The car was designed in Germany for North America. The seats are a bit wider, and there’s a little more interior space. A Big Gulp cup will fit in the center-console cupholder. And a lot of cost was taken out in order to price the base Passat (in S trim) at $19,995, without making the car look cheap. We’re not sure how many of those they will sell, but this car, with the six-speed auto, has a decent sound system and leather seats. And at a price of $25K, it is a lot of car.
It’s the right size, it handles well for a front-driver, and the interior, even though it has a few more hard-plastic bits than what you would find in an Audi, is still well designed, looks good and functions well.
Inside, the Passat SE we tested has extraordinary rear legroom and a simple, open, airy cabin with decent materials. They’re not what you’d expect in an Audi, but they’re perfectly on par with the rest of the class. The trunk is huge, and all of the controls are laid out on the dash in logical fashion with no mysterious symbols.
The five-cylinder powerplant is lackluster for sure, but so are most base four-cylinders with automatics from the competition. I actually like the five-pot’s odd exhaust note (Subaru-esque is the only way I can describe it), and I found its torque characteristics at around 1,500 to 3,000 rpm to be really well suited for the Tiptronic gearbox during stop-and-go freeway driving–what many Passat owners will likely spend a fair bit of their time doing.
Ride and handling were outstanding, with the Passat delivering a perfectly unremarkable freeway experience. It was well damped, smooth and quiet, with a linear brake-pedal feel. The steering was a little overboosted for a VW, but it felt in character with the size of the car. My overall impression was that this is a well-thought-out, well-executed midsize competitor.
This 2.5-liter engine isn’t the best VW has to offer, but it does the job in a reasonable fashion and without sounding too unrefined and rough, and the six-speed automatic is smooth and responsive, especially in the more nimble sport mode. The handling, even in this model equipped with fairly mundane rubber and 17-inch wheels, seems capable and sharp–almost light and tossable. It sure doesn’t feel like a front-heavy front-driver. I look forward to sampling the diesel and VR6 models, along with the DSG transmission. (And how about the little turbo four?)
It all tells me that VW has a lot riding on this Passat, and it doesn’t want anything odd or out of place to spoil the party. At this price point and as equipped, the Passat is finally extremely competitive in the U.S. midsize-car market. Bravo, VW.
One thing Toyota and Honda have going for them is tremendous brand loyalty. A large percentage of people who own such unexciting vehicles as the Camry and the Accord will just replace their old cars with a new version of what they’ve already got. They know the people at their local dealership service department and are well acclimated to the life of being a Toyota or Honda owner.
Like the Jetta, the Passat certainly doesn’t turn heads. Is it ugly? No. Does it look good? No. It’s just OK and acceptable. Call it bland, but nobody hates the way it looks. It doesn’t inspire strong feelings for or against it. It’s just there, blending in with the crowd, and that’s a good thing in this segment.
The cabin is equally uninspiring. It’s simply laid out, it’s built from respectable materials, it offers plenty of room in both front and back, and it is just OK overall.
