My dad had it for 10 years, now it's mine, it's incredibly preserved and I love it a lot.

These kind of cars are the true climate change heroes. They are so environment friendly because you can drive them hundreds of kilometres without having to fix or scrap them.

In 1.9 TDi form probably the best vehicle at that age for durability.. ideally with Highline trim

I remember liking the look of these cars at the time. I was a company car driver and comfortable driving position, armrests and cupholders were very important.

I for one think it’s one of the best looking cars ever made. Every part is exactly the right size and shape in exactly the right place.

I own Passat B5 1998, 1.6 liter, 260000 kilometers and i totally in love with this car.

My Passat has 520,000 km (1.9 AFN 110) and has just got back from her latest trip around Germany, did 160 on the Autobahn no problem at all and averaged 4.9l/100km over the whole 3000km trip. It is also my everyday car which I use for everything. Change the oil twice a year that's it. Also only on second clutch from new :) I love it.

I have the B5.5 2002 2.0 litre petrol. I've had it for 14 years. It's my favourite Passat shape and is nearly at 100,000 miles, still on the same clutch, exhaust, has no rust and has never let me down or failed an MOT. It's so well engineered! I'm going to miss her when she eventually goes!

Im on my 5th Passat! Best cars VW ever made imo. I had an R reg. 1.9TDi 90 bhp. Took her up to 200,0000 miles before selling and the only thing I had to change was an Air Mass Meter. Michelin tyres returned 105,000 miles on the rear and 55,000 on the fronts. 60mpg all day long. Currently have a B5.5 1.9tdi PD 130 Highline Estate on an 05 plate. Awesome cars.

I've had B5 Passats all my life, two wagons that were 1999, 1.8t, and now a 2001 which is also the 1.8t but not a B5.5 as it was the last b5's made. I did have a B5.5 in a manual gearbox. Overall great vehicles

I owned a 01 Passat 1.8T, 5 speed manual, owned for a little over 75k miles in a little over 5 years; fantastic car! I regret having parted ways with it so soon. I,ve found myself still comparing cars I have purchased since, to this one… and have realized things don’t always progress for the better…

I now own this Passat. Saw it and grabbed it. Never missed a beat. If you ever want to do a further review when it’s on higher mileage you’re more than welcome

I had many cars. Porsche, Audi, elektric or ICE. Recently I bought a 2020 Passat. Boring. Robust. Space for everything. It moves the attention away from the car onto the journey. I really like it. It just works.

Ive got a 1.8t 4motion with 330,000 km of harsh Canadian duty, when you repair something on it the problem is likely sorted for life. The body of the car was so solid and well sorted, only gets a fraction of the rust of cars half its age. Original powertrain (including the turbo), only the big ZF automatic is starting to protest on downshifts occasionally. Still shifts butter smooth 90% of the time, makes it a real pleasure to drive. New shocks going on soon, I never regret a cent I put into this car!

This was my first car and I still have it. A top of the line 2.8 v6 with leather and a sunroof. Its got over 300k kms on it now, which I thought was a lot, but maybe not! I use it as my bash about car because its so old, but people still think it looks good. I love the driving position too - very comfortable and feels a lot bigger inside than it is. And mine has NEVER let me down.

A Great Car The B5 Passat, because is was Based on the B5 Platform of the MK1 A4 B5 this Passat was very advanced as it had Double Wishbone Front Suspension. These Cars had it all, Proper High Quality Piece of German Engineering. VW at there finest. Proper 90s/Early 2000s Legendary Built Quality, Real Comfort, Reliable and Efficient Engines, Good Interior Space and Proper Weight and Feel from the Controls. The perfect combination of being new enough but also good old school at the same time.

Great reviewer, well spoken, polite and with good info, great review!

I have recently bought a b5.5 1.9pd estate, 6sp manual and 4 motion, just turned 130,000 miles (so just run in) and I'm loving it!

Had a Passat B5 1.8T from 1999, very very capable cars. I did a remap on it and many kilometers on it with no issues and sold it off after it had done well over 300.000 kilometers.

My uncle has a V5, he's had it for over 23 years., bought it brand new on a V reg back in 1999 and it's still going strong!

Love the videos man!

Getting out a 97 mondeo xantia or laguna into one of these or even a 156 made you appreciate build, damping, shut lines and quality. The interiors were mind blowing for me. It felt and looked so solid and classy.

My dad has a red one of these passat's in 2016ish, I liked it very much and I'm hoping to own a B5 preface lift in the future preferably in red. Great video keep it up.

