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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  Cant go wrong with this car!! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By csheehan - May 11 - 10:00 am

  This car walks talks and acts like one that is much more expensive. From the cool night-time lighting to all the thoughful touches, to the cool trip computer, to the steering wheel controls. Did I mention the leather - not like the cheap hides on a nissan/infiniti. This car is an Audi without the dual zone climate control and four rings. 1.8 w/ five speed is great, still breaking in but it can move the car with some authority, always asked if its a 6 cyl.

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  Lotta luxury for little money - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jolene - May 10 - 10:00 am

  Purchased used as my primary vehicle. I haul a lot of furniture in my business and wanted the roomy rear section without going for an SUV. It filled the bill more than perfectly. I love the handling, German-engineering, and roomy, comfortable leather seats. We always take this car on road trips and enjoy the luxury and comfort. I have had absolutely no problems with this gem!

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  Not so happy with my Passat - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By VWtony - May 9 - 4:26 pm

  I purchased my 07 Passat in early November. I just got it out of the shop after they had it for 9 days. A check engine light came on during a road trip in the middle of nowhere. Not fun. Turns out the oil cooler bolt and bracket broke, so it and the timing assembly had to be changed. The car had less than 9k miles on it. Now, one week after having the car returned to me, its in the shop again because the steering lock is malfunctioning. This is my 3rd VW and all of them have had major issues.

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  Dont buy this vehicle - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Justin - May 5 - 8:42 am

  Im purchased a few VW now but I think this is the final one. My first car was a VW so there is a bit of nostalgia, but its gone on long enough. So I purchased this vehicle used two years ago. Its a 2006 Passat 3.6 4Motion. The acceleration, driving, etc is quite good... but the reliability and built in flaws of the car make it worthless. Specifically, when I purchased it a few weeks later one of the shocks sheared off and I had to replace that. Then, a week ago several things occurred at once and its mind numbingly bad. Ill list the issues and the associated prices so you can gasp with me: 1. Headlights. These are HID, so they should be pricey. However, VW cant figure out how to design product, so they literally blocked one of the headlight entry ports with the windshield wiper fluid case. YOU CANT CHANGE THE HEADLIGHT WITHOUT REMOVING THE BUMPER. This is a thing. Im not lying. Somebody literally built a car and blocked the headlights so you cant change them without taking the bumper off. Cost to change headlights? $800. Thats not a joke, its $800 to change the headlights. Not even the highbeams. Just the stinking low beams. $800. 2. The trunk logo is inset... and when water gets in the inset it causes it to rust out. So I have a huge rust tramp stamp on the back of my VW because the engineer decided that having an inset logo with a well for water to sit in made sense. Price: Whatever a used trunk goes for since itll be more expensive to have the entire thing sanded. At least $600+ 3. Some random pipe broke in the engine when the headlights went out: $400 4. Super duper awesome fuel pump: $1,200+ What the what? In a world where replacing headlights and a fuel pump costs $2k... yeah, stay away from VW. The first Passat I had years ago had issues, this one has issues, and the engineering is just ridiculous. Next week Ill find out that they glued the tires to the wheels for some crazy reason and I have to replace the entire wheel when a tire goes flat. Derp.

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  Solid car, but poor built quality - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Xorehtno - May 5 - 2:00 am

  Leased the basic Passat model in May of 2004. Great price for this class of vehicle! It has a solid feel, much better than my previous Camry and Accord. I did not really buy it for this reason, but Passat has an image a notch above the ubiquitos Japanese sedans. Conservative yet stylish choice. Now the big con: POOR BUILD QUALITY. I had to take my Passat to the dealership twice in the first 6 months with problems (wrong relay in wiper control, AC was not working right, glove compartment door was not closing right), plus a manufacturers recall. Right now have yet another problem with the AC, the manual transmission is getting jerky, and the tires are losing pressure way too fast.

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  German for "Piece of Junk" - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By theronald - May 3 - 9:36 pm

  This car was really nice for about the first 3 years that we owned it. Ever since that point, it has had many nagging, expensive, and repetitive failures. (Among those too numerous to mention - Door Handles, Controller, O2 Sensors, Belt-tensioner) The Yellow light has been on more than it has been "off". Were it not for the fact that I was unemployed on & off for most of the past 4 years, we would have "dumped" it on some other poor sap. Have talked to several other GLX owners - most had same problems. Their highly-touted "German Engineers" should all be fired, and replaced by the guys from GM. (Ive never had to replace all 4 door handles on a Buick twice!)

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  I will be a repeat buyer - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By joyone - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. I had several great vehicles before this one but my Passat outshines them all. I have had no problems and the maintanance has been much less than I expected. The employees at the dealership that I got the car from are extremely friendly and always helpful. I know that my next car will be a Volkswagen. I dont have any complaints about this car.

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  My first manual! - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Benbo - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I was very apprehensive about purchasing the Passat because of the horror stories I have heard on this site about its engineering. I researched the IS300, Mazda 6, Altima and 05 Legacy GT extensively. I also drove each several times. The Passats razor sharp handling at 85-100 mph, smooth shifting and potent acceleration won me over. The overall build quality is superb inside and out. Ive only put 5,000 miles on it so far and am PRAYING nothing serious goes wrong! I would strongly recommend purchasing this car as a manual, for good acceleration- about 7.3 secs 0-60

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  Like the old body style better - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Mic - May 2 - 12:20 am

  Love the car. My only issue is the interior knobs dont wear as well as they should. Ive had to fix several of them. I dont like the old antenna style. The rubber boot fell off years ago and they want to drop the headliner to replace.

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  German luxury on a budget - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
  By drjkalyan - April 30 - 8:25 am

  This is my first new car and I love it. It looks impressive with taut lines and geometrical shapes that accent the angular look of the new VWs. The car is decidedly large for the American market and can be a problem only in some crowded cities. Inside the cabin the interiors are excellent quality and material with symmetrical layout - maybe a bit boring. It has the best in-class rear seat legroom and boot space. It has adequate equipment as standard. Ride is a bit choppy on rough roads but is very well absorbing on usual city roads. Power is just about adequate and delivery is a tad linear. Engaging the sports mode creates more engine noise than speed. I love the tank-like build quality!