2014 Volkswagen Passat SE 1.8t

[regfootball]

review coming. here is the review I did back in 2012

http://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/76589-2012-vw-passat-tdi-sel-and-gas-se/?hl=passat

[regfootball]

Tested:

2014 Volkswagen Passat SE 1.8 turbo automatic

HIGHS

-still stately exterior
-yes, large car
-simple interior design
-simply laid out and functional interior, easy to use
-huge inside, by all metrics...leg, head, shoulders, it's all good.
-big trunk (except for height)
-nice feeling controls for the price class
-standard bluetooth with standard bluetooth streaming
-cruises very well, and decent ride

-good brakes
-a certain level of quiet inside, not tomb quiet....but as quiet or quieter than most of the competitors
-improved steering, and quick ratio means a very nice rack! Excellent in weight, feel and quickness, especially for this class. Love the response!

-improved fuel economy.

-the new 1.8 turbo transforms the car. It is not overall fast, but the gains in refinement, drivability, and power delivery put this car in the fun to drive category and put it at the top of the class. transmission (non DCT) plays nice all around. power delivery is smooth, it's revvable, no buzzing, it's the real deal.

-I'm no so bent out of sorts over the handbrake this time around, because with the 1.8 and stick it would probably be the bomb.

-seats felt better this time around. they actually felt nice and shapely and grippy.

-overall, the car feels light, agile, and nimble, particularly for it's overall size and interior volume. car feels smaller when you drive it than it is. Before, it felt the size it was. With this combination and the 18" wheel package, it feels smaller than it is.

LOWS

-Bumps I felt still moved the car around too much and there is still a residual tire and suspension thumping noise. But to be fair, the road was bad and for a light car I can see how it would move around in that case.

-Car again did not feel 'bank vault solid'. It did not feel flexy really, it just does not have a feeling of heft that a Malibu, Fusion, and even the Mazda6 possess. Some folks may want to feel that heft.

-1.8t builds power slowly, it's not turbo lag. It's a bit of a lack of lower end torque, like the Mazda, it just does not have an overt thrust to it. I think the Passat and Mazda6 must have darn near close to identical acceleration times. The Passat feels like it has 'just enough' power but you really would like about 10-15 more torque and hp and really would like that turbo thrust that is promised to be a little more prevalent. (Just to be sure to note, it's not the tranny, it's the engine....the tranny reacts very quickly)

-Mirrors are pathetically small. This should be fixed. A bigger aggravation than last time.

-the steering wheel is a joke in this car. small, feels flimsy. It looks like it belongs more on the Up! than a full size car like the Passat. Plus the whole bit about it being annoyingly off center. It always sort of annoys you the off center bit.

-the dash design overall is far too spartan and slender looking for this class and size of car. VW needs to really bling it up and give the whole dash design some overall mass more in line with the rest of the car and get some more interesting looking center stack ideas going on. (not to mention it constantly reminds me of the dash on my old Ford Five Hundred).

-not much else to bitch about!

SUMMARY

Simply put, the 1.8t and new steering put this car atop the class with the Fusion and Mazda6. Each of the three are different in the way they claim a spot at the top. Where the Mazda is too loud inside, and too sporty and cramped for the meat of the market, the Passat is quieter, virtually matches the sportiness, and exceeds it in function (albeit with less flashy style). Where the Fusion is perhaps too laid back for the driver that wants to play, the Passat still retains a crusing persona of the Fusion with better steering and agility. I would say the steering, ride and handling are spot on and perfect for a car in this class, especially if you want fun on a bread and butter car budget. This thing blows away the Accord, Camry, and Altima.

The previous 5 cylinder boat anchor motor was the major reason why you should not have bought this car. VW has removed this impediment to purchase. Unless you still are leery about VW's somewhat sketchy reliability history, there is no reason to not recommend this car. It has a refined powertrain, with excellent handling and steering, has plenty of space and comfort, has decent style, and now has good fuel economy as well. VW no longer has to build the credibility of this model on it's lesser selling, pricier models. The popular powertrain in this car can now carry the load for the whole model.

I typically respect VW as an automaker but almost never end up liking their cars in test drives. This has changed now as this car just feels right. I would recommend this car to anyone. I'll give it an A with the steering wheel, dashboard / stack and small mirrors being the only things from giving it an A+. I might just change my tune and end up in this VW myself. There are practically no weak spots to this car. I would even go so far as to say that at combined 28mpg EPA, and the smoothness and response of the 1.8, to me makes me wonder why at higher price and fuel cost why anyone would even consider the TDI.

