Rental Review: VW Passat Tsi

[Robert Hall]

Picked up a white Passat early Sunday morning at the Cleveland, OH airport.   I've got it through Feb 4th, so I'll have 2 weeks of experience.  So far, pleasantly bland inside and out.   Good, clear gauges.   HVAC controls took a bit of time to figure out (humidity!! windows fogging up!  Don't have that in AZ).   Mirror adjustment controls were hard to get to work, thought the knob was going to break off.

Driving--good steering feel, reasonable power and reasonably quiet (lots of tire thump noise on Ohio's broken up freeways and streets).   Mostly surface roads and streets so far.  Will update over the next week.

[G. David Felt]

How about room inside? How tall are you? is there still plenty of room once you set the drivers position for yourself to then get in back behind your seat without having to twist and turn or not?

[Robert Hall]

I'm 6'0", plenty of room for me...as far as the back floor, there is enough room for my backpack there...haven't sat there.    Plenty of leg room up front, head room, good outward visibility..  

One thing that annoys me is the inconsistency in the trunk release buttons..the one on the driver's door pops open the trunk, whilst the one on the remote simply unlocks the trunk, doesn't open it.  Still have to reach down and futz w/ a hidden release on the decklid to open it.   I'm used to other rental cars I've driven having the remote open the trunk. 

[daves87rs]

7 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

I'm 6'0", plenty of room for me...as far as the back floor, there is enough room for my backpack there...haven't sat there.    Plenty of leg room up front, head room, good outward visibility..  

One thing that annoys me is the inconsistency in the trunk release buttons..the one on the driver's door pops open the trunk, whilst the one on the remote simply unlocks the trunk, doesn't open it.  Still have to reach down and futz w/ a hidden release on the decklid to open it.   I'm used to other rental cars I've driven having the remote open the trunk. 

That sounds like a pain!

[Robert Hall]

7 hours ago, daves87rs said:

That sounds like a pain!

It's a minor inconvenience, but annoying when it's sleeting outside..

[Robert Hall]

Photo.  At lunch at Bonchon Chicken, hipster Korean chicken place in my new hood

Edited January 29, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[daves87rs]

2 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Photo.  At lunch at Bonchon Chicken, hipster Korean chicken place in my new hood

Still like old school clean look.....

[Robert Hall]

I like the styling..very clean...not trendy...I like the front end design in particular.   The upright greenhouse is nice also, an actual useable trunk opening.

Edited January 29, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Suaviloquent]

You know, this is the car that in many ways Toyota used to build the Camry as. I would say that the Passat is easily more solid built than the current gen Camry still on sale.

 

I figure if you think you are getting a good deal (and with VW discounts right now, maybe yes), than this is one of the easiest midsize sedans to live with. great visbility, some semblance of driver involvement like the Accord, Fusion, Malibu, stellar visibility, epic rear-seat room, and available V6....

 

Also, strange, I find the minor inconvience a potential benefit....imagine you accidently press the button for the trunk release in close proximity but out of line of sight....any belongings might be subject to unwanted attention.

 

But here the trunk stays closed, but unlocked.....I think any would be person wanting petty theft is like 50% (completely unscientific) less likely to approach your vehicle if the trunk looks closed, and the trunk release is actually something you have to search for the first time.

[Stew]

Does it have the trunk release as the rear VW badge like my bug?  Oddly enough the trunk release was the hardest thing for me to get use to as well.  To really leave it unlocked to have to use the inside unlock button or hit the unlock button on the keyfob twice.  If you just hit the button to open the trunk it simply unlocks the trunk for like 2 seconds and locks it back.   I like the Passat have seen some of the higher rims with the nicer front fascias and really like them a lot.  There is something to be said for just being simply (except for their trunk releases haha). 

[Robert Hall]

On the Passat, the trunk release is hidden, under the ledge above the license plate, slightly off center to the left.  The funny thing is I remember Jettas 30+ years ago having strange trunk release behavior also--the trunk could be shut but not locked, or shut and locked. 

That was a European car difference I always found odd compared to American cars of the same era---on American cars, if the trunk was shut, it was locked.   Shut and locked were/are two different concepts on European cars (my sister's old Mercedes were the same way). 

[balthazar]

didn't a number of Euro cars have that trunk pushbutton; you could lock it w the key, or unlock it & pop it w the button? 

[Robert Hall]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

didn't a number of Euro cars have that trunk pushbutton; you could lock it w the key, or unlock it & pop it w the button? 

My sister's Mercedes both had them...and they failed....thus couldn't get in the trunk. 

[balthazar]

Well… that's Mercedes for you.

Frankly, those buttons were too clunky IMO- I always thought centered & hidden lock cylinders were the more graceful treatment.

Edited February 8, 2017 by balthazar

[Frisky Dingo]

The Passat is a great option in this class, and very overlooked and underrated. The most room in the class, I'd say the best ride/noise levels in class, high refinement levels, and gas mileage and performance that are still on par with the class average. It doesn't drive as sharp as a 6, and it may not be the most head-turning design, but if you want a car with high functionality, good road manners, and that gets the fundamentals right, it's hard to beat.

The R Line is a phenomenal value.

