Energetic turbocharged engine with good fuel economy
Good balance of ride comfort and handling
Upscale interior appointments
Available wagon body style
Cons:
Too much road noise permeates the cabin
No V6 option
Missing some common options
Cost almost as much as its V6-powered competitors
What's New for 2010
The 2010 Volkswagen Passat receives VW's DSG dual-clutch automated manual transmission in place of the old conventional automatic. It also gets a new multifunction steering wheel, a new radio, standard Bluetooth connectivity and optional 18-inch wheels.
On the road, the 2010 Passat hits the perfect blend of reassuring handling, a supple ride, and absolute composure at above-legal cruising speeds. The interior is arguably the nicest in this class, boasting high-quality materials and a classy look. Another feature is the available wagon version, a welcome alternative to the oversize SUV.
The front-wheel-drive 2010 Volkswagen Passat is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that pumps out 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. The only available transmission is VW's responsive DSG, a six-speed, dual-clutch automated manual.
Fuel economy is quite good given the Passat's peppy performance. EPA estimates stand at 22 mpg city/31 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined.
The 2010 Volkswagen Passat is available as a midsize sedan or wagon. Both body styles come in Komfort trim only. Standard equipment on the sedan includes 17-inch alloy wheels, heated windshield washer nozzles, foglights, a sunroof, air-conditioning, a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel, leatherette vinyl upholstery, a power driver seat, heated front seats, Bluetooth and an eight-speaker sound system with an in-dash six-CD changer, an auxiliary audio jack and satellite radio.
Options include 18-inch alloy wheels, a variety of exterior appearance packages (sedan only), an iPod adapter (replaces the standard aux jack) and a hard-drive-based touchscreen navigation system with a USB port, an iPod interface and 20GB available for digital music storage.
Weaknesses: Very poor leather interior, shows all marks and impossible to clean. Seems like an unfinished surface. The trunk design allows all water and debris to fall into the trunk when you open it. I have to clean it off each time or I end up having a mess fall on the contents in my trunk and they get wet. The trunk space is large but the opening is so small that I have to use the back passenger door for larger items and manipulate them through to the trunk.
There is more rolling when I am stopped on a slope even though this is an automatic...rolls after I shut the car down as well. More like a standard transmission. Sometimes it does not accelerate but just seems to hesitate. The technical package is a nuisance, hard to use the hands free phone. More distracting than just using a cell phone. We had to oil the back passenger door, it sounded like metal on metal.
Gas mileage is average, my 2003 x-country volvo stationwagon was the same and it was a larger car.
The seats are not as adjustable as my old passat and they do not have an automatic memory for each driver.
VW is now offering 0% finance and we asked them to give us this offer but they said absolutely not.
Summary: We ordered this car without seeing the new ones, there was only 1 white passat coming to the area and we would have had to order and wait...I would not have purchased this car, if we had test driven one.
Similar Products Used: my 95 passat was superior, good leather seats and no blind spots. I owned it for 6 years and was very happy...will not buy another passat.
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Rating Reviewed by: Ali(Unregistered User)
Review Date August 27, 2007
Overall Rating 4 of 5
Value Rating 4 of 5
Used product for Less than 1 month
Visitors rate this review 4.42 of 5,
45.00 votes
Review 2 of 316
Price Paid:
$28000.00
from Dubai, UAE (Al-Naboo
Year / Model Reviewed: 2008 Volkswagen Passat FSI 2.0
Strengths: 1) Smooth and confortable ride
2) Obscenely great handling
3) Standard features normally available on the full-option versions of other cars
4) Ample trunk space relative to the size of the car
5) Adaptable headlights, wide-angle bumper lights (for better view when turning during night driving)
Weaknesses: 1) Suspension a bit stiff (your spine takes a little part of the shock!)
2) Wood-pattern trimmings on the dashboard, steerin wheel and the shift knob does not match very well with the more sporty grey/black/chrom trimming of the rest of the interior.
Summary: I know it's too soon to write a review on a 3-week old car, but there are some time-independent matters regarding the car I can discuss.
The 2008 Passat is overall a good vehicle. It's comfortable, stable at high speeds (140 to 200 Km/h). The facelift from older models is significant and the car looks great now. Some argue that is too expensive compared to other good cars in its class, like Camry and Accord. But VW more than compensates you for the price difference of about $3,000. A sunroof is a standard feature (unlike in the Camry and Accord), the Passat is equipped with an MFD (Multi-Function Display) menu, which is operable from the steering wheel and from which you can control the "Convenience Features" of the car (unlike the Camry and the Accord). The headlights of the Passat are adaptable, which means they rotate left and right when you turn and there are also extra fog lights that light up when you turn left and right (unlike the Camry and the Accord). The Passat has a turbo engine (unlike the Camry and the Accord) and an "S" (sport) gear to get more out of your engine. I find the Passat to be a much sweeter ride than the Accord amd the Camry. Besides, don't you get sick of seeing zillions of Toyota's and Honda's everyday? Isn't it good sometimes to get a car just because you want to have something special and not a car that has been turned into taxis?!!
Similar Products Used: Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima
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Rating Reviewed by: andy(Unregistered User)
Review Date April 10, 2007
Overall Rating 2 of 5
Value Rating 3 of 5
Used product for 3 Months to 1 year
Visitors rate this review 4.26 of 5,
27.00 votes
Review 3 of 316
Price Paid:
$20000.00
from power honda
Year / Model Reviewed: 2007 Honda Element
Strengths: roominess, real utility vehicle, design,
nice interior and dashboard layout.
Weaknesses: road noise, loud engine noise, wind noise, bumpy ride, poor gas mileage average city 18 mpg, small gas tank.
Summary: Bought this car as my daily commuter car, i drive 100+ miles a day, at first,i didnt mind the road noise and choppy ride. six months later,I can not handle the road noise, wind noise, and engine noise, so, i undercoated the car with noise eliminator, it helps some,about 15% noise reduction. I added carpeting to further reduce road noise.
can not hear cellphone because of the road and engine noise.!!
when the car was put on the lift, there was no insulation at all underneath this SUV!!!! cheaply made SUV.
Similar Products Used: mercedes c240, toyota sequoia
Strengths: Handling, interior room, body integrity, comfortable seating, body style, conveniences, gas economy, engine has a lot of get-up-and-go, instrument cluster easy to read, trunk space, dealership.
Weaknesses: Choppy ride over really bumpy roads, only option for satillite radio is Sirius(XM is much better).
Summary: My Audi was giving me all kinds of trouble so I decided to trade in. I test drove many cars. The worst being the Honda Civic (I was looking for better gas economy). I just couldn't stop yawning. And the saleswoman was about as arrogant as it gets. The last dealer I stopped at was VW. Have to say, I was treated better than I was at the Audi dealership. I drove the Passat and fell in love with it. Solid, powerful engine, comfortable and beautiful. I drove off in mine the next day.
VW hit the mark on this one. The sticker said 30 mpg highway but I'm averaging 34 to 38 mpg! And I can use regular gas. The Turbo engine is remarkably smooth and peppy. I've only had it for a month and a half but it's been an absolute pleasure to this point.
Similar Products Used: Audi A6
Cadillac SLS
BMW 325
Year / Model Reviewed: 2005 Passat 4-Motion 1.8T GLS
Strengths: Seat comfort and suspension system.
Weaknesses: Continuous electrical problems - gas mileage - must use 91 octane fuel or greater or performance suffers greatly - non-AWD version with same 1.8T engine uses unleaded regular 87 octane.
Location of oil filter allows oil to accumulate on engine block when filter is changed. The only two times that I allowed the dealer to change the oil they did not clean up the spilled oil and smells of the frying oil on the hot block permeated the interior of the car. This is a very difficult procedure to endure.
The oil filler area also accumulates road dust/particles and if it is not cleaned prior to opening the oil filler cap, these particles will definitely go into the engine.
