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The 40 mpg Cars of 2013

2012 Volkswagen Passat

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Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2013 Volkswagen Passat

Overview

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2012 Volkswagen Passat Review

By KBB.com Editors

KBB Expert Rating: 8.2

If we were to describe the new 2012 Volkswagen Passat sedan in as few words as possible, we'd go with "more for your money." Compared to the previous-generation Passat , this all-new, just-for-North-America sedan is bigger, costs a lot less, and comes with more stuff standard. In other words, it's the automotive equivalent of the extra-value meal at your local fast food joint. But rest assured, the refined on-road German manners that appealed to many buyers in the midsize-sedan market over the years haven't been removed from this Passat iteration. If you're looking for a practical family sedan that is also fun to drive, the new VW Passat is a worthy contender for your hard-earned dollar.

You'll Like This Car If...

Looking for a roomy, midsize sedan that offers an assortment of powertrains and a healthy amount of standard content like dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights and keyless entry, all for a starting price in the low $20K range? Try the 2012 Volkswagen Passat on for size.

You May Not Like This Car If...

Although starting in the $20K price sweet spot, adding options (like an automatic transmission or a USB port) will quickly up the total for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat sedan. And if you're looking for a family 4-door that stands out visually on the road, the sharp-looking Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima will draw more attention.

KBB Expert Ratings

Overall Rating

8.2
Driving Dynamics

8.0
Comfort & Convenience

8.0
Design: Interior & Exterior

7.6
Value

8.2
Safety

10.0

How It Ranks

#19

out of 27

MPG

#12

out of 27

Horsepower

View all rankings

Consumer Rating

8.5 out of 10

View all
consumer ratings

2012 Volkswagen Passat Low/wide front photo

What's New for 2012

The Volkswagen Passat sedan is not only larger, better equipped and much lower in price for 2012. It's also tailor-made just for North America, in North America.

Driving the Passat

2012 Volkswagen Passat Front angle view photo

Driving Impressions The 2012 Volkswagen Passat sedan has grown substantially to appeal to North American sensibilities, but even though it's now a larger car, the new Passat is lighter and delivers a...

refined road-going experience. Its new suspension – including a 4-link independent rear setup – cancels out most road imperfections, and body roll is nicely controlled on tight curvy roads. The 2.5-liter 5-cylinder will undoubtedly be the volume leader of the Passat's engines and is a perfectly fine around-town commuter, but if you want more zip in your drive, the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel engine is where you'll get your smiles. Its minimal turbo lag and plenty of low-end torque make a trip of any length a more pleasurable experience. The final feather in the VW Passat's cap: Whether you choose the 2.5-liter in-line 5, the TDI or the V6, this German sedan is one quiet ride. That's a good thing, because with segment-leading rear legroom, passengers sitting there won't need to yell to be heard.

Favorite Features

Optional Fender Sound System
Fender's first foray into automotive sound, this 9-speaker, 400-watt system developed with Panasonic provides well-balanced and clear sound.

TDI
Offering up to 43 miles per gallon on the highway, this clean-burning diesel engine can return nearly 800 miles per tankful. Whether you can survive for that long without a rest-stop break is another matter.

2012 Volkswagen Passat Details

2012 Volkswagen Passat Dashboard, center console, gear shifter view photo

Interior

The 2012 VW Passat isn't flashy inside. Think clean lines and tasteful - but not overdone – chrome. Lower-end Passats can look vanilla, but spending a little more and moving up to the Premium level adds Autumn Nut Burl wood trim detail that brings some visual interest to the cabin. Base S models come with standard cloth seating surfaces, while SE models get V-Tex leatherette and SEL models receive the full leather treatment with suede-like "Dinamica" inserts. And while we're on the topic of seats, thanks to its longer wheelbase, rear seat passengers now enjoy 39.1 inches of legroom - which is more than any other current midsize sedan, and more than the longer and wider "4-door coupe" VW CC.

