Consumer Reviews

Passat or Not

by VW Oldtimer from Denver,Colorado on Thu Jan 10 2013

I have just over 4000 miles on my 2012 2.5 Auto SE.The only complaint so far is the blue jean transfer I'm getting on the beige leatherette seats. I've been to three detail shops and nobody has been able to remove the blue dye transfer. The car gets about 23mpg in town and it got about 33mpg on the one road trip I've taken. I have owned six VW's over the years and the build quality is better by leaps and bounds. I hope the new turbo engine planned for the Passat gives the car the boost in power it needs.

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Just getting around

Does recommend this car!!

12 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Did you?

2012 Passat SE manual gas

by sadams from Columbus, OH on Fri Sep 04 2015

I have had this car for 3.5 years and it is approaching 60k miles. I drive 70 miles each day to and from work mostly on the freeway. I have kept every gas receipt and average 30mpg overall in Ohio weather. I don't drive like a mad man but also not like a grandpa so the gas mileage has been pretty good in my opinion. I have had to get a new battery (once) and tires (once) and oil changes every 10k miles or so and that's it. I put cheap gas in it (87) as recommended as well. Bluetooth works well with phone and all music I listen to is typically stored on the phone. I really like the 5 speed manual and you can slide it around corners if you feel like it. It is kind of a fun car. The seats are nice and the fake leather is not bad at all. No cracking at all. Front legroom is good (I am 6ft 215lbs) and with front seat all the way back I can't even touch the pedals. Rear seat is huge. Trunk is huge. I have had 4 guys and 4 sets of golf clubs and we all fit just fine and its a mid size car. Things I don't like: manual seat on passenger side but drivers side is electric. The way the drivers electric seat tilts up is strange. It is hinged in the front only and the rear of the seat goes up while front stays down. It leans you toward to dash and doesn't lift the entire seat up like toward the roof evenly. Getting the rear seats folded down is awkward as well. Everyone that rides in the back can't believe how big it is. On a side note my neighbor liked mine so much he got one as well but a TDI and his complaint is about the nav system and backup camera like it doesn't switch modes fast enough and you can be pulling away and still see the backup view. His mileage is huge though mostly freeway and around 50mpg pretty common. So two reviews. No regrets at all.

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Commuting

Does recommend this car!!

11 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Did you?

1st year review

by Lachlan from Seattle, wa on Sat Jun 15 2013

I've owned this car for almost a year and love this car. I have put 18,000 miles on it in combine city and highway driving. The car is a SE with the 2.5l engine. Pros: comfortable to ride in, great ergonomics (love how the radio and air conditioning controls not as confusing as ford my touch or Mazda menu driven systems for example). Overall I like the style of the car. As I do combined driving everyday I get about 27 to 28 mpg. Cons. I am not a big fan of the engine, it is ok but there are VW has engines with better gas mileage or performance (2.0l turbo for example). Would have preferred the TDI, but the higher cost of the engine, lack of availability in trim I liked and the financing option (60 months zero interest was not available for the TDI) offset the better gas mileage from a financial standpoint. Only issues I have had is the 12v port has blown a fuse twice(very touchy on what you use it for). And yes the car does get some rattles if going over rough surfaces. Overall impressions is I believe for the price it was a very good value and plan on keeping it for many years to come.

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Commuting

Does recommend this car!!

8 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Did you?

vw

by vw from Michigan on Thu Oct 27 2011

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.

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Work

Does recommend this car!!

8 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Bought the SE and just love it!

by TW from Sunnyvale, CA on Mon Nov 07 2011

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 car

Uses car for Transporting family

Does recommend this car!!

14 out of 16 people found this review helpful. Did you?

