1998 Volkswagen Passat Reviews, Pricing & Specs
Overview
All-new for 1998, the Volkswagen Passat shared a platform with the Audi A4, and in fact borrowed a number of other elements from its...
All-new for 1998, the Volkswagen Passat shared a platform with the Audi A4, and in fact borrowed a number of other elements from its higher-end cousin, which also is owned by VW. Slightly larger (by about four inches) than its predecessor, the new Passat was available in two trim packages, the GLS and the GLX.
The base GLS sedan came with two engine options -- a 1.8-liter, 150-hp 4-cylinder and a 2.8-liter V6 that generated 190 hp. (Both engines were borrowed from Audi.) The top-of-the-line GLX sedan also came with the 2.8-liter V6, while a Passat wagon was available only with the 4-cylinder engine. A five-speed manual transmission was standard, while optional equipment included a four-speed automatic transmission with the Tiptronic feature, which enabled drivers to manually shift, depending on conditions.
The list of standard features for the 1998 Passat was fairly extensive, and included front and side airbags, air conditioning, power windows, power brakes, power door locks, daytime running lights, cruise control, a trip computer, a keyless entry system, an anti-theft alarm system, anti-lock brakes, and an eight-speaker AM/FM/cassette audio system. The GLX package added leather seats and a sunroof, among other features.
Generally, drivers appreciated the Passat's handling, styling, spaciousness, and comfort, though many pointed out that their cars required frequent and expensive repairs.
What owners say
"Most owners of the 1998 Volkswagen Passat appreciate its spaciousness, comfort, and build quality. They like the stylish leather interior and find it quite economical, especially with the turbo engine. However, some drivers mention that the base engine lacks power and efficiency, and maintaining it can become expensive if not properly cared for. The front chassis links may cause headaches if not replaced with better ones."
BEAUTIFUL! One of the best cars I have ever been in. The leather was beautiful. The dash, shifter, the engine, the trunk space. I mean, what is there not to like about it? The car is the Passat of the century. Better than today's, and yesteryear's VW PASSATS. I highly recommend it.
August 2, 2008its a solid car as long as you keep it up and keep turbo approved oil in it. gas millage is great for this size car but it only takes 93 so its varys in prices. overall a great first car for anybody.
June 11, 2009fast 150 bhp turbo engine good quality build great leather interior nice overall looking car nice thrill when you race it,people do not expect much from a passat but not all are diesel avoid this sport trim passat because parts cost double the price then usual passat specially suspension and engine
June 4, 2010What owners say
BEAUTIFUL! One of the best cars I have ever been in. The leather was beautiful. The dash, shifter, the engine, the trunk space. I mean, what is there not to like about it? The car is the Passat of the century. Better than today's, and yesteryear's VW PASSATS. I highly recommend it.
August 2, 2008its a solid car as long as you keep it up and keep turbo approved oil in it. gas millage is great for this size car but it only takes 93 so its varys in prices. overall a great first car for anybody.
June 11, 2009fast 150 bhp turbo engine good quality build great leather interior nice overall looking car nice thrill when you race it,people do not expect much from a passat but not all are diesel avoid this sport trim passat because parts cost double the price then usual passat specially suspension and engine
June 4, 2010It has a 150 hp 1.8 turbo engine.yeah i love my car.It can accelerate to 100 km less than 8.5 seconds.It's a veryy gun tu drive.Thank you.IT is a very high quality carMy daddy oened it for 2 years (2003-2005) even it was already 5 y.o. when we bought it we didn't go to service unless it was time to periodic maintence.It's really a masterpiece-both interior and exterior.-Ergonomy is excellent everything is at a place where they should be.It has relatively low fuel consumption.But of course it has a higher cost of ownership than a 1.4 liter car.But it has nearly no cost of maintence.I guess this car won't need a high cost operation even it's 10 years old.
November 15, 2009A nice car. Reasonable comfortable, good handling, spacious. The 125 hp 1,8 without turbo is a bit of a bore though. Noisy, no spunk and a pretty heavy drinker. If you decide to buy one you should make sure that the links in the front chassi has been replaced with better stuff than the original ones. If you don't chances are that they will cause you a great deal of grief.
July 7, 2010Nice looking car. I've owned mine for just under 2 years now and never had any problems with it. It's the first car I've owned so the insurance was very expensive, though it's gone down quite a bit now I have 1 years no claims. It accelerates pretty quickly and is quite economical for the size of the car. I've used it for towing too, it can tow my 2 motorbike trailer with no problems.
June 30, 2009
