1996 Volkswagen Passat Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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For 1996, Volkswagen continued to add tweaks to its Passage GLX and GLS sedans and wagons, and introduced a diesel version, called the TDI (turbo direct injection), later in the production year.
The entry-level Passat GLS four-door sedan came with a less-than-powerful 2.0-liter in-line 4-cylinder engine that generated 115 hp, while the higher-end GLX, available as both a sedan and a wagon, was powered by a more appropriate 2.8-liter V6 engine that pumped out 172 hp. The turbodiesel, aimed at those who sought better gas mileage, was equipped with a 1.9-liter, 90-hp 4-cylinder engine. It also was available in both sedan and wagon versions.
All engines were linked to a five-speed manual overdrive transmission, which was standard. A four-speed automatic was available as an option on the GLS and GLX.
In an effort to increase the Passat's safety features, daytime running lights were added in '96. Other standard features included front airbags for the driver and passenger, heated exterior mirrors, CFC-free air conditioning, power brakes, power steering, power windows, power door locks, cruise control, an audio anti-theft alarm system, and an eight-speaker AM/FM/cassette audio system.
The GLX trim package added anti-lock brakes and traction control; leather seats were available as an option.
While drivers noted that they enjoyed the car's handling, styling, roominess, and comfort, many reported numerous problems with the car, including the fact that "fit and finish" items such as door handles broke way to easily, resulting in expensive repairs.
Published Aug 9, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
User reviews for 1996 Volkswagen Passat
Write a reviewUser rating:
by Anonymous
Sep 06, 2013
The cons I write about are certain to happen in VW's of these years. FIxing the defrost means removing the entire dash. What engineer would sanely think putting foam over a hole that air blows over would work long term? Or the door handles... I've put these motors in Jeeps and redone the heater lines, what a nightmare the factory made it...an exspensive one at that.
I forgot in the cons, the stock headlamps are dangerous. No way to adjust them since you get a few really bright spots at random places with the rest getting no light. Really bad build quality on the headlamps.
VW might make a great engine, but the rest of the car is low grade, exspensive, crap.
Three of my door motors have failed. Their $400 a piece to fix. Its not the motor that burns out, its the extremly complex control built into the motor..
And the door hinges? Complex and wear out fast. You can buy new ones, but why when they won't last either? This alone should have been a safety recall. Emergencies workers should be able to get into a car with a door handle 2 years old...
I assume some of the other reviews on here are from VW employees... Go read forums, these issues are common. If VW gave one darn about the people who own these cars they would fix them, no questions asked. They are simply half done engineering!Sep 06, 2013
by Anonymous
Sep 22, 2012
I love this car, it was a great find for me. It is comfortable, drives as smooth as any newer car I have been in, has tons of room, front and back, and has a huge trunk. My Passat is the nicest car I have ever owned, 48.1 mpg helps alot too!!!Sep 22, 2012
by Terje T
Jun 09, 2012
Not much to say. Bought cheap as a commuter Main benefit is enormous space inside, especially for tall guys like me. Somewhat noisy on the highway, especially if the road surface was rough. But easy to get parts for and easy to fix. Great commuter.
Jun 09, 2012
User rating:
by Anonymous
Sep 06, 2013
The cons I write about are certain to happen in VW's of these years. FIxing the defrost means removing the entire dash. What engineer would sanely think putting foam over a hole that air blows over would work long term? Or the door handles... I've put these motors in Jeeps and redone the heater lines, what a nightmare the factory made it...an exspensive one at that.
I forgot in the cons, the stock headlamps are dangerous. No way to adjust them since you get a few really bright spots at random places with the rest getting no light. Really bad build quality on the headlamps.
VW might make a great engine, but the rest of the car is low grade, exspensive, crap.
Three of my door motors have failed. Their $400 a piece to fix. Its not the motor that burns out, its the extremly complex control built into the motor..
And the door hinges? Complex and wear out fast. You can buy new ones, but why when they won't last either? This alone should have been a safety recall. Emergencies workers should be able to get into a car with a door handle 2 years old...
I assume some of the other reviews on here are from VW employees... Go read forums, these issues are common. If VW gave one darn about the people who own these cars they would fix them, no questions asked. They are simply half done engineering!Sep 06, 2013
by Anonymous
Sep 22, 2012
I love this car, it was a great find for me. It is comfortable, drives as smooth as any newer car I have been in, has tons of room, front and back, and has a huge trunk. My Passat is the nicest car I have ever owned, 48.1 mpg helps alot too!!!Sep 22, 2012
by Terje T
Jun 09, 2012
Not much to say. Bought cheap as a commuter Main benefit is enormous space inside, especially for tall guys like me. Somewhat noisy on the highway, especially if the road surface was rough. But easy to get parts for and easy to fix. Great commuter.
