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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  Passat - Lots of Room - nice accel. with good MPG - 2015 Volkswagen Passat
  By Casey Fitzpatrick - March 30 - 6:59 am

  Previous vehicles: 2003 Toyota Corolla, 2003 Infiniti G35 Coupe. Current vehicles: 2014 Nissan Rogue (CVT transmission). I bought this car with about 5k mi on it. The turbo is great, combined with the 1.8L to give you decent pickup and still have great gas mileage. We put our two little ones in the back seat in car seats, and you could still have the drivers seat sit comfortably without being right up on their legs. The transmission shifts out of first gear pretty quick, which is taking some getting used to for me, and shifting can be a little harsh. The DSG transmission is odd to me...will take some getting used to (or maybe its the turbo, I dont know). Love being able to downshift a few gears to instantly get the acceleration you need to pass a car and mean mug them for driving too slow. You do feel quite a lot of the road. When I looked at used passats for sale, I noticed some uneven wear of the tires, so Im hoping to rotate them more frequently to avoid this occurring in my passat. I feel like I could stand to put the bubble mirrors on the side mirrors...there feels like a blind spot at times...it could be that I am just getting used to the larger car. Overall space is fantastic. I had one instance so far when the backup camera did not turn on when I put the car in reverse. The MPG for a car this size is amazing. 32-34 mpg on average for me! UPDATE: 12/9/16 @ 17k mi. The turbo lag is tough to get used to. Sometimes the car doesnt "go" right when you want it to. Still a very smooth ride. I am going to get the oil changed and tires rotated shortly, as I have heard of feathering issues with these cars. I do wish I would have gotten the LED lights instead of standard, but I think they can be added on later. The bluetooth and backup camera are a little quirky. There have been a few times when I put the car in reverse and the backup camera doesnt engage. A backup camera is a must for a car this size. Im headed towards my first winter with the vehicle, so I will make sure to update after Ive driven in snowy conditions. VERY IMPORTANT: I got caught in a downpour while driving this car, and realized that the windshield wiper speed was slower than I was used to in other cars. I could not see; it was very dangerous, and had to pull off of the road. I HIGHLY recommend using Rain-X or similar windshield washing fluid to keep your windshield slick so that the rain wicks away.

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  worse car ive ever had - 2015 Volkswagen Passat
  By Ashley T - March 28 - 8:27 pm

  Last year in may 2016 we had an awful hail storm and unfortunately my favorite car got totaled from the hail up here in Billings Montana. Fortunately, my fiancé had a pick up for me to drive in the mean time while we look for a car. We are both Ford people and thought to go out of the norm for once when we saw this beautiful, classy fuel efficient car. For us there are a lot of pros and cons with this car mainly cons. My Wolfsburg car is very fast which I love, and handles very well. But I have had nothing but problem with this car, everything went fine till November. Thats when my windshield wiper motor took a crap, it happen to be snowing and slushy out, with vehicles driving by me with their slush hitting my window. I tried to use my wind shield wipers with the fluid but no fluid was coming out and it was not clogged, so its was just brown snow smeared across the windshield and was unable to see, that was fun especially when I live 15 miles away. THEN 3 weeks later I start my car in the driveway due to it being 5 degrees out that morning with it dumping snow to warm up the car before I head into work. I get in and thought I forgot to turn on the heat/defrost. nope, the FRICKEN HEATER WENT OUT and it was 5 degrees outside. thankfully I took a shower that morning so that kept me warm along with the heated seats. the warmth of my body frosted the inside of the car and I had to scrap the windows on the INSIDE. that was also really fun!! not!! thankfully is was still had warranty left so I didnt have to pay for any of these issues. also dealing with our dealership in town is terrible, they treat you like your a burden and are disrespectful. and as of lately my seatbelt light keeps dinging at me while im driving, its staring to happen a lot. makes me feel like if I got in an accident the seatbelt would not work, I will be taking it in soon its just SO frustrating. Ive heard nothing but good things about VW thats why we took the leap and went out of our nor.so I thought I would write a review to warn people about this car, I may have just gotten a bad car, they cant all be good right!?

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  Smartest Decision Ever - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By brenda - March 28 - 5:46 pm

  This is my first VW and all I can say is "wow." Ive always been a a fan of Nissan and Honda but am I ever glad I decided to check out this car. I bought mine in Feb. 06 and have put 8,000 trouble free miles on it. Everything is perfection with this car with the exception of the drivers seat which lacks comfort under the thighs, but Im a short driver so for someone of average height it probably wont be an issue. This car is a real looker and people are always asking "what kind of car is that?" When I tell them its a vw they cant believe it.

