Where have all the B5 passat and Mk4 Golf estates gone?

mk4 golf estates are the nicest ones they did. always keep an eye out for the 4motion one they did.

I just bought a b6 passat estate today because I just couldn't find the right b5. Probably the last good passat before the likes of the electronic brake I already don't like on the b6.

What's wrong with a proper handbrake FFS?!

The rear window doesn't eat into the boot as much on the b5 either?

Many are dying and the owners are hanging onto them.

The B6s are more troublesome than the B5.5s that preceeded them. I've noticed that the B5.5s for sale aren't quite so cheap for this reason ; The sub £1k cars I've seen have been neglected shitters that people are now selling as they don't want them anymore ; the engine alone fetches strong money (I know; I sold my 250k engine out of my B6 for £600, and I reckon I could have got more with the interest I had!). A friend of mine almost paid top dollar for a replacement B5.5 as he didn't want a B6 after my issues and two other people that own them having issues.

Yes, you can get them cheaper on Facebook Marketplace but IMHO unless you don't care about condition or don't mind dealing with owners who don't know the proper oil from palm seed oil to put into an engine most cars are turds that are offered ; with exceptions obviously.

MkIV Golfs? They're still about, but they're getting old, and even they have minor issues. I sometimes debate getting a GT TDI. But as said, there are more entertaining cars to drive ;the 306 is a great example as is the Mk1 Focus.

There was a point about a few years ago when a lot of them were being bought up and shipped to eastern europe and beyond. Now it looks like they all just end up in the scrapyard - the last time I was at my local one there must have been around 15 of them in there - I remember looking at one that had just rolled in and it looked really good but typically it was scrapped due to age and the fact it had failed its MOT on a couple of tyres and worn brakes etc. Sadly thats enough for most people to bin them nowadays and a call to your scrapyard is easier than dealing with selling it privately as spares or repairs.

Yup! A few of my mates have sold them to Eastern Europeans and it's very easy to see why.

When he sold his B5.5 with a shot camshaft for £300, he had people here offering him £50 ; No I am not joking. It had decent tyres, rims, and even the interior was alright, but almost everyone gave him a ridiculous offer. I know to some here £50 is all a B5.5 Passat is worth but here's the thing. A bunch of Polish lads came over, drove it around the block, diagnosed the camshaft, handed over the £300 to him no-questions-asked, and drove it back to Poland to fix it up ; A camshaft is a relatively simple repair on a PD if you know the cheats .

Garage labour prices don't help. A few years ago, many more cars were plentiful for £600 in half decent condition ; why spend £300-600 on brakes and tyres by the time labour is accounted for when you can just get another car, which no doubt will probably be less neglected than what the other person has?

I have just bought a 51 plate b5.5 1.8t after having problems with my daily that I don't have time to fix. Admittedly it is a saloon but with only 85k on the clock and a previous owner who owned it for 10 years it goes down the road like an electric car in comparison to my mondeo St tdci that has made way for it. It is the second 1.8t passat I have had and I think they are much better quality than the b6 I had which again was a looked after one with sensible miles on although it was a diesel. I paid just £650 for this current one and so far is excellent value for money and yes it could do with some wheels and coil overs to fix the looks but nothing needs doing to it. My previous one I had a few years back is still going strong even with my brother in laws drive it till it dies approach. The price of a decent one over a cheaper b6 is the way forward in my opinion.

Mk4 golf estates have never really been that common. There still tons of normal mk4s out there, I see at least a dozen a day. All silver 😂

B5s have dropped off the planet pretty quickly though. A mixture of being able to take a lot of sh1t before they give up totally and fairly high repair costs for things like the dmf and rebuilding the multilink front end means they just get scrapped and replaced rather than repaired.

Please can you tell me what b6 problems you had? Mines an 09 tdi140 6 speed. Engine light has been on and (turned) off over the last 20k miles, now on 163k. My friend said a judder, then EML came on, then not another problem. Turbo boost sensor perhaps? It's not being used for a few months yet so can't get fault codes read.

Ta ;-)

I have one. 208000 miles, £400 2 years ago and has only needed £60 spent at last MOT for a top suspension link.I only bought it to move house and garage with and intended to get rid after the MOT ran out but it has been a dependable old beastie and the 1.9tdi still does 55mpg on a run.
I think its at the point now though that a £200+ bill will see it scrapped.

snow run 2018 by Dave Campbell, on Flickr

The new Passat is earning its keep. by Dave Campbell, on Flickr

The good side;
Golf replacement by Dave Campbell, on Flickr



Dave