Jun 09, 2012
by Brenhden S
Nov 01, 2010
Had this for about 18months. It was reliable and strong, my wife crashed it a couple of times, the second time writing off another car but was still able to drive home. The engine was smooth and strong but used a lot of fuel. The boot wasn't good, it had space but wasn't very usable.Nov 01, 2010
by Brian S
Oct 03, 2010
I love this car, i got my system in the trunk that will shake your car also. i got the after market lights and the tint. i got some new 18 inch weels and rims for it. Car looks beautifulOct 03, 2010
by Anonymous
Sep 28, 2010
I drive a 1996 Volksagen Passat TDi. It is a turbo Desiel injection, or TDi, and gets 45 highway and 37 city. This car has a decent resale value but why sell it. You make more money just off the gas mileage alone. Although it is great on gas it isnt the fastest so dont buy it and expect to win races. 0-60 in about 10 seconds isnt racer stats. So if your looking for a fun nice car that wont ruin your wallet size then get this car, but to have more fun i would get the stick, thats what i drive and i love it!Sep 28, 2010
by Anonymous
Sep 26, 2010
found car in someones back yard and picked it up for 300 dollars, minor repairs like front singnal light and new front window was all i needed to get on road. having promblems trying a way to open gas tankSep 26, 2010
by Anonymous
Sep 23, 2010
i love this car. i bought this car with a manual, it shifts great and it performs like a dream. im not sure of the resail value but you wont care after driving it. i have never been one to drive deisel but this one is great. it gets great gas mileage and it handles preforms, adn drives like a dreamSep 23, 2010
by Stephen T
May 28, 2010
Performance -
acceleration=Good steady pull, Climbs hills, geared for the autobahn
braking=Quick and predictable
handling=Tight (not 'sharp'), flat (almost no roll), and inspires confidence
Build Quality -
It came with a thick stack of receipts for repairs (hope everything is sorted)
It feels really solid, and doesn't rattle at all, with over 150,000 Mi.
Appearance -
Quirky/boxy and oh so German.
Cost of Ownership -
So far so good. The fuel economy is AMAZING, even while driving sporty.
Fun Factor -
Super conferrable, and fun knowing you aren't spending a ton of cash driving.May 28, 2010
by Jurgen D
Dec 16, 2009
Gigantische ruime auto, wel wat duur in aanschaf maar de
operationele kosten vallen alles mee. Verbruik bijna 1:20 is
super. Nieuw model wordt veel te duur en patserig, jammer.
VW is geen gewoon rij-ijzer meer. Mee naar zuiden van Spanje
gereden, 4 personen + bagage...no problems...Dec 16, 2009
by Konrad S
Nov 06, 2009
The performance is crap, BUT it has improved a lot tnx to the EVRY-MOD, 0-100km/h in 11,3 sec, does 14 stock...
the handling and breakes is crap to, but the ride is somewhat smooth.
the build quality is quite good I think.
It´s BUTT-ugly!!
The good side is the fuel-consumption, betwen 0,54-0,65 L/mil depending on my heavy foot...
Since the EVRY-MOD it can be quite fun, since it´s expected to be sloooow, so it´s quite fun to leav them behind in a cloud of black smoke ;)Nov 06, 2009
by Mike G
Nov 06, 2009
it was i fast car made to be beat on a good racing car had a v6 but repairs were spendy but worth it got good mpg and very fun to drive since it was a 5 peed manual aNov 06, 2009
