MotorWeek Review | 2002 VW Passat W8

[@RyanEmeryLovesCars]

I've only seen one or two of these in my life. One was at a Costco parking lot

[@nicholasagnew2792]

How they managed to make it run 15.6 in the quarter mile is confounding. Its a mid 14 car, its awd with an auto...🤨 edit: The 0-60 and quarter mile figures are the same as their test of the 190hp V6 model, also it has 17 inch wheels, not 16, because 16 won't fit over the brakes that are from an Audi S4...they messed up.

[@andrewzimmerman8876]

The 16" wheels shown a rarer "base" W8 option. More common were the BBS 17" that came with the "sport" W8 trim, but they did offer a 16" wheel that cleared the brakes.

[@fernandorocha8459]

wowwwww

[@seanshong2048]

It's a damn shame they had horrible reliability and virtually none of them are on the road anymore.

[@chrischin7895]

They don't have horrible reliability. Crappy, neglectful, cost-cutting owners who didn't want to stick to maintaining them properly and stick to VW's strict maintenance guidelines (which were admittedly expensive) and didn't shell out they money for it made them unreliable.

[@seanshong2048]

@@chrischin7895 Dude... that's like saying an RX8 could be reliable if the Apex seals (which even some mazda dealer service centers would turn away) were adherent to maintenance... Both cases are unique engine layouts that have never been in another production car since.

[@chrischin7895]

@@seanshong2048 Lol. what a terrible comparison. People didn't pay for W8 maintenance because it was outrageous because of how unique it was. Otherwise, I've seen W8s with more than 100,000 miles on them before. They are rare, but the one or two I ran into have never been left stranded or called a tow-truck. They were original owners too. Hardcore VW fans. as well, so probably biased. But any vehicle can be reliable if you care for it. Some cost more than others. Long-term Land Rover owners also want a word with you.

[@seanshong2048]

​@@chrischin7895 swapping out failure prone parts with new parts does not make it reliable.. It makes it replaceable. That's semantics. Yes you can keep any car on the road if you have deep pockets. But how likely are the parts prone to failure and what is the median length of time before owners keep them titled on and insured. I'm not an SUV guy but I'm sure the median Land Cruiser owner has had statically fewer visits to the shop than that of Land Rover owner.

[@seanshong2048]

@@chrischin7895 We can always cite anecdotes but I'm somewhat of a weird car enthusiast and I also love statistics.. At this point most owners of obscure cars know what they have and will put the money in because of a sentimental value attached. And yes while probably no- one crossed shopped the two... the RX8 and Passat W8 were alternatives when the other options seemed too mainstream despite heavy maintenance regimens.