[Green1995SVX]

I've sold one of these before. They really don't feel much faster than the 2.8 models which are bulletproof. They have a pretty interesting exhaust note. The B5.5 is a very well built car. The W8 passats suffer from the timing chain tensioner failure. The timing chain is on the rear of the engine, and engine removal is required to replace the tensioners and retime the chain. In order to remove the engine, the front of the car has to come off. To be fair, removing the front of the car is required for lots of repairs on these cars and as such it is very easy to remove. The timing chain tensioners don't fail if the car is maintained based on the maintenance schedule. The failure is caused by oil passages within the tensioners becoming clogged with sludge. In some light cases, AutoRX treatments can resolve the issue. They also have the typical torque converter issues associated with certain models of this era of ZF 5HP transmissions.

This time period saw some very reliable VAG cars produced (see Nate's A4, and basically anything with the 2.8 30V engine), however the W8 passats arent one of them.

My S8 has been absolutely incredible. It has about 180k miles and is still as tight as the day it was new. The 4.2L 40V engine is just about as bulletproof as engines get, and what a wonderful noise it makes. I believe the early 00s were the height of build quality in German assembled VAG cars. I feel that in around 2002 the quality of the interior materials started to decrease in some ways. Most of the examples I'd give are things that only somebody as neurotic as myself would notice, I think.

Like with almost any car, if you look after it, keep it clean, and maintain it regularly, it'll last a lifetime.