Overview & Reviews

The Volkswagen Passat has long been a favorite among shoppers looking for a little more luxury and style in their midsize family sedan or wagon. For many folks, the Passat has traditionally filled the gap that exists between normal, humdrum family cars and the financially out-of-reach luxury brands. Displaying a classy, restrained style inside and out, the Volkswagen Passat gives the impression of quiet competence, which is borne out by its refined driving character. A quality cabin and competent handling, along with a supple ride, are typical Passat traits.

The latest Volkswagen Passat is the biggest Passat yet and is priced considerably lower than before to more closely compete with mainstream family sedans. There has been some cost-cutting to meet that lower price, though, which means the Passat may be a little less appealing to aspiring German luxury car owners. Still, we think it has retained enough of its premium feel to make a case for itself as a gateway vehicle. As for used Passats, both second- and third-generation models are very good picks.

Current Volkswagen Passat
Available in a quintet of trim levels (S, Wolfsburg, SE, Sport and SEL), the current Volkswagen Passat boasts many of the qualities that have drawn folks to German cars in the first place. The well-controlled, buttoned-down ride quality is one, while its restrained exterior styling is another. The cabin, though not quite as special as that of VW's CC or the old Passat, is still one of the nicer environments to be found in the class. It's also one of the most spacious, with plenty of rear seat legroom and a large trunk.

The base Passat "1.8T" engine is a peppy yet fuel-efficient 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 170 horsepower. It is one of the more appealing engines in the midsize sedan segment, yet the Passat TDI's diesel engine is nevertheless worth strong consideration. Although a tad louder and with more low-end power than the 1.8T, the driving experience is similar enough that its 34 mpg combined fuel economy comes without a drivability penalty. Its highway fuel economy is actually better than what some midsize hybrid sedans can achieve. For those seeking more power, a 280-hp 3.6-liter V6 is also available.

On the move, the Passat is an engaging sedan to drive thanks to its well-sorted suspension tuning, precise steering feel and strong brakes. The car also manages to earn high marks for ride comfort, which is ultimately more important considering the fact that most buyers will be far more concerned with schlepping kids to school or co-workers to lunch than taking a spirited drive along winding back roads.

In total, the Volkswagen Passat is a midsize sedan that's worthy of consideration alongside the stalwart class leaders from America and Japan. While it still mostly looks and feels like a German car, it now has the generous space and attractive pricing expected of an American one.

Used Volkswagen Passat Models
The Volkswagen Passat was completely redesigned for 2012. It is larger and less expensive than the car it replaced, putting it more in line with American expectations for the midsize sedan class. Since that debut, there have been just a couple of notable changes. Specifically, these Passats came standard with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine good for 170 hp. It was sufficiently powerful and efficient, but loud and unrefined, making one of the other engines a more appealing used car choice. It was phased out midway through the 2014 model year in favor of the current 1.8T engine. The current Sport trim level and the Car-Net telematics system were also unavailable.

The previous, third-generation Passat was produced from 2006-'10 in sedan and wagon body styles. It was larger than the car it replaced and Volkswagen made an effort to move it upscale, increasing feature content and price. Perhaps as a result, this Passat wasn't as popular as previous versions, but generous passenger space, a high-quality cabin and strong engines should make it a good used car pick.

The standard engine for this third-generation Passat was a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produced 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission was standard and a six-speed automatic was optional. From 2006-'08 a narrow-angle V6 known as the VR6 was optional. This engine pumped out 280 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque, and it could be had with all-wheel drive in the 3.6 4Motion trim. An automatic transmission was standard for the V6.

There were initially four trim levels -- Value Edition, 2.0T, 3.6 and 3.6 4Motion. Even though the lower trims had steel wheels, other desirable features like a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, an auxiliary audio jack and high-quality leatherette vinyl upholstery were standard. The upper trims could be had with luxury features like adaptive xenon headlights, automatic dual-zone climate control and 12-way power front seats.

The short-lived Wolfsburg trim level in 2007 added some extra luxuries and visual distinction to the 2.0T model. For the 2008 model year, the trim levels were renamed Turbo, Komfort, Lux and VR6. For the final two years, Volkswagen dropped the V6, reduced the Passat to just a single (Komfort) trim level and discontinued most of the car's upscale features. A new hard-drive-based navigation system did become available, however.

Overall, our road tests of the time had good things to say about this generation of Volkswagen Passat, from the high quality of its fit and finish to the engaging yet fuel-efficient performance of the turbocharged engine. Tuned more for ride comfort than clipping apexes on a twisty road, the Passat's suspension nonetheless struck a happy balance between a plush ride and athletic handling dynamics.

The second-generation VW Passat was available from 1998-2005. It was a little smaller than the third-generation Passat but was very popular thanks to its tasteful styling, peppy performance and solid Germanic feel. Based on a stretched version of the Audi A4 platform of its day, this Passat offered an unusually upscale feel. From the way the doors shut to the way the car absorbed bumps without drama and confidently carved its way along a winding road, this Passat was one midsize sedan or wagon that was actually desirable. This certainly had an effect on our editors; both the sedan and wagon were Edmunds.com Editors Most Wanted award winners for five straight years, from 2000-'04.

Engine choices included a 1.8-liter turbocharged four called the 1.8T that made up to 170 hp, a silken 190-hp V6 and a short-lived 270-hp eight-cylinder W8. Equipped with the W8, the Passat grew too heavy and expensive to have widespread appeal. During most of the car's run, VW offered 4Motion all-wheel drive as an option on V6 models (it was standard on W8 models). A frugal 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine called the TDI became available in 2004. For used-car shoppers, any Passat should be fine, but those built for 2002 and later are the best choices, as they received updated powertrains and beneficial chassis improvements.

