A few decades ago, this car would have attracted V-Dub fanbois for thousands of miles around, but things change, I guess. However, I still find the idea of a manual transmission equipped VW wagon with a turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive to be some kind of automotive nirvana. Maybe not as much of a Valhalla as […]
Today’s third Syncro de Mayo entry is not a vintage Vanagon or a sweet Mk 2 Golf Country, but it does have VW’s syncro all-wheel drive system which was later known as 4Motion. Those earlier syncro Golfs and Vanagons have become expensive due to the uniqueness of their drive systems, so we’ll have to dig into the early 2000s to find something appropriately cheap and ready for your 4×4 adventures. This B5.5 Passat is the unicorn of Passats — it has all of the right pieces — 6-speed, 4Motion, and 1.8T 4-banger. You might wonder why anyone would want the smallest engine in the family (versus the 2.8V6, or 4.0W8) but it is the lightest of all engines and easily more powerful than the V6 with the addition of a simple ECU chip and with some intake/exhaust and a small turbo upgrade it’ll blow the doors off the W8 as well. Trust me, get the 1.8T and feed it premium fuel and synthetic oil, you won’t regret it. Find this 2004 Volkswagen Passat GLS 4Motion offered for $2800 in Sacramento, CA via craigslist. Tip from Michael.
We automotive scavengers tend to spend a lot of time complaining about how product planners at the big auto companies miss our desired combination of big-engine and manual gearbox, in a wagon shape (hello BWM, hello Toyota, etc). However, there was a time when Volkswagen, of all people, got it right! They put the crazy W8 engine into the wagon version of the B5.5 generation Passat and let us have a 6-speed manual gearbox mated to all the wheels via VW’s 4Motion system. It was glorious and expensive and not many were sold, but used ones are cheap. Find this 2004 Volkswagen Passat W8 4Motion offered for $6,500 in Narragansett, RI via craigslist. Tip from Cory.
The B5 generation Passat was launched in the 1997 model year with a product that looked/drove/smelled a lot more like an Audi than the previous generation Passat. In 2001 Volkswagen introduced the B5.5, a cosmetically refreshed version of the platform that added more chrome trim (inside and out) some fancy taillights and a unique W8 […]
Volkswagen went a bit off the rails with their B5.5 generation Passat. For some reason (dreams of unfulfilled world domination, perhaps?) the Germans decided that they wouldn’t split the market with different models (like everybody else in the car world) and instead offered 1.8T powered Passats starting in the low $20k range, Buick-esque mid range […]
Kicking our Syncro de Mayo party up a notch, we’ve got this next 4Motion equipped late model, the perfect low buck daily driver for a cheapskate. It might not impress the neighbors like buying a new M5, but it’ll comfortably seat 5 adults, return decent fuel economy, and it has a 5-speed gearbox putting down […]
It may be a bit late for Syncro de Mayo, but it is never a bad time to post up a 4Motion equipped, 8-cylinder powered, low-mile Volkswagen Wagon. The B5 generation Passat was remodeled in late 2000 (known internally as the B5.5 generation) and recieved updated headlights, chrome trim and optional W8 engine. Find […]
I will probably regret this later, but I’m going to go ahead and say it anyway. I like the Volkswagen CC. Sure, it is a Passat with a fastback shape missing the center rear seat, but you know what, I’m fine with that and you should be too. Why? Maybe it is the Jameson speaking, […]
The friendly, fat-cheeked Wisconsinite B5.5 Passat you’re looking at has an unusual yet desirable combination of drivetrain options. And it’s here to rob you of everything you own. Volkswagen decided to fit an experimental W8 engine in an already crowded engine bay, leaving little room for anything but your checkbook. Find this 2002 Volkswagen Passat […]
The B5.5 Passat was introduced mid-year in 2001 as a 2001.5 model year with a new look but most of the same chassis/engine/suspension it shares with the Audi A4/A6. In the lower spec’d 1.8T form the Passat looked like a bargain version of the A4 but by the time a buyer checked off a few […]