VW Passat 1.8 Test Drive.

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I must say, the current Passat does look good. Yes, not as modern as the “all new for 2015” Euro model. But it does look like a classy ride.

It is conservative looking, in a good way. Unlike the Camry, which is looking almost weird these days.
It seems like a design that will still look just fine 10 years from now.

Same thing goes for the interior. Yes, it is quite a boring design when compared to the competition.
Like the Fusion or Optima. But it is not ugly. And the wood trim in my SEL model improves things a lot.

One thing that still drives me crazy, is the VW proprietary plug for the phone or iPod.
The cable is always too short. And you need an adapted if you have anything else than an iPhone 3 or 4.
Why not a regular USB plug??? (What the hell??)

The back seat is still amazingly roomy. It’s pretty much a full size car back there.

Same goes for the trunk.

The big news for 2015 is the new smaller 1.8 Liter engine. Which replaced the old 2.5 Liter in everything VW was using it. (Like the Beetle and the Jetta.)
It does work fine is the smaller Jetta, but how is it in the larger Passat?
(After all, 1.8 Liter is pretty small for such a large car.)

Well, it works great. It is quiet, smooth, and power is great past 2000RPM.
Which is most of the time.
The 6 speed auto is just fine. The steering is still a bit on the light side. Especially for a “German” car.

But the whole thing is quiet, comfortable and there is always plenty of power.

The main reason for downsizing the engine is better gas mileage.
I was able to get 24 MPG in the city. But like any turbo, when you’re having fun, things do get worse.
In this case, the average in the city dropped to around 20MPG.

For 2015, the VW Passat is a better choice than before.
The new 1.8 Liter Turbo engine provides great power. And it is quiet and refined.
You also get almost 40MPG on the freeway. Which is not that much less than the more expensive Diesel model. (Which is rated at 42MPG but actually gets around 50 in real life)

VW will show a revised version of the Passat in just a few months (Or maybe even before) for the 2016 model year.
Frankly, the car doesn’t really need anything outside. But it could benefit from a more modern dashboard.

Conversation 6 comments

  1. I disagree with exterior design doesn't need any work and the steady sales decline show it.

    VW admitted that also in interview with Automotive news.

    It's as utilitarian inside out as it gets. I understand it's now all about value but it's just too bland.

  2. Its archaic styling is typical of German cars (Audi/BMW/Merc) and works well for conservative buyers. Its (FINALLY) big enough for REAL Americans (unlike the E-class, 5-series, or A6; all of which come up a bit short by Americans Standards. And given the price & MPGs, a much better value than Camry,Accord,Altima,Legacy,Impala,Fusion, Taurus,Avenger,Malibu, etc. All in all I'd say its a winner!

  3. Looks like you need a new phone! Or at least a new screen!

    Oh, did you review a car? I didn't see it!…

  4. totally disagree – that would looks HELLA cheap. This is the same design feature you would utterly criticize if it was in a Hyundai.

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