
Update 11/17/19: This Passat sold for $5,950.
Without a doubt, wagons are one of the favorite subjects here at GCFSB, and while there are plenty of desirable, big name Avants, Tourings and Estates that grab the headlines and generate the likes on Myface or Spacebook or Instaselfie or whatever, if Im honest Im always a fan of the underdog Passat Variant. Perhaps its because Ive owned two, perhaps its because its the less common choice; Im not entirely certain. True, the Passat isnt the best performing wagon out there, and Id concede that its not the best looking or best made one either. But in terms of the performance you can get in a stealthy, good looking package on a budget, I think that the Passat may be the real sleeper in the German wagon realm.
But the positive aspects of the Passats arent unknown to all; the Quantum Syncro is always a popular if rarely seen 80s icon for the company, and when we got to the Golf-based B3 and B4, there were some cool options too such as the not-for-the-U.S. G60 Syncro. But even in the U.S., the B4 offered some neat performance options for the wagon aficionado interestingly, in very different directions. Check the TDi option, and you had a hyper-miler capable of over a thousand miles on a tank of gas. Check the GLX option on your order form and youd get the torquey, great sounding VR6 engine and BBS wheels in a sporty package. While both of those engine options were also available in the Golf lineup at the same time, if you wanted a true 5-door you could only select the Passat. Admittedly that’s a niche market, so it should come as no surprise that this is a fairly uncommon car to see today: