The mainstream family sedan marketplace is full of perfectly capable, sensibly priced, nicely styled and to many people utterly generic looking options for your hard earned money. To make it in this segment where sales are lost even to similarly sized SUVs you have to elevate yourself above the rest by doing something unique in the genre. Honda Accords succeed because they are fun to drive, the 2011 Kia Optima is succeeding by stealing away used Audi buyers, the Camry succeeds through calm inducing sensory deprivation and the 2011 Hyundai Sonata has succeeded by being unique although some of us like to think of it as freakishly hideous.
In light of all this, Volkswagen has quite a tall order ahead of it as it plans to roll out an all new, more affordable, built in the U.S.A 2012 Passat family sedan and sell at least 150,000 units annually. Now, they plan on doing so by designing and engineering it in Germany so it feels like a German car but as it will only be sold in North America, this 2012 Volkswagen Passat was for the first time designed with only our needs and preferences in mind.
You always have to be very afraid when an automaker says they have designed a car to “American tastes” as that means giving the car zero steering feel, a huge back seat, a flaccid chassis set-up, gargantuan cupholders, lots of interior room (because we are fat) and a huge trunk (because we buy a lot of food at the grocery store). Rarely does it mean there will be any interest in making this car fun for people who enjoy driving or that it will be any different than a 1988 Buick Park Avenue, which you must remember, was designed with our tastes in mind.
So it was with fear and trepidation that we embarked to the birthplace and manufacturing home of the 2012 VW Passat, Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the press launch. As VW is selling the 2012 Passat with three different engine options (a 2.5 liter 5-cylinder, a 2.0 liter TDI diesel and a 3.6 liter narrow angle 6-cylinder), the drive test route was unusually long and varied so we could test each individual model in a variety of conditions.
Although we were exhausted after the long drive across Tennessee, which ended in Nashville (home of country music, Graceland, Miley Cyrus and evidently not good taste), it was clear that we had certain models we preferred and that this new VW suffers from none of Americanization (or you could say cost cutting) that seems to blight the 2011 Jetta. So look out family sedan buyers, there’s a new game in town and we definitely think it needs to on your test drive list.
2012 Volkswagen Passat: ExteriorAlthough it does share some design elements with the 2011 VW Jetta, the 2012 Volkswagen Passat is a much cleaner, expensive looking and cohesive design when you see it up close in person. It may be a cliché but pictures don’t really do the Teutonic elegance of the 2012 Passat true justice. Yes, it may be conservative but it is unquestionably German looking and when you buy a VW that’s kind of what you are looking for otherwise you’d buy a Kia Optima.
The 2012 Passat is available with a variety of alloy wheel choices depending on engine (which essentially dictates the trim level) and the options you may or may not choose to add to your vehicle. 16-inch steel wheels come with the most basic 2.5S model which starts just under $20,000 but moving up the scale wheel sizes increase up to 18-inches. The 18-inch wheels on our 2012 VW Passat VR6 tester did impress from an appearance standpoint and the larger size never negatively affected ride comfort.
The 2012 VW Passat is a very large sedan as its class leading rear legroom, gigantic trunk (15.9 cubic feet) and extra-large fuel tank (18.5 gallons) can attest. But while the Passat has all the room to make for the perfect road trip car (the TDI model can go 795 miles between fill-ups), it lacks any of the visual corpulence that blights so many similarly gargantuan, “plus sized” family sedans.
Lastly, the 2012 VW Passat proved its exterior style really worked overall as we found it handsome and elegant in every available exterior color which is extremely rare for any new car. If we had our druthers, of course, we would go for the gorgeous deep burgundy red VW is offering as it proved to be a big hit with not only the visiting press but also a lot of the engineers who helped design the car. But it still looks good in white, black or the old VW standard—silver.
Also, you can take heart knowing that VW is going to make every effort to ensure that you find the exact color, options and model 2012 Passat that you want when you go to your local dealership. They successfully decreased the number of build variations of the Passat from well over one hundred down to just 16. That means the company will have many more examples of the model you want in your favorite interior and exterior color combinations. So you’ll never have to just settle for what you can find or be forced to sit on a waiting list for six months just to get your “perfect” new family car.