50 mpg in large family sedan

by TDI, manual transmission from Chicago, IL on Mon Jun 25 2012

I have purchased a 2012 VW Passat TDI SE, 6 speed manual transmission. I have driven this car for 4500 miles so far, and it is great. With a 0-60 of 9 seconds, it is quite quick, considering that it gets 50 mpg on the highway. And the car is quite large inside. The rear legroom is phenomenal. There is more space back there than in a new Mercedes E class sedan. And the trunk is very large as well, just as large as the E class. For a breakdown of fuel economy, here is what I obtain: 1) Commuting to and from work (Chicago horrible traffic), I have a 80 mile roundtrip that takes me 3 hours per day. I have gotten 38.4 to 39.9 mpg so far in this heavy traffic with air conditioning on. 2) On a long road trip (400 miles), I have obtained 46.82 mpg, with the cruise set at 75 mph and air conditioning on, although the trip average was 69 mph due to some construction. The above mpg's are hand calculated. After the engine breaks in some more, if I slow to 70 mph, and if I do not use the A/C, I suspect I will obtain 50+ mpg. So, as you can tell, this new passat TDI is a very fuel efficient car, fun to drive (because of the manual transmission), and quite a large car. The passat TDI gets better than Prius fuel efficiency except it is a larger, better looking more performant car. Buy this car and you will not regret it. -MR- Chicago, IL

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Commuting

Does recommend this car!!

7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Average Passat

by Lukewarm owner from Washington, DC on Mon Feb 27 2012

I purchased the Passat 2012 TDI SEI. This is the top of the line for the Passat and I was very disappointed with the amount of plastic in the interior and the feeling of cheapness . All the the electronic bells and whistles are great but lack of the rear view camera (which is just about standard for high-end cars) was greatly missed. Steeriing is tight and it does not have any get-up. It is a good family car.

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Just getting around

Does recommend this car!!

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Our First VW Passat

by Passat from Sykesville MD on Fri Oct 26 2012

This is our first VW Passat we have ever owned, We recently had to replace our 2002 Dodge Dakota due to a growing family. Althought the Dakota had 204,000 trouble free miles, I was alittle skeptical. We have had the car since June 2012, and I love to drive everywhere we go on the weekends. Excellent layout of instruments, exterior styling may seem plain, but it will carry for some time. Seats are well appointed and the heated seats are a nice touch for the wife in winter. My only complaint is the slightly sluggish 2.5, but the mileage is excellent. I will be driving this and other VW products for a long time. Well Done VW!!!! Tchuss

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Transporting family

Does recommend this car!!

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Did you?

I have been converted to VW!

by First time VW Buyer from Las Cruces, NM on Sat Dec 24 2011

I was in the market for a brand new car and as a former auto wholesaler I had a fairly strong idea of the features and options I was looking for in a car. I didn't want to spend more than 35,000 dollars and I knew I had a lot of options. I test drove no less than 8 different cars and I am truly satisfied with the 2012 Passat. Here's a quick summary of the car. Pros: Bang for the buck, features, ride, engine, fuel economy, Fender sound system, quiet interior, comfortable seats, roomy rear seat, DSG Transmission. Cons: No HID-Headlights, placement of NAVI screen is a little old fashion, exterior design isn't ground-breaking For the price, this car is hard to beat. It offers features that get other cars into the 40K range. The acceleration of the V6 is the amazing for this class and the fuel economy is good. The fuel economy of the TDI is mind blowing. The ride is amazingly quiet and smooth, combine that with the roomy backseat and this car is great for road trips even with 4 people. There's a reason this car is the 2012 Motor Trend car of the year and this is the first time you can get a Passat at such a great price with VW quality and features. I really feel like I'm getting in a luxury sedan when I get into my car.

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Commuting

Does recommend this car!!

39 out of 46 people found this review helpful. Did you?

NEW AMERICAN GERMAN CAR

by VW FAN from Louisville, KY on Mon Oct 15 2012

As an avid fan of VW for many years this is the 5th Passat I have owned. I must say that over the years the Passat has gotten much cheaper in materials (most noted starting in the 2006 model). VW has always made available an entry level and a top of the line Passat and the 2012 model is no exception. The car handles great but is a little less flashy than previous model years. The interior has too much plastic for me-now it feels americanized. It drives like a german car but feels like a cheaper american car on the inside. Even the higher priced Passats have just as much plastic. I opted for the middle road Passat SE with navigation and sunroof which meets my needs. VW should have kept the 2.O T 4 cylinder engine from the last generation Passat and matched it with the interior from the 2005 model year. That would have been a great combination. Overall I will continue to follow VW no matter what trends they are setting. Something about this car sticks with me. I appreciate VW bringing jobs to the US so we get the best of both worlds.

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Uses car for Commuting

Does recommend this car!!

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Did you?