by Andrei B
Sep 02, 2009
199 HP, Manual Transmition.
Burns ruber like nothing
even if from 96 it has no rust whatsoever
really roomy interior
36 MPG Highway, 28 MPG Urban
maintenance is not that expensive if you buy all the parts online, the service centers will rip you off
overall the best car i ever had...Sep 02, 2009
by Kirsten L
Aug 20, 2009
This baby is totally stealth, looks like a mom wagon
and kicks ass on the road. The acceleration is top end
gets right on down the road. She is getting old so
many things are starting to fail, overall a great car!! Aug 20, 2009
by Matt J
Aug 16, 2009
I bought this car because I needed something reliable to drive 80 miles a day to work and back. Since I've owned it I have never calculated less than 40mpg from a tank of fuel. The really great thing about it is that it will go easily over 700 miles on its 18.5 gallon tank. It is no race car but it will get you up to speed and purr on the highway. Mine is in the color Black Magic Pearl which later appeared on the 20th anniversary GTI with a tan leather interior. It has all power accessories including moonroof with tilt, remote power mirrors and all power windows. From the reading I have done, this generation of TDI is something of a rare find with only 5,500 or so sedans and under 1,000 wagons they retain their value well and have a solid following. With regular maintenance these cars will go to the 350k to 400k before an engine rebuild. I can't speak much to the handling of this car because it has had some bad shocks since I've had it, eventually to be replaced by coilovers. It isn't the prettiest body style VW ever made but it is economical and not something you see every day. Overall this car is great for me, one of the smartest purchases I've ever made. Aug 16, 2009
by Paige L
Aug 01, 2009
its standard and in mint shape inside for a 96, needs a little work but it gets me where i gotta go. i want a gti so bad. fun to do hole shots in. i love vdubs so its all good.Aug 01, 2009
by Jordy W
Apr 12, 2009
Dont buy this if you dont want to pay to fix it, but it was a great car to drive. A total dream. And it was sexy as hell. Plenty of power with the VR6. Didnt like fixing it all the time tho.Apr 12, 2009
by Steffen S
Nov 17, 2008
Spacious, quick, discreete but withe the exhaust note ever. Known german build quality. Great Sports Leather seats, efficient A/C electronically regulated. all electronic windows and sun roof. Great ride comfort and high cruising speeds. Fuel consumption is optimized for high speed driving. Still at least 10km/l at 160km/h Nov 17, 2008
by Jason M
Nov 02, 2008
This thing is great! Lots of room and incredible fuel economy (37 city/45 hwy) and fun to drive with a few power mods. Its hard to imagine 850 miles/tank of fuel but you don't have to imagine this with this car! The only minuses are that the old VWs are not as reliable and interior quality isn't as good as jap cars. Nov 02, 2008
by Sean E
Aug 02, 2008
Decent Passat. I love Passats after my dad's two. This was his second one. He bought it with a trade in of his newer and more expensive one. The Passat in question was totaled in an 8-car pile-up. It was old and useless after that. We just chunked it.Aug 02, 2008
by Matt H
Jul 23, 2008
I like my unassuming 4 door sedan. It is faster than one would think and has no governor, just not enough horsepower! Great quality. It is a 4 door sedan so its not the greatest looking car, it is in great condition though. It will get 30 mpg if I as nice to it, which I'm not.Jul 23, 2008
by Michael G
Jul 19, 2008
Vinnie veedub is my boy, he keeps me arm cool when its hot and warm when its not!
He has awesome acceleration, breaking and handling.
He is in excellent condition, no squeaks or rattles and appart from the od maintinence repair ahs never let me down.
He has 18 inch chrome wheels, window tint stiffened suspension and modifies exhaust system.
He uses around 9 to 10 litres per 100 kms and is very fun to drive.Jul 19, 2008
by Patricia M
Jun 03, 2008
bien aimé la conduite, un peu vendue volks la fille Jun 03, 2008
by Atle G
May 31, 2008
ja dæ nå æn bil daMay 31, 2008
by Jeff S
May 13, 2008
I like the car for the most part, I wish the motor was a Diesel.May 13, 2008
by Warren W
May 02, 2008
Haven't driven it for more than 100 miles in the past 6 monthsMay 02, 2008
by Gxby H
Mar 23, 2008
My black beautiful car looks way better than this pic! I'll upload one soon!Mar 23, 2008
by Tor-Aanen K
Mar 17, 2008
A okey familycar, for slow and safe drivingMar 17, 2008
by Michael D
Dec 26, 2007
Decent car 1.9td 75 bhp
Not fast at all but, very reliable. Like all VW's in those years.
Lots of space in it, also in the back.
Dec 26, 2007
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Top Comparisons
Have you driven a 1996 Volkswagen Passat?Compare this car
1996 Volkswagen Passat Pricing
Original MSRP
$18,915 to $22,745Price range
N/AAverage price on CG
N/AYoY price change
N/ATrims & specs
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Heated: front seats · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheels: alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: heated
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Shift knob trim: leather · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: heated
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Heated: front seats · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Shift knob trim: leather · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Heated: front seats · Upholstery: leather
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent