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It's not often that Volkswagen fires a blank, but back in the Nineties, in trying to differentiate the Vento saloon from its Golf hatchback sibling, it did just that. The Vento's predecessor, the Jetta, was never really able to forge its own identity, many just perceiving it as a Golf with a huge boot tacked onto the back. Determined not to repeat this error, Volkswagen attempted to position the Vento as a model that sat halfway between the Golf and the Passat. Both figuratively and literally, the British public didn't buy it. Our natural suspicion of small saloon cars coupled with the fact that the Vento didn't offer enough over the Golf ensured it remained a minority interest. As a used buy it's very clever indeed, commanding less of a premium than a Mark Three Golf yet possessing many of the same hardwearing attributes.
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What you get
The Vento is solidly built, if a little predictable both inside and out. The mechanicals are largely straightforward and safety provision is better than many cars of its era. The VR6 still feels slightly exotic and makes a canny used buy. The folding rear seats can be locked into the upright position with a key, rendering the Vento even more secure than the Golf. There's also a little more knee room in the back of a Vento than you'll find in a five-door Golf. The boot is absolutely huge, offering a full 19.4 cubic feet with the seats in position.
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What to look for
The Vento has a strong reputation for reliability, but it still has a few areas that need to be checked carefully. One is the manual gearbox in high-mileage cars. These can have worn bearings which need expensive repairs - if there's a lot of noise from the gearbox, get it checked. Corrosion is rare on a Vento, which speaks volumes for Volkswagen's rustproofing methods and the quality of the steel it uses. A VR6 with rust should scream "badly repaired accident damage" at you. Steer well clear, as a bent chassis will probably have caused mis-aligned panels and subsequent corrosion. Check for head gasket issues with the VR6 engine.
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Replacement parts
(approx based on a 1994 Vento 1.6 ex Vat) An exhaust system is about £65. A clutch assembly will be around £70 and a new catalyst will be around £60. An alternator should be close to £50. Brake pads front and rear are about £25 and £23, respectively. A replacement headlamp is close to £65. A windscreen should be in the region of £90. Major and minor services are around £75 and £35 respectively.
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On the road
The Vento's stiffer chassis means that, if anything, it actually handles a little better than the Golf. Only the 1.6-litre petrol and normally aspirated 1.9-litre turbodiesel struggle to haul the heavy body around, the other engines offering a decent amount of go. The 2.0-litre petrol is rightly popular and makes a very good compromise between economy and excitement. It'll get to 60mph in 9.7 seconds and the lowered ride height and lower profile tyres means that you feel more in touch with the road surface than you would in a Golf. The steering is meaty and assuming the car's suspension isn't too tired, body control is very good. One area where the Vento does feel its age is in terms of road noise, which is higher than most contemporary cars. The VR6 model is the one to look for is driving fun is a priority. Able to notch off the sprint to 60mph in 7.8 seconds, this is a genuine 140mph, well built car for little more than £2,000.
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Overall
The Vento is a car that will never get you noticed but if you want the subtle speed offered by the VR6 model, that's possibly a good thing. There's nothing exciting about most of the other models but they do offer solid Volkswagen build quality, a whole lot of practicality and modest running costs. Well worth a look.
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