Volkswagen Passat (2012 - 2021) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

You get a lot of bang for your buck with the VR6 in this surprisingly roomy sedan. The rear seat and trunk room is impressive. Pros - VR6 is powerful and pulls strong in any gear at any speed. It also has a wonderful throaty exhaust note. Put a Borla exhaust on this and you gain about 30 bhp and wow does it sound mean! - LED headlights are wonderful for night time visibility. - Tons of trunk space for a mid-sized sedan. - Handles well through turns with only minimum body roll. - Lots of standard safety features - AEB, Rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitor, etc. Cons - Soft steering - Skinny tires, need more rubber on the road to use all that horsepower without chirping or spinning when the lead foot is unleashed. - May 26, 2024

Loaded with luxury items, comfortable for driver and all passengers, this a great value for the money, gets fantastic fuel economy (30/38 real world mpg), and has lots of safety features. The biggest criticism would be a smallish screen for tech and a lack of serious zoom (I miss my 2015 TDI’s crazy torque). Otherwise, a very solid automobile that can be found for comparatively low prices.Nov 12, 2023

I purchased The 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL premium. 112,000 miles. My first time owning a VW, also my first time owning a diesel. What an incredible vehicle this is, it’s sleek, simple, and drives fantastic. Has the low end torque when you need it, so it can make a pass on the freeway with ease. The inside is not only comfortable but very spacious and roomy. I’m 6’4 225 LBS for reference. I can sit in the front seat with ample room, can sit in the back right behind the driver, with the drivers seat still in the same position. I still was comfortable in the back. That says it all. It will seat 4 adults with no issue. The gas mileage is impressive, I’ve always had trucks or 4x4 SUV’s getting 15 or less MPG. What a relief it is not having to routinely stop for gas 2 times a week. I get a whopping 40MPG! 18.6 gallons of diesel lasts me 2 weeks, with current diesel prices it only costs me 40 bucks a week to commute. I got the SEL premium trim which is totally worth it, upgraded leather seats, premium large screen navigation (even has weather radar function) a premium FENDER sound system with 9 speakers and a subwoofer in the trunk, the music sounds crisp clear and loud. Keyless entry, push to start, sun roof. I’m very satisfied with the SEL trim. Only thing you’ll be missing is a backup camera. (Have no idea why they left that off the top trim level) This car was taken good care of. The maintenance has been mostly kept up with, which is extremely critical with a Volkswagen. If you do the service intervals as proposed you can have a long lasting vehicle. Timing belts are the big one (120,000) if you skip out on that and the belt pops while driving, you just killed the motor (interference engine). also the transmission fluid/filter every 40,000 miles. Sep 22, 2023

Im not gonna be biased since I have this car. Its a very good car. It isnt just decent. The interior is good. The technology is okay and depending on the year it can actually be really intuitive (watch doug demuros videos). I enjoy driving the car it feels a bit luxurious. Definitely feels nicer than driving a Hyundai Nissan Toyota etc. I just enjoy driving the car. I bought mine used and its still great at 65k miles.Jan 30, 2023

Likes or dislikes? Not tough to answer really... That is if you understand that a VW badge combined with a diesel engine in this class of car is both somewhat special and perhaps foreign to many potential buyers. For those of us used to VW, we already understand much of the thinking and engineering placed in this car. It's different from most. My wife and I chose this vehicle because of its design and the general "feel" of quality. Understand... The Passat is by no means an economy car. The Passat is a relatively expensive car that will return stellar economy. As with other VW products I suspect the Passat will demand proper service. Take this into consideration before making a purchase, then go buy one. You won't be sorry!May 08, 2013