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VW Sharan, I, one of the ugliest, bloated, and stupidest cars VW has put on the road in recent history. However, if you have so many kids that the idea of a Sharan excites you, then I can recommend a vasectomy?

 VW Sharan I, a car forgotten by VW even more than VW Polo. This car sold for 15 years, almost double the normal life of a model. However the VW Sharan I driver doesn’t care what the car looks like, especially in 2019. It can be VW Sharan I, Seat Alhambra I, or Ford Galaxy I, that’s what it is. And not just for him, for these cars really were built on the same platform, with the same interior and with almost the same engines (only Ford brought a few petrols from home).

I have never been and will never be a VW Sharan fan. It’s like a Transporter with windows, only uglier and more expensive. I don’t understand the VW Sharan, as long as there is a VW Touran. Do you really need a Sharan in your life? How many sacks of potatoes can you carry? Do you really have to carry a small drove of pigs every day? At least if it was reliable, but even here the VW Sharan I can’t boast much, and the engines are the same across the group. VW Sharan I, that car that second graders draw. VW Sharan I – the official “you never know when I’ll need the space” car. Legend has it that through the spare wheel you can still find VW workers, lost in the vastness of space.

VW Sharan I Engines

Petrol

• 1.8 Turbo of 150 horsepower  – If you want to turn around spectacularly at the first corner because you had too much speed and aerodynamics worthy of Vinnie Jones, this is the engine for you. It chuggs down on oil, coil packs, air flow meters, but at least it gives you a thrill. A great engine in the Seat Leon, but not in the Sharan.It’s like puttingJohn Goodman in a race with Usain Bolt and he has a real chance of winning. Also, great care with the timing belt which needs replacing regularly every 4 years or 60,000 km.


• 2.0 MPI of 116 horsepower – VW’s famous “2. slow”, an indestructible engine that sacrifices performance for reliability. It absolutely needs an LPG installation to be the perfect engine for the person who is not in a hurry to get anywhere but doesn’t ever want to go to the service.


• 2.8 Vr6 of 174 and 204 horsepower – The famed Vr6 of the VW Golf IV is also hiding under the hood of the VW Sharan I. If you’re in the market for a VW Sharan I in 2022, you probably don’t have the money or the interest in a 2.8 V6 petrol.

Diesel

• 1.9 TDI of 90, 110, 116, 131 and 150 horsepower – The 90 horsepower one is way too anemic, the 110 and 116 horsepower ones have turbo issues, the 131 horsepower one is perfect and the 150 horsepower one is rarer than a government employee who is interested in the job and what they do. I definitely recommend the 131-horsepower version. Otherwise, great attention to EGR, regardless of engine.


• 2.0 TDI of 140 horsepower – They had a chance to equip the VW Sharan I with a modern and reliable engine, but failed miserably. This 2.0 code “BRT” has issues with the gas cooler, injectors, injector plugs, EGR, particulate filter, camshaft, and turbo. The old 1.9 TDI engine beats the crap out of this mechanical lemon.

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VW Sharan I General Issues

• Gearbox issues, whether we’re talking manual or automatic. The 5-speed manual gearbox is explosive (literally), the 6-speed manual gearbox has issues in gears 1 and 2, and for diesel engines when it gives up it can take the steering wheel with it. For the TipTronic automatic gearbox, it is recommended to change the oil every 60.000 km otherwise it will explode more than the 5-speed manual.


• The air conditioning compressors are another weak point, as with any 2005 VW. So definitely check if the climate works before buying a VW Sharan I. Drink 5 beers too, you might change your mind in the meantime.


• The wipers stubbornly insist on working and remain in rigor mortis no matter how hard you try to move them out of place.


• The brake lines are built from a mixture of gum, toilet paper, and hope. Unless you want all 15 of your children to fly spectacularly through your windscreen when you hit the tree because you’ve run out of brakes, constantly check the condition of the brake line.

VW Sharan I Verdict

Get yourself a Transporter with windows. Get yourself a Mercedes Sprinter. But don’t get a Sharan. Cars like the Touran or Espace or Ford S Max explain their existence on this planet, but a Sharan or Galaxy? I’m really curious as to the logic of people who buy these things. Maybe someone can answer me in the comments.

Which engine do you recommend? Clearly, the 131 horsepower 1.9 TDI. It’s reliable, powerful, fuel-efficient and can tow all 25 of your kids. It’s also light years ahead of the 2.0 TDI in reliability and has only 9 horsepower less. I’d also recommend petrol, but I find it hard to believe that there are people who live in the city and voluntarily buy a VW Sharan I to sit miserably in traffic in because they’re among the biggest elephants on the road.