The Passat was popular with taxi drivers too I remember ('Looks and handling' not being high on their wish list! )😂

my dad had a 2002 1.9tdi passat for nearly 10 years, never wanted for anything, absolutely fantastic car

I have had one of these for years (130 PD estate) and have driven it in four countries, taken it on trains, on ferries, been camping in it, surfing in it and maxed it out on the Autobahn in Germany with three bikes on the back. It has become part of the furniture of my life. It's an unobtrusive car in the best possible way. It throws an invisibility cloak over you, a safety net when the doors thunk shut. The familiar churr of the motor as the red needles rise around the instruments has become something comforting and reliable like the rushing static on an un-tuned TV. Noticed or unnoticed but always there in the background.

We had a 2000 Passat 1.9 TDI 4 motion estate that my dad bought almost new and it was our famuly car for 12 years and then i had it for 8 years. The best car in the whole world. It took me and my friends and eventualy the wife to countless adventures and i have so much great memories with that car. But when the kids arrived i bought a 2016 passat (in 2020).. The old beater was 20 years old and had almost 450000 km. Never missed a single beat... Good i miss this car

I've got a 2005 black one b5.5 trendline 1.9tdi diesel... It's done 135 thou, still drives like new.. all you have to do is this - change the oil (yearly) & all the filters AND change the belts every 60 thou as ive done since having it from nearly new... it runs like new...best car I've ever had in all my 60 years of driving..

Thanks JJ, some of those drive by shots looked familiar, I quite like the B5 Passat, your right it’s not an interesting car inside or out but they are good solid well built cars and are comfortable too. That mileage is staggering isn’t it? It’s a good recommendation for that engine but also a feather in the hat for the previous owners who’ve obviously looked after, younger passats look like they’ve been driven into the ground at less than half those miles, well done previous owner! Great interesting video once again.👍

Thanks for doing this! I still have my Passat B5 from 1997, 110bhp TDI. Got it off the old man in 2004. Done 260,000 so far. The Aircon is bust and there's some internal bits falling off and there's a mild leak somewhere but it's been so reliable. I love it.

have a 1.8 T year 2000 it is immaculate. When ever I service it at a new garage they are stunned

Interesting history on those cars, defiantly is a car that fly's under the radar, but is actually a nice looking car

had a 2001 1.8t wagon manual.. Sold it in 2018 with 350k km regular maintenance and wear and tear.. Very reliable and fuel efficient..

I have VW Passat B5.5 2002 131hp AVF engine sedan. Every day driving is like a dream. Very stable car of course you need time to handle it. Economical and realible. Easy to drive from A to point B. And still have a look that most modern cars doesn't have. I love it.

I owned a 98 variant. Traded ir in with 17 yearss and 495 K on the click. Best car I've had.

Three of my four cars over the last 24 years have been B5 Passats, including my current 4motion estate. I've owned dozens of cars, most of them German, and the Passat ranks very high in terms of comfort, safety, performance, economy, and quality. They are however, fairly high maintenance.

Overall a good car. It is popular here in Bulgaria. Because you get a lot of car for the price. But it does have a weak spot. The suspension is somewhat complicated and costly to repair. Could be a problem in countries with bad roads.

We had a W-plate Estate version with the 115 TDI engine. Great car, sold it at 200k miles having done several European long distance trips.

I had a mk4 Golf TDI with the 1.9L 90hp engine. I put 400K miles on it before I sold it. That car was insanely reliable - that diesel was bulletproof. Mine wasn't the PD engine, though.The guy I sold it to has put another 50K on it. I have no doubt it'll go for a lot longer assuming it doesn't get wrecked.

I had a 2003 B5.5 Passat 1.8T Sport 5 speed petrol which I finally moved on ,in 2022,with 250,000 miles.It left me running well and using very little oil,with original turbo,clutch and apart from the flexible joint on the exhaust being replaced,the rest of the system was as it left the factory. Only parts ever renewed were the alternator and as a safety precaution the oil pump. I still see it occasionally on the road even yet. Enjoyed every minute of ownership. A superb reliable car.

All your observations are spot on. I saw a Passat Estate in a car showroom years ago and was about to buy it when I spotted a Volvo V70. I bought the volvo because it was in another class. And the interior of the Volvo was so much superior to the Passat. You're also correct that water leaks are a big problem with some models of VW cars. Another common problem are door locks.

