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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  Poor Quality and Terrible Service - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By mstu - August 11 - 2:00 am

  For all those who love their car, wait until the coil(s) fail 200 miles from home. VW will not provide free transportation. They will also not replace all the coils. You get back in your car and are still driving a car with faulty coils!!! I will not let my family drive this car further than walking distance from my house. Do yourself a favor and make a different choice. I also own a 2000 GLS Jetta that has the same type of problems and same terrible service.

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  A 170 HP Economy Car - With 6 Airbags - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Steve Conslaw - August 10 - 5:06 pm

  If you are looking at a Passat - try the manual transmission. Big difference - no turbo lag - plenty of power - good mpg. We get 27-28 MPG with very few freeway miles. Note - thats as good as the Accord Hybrid for fewer $. The trip computer makes it easy to drive for MPG (like a PRIUS) if you want. If you get away from traffic 30+ MPG is possible. Still,the Turbo is always there if you want to kick it. Lots of room inside. The car has been reliable but a few things are a pain - suggested premium gas, though runs fine on midgrade. Weve had no sludge problem but VW says use synthetic oil = pricey. Wiper blades are hard to find. Warranty repair stress crack in windshield.

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  my favorite car - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By m barbehenn - August 1 - 9:26 am

  I took good care of the car, followed the maintenance schedule, and it never let me down. Bought it when my daughter was 2.5, gave it to her when she turned 16, got it back when she went to college. Geared for the highway. Turbo boost at any speed. Still gets 33mpg.

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  Audi A6 wagon lite - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By lfbmdpc - August 1 - 3:06 am

  Ive owned a lot of Audis. every bit as good although less stylish. Fun to drive, but a gas hog (so far - 9-12 mpg around town), hopefully will improve with time and break-in. No problems so far except cannot get driver seat memory to work.

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  A4 1.8T Replacement - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By DHunter - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I searched long and hard and finally decided on the Passat. I liked the A4 1.8T Quattro styling better, but the performance of the Passat 6cyl was superior and features were much better for the price. I only wanted 4Wheel drive so that ruled out the Acura TL-S, but this car was a strong contender for price/performance. Last year body style for Acura TL is 03 though. Other new cars looked boring, too boxy, or too pricey (e.g. Honda, Maxima, BMW, Audi).

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  Wow!! - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By passatmo - July 30 - 10:00 am

  My wifes 92 Q-45s transmission went out. Had to get something else. Test drove 4-5 cars. Test drove a "demo" GLX and LOVED it. Brought it home yesterday. She let me drive it about 25 miles on the freeway while it was turning dark outside. It drove like a dream! Then I turned on the lights and the instrument panel lit up! WOW! Shifted to Tiptronic at 70 mph. Wife drove it to work today. I cant wait til she gets home so I can have another crack at it.

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  Wont make this mistake again - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Disappointed NJ Girl - July 29 - 6:03 am

  After researching many AWD vehicles, including SUVs, I bought a Volkswagen Passat AWD GLX because of the handling and many options that you get for the money. Well, you get what you pay for. As soon as I got my car, I brought it in three times for warped rotors and was told by VW each time that there was nothing wrong. Literally, as soon as the warranty was up, VW agreed that my rotors were warped and charged me $700 to fix them. When I called the main VW office, they didn’t want to hear about the unfair treatment that I received. Then one year and $1,200 later, my ignition coil needed to be replaced. Now another year later, I have another hefty bill to pay for the cars throttle body & catalytic converter to be replaced.

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  Great Car - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Sam - July 27 - 3:16 pm

  You wont find a better car at this price. I leased a 2003 base Passat Wagon and liked that too. This time I went for the leather package. I have nothing to complain about so far. It is stylish enough for a night outing. It has good handling and decent fuel economy. Its cargo space is so spacious that you dont need an SUV.

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  The Creaks, Rattles, Squeaks are Getting wors - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Valleybull - July 27 - 6:36 am

  Though I love the performance and comfort of my 2007 Passat 2.0T Wagon with 6-speed, Luxury, Leather, and Bi- xenons, I have had it for four months and I cannot wait to get rid of it. The build quality is the worst that I could imagine, from broken welds in the roof to creaks, squeaks, and rattles throughout the dash and headliner. I had read that VWs quality was a little shaky, but I was not prepared for this level of poor quality. I think that I would have been better off looking for a used 1984 Hyundai Pony, at least might expectations would have been in line with the results and the price.

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  I still like it - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By Anna - July 26 - 9:06 pm

  At 65k miles I still think the Passat is a great car. I bought it as a family car and what sold me was the solid quality feel, excellent crash ratings, well designed little luxury features (eg. one-touch up and down front windows, one-touch rotary dial sunroof control). Many Audi features at a VW price. Sufficient power to blast along at 80+ with full load, yet decent gas mileage (low 20s around the burbs, 30 cruising @ 65, 27 cruising @80 with a full load). Fairly reliable – problems have been: dead rear washer, dead rear speaker(s), faulty temp gauge sender, oil leak at valve timing chain cover (common prob); all were fixed under warranty although the rear speakers are now all dead.