest that you go for a manual gear unless you absolutely cannot handle one.
The 99' version is only marginally more expensive than its pedecessor, making the Passat's price very competitive. All in all, its a car that defeats its similar-size competition, which makes it quite eligible for a thumbs up.
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