I owned a 2004 Highline 1.9 TDI, in charcoal grey with a black leather interior. I owned it for 7 years and did about 130,000 miles in it. In all that time, apart from obvious things like tyres, brake pads. and the odd suspension bush, it went through one alternator and one power-assisted steering belt. And that was it. I eventually sold it on complete with its original clutch! It was the most reliable car I ever owned by a country mile.

I drive my b5 1.6 petrol. It has 350k miles and I am the one owner. The engine has no leaks or oil problems and never had. Also, no body corrosion. Very capable car!

I've got a b6 passat which I love. I dont know if it will last as well as these b5s but the build quality is the best I've had in any car.

100,000 miles more than "Miles" the High Mileage Hero - incredible. I have new respect for the Passat. Great video btw.

I have now my second B5. A 12/1996 one. Very early model, Sedan, Green! gauges, LC9Z Black Magic Perl, the same cloth seats as this one, as this one, in extraordinary good condition, no scratches or rips on the seats or dashboard I have bought it at 360200km in Dec. 23 for 400€ and now i have 376500km in May 24. Although, the original powersteering pump failed (leak) at 363600km, and needed Replacement, there was nothing more that broke on it. I replaced the Powersteering pump with my dad at home. Cost: ~90€ Work: ~4h Invested in Alloy wheels for Winter, (I hate steel wheels) Recently i inserted fresh filters for Engine, Cabin and made a Schedular oilchange VW 505.00 Oil. Best MPG of all cars i've owned too. 5l straight on calculated average. (I dont have the MFD sadly, so i need to use Trip and liters filled in on the petrolstation.

These are great cars, you can always tell when a car is prized by the TAXI community. I had a 1.8t and a 2.0 TDI. My late fathers B5.5 2.0 TDi is a 2003 and still going strong with minimal maintenance. I also had the later transverse engines Passat which was ok but didnt have that 'hewn from granite' feel of the older cars - I guess the accountants must have stepped in !

Ive got 1998 b5 1.9 tdi lovely car. Now done a genuine (confirmed by mot history and 21 years of main dealer service history) 75,000 miles. Had it just under a year and booked for it's first mot under my ownership next week.

I 1996, VAG decided to try out a common platform for Passat and Audi A4. In order not to turn Audi buyers off, they made an Audi, and then let the buyers, that can live with the VW logo instead of the four rings, have the EXACT same car a little cheaper. And in the end, if you were to resell it, the difference in price would be evened out a bit. SO: It IS an Audi, they're identical in every aspect. Just look at four-link front cotrol arm set-up and the anti rust treatment. Here in Denmark it tops the list of cars with more than 300.000 km by a huge margin. Mine? A 1.6, 215.000 km, one owner before me, had it three years, love it

I own a 2004 Passat 1.9tdi pd100 with 230K kilometres on the clock. I will say that for 500 euros it was a good steal, easy to fix and maintain and the dang fuel consumption is so so good, like 4.5L/100km good!

Last year I bought my first car, a 2005 B5.5 1.9TDI PD130 wagon. It has no service history, and we reckon it's been clicked twice and has close to 500,000km. I've put around 25,000km on it over my first year. So far, I've replaced the gearbox and the front upper control arms, and I've had a timing belt and water pump done for good measure. At the same time, the heated leather seats are toasty and very comfortable, the back seats have miles of room which I regularly use for stuffing friends in the back, the boot is massive and even bigger with the seats down, mine has a towbar which I've used for everything from bike racks to pulling stuck vehicles and pushing trailers loaded with massive generators around on site. It's just been a fantastic car for the money I've paid. The only reason I'm even remotely considering changing it is because of the Irish tax system. Since the car is older than 2008, I get taxed based on engine size, my 1.9 TDI works out at almost €700 a year. Audi A6 C6 estates are getting cheap now, a 2010 would cost me €4000 to buy, and only around €200 a year to tax as the new system is based off emissions. I still want to get another year or so out of my Passat first though.

I drive a 2005 2.0 TDI - The low end torque is like a small locomotive.

Loving Back-seat JJ....

