Manual Wagon: 2004 Volkswagen Passat

This next car comes as a tip from SecondMouse who writes: For some automobile enthusiasts, there is a special interest in sporting wagons. That interest often grows if we are talking about German cars, and it goes up a bunch if the vehicle in question is a honest-to-goodness manual transmission. Here is one that might tick all the boxes for those so inclined - a 2004 v6 Passat wagon with low mileage and manual transmission, available at the modest price of $2500 in Houston. Find this 2004 Volkswagen Passat offered for $2500 in Houston, TX via craigslist.

Cheap Commuter: 2004 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T 5-Speed B5.5

The Passat has been Volkswagen's large family sedan option for many years and it is typically been based on a platform shared with the Golf and built in Mexico, but the B5 generation Volkswagen Passat was built on a Germany built platform shared with the Audi A4/A6 from 1997 through 2005.  This means that it used a longitudinal front-drive (and optional 4motion all-wheel-drive) setup and could be had with a number of engines, including a 1.8 liter 4-cylinder turbo, a 2.8 liter V6 and a 4 liter W8.  In an odd twist of things, the 1.8T 4-cylinder engine (chipped to 200 hp) and mated to a 5-speed with front-drive is actually the most fun to drive out of the powertrain options...and today's example comes slightly lowered and fitted with wheels from an C4 generation Audi UrS6.  Just make sure the seller has used synthetic oil and drive it for another 100k miles.  Find this 2004 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T offered for $2300 in Fremont, CA via craigslist.

Slightly Sporty: 2012 Volkswagen CC

The Volkswagen CC was a fastback 4-door coupe version of the Volkswagen B6/7 Passat that took the baby Audi feel of the Passat and added a swooping rear end and some firm sporty suspension.  Power in the manual equipped versions came from a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and today's example has been boosted up a few horsepower by its owner. Find this 2012 Volkswagen CC offered for $6999 in Boulder, CO via craigslist.  Tip from Jeff.

6 Speed Manual: 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8

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 engine option that could have been...if you were lucky...mated to a 6-speed manual. Find this 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 offered for $8000 in Philadelphia, PA via Brabus Auto. Tip from Pat.

4Motion Equipped: 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 Wagon

The B5 generation Volkswagen Passat had an interesting model lineup during its 1997 through 2005 lifecycle.  It started with the basic 1.8T powered 5-spd stripper models that offered a surprisingly fun drive for economy car price and included a turbo-diesel option, but went all the way upmarket to a 4.0 liter W8 powered leather infused luxury cruiser.  Not many cars have that range, and the W8 powered wagon models are particularly interesting to the low buck car enthusiast. Find this 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 Wagon offered for $2,500 in Dallas, GA via craigslist. Tip from Matt C.

Mid Week Match-Up: Talk Jeff Out Of A W8 Passat

This week's Mid Week Match-Up is to help Jeff who is considering a trip to Mechanicsville...no...that isn't right...Mechanicsburg, where you can find this 2004 Volkswagen Passat W8 with a 6-speed manual-- BUT, we have a short window to talk him out of it.  What should Jeff get instead?

Auction Watch: 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 6-Speed

Find this 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 6-Speed here on eBay bidding for $10,000 with auction ending today (Monday) at 2:15PM Pacific.

One Owner 8/6/4: 2004 Volkswagen Passat W8 4Motion 6-spd

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 engine option that could have been...if you were lucky...mated to a 6-speed manual.  Find this 2004 Volkswagen Passat W8 4Motion offered for $7325 in Denver, CO via craigslist.  Tip from Joel.

4Motion 6-Speed: 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 B5.5

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 2.8 V6 versions around $30k and finally the king of Passats, the W8 4-Motion 6-speed monster at $40k.  Find this 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 here on eBay bidding for $5,000 in Studio City, CA with 2 days to go.

1.8T B5.5 Manual: 2004 Volkswagen Passat Wagon

The B5 generation Volkswagen Passat was launched in 1997 for the US market but was restyled midway through the 2001 model year and re-released as the B5.5.  Regardless of generation, it seems that the Passat generates a love-it/hate-it reaction in former and current owners alike.  Some despise it for seemingly endless eletro-mechanical gremlins while others enjoy the Audi-esque driving experience offered for Volkswagen prices.  Find this 2004 Volkswagen Passat Wagon offered for $2,800 in El Paso, TX via craigslist.  Tip from Johnny Bouncewell.

