2013 Volkswagen Passat consumer reviews

I leased a Passat TDI SEL Premium for 30 days (intended longer but dealer wanted to change the contract-ended up giving the car back) it was a great car. Styling exterior is very handsome, Interior-I had Titan Black with Dynamica inserts, very nice and felt premium. The dash materials were a little on the cheap side but looked better in black. Carpeting definitely on the cheap side, most visible in back seat huge footwells. Interior was huge, tons of rear leg room, huge trunk. TDI-extremely impressed. 1st tank 42.5 mpg, 2nd 44. Over 768 miles driven on second tank. I now own Sonata Hybrid, I can't get to 700 even emploring hypermiling tricks. TDI is way more efficient even though Sonata shuts down when stopped or in traffic. Nav system is frustratingly slow but calculates ETA based on traffic and is fairly accurate--not so for the Sonata. Bluetooh integration is best I've ever experienced, phone menus and toggle buttons on steering wheel blow away anything out there. Why did I give it back...back pain. Those sporty seats that hug you when you get in also killed my back spending 2 hrs/day in the car. Might just be my shape or height but I don't experience this any where near as bad in my Sonata Hybrid...hence the 3 star rating for comfort. Oh, it has an 8 way power passenger seat...that is not found on anything in the segment!

Pros: Good Fuel economy and roomy interior. Cons: Navigation, backup camera and onboard computer processor is too slow. I have had my eyes on this car for several years even before it was redesigned. Went with the 2013 Passat TDI SEL Premium mostly because it was the newest but also because it has the backup camera which was added safety for a home with small children. Unfortunately this is also the biggest disappointment as the processor in this car is so slow that I can start the car, put it in reverse, back out of the driveway and be headed forward down the street before the camera ever turns on to show me the street I am leaving behind. As a consequence this is NOT A RELIABLE SAFETY FEATURE. The processor is also slow with respect to hands free phone use and MP3 / Ipod players. It simply cannot keep up or does not start up quickly. I do not know why they skimped on this small component of the car, but they did. Just be patient. Otherwise, I have almost 8,000 miles on my car already as I commute 120 miles a day to work on Interstate highways at about 7200 feet in elevation. My mileage can average between 37 and 45 depending on weather and wind conditions in typically windy southeastern Wyoming. Very comfortable and solid car with exceptional amount of room. I did actually fit two 5-point harness booster seats (Safety First brand) and an infant seat in the back seat - 3 total. Although good luck if you want to use just a simple booster and the factory shoulder belt with any combination of chairs and infant carriers as it is all but impossible to reach the buckle. Despite my complaints, I do love this car and would not trade for anything else on the market. I plan to put at least 300k on this car before letting it go.

I just purchased 2013 Passat SE. I loved it at first, but road noise is so bad that I don't feel comfortable going on a two hours trip. I noticed the car has a low quality tires. I will not recommend this car to any friend until the manufacture fixes this loud road noise.

I purchased the SE model, gas only. I drive about 500 miles from San Francisco to San Diego every two weeks. I get 32.6 miles/gallon. In addition to getting great mileage, I get an unbeliavable silent ride, great music and outstanding confort. I really don't care much about cars and I also do not write reviews. However, the Passat is an incredibly confortable car, cheap to run, and a pleasure to drive. What else matters in life?......

The VW 2.0 TDI is an amazing vehicle. Plenty of power to be entertaining along with great mileage. We do experience a slight turbo lag with the TDI - no different than other turbo's I have owned. The advantage is a car that is moderately luxury, interesting power and can go all day long without having to refuel