 I bought my Passat new in 1998 with the 
Audi 30-valve V-6 and the 5-speed 
manual transmission.  The car is a joy 
to drive on the highway or in town. 
It's comfortable, stable, fast, and 
very economical.  My mileage has been 
28-29 mpg average over the life of the 
car.
 I've had to replace two fuel tanks due 
to filler vent cracks.  Fortunately I 
had purchased an extended warranty with 
the car which covered both these very 
expensive ($950 each time) repairs. The 
lower control arms have also been 
replaced due to noisy bushings.
 Driveability, comfort, climate control, 
sound system, and economy are all 
great.  The big ticket repairs were a 
pain.