Passat 3B & A4: Used Car Quality Review

Hello,

I unfortunately have to start thinking about getting a new car.
Of the cars I looked at, two models stood out: the Volkswagen Passat 3B and the first generation Audi A4, both from around the years 1996/1997.

I need a car that can reliably and comfortably handle approximately 120km of daily driving, with the highest possible level of passive safety. I'm leaning towards another TDI model, and for both cars, I prefer the 110hp version, which would require an AFN engine code.

Can anyone give me some tips or advice about these two car models from those years? What should I look out for, or should I generally avoid them altogether?
Okay, for the same price, I could also get a well-maintained Volkswagen Golf 3 TDI, which has slightly higher mileage (~140,000 km), but less comfort. That would be another option, specifically a Golf 3 AFN TDI. However, the insurance for the Golf is about €360 per year more expensive than the Passat...

I've been looking at models with relatively high mileage. However, I also bought my last Golf with 167,000 km on the clock, and I have no regrets about that. For me, it's mainly about the technical quality of the cars, not so much about the engine. There's a lot of information available about the engines here, and the AFN is probably one of the more robust TDI options.
The target mileage for a car purchase is either one with 150,000 km or approximately 200,000 km. The reason: at 200,000 km, I can be sure the expensive timing belt has already been replaced! With my last Golf, I had to pay €400 after just 4 months because it was time for a replacement. I want to avoid having that happen so soon after buying a car.

I would appreciate any advice on whether or not to buy such a car, considering the potential for it to have too many problems.

Nachdem ich mich bisschen über beide Autos erkundigt habe, tendiere ich momentan zu einer Passat 3B Limousine. Allerdings ließt man ja recht häufig über Nassbremsprobleme sowie Probleme mit der Vorderachse. Was Is that right? / Is that correct? / Does that make sense?

As far as I know, there's a recall campaign happening because of that.

I'll probably have to spend a bit more money and buy a car with slightly lower mileage. Currently, I'm considering two options: a 1998 sedan, Trendline trim with an AFN engine and 126,000 km, and a 1999 sedan with a 2.5 TDI engine and 169,000 km, which is a Highline model with Tiptronic transmission. Both have complete service records and are priced around €9,000.

Are there any significant flaws in the 3B sedans that one should be aware of when buying? Should I avoid models with a Tiptronic transmission or the 2.5-liter engine?

I would be grateful for opinions .

Should I avoid the Tiptronic or the 2.5-liter engine?


Replace the word 'or' with 'and', and replace the question mark '?' with an exclamation point '!'.

Especially with high mileage, this can be a risky and expensive endeavor. A 1.9 TDI engine is easier to maintain and therefore more cost-effective.

Ah, thank you. That's quite a statement .
My thought was that the 2.5-liter engine might have an easier time with the roughly 1400kg Passat. I must admit, I'm a little surprised that automatic or Tiptronic transmissions are still problematic nowadays, especially with high mileage.

The 1.9 engine probably has longer service intervals? I thought the 2.5 engines had 120,000 km service intervals?

Well, an easier game is good, you know that the V6 engine is significantly heavier than the R4?

The maintenance intervals vary depending on the year of manufacture. Even the newest PHEVs already have a mileage of 120,000 km, and it should be possible to find out the specific interval for a used car by checking the vehicle identification number.

Take a look at the problems people are discussing with the 2.5L engine in this forum... things like faulty mass airflow sensors (MAF), worn timing chains, leaky valve covers, and high maintenance costs (for my A4, a timing belt replacement at the workshop costs between €1500-€2000, while it's €500-€600 for the 1.9L).

Hm, that's a small but significant difference in the costs .
Thank you for the information!

Okay, the consumption is even higher, and so are the insurance costs and taxes. So, from an economic point of view, the 1.9-liter engine is the better choice. You can occasionally find AJM engines for a reasonable price, but I don't want one.

Are there any technical issues specific to these production years that one should be aware of? Or is the A4 perhaps better built and a better choice (not for aesthetic reasons, but for technical and economic reasons)?
Price-wise, the two cars are now very similar when bought as used vehicles.

Have you ever checked out the 'used car tests' section on autobild.de?

D. wrote:

Have you ever looked at the "used car tests" section on "autobild.de"?

"I didn't know there were resources like this available for free online. The articles seem very good. Not even the ADAC (German Automobile Club) has anything comparable on their website."

What surprises me when reading the articles is that the timing belt is mentioned as a weak point in the Passat, while it's not mentioned for the Audi! However, I can't imagine that different belts are used in each case. Furthermore, the article states that due to the timing belt, the replacement intervals for the Passat have been reduced to 60,000 km, which is 30,000 km less than my old Golf3!

But the engine is just mounted longitudinally instead of transversely...

Possibly something on www.langzeittest.de.

Wow, at least there's a very detailed logbook available for the A4 Avant.

Julian, does your statement about the susceptibility of the Tiptronic refer to the Tiptronic itself, or also to the older torque converter automatic transmission? Wouldn't that still have a 4-speed (or similar) in the A4?
Are these things also prone to failure?

Well, I'm not sure exactly which A4 you're looking for. But the Tiptronic and Multitronic transmissions are extremely prone to failure and usually 'die' around 100,000 km. They can be a good choice when paired with a V6 engine, but personally, I would find it too risky.

So far, I can only praise the quality of my A4 (8E). *knock on wood*. I hope it stays that way.

Hello,

I did some research on Mobile, I mean this specific model:
http://www.mobile.de/cgi-bin/da.pl?bereich=pkw&id=11111111138981894&top=3&

It says "automatic," and if you look at the pictures, I would say it's not a Tiptronic. And as far as I know, there was no Multitronic available for this model.

I also had one of those on my shortlist. It was a standard automatic transmission.

So, if you're looking for something like that, then take a look at this one:

http://www.mobile.de/SIDa4s4prXzU2l-C7xq0nU6Qg-t-vaNexlCpHpIsAsCsK%F3P%F3R~BmSB10NhomepageSearchJ1087230504A1A1F503845NhomepageSearchD5000B-4O-t-vpL~BmPA1B20g-t-v_X_Y_x_yaIsO~BSRA6A0A0A0A0F503845A2/cgi-bin/da.pl?bereich=all&language=de&id=11111111139057566

It seems like it didn't work out. Then search here: www.mobile.de/schmalkoke and look for the A4 Avant for €10,900.
It's been listed for a few weeks now, so there should be some room for negotiation on the price.

I actually know the dealer personally, and he's reputable.

Best regards, D.

@x world one

Okay, let's talk about AJM engines. The Passat 3B isn't inherently a bad car. We found one with a six-speed transmission, which has the ATJ engine installed, and we haven't had any problems with that combination. You can argue about the older A4 model; I wouldn't necessarily prefer it. The Passat 3B is simply larger and costs roughly the same amount.

Best regards, WarLord.

Well, the size in the loading volume doesn't really matter.
I believe the A4 is fully galvanized.
According to the used car tips on autobild.de, the Passat has some drawbacks. But anyway, I will definitely take a look at both cars.

By the way, another interesting alternative has become available. It's an Audi A6 C4 with a 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine (AEL). They are priced in roughly the same range. I think I'll take a look at one of those as well. Apparently, they are known for being very robust, both the car and the engine.