2012 Volkswagen Passat: InteriorGiven the fact that pricing for the 2012 VW Passat stretches all the way from under $20,000 to a little over $32,000, they really found a nice balance of high quality interior materials and a simple, straightforward design layout as to appeal to the head and the heart. There are some hard plastics on the upper door panels but they feel sturdy and hard wearing.
The dashboard of every Passat is typified by nicely chrome ringed dials and buttons/knobs/switches that feel sturdy to the touch and are easy to use. Volkswagen knew that in the past some of its knobs, buttons and switches were marked with obtuse and difficult to understand symbols so with the new Passat they made sure to dumb down the car to a North American intellectual level essentially. Apparently you don’t need to be smarter than a 5th grader to operate and understand how the interior of the 2012 VW Passat functions so that’s a good thing. Not that 5th graders should be driving.
Every 2012 Volkswagen Passat comes with surprisingly upscale features like dual zone climate control, Bluetooth, power everything, convincingly leather-like V-Tex upholstery (very supple real leather is optional on all models), steering wheel mounted audio controls and the ability to specify luxury features like a power moonroof, in-dash navigation, heated seats and the all new Fender premium audio system.
Yes, this audio system for the 2012 VW Passat was designed by the guitar making legends at Fender and it is very unique in the industry as the sound intentionally comes mainly from the front of the interior to mimic what you experience at a concert. Admittedly, it took a while to get used to a sound system that isn’t attempting to create a surround sound experience like you find with most upgraded car systems nowadays but the sound quality is very crisp and as long as you don’t have to ride in the “cheap seats” in back who cares? Do, however, be sure to test out the 3 different audio systems available with the 2012 Passat to see which one you like best.
During our many hours touring what felt like the entire state of Tennessee, we found that the seats in the 2012 Passat remained very comfortable on long freeway hauls yet still gripped us nicely during high speed cornering maneuvers on twisty mountain two-lane roads. Also, the cupholders and sunglass holder are masterworks of sizing (unlike in many other VW and Audi products) as they are designed to accommodate the fountain beverages and eyewear fashions that are usually so oversized in this country.
Overall, the interior of the 2012 Passat is unmistakably Volkswagen and thankfully the doors close with that endearing bank vault-like clunk we have all come to love over the years. Most of the interior controls are of such quality and work with such oiled precision that they wouldn’t feel out of place in many an Audi. The cabin of the 2012 VW Passat may lack some of the razzle-dazzle and features of the new Kia Optima’s interior but it still stands as one of the most comfortable, attractive and user friendly passenger compartments in its class.
2012 Volkswagen Passat: Performance and SafetyHere is where things get really interesting with the 2012 VW Passat. Much like a set of identical triplets with their own unique personalities and characteristics, all 2012 Passats may look pretty much the same but given which engine you choose the driving experience is going to be very different. Available engines include a 2.5 liter 170 horsepower/177. Lb. feet of torque 5-cylinder, a 2.0 liter 140 horsepower/236 lb. feet of torque turbodiesel and lastly there is a 3.6 liter 280 horsepower/258 lb. feet of torque narrow angle VR6 engine.
Both the TDI and VR6 Passats come equipped with VW’s exemplary DSG double clutch automatics and only the 2.5 and TDI are available with 6-speed manual transmissions. Our first tester was a basic Passat model with the 2.5 liter 5-cylinder that is also used in the Golf and Jetta mated to a traditional 6-speed automatic. While this entry level Passat has enough power for most driving situations it is definitely no sport sedan rocket ship.
The offbeat burbling of the 5-cylinder motor does make for some aural entertainment and this motor does run on regular unleaded whereas the VR6 requires premium. EPA fuel economy estimates are 22 city/32 highway with the 6-speed auto. For most people the 2.5 liter engine will be perfectly sufficient but when equipped with this engine the Passat is kind of the equivalent of the quiet, bookish triplet with not much personality. The TDI and VR6 Passats do make it unfair however, as they just shine that much more brightly.