VW should replace the v6 with a 2.0t for the uplevel car.

Edited November 17, 2013 by regfootball

[Drew Dowdell]

2.0t as a mid-range motor maybe, but their 2.0 doesn't have the guts to be a v6 replacement

[regfootball]

malibu and fusion get by with it fine. Passat is light enough that a 2.0 with the same power output as the Malibu would be as fast as the v6 likely. They could stand to make a new 2.0

Maybe VW should put two of these 1.8 blocks together into a 3.6 litre turbo v8.....

[Drew Dowdell]

A Passat with the Malibu's 2.0 would do fine... the Malibu has 259hp and 295 lb-ft.

The VW 2.0T only has 210hp and 207 ft-lbs.

[regfootball]

the VW mill as it is is rated lower than the actual output but yes, it's not near what the GM turbo puts out. The 1.8t runs on 87 fuel, I read that VW may be developing a new 2.0 but that it would likely be an uplevel mill that ran on premium.

Ford's Ecoboost 1.5 must be high strung. 300cc less than the passat and probably close to the same acceleration.

[ponchoman49]

The new 1.8T should be putting out closer to 200 HP these days. 170 trails most of it's competitors and it's 24/35 MPG ratings are also on the low side. Even Ford's 1.5T and Dodges 1.4T put out more power than this.

[Guest 65strad]

Spot on review. I traded my 2011 GTI DSG for a 2014 Passat SE with roof 1.8T. It's a fine sedan and in my eye's bests others in this class. Door hinges are forged, the chassis is tight and build quality is top notch. I'm enjoying the Passat's superior driving qualities and it's frugal fuel consumption. Regular vs. Premium is a plus.

Very comfortable cabin, heated seats are a nice touch and auto dim rear view mirror is excellent. I never knew what I was missing! I can haul a boat load of luggage, drive in a spirited, fun manner, and still avg over 30 mpg with this new 1.8T.

I agree, this thing blows away Accord, Camry and Altima. Other automotive reviews don't seem to get it. They are enamored with the Asian brands for some reason, which although are best sellers, and are reliable for the most part, don't aanyway near exude the same build quality, or driving experience of the 2014 VW Passat SE w/roof 1.8T. in my opinion.

[Drew Dowdell]

All of the Passats I've driven have felt vault solid.... the only time I was ever disappointed with one was when the 2.5 had taken up residence under the hood like a rabid raccoon.

[regfootball]

Spot on review. I traded my 2011 GTI DSG for a 2014 Passat SE with roof 1.8T. It's a fine sedan and in my eye's bests others in this class. Door hinges are forged, the chassis is tight and build quality is top notch. I'm enjoying the Passat's superior driving qualities and it's frugal fuel consumption. Regular vs. Premium is a plus.

Very comfortable cabin, heated seats are a nice touch and auto dim rear view mirror is excellent. I never knew what I was missing! I can haul a boat load of luggage, drive in a spirited, fun manner, and still avg over 30 mpg with this new 1.8T.

I agree, this thing blows away Accord, Camry and Altima. Other automotive reviews don't seem to get it. They are enamored with the Asian brands for some reason, which although are best sellers, and are reliable for the most part, don't aanyway near exude the same build quality, or driving experience of the 2014 VW Passat SE w/roof 1.8T. in my opinion.

thanks and lots of great input.

to me the 1.8t is a game changer for the Passat. it validates a Passat gas purchase because the powertrain is spunky, and refined, uses reg gas and gets great mpg. Hope it holds up!!! Keep us posted on your real world FE from time to time.

I think it really competes well vs. the diesel.

Edited March 27, 2014 by regfootball

[G. David Felt]

Nice write up, VW lack of quality and how they seem to always have tons in the shop being repaired makes me leary of considering them as an option. I see more free loaners from the local VW dealership on the road which also makes me wonder about delivery of quality auto's. I know they are not as bad as Mini with the amount of warranty defects right off the assembly line.

[Drew Dowdell]

The Passat seems to be doing pretty good in that regard.

[Guest 65strad]

I have 7,600 miles now and Im loving this car even more that before. On another forum, I mentioned what incredible mileage I got when going to Va. Beach from the NJ shore, and hardly anyone expressed surprise to my surprise.

Taking my time and consciensely maintaining a cruise control setting of 60mph, I topped of the tank after arriving. I had a 1/16th over a 1/2 tank left. Doing the math, I averaged just under 41 mpg for the trip! Granted maintaining 60mpg for a trip of that distance isn't normal driving, but who would have ever expected a 1.8 gasoline turbo to be capable of this? Well I did it and lived it. This vehicle is fantastic!

