Description

Volkswagen Passat Expert Review Staff Writer Designed to the German ideal of what an American midsize sedan should be, the 2012 Volkswagen Passat is all-new this year. The Passat is bigger, blander, and cheaper, but also much more well-rounded than its predecessor. The new 2012 Passat offers a competitive car for families looking for a new hauler. The 2012 Passat comes with seven trim levels and three engine options to suit most everyone's needs. The Passat S, SE, and SEL get Volkswagen's 2.5-liter I-5 producing 170 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. The Passat V6 SE and V6 SEL get a 280-hp 3.6-liter V-6 with 258 lb-ft of torque under the hood. Rather than offer a hybrid model like many of its competitors, VW chose to offer a diesel Passat for some green cred. The Passat TDI SE and TDI SEL come with a 2.0-liter turbodiesel I-4 under the hood that produces 140 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. The 2012 Passat is also larger than its predecessor. VW designed the new Passat's cabin to comfortably fit five adults on a long-haul. A smart move on VW's behalf, especially considering that the manual transmission Passat TDI is theoretically capable of driving nearly 800 miles without a single stop for fuel. Body style: Sedan Engines: 2.5L I-5, 2.0L turbodiesel I-4, 3.6L V-6 Transmissions: 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 6-speed dual-clutch automatic, 6-speed automatic Models: Volkswagen Passat S, Volkswagen Passat SE, Volkswagen Passat SEL, Volkswagen Passat TDI SE, Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL, Volkswagen Passat V6 SE, Volkswagen Passat V6 SEL Everything. The 2012 Volkswagen Passat is the first year of VW's latest Passat. In its redesign, the Passat grew bigger in just about every dimension to appeal more to Americans looking to purchase a midsize family sedan. Aside from growing larger to swallow more passengers and their luggage, the Passat also gets three engine options for 2012: the base 2.5-liter 170-hp I-5, a fuel-efficient 2.0-liter 140-hp turbodiesel I-4, and surprisingly quick 280-hp 3.6-liter V-6. With the goal of selling 100,000 Passats a year, Volkswagen went the inoffensive route with the Passat's design. While the new Passat may have grown since its last iteration, it doesn't look overweight. In our First Drive of the new Passat we wrote, There certainly are more striking designs in the midsize category, but again, how will they age? The Passat wears VW's now-familiar corporate face, which looks classy and conservative. It carries its considerable size well and the sculpted flanks and subtle detailing look better in person. Even with the price cut compared to the old model, the Passat's interior still remains inoffensive and competitively equipped, with a design sharing similarities with the Touareg crossover. The 2012 Volkswagen Passat's interior was designed to be able to carry five adults and their luggage comfortably. Front seat passengers can expect 38.3 inches of headroom, 56.9 inches of shoulder room, and 42.4 inches of legroom. Rear seat passengers get 37.8 inches of headroom, 57.0 inches of shoulder room, and 39.1 inches to stretch their legs. The Passat's trunk can hold 15.9 cubic feet of cargo. In our testing we found the Passat's 2.5-liter I-5 merely adequate to get from A-to-B. The Passat SE we tested took a leisurely 9.0 seconds to accelerate from 0-60 mph, which feels like forever in the real world. The Passat V-6 was easily the fastest of the bunch, providing a willing engine that helped it to accelerate from 0-60 mph in a quick 5.7 seconds. While we appreciated the Passat TDI's fuel economy, we didn't love the diesel mill as much as we do in other Volkswagens, principally because of the extra weight it has to lug around in the Passat. The 2.0-liter turbodiesel mill proved enough to get the Passat from 0-60 mph in 8.7 seconds. While no barnburner, combined with its stellar (30 mpg city-40 mpg highway with the dual-clutch auto) fuel economy, it probably makes the Passat TDI the best buy of the bunch. All Passats come standard with front, and front side mounted airbags, and side air curtain airbags both front and rear. The 2012 Passat also comes standard with ABS, electronic brake pressure distribution, hydraulic brake assist as well as traction control and electronic stability control. The Passat also features Volkswagen's Intelligent Crash Response System, which will unlock the doors, turn off the fuel pump, and activate the Passat's hazard lights in the event the vehicle's airbags are deployed. Passat S: 22 mpg city-32 mpg highway (manual); 22 mpg city-31 mpg highway (automatic) Passat SE: 22 mpg city-32 mpg highway (manual); 22 mpg city-31 mpg highway (automatic) Passat SEL: 22 mpg city-31 mpg highway Passat TDI SE: 31 mpg city-43 mpg highway (manual); 30 mpg city-40 mpg highway (dual-clutch auto) Passat TDI SEL: 30 mpg city-40 mpg highway Passat V6 SE: 20 mpg city-28 mpg highway Passat V6 SEL: 20 mpg city-28 mpg highway TDI fuel economy and near-800 mile range V6 model surprisingly quick Lethargic I-5 Turbodiesel runs out of breath American size, German dynamics Ford Fusion Honda Accord Hyundai Sonata Kia Optima Toyota Camry