They're great cars. I bought a 2001 TDi 130bhp Estate 8 years ago for £160 with a head gasket fault. I replaced the head gasket, and stuck a spare head I had on (from a car with 400k miles). Now there's 600k miles on it and it's going strong. Also managed to pick up a 2005 Highline 130 TDi (in black) last year for £200 with only 100k miles that was destined for the scrap yard due to rotten wings and a multitude of minor problems (like window regulators, seized rear calipers, alternator fault). Sourced all the parts needed for £400, spent a solid week detailing it and it's now a very tidy car. They are reliable enough engine and gearbox wise as long as the proper oil change intervals are followed. But they can suffer from water leaks, rotten front wings (due to the sound deadening used on the diesels soaking up water and grime), minor electrical gremlins and suspension wear. As they're now getting on in years check the axle and front subframe for rot also

I do own Passat b5 3b2(long boy with extra cargo space) and it is just beutiful. It has 1.8 (92 kw, 125hp) engine and it drives well sounds beutiful and it does not look half bad. It has 400k km on clock. My family and I use it as "comercial" vehicle (ie we fill it to the brim with stuff) and still it pulls very nice. I am very happy with it in simple words. German engeniring never dissapoints.

Got one of these myself, 2003 version, over 347 000 km so far. I love it, its super reliable, cheap to sustain and comfortable to drive. I got it from my brother and he got it from my mum so the car is in our family since the beginning^^ But yeah, the waterleaks are a thing, I have the same problem with mine😅

The vents do adjust, they scroll up and down to open and close.

I had a 1998 1.8T version from 2001 to 2010 and only things that ever went wrong with it were door and window electronics.

i own a 99 passat vr5 with 283.000 kilometers on the clock. She runs like a beauty !

Had 3 of these cars. The first was a late 97 car. With the old style MFI PD 110HP diesel. The other 2 were the first gen common rail PD 130 Hp diesel. I preferred the old MFI car! It had a better feel of quality! Much less in-fact no rust at all. All round great cars very understated. But awesome reliability.

Back seat JJ really didn't like that coffee 😂

still have a 2000 Passat (170k miles) and have no problem putting it on the road for extended drives as it's a strong and well-built car...the only issue is expensive maintenance which is quite off-putting.

Got one of this from my grand father as my first car, also 500k on the clock. I would never buy a VW or a diesel car as an adult, but I love the particular one that I own. But they do need at least some care because I can't even list everything that was shot on the car when I first got it hahaha Also the 1.9 turned out to be a pretty much lego engine to make some funny power

Early Passats of that shape suffered too with electrical problems surprisingly. I think the simple shape of it has gotten better with age though

looks absolutely beautiful simple German styling

For its time it had good looks and seemed like a well built car

Can anyone with the 90hp version tell me what top speed u managed to achieve

I had a 1999 in dark green, had from 3 years old and covered 100 .000 miles in it. When I traded it in (2012) had done only 130k and was in perfect order. Much to my shock it was never taxed again and the car supermarket must have scrapped it, God knows why. I wish I had of kept it now.

One of the best cars I've owned

I've been running my 2005, B5.5, 2.0 petrol estate highline for many many years now. Can't ever think what would be a good replacement for it to be honest. Apart from the ridiculous amount of oil guzzling, the engine and gearbox seem to be pretty bullet proof. Eventually some bits wear out, sensors and the odd rubber sealing o rings for the coolant unions etc. Unless you replace the door lock motors, you'll end up opening some of the doors with the key or from the inside. Love this car though, can fit an entire dining table with 4 chairs and still have room inside.

Bulletproof cars!

I drive the 2002 b5.5 130 bhp and I adore it 250.000 on her now and she is flying

Have an 04 130hp doing 600 miles per week and never misses a beat.. 175k and I would have no worries going for another 175k

JJ bro which one you think is better? This passat or the same era 6th gen Honda Accord. My sister's father in law has X reg accord with 317k miles and no problems whatsoever.

We have the B5 v reg. We had it from new. It has 248k miles on the clock. We are struggling to get parts now and it is leaking because the front cowl underneath the windscreen is cracked. I don't know how to find a replacement. I'm gutted because I love driving it. Just done Winchester to Aberdeen and back. Also the suspension feels a bit spongy and I don't know what to do about that either. Local garages are simply not interested in keeping it going.

We own a 02 b5.5 1.9TDI, and it has about 330k km . Boy, does it run like butter. We've had very little issues with it. the only issues are that it has very sensitive sensors. bought it for just under 3k, We had a Golf mk3 1.9TD before and we sold it for about 1k€ and funnily enough the person that bought the car, drove it to a mountain and ended up blowing the engine 😅

The "no frills" design isn't exciting but it ages much better than many designs which were considered fashionable at some point in time.

Im looking at a 2002 vw jetta tdi manual with 209k miles hasnt been completly abused for $1300 probaly needs a transmission should I get it?

I had the next model Passat in the same colour. Mine had the 140PS engine and I loved it and took it to a reasonably high mileage when it failed the MOT the DPF. Was going to cost more than the car was worth so I sadly had to get rid. Hilariously, just as BSJJ was dissing the coffee you passed to him, the video had an ad break for...you've guessed it...Costa!! Thanks for another great vid JJ.

