 I bought my 97 GLX Passat (manual trans.) new and have taken great care of it.  I LOVE this car.  I've had few minor issues, and infrequently need service.  I call it my Poor Man's BMW, as I liked it MUCH better than the used BMWs I test drove at the time.  It's spacious, fun to drive, reliable, and has held up incredibly well.  The only consistently poorly built item is the cup holder, of which I went through three before I gave up.  Mileage could be better, and it is fairly noisy on the highway.  Very spacious, huge trunk space w/ folding rear seats, and the leather has held up quite well.  I highly recommend this car, if it's been taken care of properly.  I'm at 120,000 miles and going!