The Volkswagen Passat is not just German — it's a close cousin of German luxury sedans made by Audi, the luxury division of the Audi-VW conglomerate. It's just without the Audi luxury car price. It's also roomier inside than most of the cars in its price range without being as large on the outside as some of them are. And it has something else many sedans in its class no longer even offer: an optional V-6 engine.
What It Is
The Passat is VW's top-of-the-line sedan.
It's mid-sized in terms of its footprint (and price), but it has almost full-size interior space.
It's also the only car in this class with German luxury-car kinship. Though built in America, it's a cousin of the Audi A4 and A6 sedans, and the kinship is more than visually obvious.
Prices start at $22,995 for the base S trim, which comes with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed automatic.
A top-of-the-line SEL with VW's 3.6-liter V-6 and a six-speed automated manual (DSG) transmission stickers for $34,650.
What's New
The Passat comes standard with a larger turbocharged four-cylinder — 2.0 liters versus 1.8 liters last year — and a bit more horsepower than before — 174 horsepower versus 170 last year.
A sport-themed V-6 GT Passat is also available. It features a tauter suspension, a 19-inch wheel/tire package, more aggressive exhaust tips, powder-coated brake calipers, carbon fiber interior trim and bolstered sport bucket seats.
All 2018 VW models get a new six-year 72,000-mile warranty.
What's Good
It has limo-like back-seat room and mid-sized car maneuverability.
It has kinship with German luxury cars.
You can still get a V-6.
What's Not So Good
There's no horsepower/performance uptick for the new V-6 GT.
The new Honda Accord has more room inside — and a bigger trunk.
The high-mileage diesel engine has been sidelined due to the emissions cheating scandal.
Under the Hood
The Passat differs from its rivals in that its standard four-cylinder engine isn't weak.
VW's excellent turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylidner is closely related to the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder used in Audi models like the A4 and A6.
It doesn't come across as ferocious on paper — with just 174 horsepower — but it's enough to get the Passat from zero to 60 mph in about 7.4 seconds while delivering 25 mpg city and 36 mpg highway.
So, the 2.0-liter-equipped Passat is something of a wild card in this class: power and economy — and affordability, too.
The optional 3.6-liter V-6 has 280 horsepower and is paired with a speedier-shifting six-speed automated manual (DSG) transmission.
So equipped, the Passat gets to 60 mph about a second sooner than with the turbo four-cylinder.
On the Road
You won't be disappointed by the four-cylinder Passat's ability to get going.
The turbo engine's maximum torque (184 foot-pounds) is made at just 1,500 rpm, and it's maintained throughout the power band, so it's at your disposal whenever you need it.
In addition to its generous spread of torque, the 2.0-liter engine also has a fun over-rev feature that adds to the spiciness of the experience. Put pedal to the metal and the engine will spin about 600 rpm into the red zone on the tachometer (about 6,500 rpm) before the transmission shifts up to the next gear. Don't worry — it's OK — the engine is built to handle this, otherwise VW would not have programmed it to spin that high.
If you like to corner, spring for the R-Line or the new GT. You'll get bumped up not one, not two but three sizes wheelwise, from the base car's 16-inch rims to 19s, shoed with sport tires that sharpen the car's already excellent reflexes without killing the ride quality.
At the Curb
The Passat's Audi-echoing silhouette is handsome, even elegant; it's obvious the car is related to the A4/A6 sedans in every way except what it will cost you.
Inside you'll find 42.4 inches of front-seat legroom and 39.1 inches in the second row, virtually the same as the full-sized Toyota Avalon, which has 42.1 inches and 39.2 inches, respectively. The full-sized Chevy Impala has more front-seat legroom (45.8 inches), but its second row is only fractionally roomier (39.2 inches).
The one measurement where the VW is mid-sized in terms of interior space is trunk space. It has 15.9 cubic feet, whereas the Impala has 18.8 cubic feet.
On the other hand, the full-size Avalon trunk is only 16 cubic feet.
The new Honda Accord is the only mid-sized car that beats the VW's legroom specs (42.3 inches up front, 40.4 in the second row) and trunk space (16.7 cubic feet).
But you can't get it with a V-6.
The 2018 Accord comes only with four-cylinder engines now. Same goes for the Mazda6, another four-cylinder-only rival.
The Rest
The new GT package is an interesting start. But it's missing the one thing that a performance package ought to have: more performance.
VW probably wanted to offer it — and it would probably be a minor matter (software/tuning) to kick up the output of the V-6 to 290 or 300 horsepower.
Maybe next year.
The Bottom Line
It's too bad about the diesel — which was capable of 40-plus mpg. But the Passat still has room, price and luxury-car kinship on its side.
Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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