I bought a 2005 model 1.9 TDi sedan today. It has some mileage but it feels tight and good. We shall see...

I always wanted the estate version of this. Now I have 2010 Skoda Octavia 1.6tdi with 367000 miles

That's a lot of milage and it's in great shape. The very first Passats in the 90's were front engine rear wheel drive. That kind of milage in the amount of time this car has, the secret to this cars milage is that this person drove it on lots of long trips with very few start and stop cycles. None the less VW pumpe duse motor is a perfected diesel. Just make sure to change the timing belts every 50,000

It's a classic shape car, but too easily confused with an Uber nowadays. Congleton was looking a bit grim in the rain (btw was that Papa JJ crossing the road at 6:08?). PS: I noticed that the BT van had gone from the layby - may be actually doing some work somewhere! 🤔

I had a 1999 one of these in the same colour with about 100k miles on it back in the day. Got rid of it due to a water leak on the passenger footwell which has the ECU under it. A great work horse of a car but the leaks are insane and the placement of the ECU is incredibly strange.

I just buyed one.. 1.8 20v .. nice car.

An observation and a question: I have a 2005 B5.5 TDI with the 2.0 liter PD engine with the 'pleather' interior. By the time I bought it - and having had owned a 1998 B5 Passat wagon with a gasoline engine- I was glad to see the flimsy if not interesting cup holder and the dinky front arm rest go away. It is interesting that the door panels in the video also have the same saggy material as every other of this kind over time. My experience has been very positive on the ride and handling. Upkeep is key, but not bad on the wallet if you're prudent. My question is why did the diesel you reviewed have much different advertised mileage in the UK than in the US as you showed? Was it because that the US only had an automatic transmission offered? I seem to get about what you posted on my TDI now , and only think its because I swapped the transmission out from the automatic (it ate itself) to a used European manual several years ago. Honestly, its a LOT more fun to drive and is way more 'tourqey' than the automatic.

driven a b4 b5 and a b6, b5 is just a class for itself, i would buy it new if i could!

I"m at 616000km (383000 miles) now; 2001 Passat 1,9Tdi

I have an '05 2.0 TDI. 215,000 miles. New turbo, but no tranny work to date. Engine uses NO oil... 👍

I replaced my rear bushes and put a sport model anti-roll bar and it cured the body roll

Mr JJ could you please do a review of the MK1 B5 A4 1994 to 2001. Thank You.

I have two B5.5 wagons at the moment. One at 276K and one @ 295k in kilometers.

That's a fabulous Volkswagen car

I think they are great cars, I have a W8 wagon with 113km on it, and the engine runs sweet as. The one thing you notice is the weight of the thing I think 1700+ kg, still it will get up and go without too much fuss. I think that engine makes them quite interesting, and the splashes of fake wood everywhere gives it hint of class. Strangely they aren't valued here, and go for a song, thus I will never sell mine. And yes, they love to leak, to this day I cannot figure from where, but water seems to collect in the right hand back foot well, does anyone know how to stop this from happening. Thanks for the review of I think under appreciated car.

There's a reason taxi drivers loved them and the 1.9 diesel engine

There's a few very high mileage examples of this car on the *UK Passats* 'Whats your mileage?' thread!! forum.👍👍

I saw this car for sale on auto trader a couple of months ago

Mine is 130hp I believe highline with leather seats I haven’t serviced it in 4years and it’s got 270k miles and purs like a kitten everywhere I go. Love that car needs a oil change though XD

I e heard from reputable people that Passat is not a very good auto investment for several .I am sure😅😅 that just like anything else an be said it has negative s, but myself ,I really like my V.W.Passet.Its a. r😅ealy a pleasure And fun to drive

Had a few of these including a brand new Tdi Sport (B 5.5 ? ) in 2005 just as the new shape was out. Written off at 150000 miles by an idiot who didnt look before crossing my right of way. It was particularly annoying as the car was only motorway miles and still felt and looked excellent (maintained correctly main dealer only) and was really paying for itself intended to run to 250000 miles or more..... My insurer insisted it wasnt economical to repair despite my protestations and so off to car heaven it went 😢 It was pretty badly damaged but I totally unscathed. Great cars. I also had the previous square shape one as a company car 1996, it was great but no cruise and you need that when you are doing 70k motorway miles a year ! It was the old 90bhp diesel not v quick but a good cruiser when up to speed