[Robert Hall]

Turned it in Saturday....back in Phoenix for a few weeks to pack up and move.   First time I'd had a rental for 3 weeks since 1999 when I had a Chrysler 300M for 3 weeks.    It was a good drive overall, had a mix of suburban, potholed city driving, freeway driving, a bit of winding country roads, and winter weather (snow, sleet, rain, gropple, freezing rain) to deal with.   The tire pressure warning light seemed a bit flaky, I checked the tires a couple times, but once it came on, it wouldn't go off.

All in all, a decent midsize sedan, lots of interior storing cubbies, big trunk, practical and pleasant.  

The thing that stuck in my head (don't know why) is that I was driving in Ohio in a Tennessee-built German car with a Florida plate, with my AZ driver's license and CO cell number....

 

 

[Stew]

On 2/13/2017 at 7:20 PM, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Turned it in Saturday....back in Phoenix for a few weeks to pack up and move.   First time I'd had a rental for 3 weeks since 1999 when I had a Chrysler 300M for 3 weeks.    It was a good drive overall, had a mix of suburban, potholed city driving, freeway driving, a bit of winding country roads, and winter weather (snow, sleet, rain, gropple, freezing rain) to deal with.   The tire pressure warning light seemed a bit flaky, I checked the tires a couple times, but once it came on, it wouldn't go off.

All in all, a decent midsize sedan, lots of interior storing cubbies, big trunk, practical and pleasant.  

The thing that stuck in my head (don't know why) is that I was driving in Ohio in a Tennessee-built German car with a Florida plate, with my AZ driver's license and CO cell number....

 

 

I bet it is like my Bug.  If the tire warning comes on there is a button in the glovebox to reset it.  if u don't, hen it won't go off. 

[regfootball]

a good buy on the used market if you pick the right equipment and model.

 

[trinacriabob]

On 2/13/2017 at 4:20 PM, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

The thing that stuck in my head (don't know why) is that I was driving in Ohio in a Tennessee-built German car with a Florida plate, with my AZ driver's license and CO cell number....

This is definitely funny.

I got one of these about a year or two ago.  It was for a day.  It was at a Budget in the suburbs.  I actually had a compact reserved and I was given the keys to a Passat.

I've never liked Volkswagen.  This car changed my mind.  Sort of.  First, I could not believe how long it was, or appeared to be.  Jettas and Passats have been much shorter in the past.  This new Passat was bland, but in a good way.  Everything was so logical (German car) in how it is placed and the simple round clock at the top of the center stack was a refreshing thing to see (I was thinking Chrysler 300).  About its deportment, what I remember is how flatly and surefootedly it handled.  In short, I liked it much more than I disliked it.  It was dark metallic blue Passat with a black cloth interior.  The gas mileage was good but not great.

I also can't believe how reasonably priced they are.  I priced out a base model on the VW site in the metallic light tan color with a beige cloth interior (alloy wheels were included) and it came up to about $23 K MSRP.  If these are indeed reliable, that's a good value.

[A Horse With No Name]

They are a very decent car and a good value.  Passat has a lot of interior room for a family car. I wish VW well.

[regfootball]

i think a lot of what is going unnoticed on the radar is a new 2.0 engine for the new model year.  Here is some info on that

 

http://www.automobilemag.com/news/inside-volkswagen-ea888-b-cycle-2-0-tsi-i4/

[A Horse With No Name]

On 2/8/2017 at 0:45 PM, Frisky Dingo said:

The Passat is a great option in this class, and very overlooked and underrated. The most room in the class, I'd say the best ride/noise levels in class, high refinement levels, and gas mileage and performance that are still on par with the class average. It doesn't drive as sharp as a 6, and it may not be the most head-turning design, but if you want a car with high functionality, good road manners, and that gets the fundamentals right, it's hard to beat.

The R Line is a phenomenal value.

Agree completely.

[Frisky Dingo]

12 hours ago, regfootball said:

i think a lot of what is going unnoticed on the radar is a new 2.0 engine for the new model year.  Here is some info on that

 

http://www.automobilemag.com/news/inside-volkswagen-ea888-b-cycle-2-0-tsi-i4/

The Passat is getting that engine concurrently with the new generation coming out.

[Robert Hall]

Speaking of VW engines, I read an article the other day about the VR6...I didn't realize they were still building the narrow-angle/single head 6 cyl, I thought they had long ago moved on to a normal V6.

[balthazar]

On 6/12/2017 at 0:05 AM, trinacriabob said:

Everything was so logical (German car) in how it is placed...

Last time I was in a Passat (which was over 10 yrs ago at this point), the thing that struck me was the seatback adjustment. It was a huge plastic manual dial located at the joint of the seat bottom & seat back, but it was located inboard rather than near the door. Not only was it not intuitive, it was awkward to operate in general and especially once the typical useage flotsum fell into the mechanism. One of those features that sticks with you as The Wrong Way To Go About It.

Edited June 14, 2017 by balthazar

[Robert Hall]

The most recent VW I drove (this Passat) had a large plastic dial on the side of the seat by the b-pillar IIRC...was awkward to reach.   I assume the higher trim levels have normal power recline controls?        

Edited June 14, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[A Horse With No Name]

The seat controls in my Jetta were awkward at first but I quickly got used to them. It was a great car for long trips, although with an 800 mile range it was a bladder buster if you were waiting for fuel to use the restroom. Seats were very comfortable for every passenger I hauled....