 I bought the 2004 Passat 1.8 turbo wagon with manual transmission. This is the perfect car. It has pleasing European design, as oppossed to those cookie cutter Japanese and US cars. The interior is of very high quality - on par with cars that are $10,000 more and it is very fun to drive. The low end torque, that is a trademark of VWs, makes the car exciting to drive around town and downshifting really causes the car to "blast." It holds the road superbly. I recently drove from Los Angeles to Pheonix in a blinding rain storm the entire way. Nonetheless I drove my usual speed and made the trip in 6 hours. It has a huge trunk and gets 30 mpg on the freeway. This is a great car. Buy one now.