Originally Posted By: jstert
vw’s 2.5 nonturbo 5 cylinder had an awful reputation among car review mavens, but i find mine to be reliable, fast and economical. hand calculated i get 24mpg city, 28 mpg surburbs and 35 mpg hiway. lots of interior room. great hiway cruiser, 2100rpm at 70mph. downsides are low resale value, but obviously not if you will drive it to its end, quirky electronics, but my s has none, and stuck with vw-specific oils though i have gotten advice here that other high quality oils may be ok for this non turbo. cpo passats are low priced.
The 5 cylinder was a great engine IMO, but I would go for a year newer to get the 1.8T engine. Has the same down low power with better fuel economy.