The first-generation Volkswagen Passat (1990-'97) sold in North America isn't quite as desirable as its successor. Although space-efficient, this Passat's styling was boxy and a bit strange, especially during the first five years when it had a grille-less nose. The base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine was not a strong suit in these earlier Passats either, as it was described as rough in nature and was taxed with moving this midsize sedan. A few years after its debut, the Passat received more gusto under the hood in the form of the 2.8-liter, narrow-angle VR6.

User Reviews:

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  Nine Great Years - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Happy Driver - January 11 - 12:46 am

  I bought this car new in 1999, coming up on 9th anniversary. It has been the best car Ive ever owned by far. Aside from routine maintenance, Ive replaced the water pump and the timing belt. Thats it. Gets 26 mpg city, 36+ mpg highway, with standard transmission and regular gas (although VW recommends premium). It is now well north of 150K miles and still runs beautifully. No rust. No complaints. And lots of zip too! Has a few features (like the sunroof) that now cost a lot more.

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  Great Car! - 2008 Volkswagen Passat
  By jhon2k1 - January 10 - 1:06 pm

  I have a 08 Passat and I love the DSG technology. It is a very fast car, excellent in the highway

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  Can VW succeed with the Pheaton ? - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By VW Out to Lunch - January 9 - 10:00 am

  The car is pleasant to drive. The big problem is that VW and their dealers do not seem to be on the same page when it comes to important things like what kind of oil to use for oil changes. The owners manual and VW say to ONLY use 5w40 oil which meets VWs 502.00 standard. That means a synthetic oil. Dealers appearently are tying to not give customers sticker shock on oil changes because they all use conventional motor oil on the order of 5w30 or 10w40. VW has recently issued an 8 year extended warranty for many VWs with the 1.8 turbo gas engine yet they dont seem to be able to convince their dealers to use the very oil that they, VW, says to owners is so very important. Go figure.

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  Big Disappointment - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By MikeLozzie - January 9 - 10:00 am

  Love the engine and styling, the car is way fun to drive, but Ive had it in the shop far too often: ignition coils (four of them, one at a time), brakes (at 20k miles!), headlights (twice), now the transmission is acting up. Im going baqck to Japanese cars.

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  My Next Car Will be a Passat - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By mcambs - January 9 - 10:00 am

  I have loved my 2000 Passat since I purchased it in the summer of 2002! Friends comment what a beautiful car, both inside and out, my Passat GLX 4 Motion Wagon is. The car loves to drive fast and even at high speeds the ride is smooth and quiet. I did buy the car used with 29K miles and purchased an extended warranty. Ive used it to replace the tie rod ends ($500 repair) at appx 55K miles. The rear wiper works but the washer has never worked...oh, well. My youngest stepped on the rear cupholder and broke it...wasnt really functional anyway...besides I prefer the no eating/no drinking in the car!

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  Problems WIth The Passat 1.8T - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By p. augusta - January 5 - 11:36 am

  The vehicle has been in and out of the shop 4 times for electrical problems, and now has to have the engine replaced because of a sludge issue. The engine runs very hot so oil sludge in the engine is a common problem for the 1.8T model (Audi or VW). Steer clear of this car! !

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  Accord who?? - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By minijedimaster - January 5 - 7:50 am

  I bought this vehicle because I have a long commute and needed something comfortable. This car more than exceeds that. Wonderful performance out of the 4 cylinder while not compromising on gas mileage. Im averaging about 25-26 mpg in mixed highway/city driving. Ive taken sharp turns at 55 mph and have gotten it up to 135 on a long straight away. Interior does not feel cheap in anyway like "domestic" vehicles and standard options are more than enough. I have about 15,000 miles on it already and no problems at all. I cant recommend this car enough to anyone in the midsize sedan market. I mean why buy another vehicle w/6cyl that has less HP and eats more gas as is the case w/many others.

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  Happy Long Time Owner - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By John - January 3 - 1:23 pm

  I purchased my manual 1997 Passat new and always took good care of it and did the regular scheduled maintenance. It has over 100,000 miles and it has been great. It is now getting a little long in the tooth and Im evaluating new cars for purchase. This car has been very good for me and very economical to keep for the past ten years.

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  DEFINITELY NOT A HONDA!!!!! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By ejb - January 1 - 10:00 am

  I have owned 2 Hondas in the past and instead of buying another Honda or Acura, I decided to try another "reliable" automaker. What a mistake that was. If the daytime running lights burning out within six months of owning the car wasnt enough; (I had to pay to replace them), 2 of the coils were defective. Since it was Volkswagens policy to replace the only the first bad coil, I had to make a second trip in order to get all the coils replaced. Never again!

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  Pleasant Surprise - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By DougSmithsr - January 1 - 10:00 am

  Purchased for my wife for mothers day after passing up a BMW 325, she liked the Passats looks more. Go figure! Anyway I proceeded purchasing the Passat with the 1.8L Turbo, with Tiptronic Auto/Manual shifter and fitted it with Black leather, Sunroof, and stereo package. To my amazement after managing to pry the keys from my wifes hands from time to time I just love this car. Handling is on par with some of the finest sports cars that I have ever driven, and the turbo lag is almost non-existent and mid range power is awsome, we had a 626 mazda with a v6 and this Passat will completley smoke our old car and leave it standing.