A Dash of Power: 1980 Volkswagen Dasher Diesel Wagon

Your dear Aunt Hilda's hand-written recipe that calls for "a dash of" salt refers to a lost art of cooking. By assigning a calculable measurement (1/8 tsp) to it, modern cooking websites have inadequately quantified what was intended to be an experiential learning method. For all the science within and throughout food production, it is and always will be an art. Just like piloting a medium-sized wagon with a naturally aspirated four-cylinder diesel engine. Modern automotive experts will tell you that 49 measurable horsepower isn't enough in a 2,400-lb car. But the best way to learn this isn't from a spreadsheet. It's from getting messy (or nearly killed) a few times during the learning process. Find this 1980 Volkswagen Dasher diesel wagon for sale in Redlands, CA for $1,500 via craigslist.  

10k: 1000 Miles Per Tank: 1996 Volkswagen Passat TDI

In 1995 Volkswagen restyled the B3 Passat and called it the B4, but it was built from most of the same stuff underneath.  Many B4 Passats have gone to the great junkyard in the sky, because they suffer a perception of poor quality and poor performance, but if your chief concern is miles between fill-ups, this next one is a winner.  Find this 1996 Volkswagen Passat TDI here on eBay bidding for $7,400 with 2 days to go, located in Silver Spring, MD.

5k: Syncro de Mayo: 2004 Volkswagen Passat 4Motion 5-Spd

 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 turbocharged power to all four wheels.  Sure, it eats through coil packs like a jonesing junky chews Chiclets and the engine cooks its internals like an LA inland empire meth lab, but when things work well, the Audi masquerading as a VW is great.  Find this 2004 Volkswagen Passat 4Motion 5-Spd offered for $3,000 CAD ($2,481 USD)via passatworld.com forums.

5k: Turbo 6-Speed Manual: 2010 Volkswagen Passat CC

In 2008 Volkswagen introduced a reskinned 4-door fastback version of their high volume mid sized Passat family sedan.  It was called the CC, and I haven't the foggiest what CC means, but I can say that it doesn't mean Crappy Car.  On the used market the CC offers a surprisingly Audi-like driving experience for Kia-esq prices and today's example sports a turbocharged engine and 6-speed manual gearbox.  Find this 2010 Volkswagen Passat CC currently bidding for $4,100 here on eBay with a few hours to go, located in Carteret, NJ.

7k: Olive Oil Burner: 1985 Volkswagen Passat Diesel, 36k miles

The Volkswagen Passat first debuted as the Dasher, then the enigmatically sophisticated Quantum, and finally the Passat in 1990. A well-bronzered Dasher may never be collectible. However, a stick-shift diesel-drinking Quantum wagon certainly would, except that America never got that version (par for the course, America). Some brilliant specimen of a human being scratched that forbidden itch by importing the car you see here in 2010. With a scant 36,000 miles and no evidence of rust, it's again up for grabs at a reasonable price. Find this 1985 Volkswagen Passat diesel wagon for sale in Portland, ME for $6,500 via craigslist.

5k: Worth The W8: 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 Wagon 6-Speed B5.5

The B5 generation Volkswagen Passat was built at a time when VW and Audi shared many components between their mid-sized sedan families.  It was also built at a time when VW received  abysmal quality scores from the lopsided yardsticks of survey companies like JD Power.  Rumor has it that the Passat did not suffer from the same constant issues as the Mexico assembled Jetta/Golf/Beetle because the Passat and A4 were assembled in Germany at a greater cost and probably with more experience/automation from the folks on the factory floor.  This will give you some peace of mind when you consider picking up the most complicated of all B5 platform vehicles -- the Passat W8.  Find this 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 Wagon 6 speed offered for $7,200 in Richfield, WI via craigslist.

5k: Not Collectible: 1978 Volkswagen Dasher

Raise your hand if someone has ever asked you if ordinary passenger cars being sold today will be valuable in 40 years. Yep, all of us. Here, in all its brown glory, is the end-all counterpoint to all the six-figure muscle cars that your friends will bring up. Despite its rarity and minty clean condition, it's been on the market for months. And it's finally priced right for us. Find this 49,000-mile 1978 Volkswagen Dasher in Palmdale, CA for just $3,900 via craigslist.