The Natural Philosopher wrote:
A few tears ago I had a boss who had a passat that had done 200,000km
-
I supoose about 160k miles?

Ordinary oil, changed by the book, and it was fine.

Depends on how the car is driven and even 200k miles on modern engines
is nothing amazing these days. I'd rather go by the condition of the
oil than stick to manufacturer's recommendations.

Regards additives, I believe most of the stuff on the market is a waste
of space but Slick50 engine oil additive isn't a bad product. I've used
it and noticed engine noise was reduced, especially during start-up,
with no adverse effects. No idea about the gearbox stuff, never used
it.