Launched at the 1996 Paris Motor Show, the B5 Passat was received with great enthusiasm by both public and automotive media, thanks to its overall refinement, technological features and build quality that raised the standards in the medium class.
The B5.5 facelift was launched in mid 2001 and besides styling revisions it brought technical goodies such as a 4.0 litre 275 HP W8 engine (a commercial failure but a testbed for the group’s new W engine layout - Veyron W16, anyone?) and the 2.0 litre 136 HP TDI engine. The latter gave the Passat absolute exclusivity as the only medium-class diesel car sold in the U.S. at that time.
“The new range of diesel engines offered a leap forward in terms of the balance between performance and economy, a combination at the very heart of success in the used car market. This quality set the 1996 - 2005 Passat apart from many other cars in its sector which could often prove prohibitively expensive to live with. By offering prestige quality at a mainstream price this Passat also influenced other manufacturers to up their game in terms of the quality of their own offerings,” stated Mark Bulmed from CAP Black Book.
The complete list of award winners :
* Overall winner and best medium used family car of the decade: Ford Focus 1998 - 2005
* Small used car of the decade: Ford Ka 1996 – 2008
* Executive used car of the decade: Audi A3 2003 – 2008
* Luxury used car of the decade: BMW X5 2000 – 2006
* Most improved used car brand of the decade: Seat
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