The Volkswagen Passat may be a German car, but it was designed for America. After watching its sales dry up in the mid-size sedan segment — at the time, the Passat was a smallish, expensive sedan in a segment that rewarded size and value — VW took action. It created one Passat for the rest of the world, where even a small mid-size sedan is considered big, and where such a vehicle is expected to feel luxurious. Then it created another for Americans with a massive backseat and a low price. The 2012 Passat’s sales soared.
A decade later, the same Passat is still on sale. While many competitors have gone through two full redesigns in that time, VW has been content to give the Passat new engines (most recently in 2017) and a couple of styling updates (most recently in 2020). The resulting car has tons of interior space, lots of standard features, and a starting price of just $23,995. Keep reading to learn whether the Passat’s original strengths and its repeated updates are enough to win your business.