my wife is in your camp, her car needs a little love but nothing major.
sometimes you just want a different car after 8 or in her case 9 years.
its taken me up until this year to realize how expensive automobiles are.
ask yourself what is most important to you (practicality/performance) and a buy a used one of those.
if you at all like your passat, keep fixing it at an indie shop.
my wife has seen the light and is keeping her 2001.
now she can buy all the shoes she wants as far as I am concerned 😉