Exterior

The 2012 Volkswagen Passat may not be as distinctive-looking as the Passats that came before it, but its new looks should serve it well over time. It's now sleeker and more angular in appearance, sporting a 3-bar horizontal grille and pronounced side crease lines that draw attention to the sedan's increased length. This length also allows for a more sizeable trunk – with 15.9 cubic-feet of space, it's a nearly a cubic foot larger than the trunk in the Honda Accord, which the EPA classifies as a large car. Sadly, the VW Passat Wagon is no more, so if you're looking for a family-friendly front-wheel-drive hatchback, consider a VW Jetta SportWagen, Audi A3, Acura TSX Wagon or Honda Crosstour.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

For less than $21,000 (including destination), a 2012 Volkswagen Passat S sedan comes equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, cloth seating, automatic dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls and a 3-year/36,000-mile maintenance program. Hoping for a USB port to plug your mobile device into? You'll have to move out of the base Passat to get it.

Optional Equipment

With a lot of available options, it's easy to spend more on a 2012 VW Passat. Worth noting: Vegan-friendly V-Tex leatherette seating, a Fender Premium audio system, an iPod interface and a quick-shifting 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. For a little more oomph in your daily drive, a 3.6-liter V6 or 2.0-liter 4-cylinder clean diesel engine are also on the menu.

Under the Hood

The 2012 VW Passat sedan offers three engine choices: A 2.5-liter in-line-5 shared with the smaller Jetta, a turbocharged 2.0-liter in-line-4 diesel with direct injection (TDI), and a 3.6-liter V6. There are also four transmissions available: a 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, a 6-speed automatic and a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission direct shift gearbox (DSG). If how much you spend at the pump is important to you, you'll be interested to know that the TDI can return a class-leading 43 mpg on the highway when matched with the manual transmission. In order to get comparable fuel economy with any other internal-combustion-engine-motivated sedan, you'd have to move down from the midsize segment.

2.5-liter in-line-5
170 horsepower @ 5,700 rpm
177 lb.-ft. of torque @4,250 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/32 (manual), 22/31 (automatic)

2.0-liter in-line-4, turbodiesel
140 horsepower @ 4,000 rpm
236 lb.-ft. of torque @ 1,750 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 31/43 (manual), 30/40 (DSG Automatic)

3.6-liter V6
280 horsepower @ 6,200 rpm
258 lb.-ft. of torque @ 2,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/28 (DSG Automatic)

Pricing Notes

A base 2012 Volkswagen Passat S with a manual transmission stickers in at a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of just under $21,000. If rowing your own gears isn't for you, moving to the 6-speed automatic transmission will require you to add the Appearance Package (front-illuminated vanity mirrors, unique wheels and a rear center armrest), and will bring the price closer to $23,500. Choosing the TDI diesel Passat nets you a starting price closer to $26,500, while the V6 with DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission brings the total closer to $29,500. A fully loaded VW Passat V6 SEL Premium will cost you about $33,500 when all is said and done. The Passat competes in the crowded midsize segment, which includes heavyweights like the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Chevy Malibu and redesigned value-oriented rides like the Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata. In this group, the Passat falls behind the Camry and Accord when it comes to resale value, but bests the Malibu, Optima and Sonata over time.

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2012 Volkswagen Passat Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

8.5

Out of 10

Based on 50 Ratings for the 2012 - 2013 models.

Review this car

Value

8.8/10

Quality

8.8/10
Reliability

9.2/10

Performance

8.8/10
Comfort

9.0/10

Styling

8.7/10

Great car, excellent value, more car than I expect

By Sonny (TX) on Friday, May 03, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 8,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Best mileage of any car I've ever owned."

Cons: "None! Would like to have xenons."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"This is an extremely well built and engineered car. It is solid, quiet, efficient and a pleasure to drive. My previous Passag was a V6 3.6 which was also an excellent car but the TDI SEL is quite different. Fuel economy is better than expected ranging from 39-48 mpg, with an average 43 city/highway combined. The car is roomy and the seats are quite comfortable. The Fender sound system is great. My iPhone syncs effortlessly with the Bluetooth. Occasionally, the sound and vavigation system seem to lag a bit but if I'm patient they soon catch up and then work fine. I did like the xenon headlights on my previous Passat which are no longer an option. Overall the car feels like a solid German sedan costing much more than $33K. It's just about perfect in every way."

