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2012 Volkswagen Passat consumer reviews

$20,590–$22,690 MSRP range
side view of 2012 Passat Volkswagen
(137 reviews)
96% of drivers recommend this car
Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 4.7
  • Interior 4.6
  • Performance 4.5
  • Value 4.7
  • Exterior 4.6
  • Reliability 4.7
Explore the 2012 Volkswagen Passat
Shop the 2012 Volkswagen Passat

the best 1st car purchase

this car is my first big girl purchase and it was been fabulous. I love the Bluetooth and quiet ride of the car. The engine is clean as a whistle and I can sit 5 people comfortably and with a little room to spare! Its fantastic

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 4.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 4.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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Great used car

Purchased our Used 2012 2.5 VW Passat S. From a Dealer in November 2014, Thus far the car has been excellent. Comfortable, Great gas mileage, enough power to climb some strong hills in our area. It handles well under power. a Little sloppy in the front end sometimes under acceleration, Great economy, Ice Cold AC, Great stereo/cd player. We LOVE the VW Bluetooth Phone as it connects right to your cell phone and is completely hands free and a blessing when you are driving... Overall we wished it has just a little more power, But all in all we love the car. We would definitely recommend the Passat.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 4.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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Great Car, Great Price

Bought a 2012 VW Passat used in April, 2015. This car, made in Chattanooga, TN, is a great car, very comfortable, good performance, good gas mileage, huge back seat, and very smooth. I have toured the Chattanooga plant and know several people that work there. They are all about quality and value. This is my third Passat (1998, 2003, 2012) and think that this is the best one by far.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Transporting family
  • Does recommend this car
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Love the TDI!

Bought it new off the lot in 2012. Over the past 30 months I've put 71k miles on it. I love it! It's low end torque moves, and I average 42MPG (gotten as much as 51 on a 250mi trip)! The comfort at the knees could be better along with the better noise canceling on the Bluetooth for phone calls, but other than that I love this car! Tons of space in the back row and a good size trunk.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 4.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 4.0
  • Exterior 4.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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Poor excuse for a car

We bought the 2012 Passat SE TDI thinking great car long term investment, but after spending a fortune we still could keep it out of the shop. Worse car I have ever owned, service manager finally told us if it was his he would trade it in. He got the engine light off for us and that's exactly what we did. Great fuel mileage, it just had problems one right after another! DON'T buy a 2012 TDI!!!!! Have no idea about newer ones.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 3.0
  • Interior 2.0
  • Performance 1.0
  • Value 1.0
  • Exterior 3.0
  • Reliability 1.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does not recommend this car
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love the passat

previous volvo owner. love the passat!!! great comfort and room. superb feeling when taking the highway. much better handling than asian competitors

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 4.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Does recommend this car
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Das German

I have never been happier commuting to work than I have in my Passat. 32 MPG smooth quite ride huge I mean huge back seat that accomodates my hadicapped daughter. Best bang for the buck!!! 5cyl gets out and has plenty of power and has excellent sport mode shifter.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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A Step Above at a Price Below

After only a couple short weeks, I have fallen in love with my Passat! We bought it used with 41K miles from Hertz, and it drives like it was straight off the production line. The exterior, although conservative, is going to stand the test of time and is very Audi-esque. It's slanted lights give it an agressive, powerful look. The hood gives a satisfying thump and locks without an extra push. The trunk is very large and the 40/60 split fold down is great for versatility. It has clean, masculine lines that are a welcome change from Volkswagen's recent rounded designs in previous generations--but that's my own opinion, and people tend to disagree. Either way, I get compliments and head turns CONSTANTLY! The inside is well appointed, simple, and German. It's utilitarian. I have the Premium 8 Sound System with LCD Touchscreen which is great, but can be a distraction when on the road. That's where the steering wheel controls come in handy. Do yourself a favor before you take a trip and figure out the controls on the wheel first, it'll be a much safer trip. The seats are comfortable, and room is great. The rear legroom is PHENOMENAL! Good mix of hard and soft-touch surfaces, metal accent, and overall flow. It just works. Sound is pretty good, but not at all a Fender which gets top reviews. Everything is damped, which is nice, BUT the little plastic hook for the sun visor broke off and the only way to fix it is glue. The overall quality of the interior is good, and great for the price point the Passat punches in at. I have the 2.5 I5, which is more torque-y and it makes that very clear. Although peppy in low end speeds, it tends to run out of breath when on the freeway. I average around 25MPG with mostly city, solid-footed driving that is mostly uphill. It's a solid engine and is built very well. For only a cylinder and .1L more, it gives a huge difference between my past Hondas and Toyotas. Overall, the car is FANTASTIC and really gives you a lot of German fun for a not so German price tag. It is also Made in the USA, Chattanooga, TN specifically. The mix of German engineering and American craftsmanship combine well in the Passat and I cannot wait to drive this car well into the 100,000+ mile club!

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Does recommend this car
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great car for this value!

This car has all features that you need and the quality dost it say for itself. If you compare this car with the brands like toyota, honda, hyundai this one beats all of them. The price is great and performance and quality lasts longer than any of these!!!!

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Does recommend this car
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after 14 months of ownership ~ 30K miles

We drive the manual (stick shift) model and do a mix of country and city driving. The last tank, filled after 720 miles, we averaged almost 48 mpg, and it has been about that all summer. We had one tank go for 780 miles before the low fuel light came on. In addition, the car is very comfortable, handles beautiful, has plenty of power, and holds four people plus a large trunkful of supplies easily and with room to spare. The sound system is excellent, and the bluetooth features to connect a smart phone are really great. The quality of the hands-free audio when making a phone call via bluetooth are amazing. Cons: In Wisconsin, winter fuel mileage slips a bit. It would be nice for night driving to be able to dim the sound system display.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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