I've had my '00 Passat since new, and still going 176k miles strong. Though it's FWD, I have very few issues with the car.
I am with Jones: the new Passat is a killer car, from a price/value standpoint. I drove the stripper 2.5L/manual and it still had dual-zone climate, bluetooth, and a slew of other options inside that massive cabin for $20k. The TDI is definitely the one to have.