6 people out of 6 found this review helpful

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Best Car Ever

By jy (KY) on Friday, April 12, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 7,500

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Makes you want to drive"

Cons: "None"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I don't see how VW can top the TDI SEL Premium. It feels, drives, and looks like a much more expensive car. I regularly exceed the advertised city and highway mileage. I'm getting 48 mpg on highway and 36 mpg in the city without resorting to extreme cautious driving practices. Hybrids can't compare."

5 people out of 5 found this review helpful

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2013 V6 SEL Premium

By Don (TX) on Wednesday, March 20, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 6,250

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Comfort and room"

Cons: "Premium gas"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"This is the best car I have ever owned. It has exceptional comfort. Two weeks after I purchased the car I took a 3600 mile trip. There have been no problems at all. When we tested the car we also tested a TDI SEl Premium version. We chose the V6 because it is so smooth and powerful. I do wish the German manufactures would get away from engines that require premium gas. both American and Japanese manufactures make engines of the same size or smaller that produce as much power on regular gas. A good example is GM's 3.6 V6."

5 people out of 5 found this review helpful

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2013 TDI SEL, great car

By rusty cat (WA) on Saturday, March 16, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 3,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "ride, mpgs, kessey, seating, trunk space"

Cons: "not able to disable stability control"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"I've had the 2013 TDI SEL for 3 months and 3000 miles. The only real negatives I can find fault with at the price point of $33k is the inability to turn off the various stability control nannies and that chains are not recommended due to clearance issues between the strut assembly and the inside of the wheel. The engine has tons of torque from 1200 t0 2800 rpms. This is extrememly useable torque that provides snappy acceleration in the speed bands that are most usually driven. The keyless Kessy system is a joy. The ride quality is exceptional, and interior noise is extremely low, especially at crusing speeds. Seating is very supportive and comfortable. The Fender stereo is better than average, but certainly no Wow factor with it. The radio navigation system takes a bit of getting used to, but I find I can live with it without getting too annoyed. Ride quality on America's decaying road system was a main consideration when purchasing the car, and even though I don't put many miles on the car per year, one thing for sure and certain is fuel costs are not going to go down, and if I keep this car for the decade or so I usually keep a car, I can only shudder at what the price of fuel will be in 10 years. I'm getting mid 30s around small town driving on secondary roads and in the low 40s during freeway driving. Headlights on high were exactly perfect for me, as I really dislike HID projection beams with their driving in a pipe style light cutoffs. The low beams were not adequate for secondary road driving and I replaced them with higher wattage bulbs which solved the problem. At the price point of the top end of the Passat line, one is looking at the low end of the Mercedes and BMWs, and other than prestige of name, the Passat is a hands down better value, and even according to Automobile magazine, the ride on the Passat is of higher quality than the BMW 3 series diesel. Full sized spare tire and fold down back seats are major pluses too. Dashboard is nicely laid out without too much clutter and good visibility of the instrument cluster. Bluetooth phone interface is very good. The regen system for self cleaning of diesel soot is something that VW should have a dashboard monitoring of, but I guess they are worried it will confuse drivers. I really could not be much happier with the Passat. Sure cars that cost 50% more have nicer interiors, but none of them get better MPGs on the Freeway. Lastly, if you are looking for a car for urban driving and rare trips to the countryside or freeway, the Passat TDI is not your best choice, probably a Toyota Hybrid would be better due to the regeneration braking systems,and the fact that the Passat TDI would rarely achive obtimum engine/driving temperature, which is very important for diesels."

10 people out of 10 found this review helpful

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The truth about this car!!!!!!

By VW FAN (KY) on Friday, March 08, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 5,000

10 7.0

overall rating 7 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 7/10
Performance: 7/10
Styling: 6/10
Comfort: 7/10

Pros: "Fun to drive, clear instrumentation panel"

Cons: "5 cylinder engine, no rear seat air vent"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"As a long term driver of VW I have to say that this is not the best Passat that VW has ever produced. The 2012 model is missing a lot of the high quality materials and options that once made the Passat a Passat. VW is trying to compete with other manufacturers to produce a value driven car. The Passat once stood out as a different kind of car but now blends in with the Camrys and Accords. I purchased the 2012 SE model with navigation and sunroof which meets my needs. My biggest complaint? The 5 cylinder engine has a lag which I don't care for. I will still follow VW."

6 people out of 7 found this review helpful

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