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  190k and still hauling! - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By mrspeedster - March 25 - 3:00 pm

  I do not know why so many people have had bad luck with this car. bought it at just under 100k miles, put on about 85k in the past 4 years (i drive alot of cross country for my work). Made sure to do a carfax and got it checked by my mech before i signed anything. In my case, the car was religiously taken in for maintenance every 4k miles to a VW dealer (one owner). Seems that the previous owner took care of the major "quwerks" the car had (water pump, cv, alt, vacuum hoses, fuel pump) since i bought it: tires (x1), brakes (x1), oil change (x5), injector service (x1), o2 sens (x1) the only thing annoying is that the dash just started showing 50% brightness, and heated seat went out, eh.

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  Frustrated with computer related prob - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By cmn168 - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Picked up my brand new 2003 Passat on 6/28/03. Towed to dealership on 7/6/03 with 113 miles, due to computer prob. Picked up the repaired car on 7/9/03. Towed to the dealship again on 7/26/03 with 581 miles for similar computer prob. and the car is still in the shop, as of 8/1/03.

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  Potentially great car, mixed bag though - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By bostonaudi - March 24 - 11:03 am

  So far its been a good family cruiser, with lots of power. The sport suspension is a good setup. Couple of annoyances, I am 65", and find that the vertical height of the windshield is a bit low. I used to have 2001 Passat, with its higher windshield I found that outward visibility was better. The 07 Passats windshield is raked further, which reduces the vertical height. Another issue is the transmission. Mine has a fairly bad hesitation as slow speed (< 10mph), it doesnt always want to go back to 1st gear. Overall the 3.6 motor is quite the little monster, great acceleration! I chipped mine with Revo which gets another 20hp. Recommended!

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  Great Car - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By Tom - March 24 - 2:50 am

  This car is excellent. The quality, fit and attention to detail is great. The reliability is outstanding. Handling great. With 17" tires it sticks like glue to the corners. The car is leading edge producing 134 HP. It uses every bit of energy in the diesel fuel. Temper your MPG expectations, if based on these reviews. The EPA mileage rating is 27/38 and while some are stating solid numbers over 40, those come with caveats. For example, the quality of the diesel fuel. The west coast does not have the true high performance diesel like other areas. These high MPG are obtained on long highway runs. My personal best is 39 MPG. Average commute numbers are 32 MPG (30% city/70% highway).

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  Warning do not purchase this car - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By UNHAPPY - March 22 - 8:30 pm

  I purchased this car it had only 8,000 miles on it. The car has been a complete nightmare with replacement of many valves, air compressor, condenser, peeling of interior, burning lots of oil, finally new engine, now my transmission valve body needs to be replaced. There needs to be a class act law suit, no one should have these types of problems it it a Major headache. I have missed time away from work and luckily it is still under warranty just stay on top of the dealership to fix this problem. But if you are looking buy a new car Honda or Nissan which run great.. Im thinking about trading once the warranty runs out. I think the workers were on drugs when they built the car and parts.

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  Lovely 2007 Passat Wagon - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Paul Zelenkov - March 18 - 5:40 pm

  This Passat is nothing like the old models build or design. This is the best car I have ever owned. The engine is very strong and the six speed tranny shifts smart and gets the power to the ground. The near 4,000 lb. weight and 4Motion make it a very good snow car in Denver on stock all season tires. It is a much better value than a BMW or an Audi. The controls are great. Subarus may be a better value, but the build and handling are superior in the German made VW vs. the Indiana made Subaru. With a light foot I have been getting 19 -20 mpg in town and 27 -28 mpg highway.

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  Superb engineering - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jordan - March 13 - 8:43 pm

  I traded in a 2003 Audi A4 for my 2.0T Passat. I was a bit sad when I took delivery because I loved my Audi very much, but was out of miles on the lease. I must say that after a year of driving the Passat, I am in love with this car. Its so great that I bought a second commuter car (07 Nissan Sentra) to run miles on as I want to keep this Passat for a long time. The ride is impeccable, the cabin is luxurious, and it handles like the Audi (except in snow where the Quattro is a must). The 2.0T is powerful, the Navigation is easy to use, and the stock radio is great. My only complaint is that dealer service on this car is very pricey, and the synthetic oil changes are costly.