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2012 Volkswagen Passat User Reviews

2012 Volkswagen Passat Review Ratings

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Average Ratings from 8 reviews

  • Overall:4 out of 5 stars4 out of 5 stars4 out of 5 stars4 out of 5 stars4 out of 5 stars 4 / 5

Review Highlights Click to filter reviews below

PROS
"fuel economy" 5 reviews
"power" 3 reviews
"big space" 3 reviews
"big legroom" 2 reviews
"space" 2 reviews
CONS
"power" 3 reviews
"driver" 2 reviews

User Reviews

Displaying all 8 reviews
ladylikesVW writes:
2012 Volkswagen Passat V6 SEL Premium Review
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Pros

I like rare cars, I'm not into the dime a dozen variety.
This car turns heads.

Cons

A bit long, harder to parallel park.
The exterior is a bit bland but it has staying power. I chose to add the sport package, now it looks as awesome as it is !

ladylikesVW
65

This Lady Loves Vw ! — Owned a 95 Golf, 2002 Altima (garbage), 2005 Jetta, 2008 Passat. This is my 4th VW. I've never had "reliabilty" issues that all the VW haters love to rant about. Every manufacturer has a lemon so get over it. My Golf was going strong at over 350k until it was totalled in an accident. I'm a 30-something women with 1 child, 2 dogs. I don't do soccer mom SUVs so sedan are my thing. When I heard VW was slashing $7000 off the price of the Passat I nearly had a stroke. I was certain they were going to cheapen it down to the level of all the other sedans to compete with the rest of the pack. Let's face it most people will sacrifice quality to save a few bucks. Every time I purchase a vehicle, I seriously shop around, Mazda, Acura, Toyota, good grief, they can't even compare. The interior fit and feel of a German car cannot be beat. I always go back to VW, I think I want a change until I see what's out there and I return to what I know is the best value for my money. Sure I bought the top line model but I still paid $20,000 less than an a similarily tripped out Audi A6 with the same features. The new Passat screams class without being pretentious and that works best for me. Additionally, VW has been great to me and my family, their service has been exceptional, I cannot ask for more.....

Primary Use: Family transportation

4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Planeman writes:
2012 Volkswagen Passat S w/ Appearance Review
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Pros

Very solid feeling car, excelent standard features for amid size car in this price bracket.  The voice activated Bluetooth is outstanding, the base audio system is very impressive.  The interior room is amazing, so much more room than a Camry or Accord.  Ride and handling are impressive and so very quiet ont the freeway.  Free maintenance for 3 years/36,000 is very nice.

Cons

Nothing yet, I have less than 50 miles on the car.  I am a little concerned about the reliablity of a 1st year production on a completly new design, but I will give them the benifit  at this point.

Planeman
65

Knocked My Socks Off!! — I just purchased a new 2012 VW Passat! It was a totoal impluse purchase on the way to the Toyota dealer to look at the new Camry. One drive and I was completly impressed by the ride, quality, and price. What you get for the price puts this in comparison with BMW 5 series and Lexus. The quality and features are outstanding, hopefully the reliability is there down the road. I have always avoided the 1st production year of a new design, but I could'nt pass on the Passat. I got mine for $23, 222 after having to bury back in $800 on my 2006 Sonata, but I it was worth it. I did get to go driove the 2012 Camry and while it's a very nice car, to get the features I have on the Passat I would of had to spend another $5k. This is my 1st VW purchase and I am very impressed with not only the car, but the dealer. There was very little pressure when I said I could make a deal until I drove the Accord and the Camry. They said "no problem, we're not worried, you will be back", and I was back, within an hour after driving them both. VW is on a mission to win market share and they needed a mid size family to do it. With the new 2012 Passat they are on the way, one convert at a time.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Jay writes:
2012 Volkswagen Passat SEL Review
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Pros

Great fuel economy and German luxury

Cons

wish it was available in AWD, but that would be an Audi, at an Audi price.

85

Like An Audi, But Much Less Money — You can see the family DNA here. It looks and feels like an Audi, at much less money. An amazing amount of luxury and performace for the price, and 30+ MPG. Autobahn safe, but not autobahn fast. The nav system is good with the Sirius Travel link (provides realtime traffic data and re-routing). And the Fender sound system is better than any Bose or Harmon Kardon system I have had before.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

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LagunaVeedub writes:
2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Premium Review
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Pros

I own the TDi with the DSG transmission. I love the ultra quick shifts and the incredible torque of the diesel engine. The fuel mileage is nothing short of amazing: On the highway I easily get 47 Mpg and with a bit of luck and effort I get over 50 Mpg highway.

The Fender sound system is the best I have ever had in a car. The sound is so clear that I can pick out instruments and voices I never knew existed in the music I listen to.

Cons

My car came with Hankook tires and I find them to be pretty noisy when driving on rough surfaces

The GPS navigation radio is very slow. It seems it has a slow CPU and I guess that's why it is so slow to respond to any input.

LagunaVeedub
25

Fantastic Mileage, Power And Handling — Overall I love this car. I love the diesel engine and its amazing torque. I love the DSG transmission and its super quick shifts. I love the amazing fuel mileage. I use the car as my daily driver and for work. My job involves seeing customers all over southern California and this car is prety close to perfect for my needs. It is roomy (I am 6'2) and is the only car in many years that I have been truly comfortable in. There is plenty of leg room and head room for me, and if I get in the back, I sit extremely comfortably in the back seat with the front seat adjusted the way I need it. The car is maybe not a true sports sedan but I never expected that it would be. It cruises very very comfortably on the freeway and when I want to "play" a little on tight back roads, the steering tightens up very nicely with good response and the car feels very very stable and solid through turns. The sound system sounds really fantastic with clear, powerful sound that is just a joy to listen to. The only downsides I have found so far, is the GPS navigation system is generally slow (has a slow CPU) and the tires that came on my car are noisy when driving on rough roads.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

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kelewele writes:
2012 Volkswagen Passat SE w/ Sunroof Review
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Pros

Great family car, lots of leg room. Fuel efficient.

