2013 Volkswagen Passat consumer reviews

The two main things we were looking for besides good gas mileage and within our price range, were rear seat leg room and heated seats. The Passat has the most rear seat leg room for a car in its class. I'll never understand why automakers don't allow for more room in the rear seat. We ruled out many makes and models based on this alone. For me, the heated seats are a bonus! The car handles well and is well designed overall. We've only had it for a month, but so far so good.

i have owned seven vw this one tops the list. I have only owned the car for a month. ican not write a book about it.

I purchased a 2013 VW Passat in November of 2012. I bought it in the middle of winter. I live in Seattle, so it doesn't get that cold. My doors would completely freeze shut. I am 40 years old and have lived here my whole life. I have NEVER had a car's doors freeze shut. I brought it in because I had water leaking into the car on both that passenger and the driver side. After getting the run around, I contacted VW. They had a tech go to the dealer. They determined that it wasn't put together right on the assembly line, so they put in new seals all around the doors and changed how much the doors sealed. Problem fixed. Then I noticed that when it would rain, my car would look like an old car in the parking lot. Windows would be completely fogged up. No other car in the parking lot would be that way. Fast forward to July 2013, I just brought it back again to the dealer. The back window just wont roll up sometimes, and now my sunroof will not shut. I'm getting tired of taking my car back to the dealer. It's a brand new car!!! Oops, I almost forgot. There is a sensor on the windows. If it thinks something is in the way, it rolls back down. Nothing is ever in the window, and sometimes, it just will not roll up.....this is getting old. I really want to just get rid of it.

I have owned about 86 cars including 6 VW 's this is my second diesel car and I am getting 45 mpg hwy and the ride is very quiet. I never really had a problem with my 2006 jetta TDI and I expect the same from this Passat. This has way less to break than say a HYBRID that has a gas motor< Batteries and a electric motor. Wonderful car

I only have my new Passat for 2 days, so I will write a follow up to this later. I love this car. It is beautiful, comfortable and I feel like I got a lot more car and luxury for the money compared to other cars in this class that I looked at. It's a pleasure to drive, and I can't believe I discovered and bought it. Plus the dealer experience was really great. I've read through the reviews here. One mentioned road noise. Yes, you hear and feel the engine and the road more than in other cars. This is by design...similar to some other German designed cars. It's not a fault to be corrected. Many people prefer the experience of feeling and hearing the connection to the road. Perhaps the reviewer didn't do an adequate test drive. Another reviewer mentioned the overall slowness of the computer processor. Unfortunately, this is the first thing thing I noticed when I took the car home, and it's the only thing that disappoints me. Of all the detail and care that went into this car, I find it quite astonishing that the computer feels like the processor is 5 years old and underpowered to handle the job. It is just too slow and freezes occasionally. It's the only clunky thing on an otherwise magnificent car. If I had one wish, it would be that VW recalls and replaces the computer. That said, taking everything into consideration, I am still in love with this car. I can't wait to get in and drive it.

The VW Passatt TDI is extremely comfortable to drive, plenty of room for both the front and back seat passengers. Getting excellent fuel mileage, towards the higher end.

I drive about 25K a year and got really tired of buying gas. Have only had the car for about 3 weeks but have put on a couple thousand miles. Milage is exceptional so far - between 40 and 50 on commute to the office which is mostly hwy but some stop and go. Went on a 400 mile trip - 49.5 up and 48.5 back according to the computer driving 70-78 mph. 39.5 average for the 2K miles (actual fuel to miles). TDI performance is far better than the 2.5 gas. I chose the 6 speed manual which isn't for everyone but I like it. At 6'-3" the leg room is ample, but ergonomics with the steering wheel and armrest is not ideal. The steering wheel telescopes but not enough. Great legroom in the back seat even with fronts all the way back. Engine is quiet so far - can only tell it's a diesel at idle. Overall a fantastic value for what seems like a well built, good sized car that has decent performance and handles well. Haven't driven in bad rain, ice or snow yet. It appears the car can easily outperform the 43 hwy estimate without hypermiling tricks.

This car gets great mileage, is very comfortable, and fun to drive. However, the technology is close to useless. The nav is so poor, that I have reverted back to my old plug-in Garmin. The radio functionality is maddening. And the backup camera has such a long delay, it renders it useless. Dealer can't/won't do anything about it. I spend a lot of time in my car, and the technology was really important to me. Literally, I got ripped off on the extra money I spent. If the technology functionality is important to you, DO NOT buy this car

We just traded in a Toyota 4Runner and purchased a VW Passat SE TDI and even though I've only driven it for about a week I am really happy with the decision to buy it. The first day I was getting 39 mpg with only city driving. Since then I've averaged about 43 mpg with a mix of mostly city and a little on the freeway. This is fantastic especially when compared to the 17-18 mpg that we were getting in the 4Runner! The Passat is really a fun car to drive. The TDI has a lot of power from the low end torque and while it may not be the fastest right off the line, there is no problem with accelerating while driving. At times it feels more like a V6 because there's so much power. The ride quality is very smooth and the suspension is well controlled and balanced nicely. Many "experts" have complained that the exterior styling is pretty bland but I think that it will hold up well over time. Some of the other cars on the market will look dated in a few years because they are designed to be trendy. The VW has more of a classic, simple look to it and I actually like that. The interior design is also fairly simple but again I like the look of it. At first I was concerned that the seats wouldn't be comfortable because they look fairly flat, but so far I have no complaints. The trunk is spacious, back seat legroom is outstanding, and the controls are all well laid out. The driver information center takes a little time to figure out but it is very easy to use and intuitive. One suggestion - I do wish you could have the digital speedometer and another piece of info (average mpg, current mpg, etc.) displayed at the same time instead of having to alternate between them. We also considered a Camry and I liked the way that it drove, but the quality of the cabin seemed cheap even on the highest XLE trim level. The keyfob also felt like it was made with the cheapest possible plastic. The VW on the other has a much better fit and finish and they key feels solid in your hand. I think that the Camry's ride quality was a little softer when it came to the smaller road imperfections, but hitting larger bumps made me cringe. The Passat just seems to absorb everything more evenly. In summary, if you are reading this then you are probably researching the Passat and I highly recommend test driving one and especially the TDI. It is a roomy, powerful car with great mpg that also just happens to be fun to drive!

I previously reviewed the VW Passat VR6 SEL PREMIUM here in March 2013. Here is the follow up review. I still LOVE this car. Yes the Passat is more expensive than other cars in its class but keep in mind this car is in a class by itself. If you want a great, beautiful, fun to drive, family yet sporty, care free car to drive then you should consider a Passat VR6 SEL PREMIUM. The 6 cylinder engine and the comfort sport seats still rock. I get about 370-400 miles to the tank. Pretty good for a 6 cylinder.