With its epic, near 800 mile cruising range and 31 city/43 highway EPA fuel economy estimates, the 2012 VW Passat TDI is the hybrid family sedan killer of the bunch. Not only is it entertaining to drive thanks to the epic thrust afforded by the 236 lb. feet of torque but it also requires no altering of your driving style (also known as the dreaded hypermiling) to get good mileage. During our time with the car it was averaging 41 miles per gallon approximately and we drove it like we just rented it from Alamo.
You may notice that the highway mileage for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat is 43 miles per gallon with the 2.0 liter TDI motor and that the 2011 Jetta TDI with the same engine only returns 41 miles per gallon according to the EPA. So what gives? Apparently even though the Passat is larger and heavier than the Jetta, intensive aerodynamic enhancements in place on all 2012 Passats were all it took to get the higher mileage outcome. The Passat TDI has no low profile tires or other such devices intended to improve economy and apparently its highway fuel economy reading came as much of a surprise to VW engineers as anyone.
Lastly, we have the wild child of the group known as the 3.6 liter VR6 which features an engine that loves to let out its metallic howl all the way to redline much like a Tennessee outlaw’s rebel yell centuries back before horses turned into horsepower. The standard 6-speed DSG automatic provides lightning fast downshifts and this family sedan feels seriously fast mainly because it is. EPA fuel economy readings of 20 city/28 highway aren’t too bad either considering the forward velocities that this classy family hauler is capable of achieving in very short order. This was the car that made us very, very afraid we were going to get a speeding ticket during our all too short time behind the wheel.
So now you know how the different engines change the character of the 2012 VW Passat but what are the commonalities inherent to the driving experience that binds these cars together? A competing family sedan like the 2011 Honda Accord is different than the 2012 Passat as it always feel light on its feet and agile whereas the 2012 VW Passat takes a different approach and always feels hunkered down and almost bolted down to the road. The steering was purposefully designed by VW to be light at parking speeds (apparently lazy North Americans lack upper body strength when they pull into the Piggly Wiggly supermarket parking lot) and then as speeds increase it firms up to give the driver a more traditionally German feel.
The result is definitely successful as the car will easily track straight and true if you take your hands off the steering wheel on the freeway at not quite autobahn speeds. Hey, we were driving the car in Tennessee so sue us if we didn’t try to get the car up to its 130 mile per hour electronically governed top speed. Not that the VR6 model didn’t seriously tempt us with its intoxicating noises and power. Just call that model the naughty black sheep of the Passat family.
Even though at the time of this writing the 2012 VW Passat had not yet been crash tested by the IIHS or NHTSA, during a tour of the Chattanooga, Tennessee it became clear that the structure of this car was designed at the outset to keep occupants as safe as possible. VW believes without a doubt that the 2012 VW Passat will get top marks in both crash tests and we believe them given the fact that this car drives much like the proverbial Sherman tank.
2012 Volkswagen Passat: ConclusionWith more room, lower prices, attractively cohesive exterior styling and an interior that is pure VW all are attributes of the 2012 Passat that bode well for its future success. Much like the classic 1980’s one hit wonder Nena who sang “99 Luftballoons,” the 2012 VW Passat is all German and in that lies its appeal. But just as Nena released an English language version of the song called “99 Red Balloons,” so too does the 2012 Passat have its roots in the United States.
Due to the fact that the 2012 Volkswagen Passat was designed from the outside for North American needs it will no doubt appeal to many more mainstream buyers than the last version which was truly ever only a niche player in this country. But VW didn’t fall into any of the potential traps that could have turned the new Passat into an American car with a German badge on it. What Americans may say they want and what makes for a great family car are not always the same so VW should be applauded for not turning the Passat into the Walmart of German cars.
VW invested over $2 billion dollars into its new plant in Tennessee and you don’t invest that kind of cash without doing your homework. VW found that to sell 150,000 units a year its best chance was to offer a more affordable model, a high mileage model for hybrid haters and also to offer a high performance sport sedan in the range. On that count VW has definitely already succeeded and the 2012 VW Passat definitely merits a test drive at your local dealer. You just have to figure out which one you want. Decisions, decisions.
Learn more about the 2012 Volkswagen Passat on Autobytel