I'm waiting for my WeatherTech mats to arrive so my carpeting stays new throughout the years and miles. Class of the class in my opinion. It's not even close.

[A Horse With No Name]

Passat is one of my fav. cars, just because it is such a roomy well thought out highway cruiser.

Nice review, Reg.

[regfootball]

 

 

-I'm no so bent out of sorts over the handbrake this time around, because with the 1.8 and stick it would probably be the bomb.

 

 

So, was it?????

[A Horse With No Name]

I still would do the TDI with this, though. Guy I know with a TDI is pulling down close to fifty with this...

[regfootball]

I still have to write up on to but I did drive a manual passat S TSI yesterday. Nice gas turbo mill. And the DIC shows some ridiculous FE numbers when you are cruising around. I would bet 35-40 mpg with this car is no problem at all.

Got some pretty ridiculous lease quotes too. Now is the time to get one of these if you like it.

Edited July 20, 2014 by regfootball

[regfootball]

I really never followed up on this.  I couple weeks ago, I test drove the 5 speed manual version of a Passat S TSi.  I would say overall the 1.8 gives a great impression again, and in this case, the 5 speed manual is quite well matched to the car too.  I did not miss a 6th gear.  The engine has nice enough torque and zip such that 5 ratios is enough.

 

The shifter is very nice, maybe a tish less good than the Fusion 6 speed shifter in that department.  But overall its fine.  The engine qualities are about the same from the automatic to the manual.  There is a little turbo whine, but that is fine to me, its a nice sound.  There's a wee bit of lag, and it can take a bit for the torque to build, but its well behaved and linear.  It does well paired to either transmission.  The easy to shift manual and well spaced ratios coupled with the willing engine mean its pleasing to drive.  Even if there is not power by the boatloads, it complements the car, there is a bit of fun, and for general driving and commuting it is refined and can have its instances where it demostrates a surprisingly POPPY feel.

 

The main differences I felt in the Passat this time was due to this being the S base model instead of the nicer SE.  The S has,to be frank, a very basic interior.  Dark, hard plastic.  Budget grade cloth seats.  Lack of accents, touch points, or interesting detail.  The S has steelies and Hankook tires (or were they Kuhmos?).  The ride and handling definitely lacked in comparison to the SE.  The quick steering is there, but the narrow crappy tires on steel rims tune out the responsiveness and communication.  The ride is not tempered with much cush and it actually seemed like there was maybe more road noise also.  

 

Not that it was worse than some other main offenders in class, just that it felt like less than it should be, even despite the fact that the S is quite well priced.  Passats should not feel tinny, cheap, noisy and hard riding. Its still more pleasant than the rattle trap Accord.

 

You know (I know too) you get what you pay for.  If there were an SEL manual I should try that out and see if it feels much better.  

 

One other thing I noticed this time around is the roofline did indeed feel lower and more intrusive than i recall previously.  And despite all the rear leg room, the rear seats you sit ON and not IN.  Perhaps may not be totally comfy on a long trip for adults.  They don't cup you like in the Fusion.

 

Still overall for a car this size and with German traits, for a good price, and be available with a manual trans and engaging engine.....this is a good thing.  I am still interested in continuing to pursue this car.  I really wish the dash / interior wasn't such a dud.

Edited August 10, 2014 by regfootball

[regfootball]

anyone think the new Euro Passat's interior is a big upgrade?

 

[Drew Dowdell]

yeah, but I'm sure that's the full-zoot interior, not the rental car gray 90% of them will sell in.

 

and LOL at the glove box cut-out! My '81 hides the seam better than that!

[regfootball]

Well that's kind of my point. The current passat when you get the tan interior with the suede seat inserts is nice. But many of them are sold with vinyl or burlap seats in black. Amazing the difference color and material makes.

Lol on the glovebox, true. I don't think the Euro Passats interior with black plastic and burlap seats would be that much better.

[G. David Felt]

Why is it that when I come across someone who drives a passat, the car is either incredibly trashed and driven like a bat our of hell or it is fairly new but driven below posted speed limits and pissing off everyone else due to holding up traffic. Yet I have seen the cars in pretty good shape driven at proper highway speed in Europe. Must be a crazy American drivers.

[A Horse With No Name]

Very true on the Passat driver thing.

[Guest David]

Great job. One of the best reviews I have seen.