Best second-hand buy

Oct 26 2009 Peter Hayward

VOLKSWAGEN'S Passat has just been voted best second hand car by a panel of experts so who am I to argue.

The latest model has been on the market for four years now and has built an enviable reputation for reliability and long life.

It has, in the way of all recent Passats, been available as saloon or estate and with a huge variety of engine and trim options.

But they are a bit more expensive than cars like the Ford Mondeo, which is also beautifully built, and if anything drives slightly better.

Passats are big saloons with more interior space than the Audi A4 or BMW 3-Series.

Engines open with a 113bhp petrol 1.6 and move up through two 2.0-litre petrol turbos with 147 or 197bhp to the range topping 3.2 V6 with 246bhp.

There are also three excellent turbo diesels - a rather noisy 1.9 with 103bhp and two smoother 2.0-litre units with 140 and 170bhp.

Diesels are best overall with the 140bhp 2.0-litre capable of 40mpg and very good performance.

The ride is great but I found that some tended to have suspension that was too soft, allowing the body to wallow.

Interior

1.8, 2.3 and 2.8 models are available with the Audi five speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox.

FAST FACTS

Volkswagen Passat TDI 140

Price: Pay around £8,700 for an '05 05-reg SE, £10,000 for an '06 56-reg S, or £11,100 for an '06 06-reg Sport

Mechanical: 130bhp, 1968cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox

Max speed: 129mph

0-62mph: 10.5 seconds

Combined mpg: 40

Insurance group: 12

Marks: 9/10

Main rival: Ford Mondeo