2012 Volkswagen Passat consumer reviews

I was reluctant to give up my 2001 Passat with 225K miles. The new Passat is a great replacement, however. It is actually roomier than my 2001. This is the first car I have ever owned where I had to move the seat forward to reach the gas peddle! Mileage on the TDI is terrific. I get close to 50 on the 25 mile jaunt to church on Sundays, and get 38 or so around town.

I just purchased a 2012 Passat with the appearance package. The car has to be the best overall value in the mid size market. I think the exterior and interior styling and quality is on par or surpasses most of the segemnt. The car is rock solid, just shut a door or look at the hinges, they are massive. The 2.5 5 cylinder with the 6 speed automatic is enough power for me. The tranmission it tiptronic and has a sport mode which makes it a more response drive- train. I prefer a conventional tranmission over the CVTs you will find in the Nissan Altima, and Subaru Legacy. You can find great deals on the Altima, however, you are getting an older platform. The new Camry looks good from the exterioir, however, the interior is just not that appealing. I liked the Mazda6 and found it extermely sporty to drive, however, the VW is more solid, has better brakes and acceration then the 4 cylinder Mazda6 (and I am a fan od Mazda as a brand) I liked the Sonata and Optima, did not drive them or other brands except as indicated), however find their interior quality not as good/appealing as the VW. The dash and lighting, etc are very high quality looing when lite up at ight. I paid with freight, $21,034 for this car and think it is a lot of car for the money and obtained 1.9% for 60months. If you are looking at the mid size segement, you must take a look at the Passat and drive it!

I bought a brand new Passat SE Gas and I just love it. Unbelievable quiet, powerful, fun to drive (for a front drive car) and an absolute dream. I was looking for a car where I could just put on the music (and not hear any wind noise), drive, and just feel groovy. I wanted a car with power and space where a family of 5 could comfortably travel. BTW, the Passat is built in America, namely in Chattanooga, Tennessee. On my second day of ownership, I drove from Sunnyvale to Sacramento and really hit the pedal. I got 32 MPG!!!. I did the same with the Prius 3 months ago and got 35 MPG! Apart from being a great car, VW really has mastered the software for the Stereo system. Full bluetooth connectivity with voice commands for the phone, support for Bluetooth audio (if you play Pandora on your cell phone it can be played on the car stereo), great gas, speed and other driving stats, Satelite radio. What I love the most is the SD Card support (I put my music on a Card and listen to it). I put all my Jazz (32GB of it) on an SD Card ($49 at frys) and the stereo provides a great navigation to all my music. NO IPOD (Or iTunes) NEEDED!!! In addition, the music volume stays constant i.e. if you open the windows the music stays at the same audible level as when you slow down to a stop or close the windows. Simply great. I tested a lot of other cars, including the BMW 52xi, Lexus 350 and others and for the money and excellent mileage, the Passat is by far the best deal out there. I tested a Prius and a Camry hybrid, and those were probably the worst driving experiences I have ever had. Naw, the future is not on Hybrids (you can only take them to Toyota for servicing). The future is on highly efficient engines with top-notch fuel consumption which match if not surpass the hybrids. I do not usually get excited about a car, but the Passat has matched and surpassed all my expectations. VW's competitors, specially the imports, will have a really hard time competing with VW. The Passat is build in the US, and it is a great car!!! Now, I'm gonna drive to Napa Valley and do some wine tasting........

purchased a new 2.5 premium a few weeks ago. Have about 1,000 miles on it already. Love the car. Comfortable to drive and plenty of room for passengers. The Fender audio is great. Not sure the Sirius Traffic is worth the price, we will see. Getting over 32 mpg on the highway at 75 mph. Great car so far, I hope it proves reliable.

WE have owned several VWs through the years. Last year we got a Jetta TDI SportWagon for my wife who puts 20K + miles on in a year. Tha car is amazing. Stylish, fun to drive and great on gas. When the time came to replace my 8 year old Touareg I considered another Jetta but it was hard for my to move down to that size after years in an SUV. I saw the 2010 Passot on the lot and took it for a drive. It was noticably roomier than the Jetta and even the Touarg. The TDI model is insanely fun to drive and easy on gas. At 27,000 for a well-equipped TDI it is a huge bargain next to others in its class. Some of this economy comes from using cheaper plastics and 'leatherette' seating instead of leather. These saacrifices do not impact the overall feel of the car or its build quality. To be honest I was hesitant to buy a car assembled in the US after years of garbage rolling off the lines in Detroit. As far as I can tell the build quality and precision are very much there. I hope VW can keep it up.

I recently had a chance to dive this car and the Toyota Camry and I could tell the difference the Toyota was just that or what I expected the VW Passat is now made in the USA and to be honest it scared me because I thought they may have lowered some standards because of the American buyer well that was not the case this car is solid not tinny like the Camry and with the right options it handles well and has more room for drive and passanger.

The car is just the best I have ever own, style, comfort, good on gas, reliable and hopefully long lasting. It is the car of a lifetime of hard work and savings.