Cons

Need to have home link standard not optional in this centry

kelewele
25

Sweet Machine — Liked everything so far. I have only had it for 3 months with no issues. Ride is smooth and fun. Could use a little bit more power when accelerating. Safety windows are nice to have. Great hands free phone system.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

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Nick_99 writes:
2012 Volkswagen Passat SE Review
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Pros

Good handling.  Torque helps the 170 hp engine.

Cons

Driver seat needs to be more adjustable on SE model

Nick_99
25

New Passat Great Addition To Vw Line — The 2012 Passat has been a great car the first 14,000 miles. Great gas mileage on the road approaches 33 mpg and the torquey 170 hp 5 cylinder gives plenty of pep for most. VW handles well, and has plenty of room for all but the very tall. Anyone set on a Toyota Camry or Chevy Impala, Honda Accord, needs to take a look at the new Passat.

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Andy writes:
2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SE Review
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Pros

Clean lines and nice syling make it stand out

Cons

Car is under-powered given its size and weight

25

Blue Motion 1.6 Deisel Engine Is Built For Economy And Not For Performance — On the plus side this is a well equiped car; good levels of refinement and spec is better than competitors. Build quality appears good and fuel economy is astonishing. I would say that mine has the 1.6 Blue Motion diesel engine and it is built for economy and not for performance - lacks power and does not inspire confidence when pulling out into trafic on the motorway etc - 2.0 unit is supposed to be much better!

Primary Use: Commuting to work

0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review writes:
2012 Volkswagen Passat SE Review
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Pros

The passat has looks great and has plenty of room inside, particularly for the back seat passengers.  It also has nice trunk space and ample storage in the passenger compartments.  I like the little things like a sunglasses holder and a specific space in the glove box to hold the owners manual.

Cons

The drivers seat has an almost constant squeaking sound. I have taken it twice to be repaired but the dealership has not been able to fix it.

Review
35

Bad Choice — Avoid this car - purchasing this car was a huge mistake for me as I cannot get Vista Volkswagen to stand behind the product and repair the defective seat. Each day I drive this car I am disappointed. Choose any other vehicle.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

1 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Cost $19,995 MSRP $15,515 MSRP $28,515 MSRP
Gas Mileage (highway) 32 34 31
Horsepower 170 115 200
Crash Test Rating 5 4 N/A
Cargo Volume (cu. ft.) 15.9 15.5 13.0
Front Leg Room (inches) 42.4 41.2 41.6

Reviews From Other Years

2013 Volkswagen Passat Reviews

Tdi Sel By Nordata

Likes or dislikes? Not tough to answer really... That is if you understand that a VW badge combined with a diesel engine in this class of car is both somewhat special and perhaps foreign to many poten... Read More

A Great Family Car! By kariell

I'm really enjoying this car after driving a 2001 Honda Civic EX for 12 years. The ride is smooth, the car has lots of power and the gas mileage is great. The sounds system is excellent as well. Go... Read More

Read all 3 2013 Volkswagen Passat reviews

2010 Volkswagen Passat Reviews

It Has So Many Options You Wont Be Disappointed! By Robertg13

It is an amazing car. The quaility is superior to many cars produced today and has much more than many that are 15 to 20K more. No one will be disappoint when they have a car that is like this. Read More

Smooth Cruiser. By Simon

New daily hack. Replacement for the Leon. Very happy with this car. It's the new R-line model, so comes with some nice bits and peices on it. I chose biscay blue and added dual zone climate with touc... Read More

Read all 3 2010 Volkswagen Passat reviews

2009 Volkswagen Passat Reviews

Audi Styling & Handling At Vw Pricing. By skyhawk182

Couldn't be happier with the Passat Wagon. Large storage use, handles like a dream and wonderful styling inside and out (but of course the 2012 version has been dummied down to look and drive like a ... Read More

Chris Thomas By Chris

Great quality car VW has really outdone themselves. It is very responsive and has great power especially in the 3.6 version. Handling is great for the size of the car. It is funny to race people in... Read More

Read all 7 2009 Volkswagen Passat reviews

2008 Volkswagen Passat Reviews

Sporty, Fun To Drive Family Car, Solid German Engineering By John_Q

We bought the 2008 Lux Waggon, which is a 4 cylinder, 2.0L Turbo engine with 6 speed tiptronic transmission, Front wheel drive with 18" alloy wheels. The Car is sporty, handles and accellerates well... Read More

Best Driving Vehicle I Have Ever Owned By davidvw

This car got me from the first drive. The steering, the pick up and go, hugs the road, great economy... 25 to 27 in town... 33-35 on freeway. I cant stand getting out of this vehicle. The only thing ... Read More

Read all 38 2008 Volkswagen Passat reviews

2007 Volkswagen Passat Reviews

Great Car Love The Wolfsberg Edt. Package By BillArsenault

THis car has a great body style and interior most notably the Wolfsberg edt. The 2.0 turbo give the car a speedy feel from 4-cylinder engine and the split transmission ups the performance appeal as w... Read More

B6 Passat Wagon Is The Whole Package By John

Best car I've ever had. Gobs of power, handles great particularly for a car its size. The 6 speed manual with the 2.0T MAKES this car. So many nice touches that make you think the designers thought ... Read More

Read all 30 2007 Volkswagen Passat reviews
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