Summary: I purchased a new Passat in 2005 and have driven the car over 60K miles since then. This was our first VW/Audi product since 1993. I previously owned a new 1975 VW Rabbit and 1988/1993 Audis, both new.
Prior to the 2005 Passat we owned 3 new Honda Accords and 2 new Honda CRVs.
The Passat is a return to the great handling of a German vehicle. While we don't have the weather to completely warrant the all-wheel-drive we travel to New England and other ski areas by car some trips.
The AWD is great on rain slick streets. Where the Honda CRV AWD would allow the front wheels to spin on a wet street just before the AWD would engage, the VW 4-Motion system does not. The control of traction is second to none. I previously owned 3 new Jeep Renegades and Wranglers, and have had a vast experience with 4 wheel drive.
The 1.8 turbo engine is adequate in town, but really provides a fun driving experience on the highway in excess of 80 MPH.
The best highway mileage was obtained recently on a 4K mile trip to New England and back. It was the first time that our mileage had exceeded 22 MPG on the highway. I keep meticulous records and the computer in the car and my calculations at fill-up were both the same.
Between Memphis and Charleston, West Virginia, the car attained 27 MPG. From Charleston to Washington and on to New Hampshire I recorded 24 MPG.
In town driving the car barely manages 20 MPG. Here in Memphis the local streets are continuous start/stop interspersed with three interstates that provide access to the entire area.
The comfort and support of the leather seats are great for my 6'2" 200 pound body. This is especially evident on our long trips, some days driving in excess of 600 miles.
I just replaced the 17" low profile tires at 57K miles. This is one of the two areas of the car that concern me. The low profile tires are rough on road imperfections.
The other problems are the electrical components. I am not accustomed to having maintenance problems with the 5 Honda vehicles. I drove as much as 90K miles on one CRV.
To date all four spark plug ignition coils have been replaced. Three were replaced under the 40K mile warranty. Also replaced was a brake light switch for the ABS system. One of the ignition coils split in two sections on our recent road trip.
We spent $314.00 in Newport Rhode Island at a VW dealer, service was great for our emergency, but all that they could determine for the money was a suspicion concerning the platinum brand of spark plugs that I had installed 17K miles earlier at the 40K mile recommended change point.
A parts house read the error code for me prior to stopping at the dealer and the codes indicated "multiple cylinder misfires".
Being quite frankly stuck-between-a-rock-and-hard place when the dealer mentioned to me and my wife that the plugs may be causing the problem, we agreed to have the four plugs replaced at a cost of the $314.00 which included the initial $89.95 charge for their diagnostic that revealed nothing.
I now have on of my spare tool sets in the trunk along with a 5" spark plug socket and an additional new ignition coil.
Two days later in the Pocono’s in New Jersey we awoke and the car was this time shaking from what was later determined by a very helpful Advanced Auto Parts manager as cylinder three misfire. The parts houses do not yet have the ignition coils for sale. Since I did not have my invoices from the previous dealer repairs, I located the local VW dealer and purchased two ignitions coils.
I then returned to the location of Advance Auto Parts and let the engine coil before proceeding to replace the coil.
When I attempted to remove the ignition coil it came apart and the base remained on the spark plug. Had it not been for the helpful people at the parts store I would have been in a quandary attempting to extract the coil from the 5" deep sparkplug hole in the head. I purchased a double hinged pair of needle nose pliers which allowed me to remove the other half of the part.
It is clear now that the ignition coil was the original problem that had previously cost me $314.00. Cylinder three was the only coil not previously replaced.
When we reached the Knoxville Tennessee area on I-40 the next new problem surfaced. After using the turn signal during a lane change, the clicking sound emitted from the signal unit continued on an almost continuous basis. We have endured this ever since.
I purchased a new hazard flasher/signal unit from my local dealer. The parts manager stated that VW must have a problem with he unit because he sells quite a few of the items.
Now the new unit is doing the same thing. There is no error displayed by the car. Another 2005 owner has the same problem.
I have also replaced the driver's side low beam lamp and passenger side fog lamp.
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