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2015 Volkswagen Passat Overview
It’s now 5 model years since Volkswagen’s midsize sedan arrived in its current form, but the 2015 Passat sees only an engine update and some minor feature shuffles. That kind of change usually means there’s a major update coming up, and there are a few spy shots and scheduled auto-show appearances to support just such an idea, but Volkswagen hasn’t released anything about what might change yet. The next-generation Passat isn’t even officially slated for 2016, but current drivers are in no hurry for any major change.
The composed and stately made-in-Tennessee Passat boasts Americanized elbow room and storage, satisfying power and excellent fuel economy. Some drivers take issue with its lack of USB connectivity anywhere in the lineup (it's offered only with an available Apple-specific hookup or Bluetooth streaming otherwise), while others wonder how attentively the factory put together their particular Passat, given a few squeaks and rattles or excessive wind noise in a few random samples, but this generation is otherwise pretty well complaint-free.
Unless you count the drivers who don’t believe in letting the engine warm up and thus complain about waiting 20 seconds for the available rear-view camera monitor to cue up. Rest assured, if you allow the engine to settle in at 1,000 rpm before putting it in gear—as is best for any car—the rear-view monitor is instantly available after putting it in reverse. And for 2015, that rear-view camera is now available in the Technology package for all trims, from the base S right on up to the Wolfsburg Edition.
That Technology package also now adds 2 speakers for a total of 8 to its touchscreen audio system plus satellite radio in all equipped trims except for the Wolfsburg, which already includes satellite connectivity standard. The SE with Sunroof is now the SE Convenience, minus a sunroof, but the SE with Sunroof + Navigation gains chrome trim, sport seats and fog lights. Last but not least of the equipment shuffle, the SEL Premium adds rain-sensing wipers to its list.
As for that engine update, diesel lovers will appreciate a TDI that is 10 horses more powerful this year for a total of 150 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque—and a couple miles better on the gallon. That means the same 30 mpg city with the 6-speed manual and 31 city with the 6-speed automated manual (DSG), but they’re each at least 1 mpg better on the highway for 30 city mpg/44 highway with the manual or 31/42 with the DSG. But that’s just the estimate—drivers regularly report far better real-world economy. And why not? The TDI boasts the lineup’s beefiest 4-cylinder turbo and Volkswagen gets plenty of practice with diesel powertrains over the pond, especially turbodiesels. The TDI powertrain is arguably V-Dub’s masterwork.
All that said, the 2015 Passat is otherwise just the same as the 2014 Passat. That means the base S, mid-level SE, and top-shelf Wolfsburg should still offer both the outgoing 2.5-liter inline 5-cylinder (I5) good for 170 hp and 177 lb-ft/torque or the incoming 1.8-liter turbocharged I4, pushing out 170 hp and 184 lb-ft/torque. The naturally aspirated 2.5 is not only a bit less powerful, it’s also less fuel efficient, estimated at about 22/31 regardless of transmission. The 1.8T on the other hand fetches a very competitive 24/35, and it’s a little more than a second quicker to 60 mph than the 2.5, arriving in 7.7 seconds to the benchmark. Stepping up from the SE to the SEL or Sport is the only sure-fire way to get that 1.8T, but it is expected to be the default engine in short order.
SE, Sport and SEL buyers desiring a good bit more gusto without the diesel have the option of a 3.6-liter V6 putting out 280 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque with a 6.4-second arrival at 60 mph, but it chews through gas like any other V6, with estimates sitting at 20/28 with its obligatory DSG.
Your prototypical "Tom Girl" Patricia got her start digging into Ford engines before she aged into double digits. Gifted with a mechanical mind, her favorite pass-time in the summer is picking up a fixer-up'r at the local public auction and massaging its every ailment until it's primed for a new lover. From dirt bikes to land yachts, every partner offers something truly special in her love affair with the road - just don't tell her husband.
What's your take on the 2015 Volkswagen Passat?
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- Limited Edition
- Avg. Price: $12,992
- S
- Avg. Price: $11,425
- SE
- Avg. Price: $13,426
- SE w/ Convenience
- SE w/ Sunroof and Nav
- Avg. Price: $13,341
- SEL Premium
- Avg. Price: $14,602
- SEL V6 Premium
- Avg. Price: $15,822
- Sport
- Avg. Price: $13,311
- TDI SE
- Avg. Price: $14,562
- TDI SE w/ Sunroof
- Avg. Price: $14,715
- TDI SE w/ Sunroof and Nav
- Avg. Price: $14,994
ChrispyjHC Great review on this car. I’ve owned Toyotas and Honda the majority of my life and wanted to explore something different. Something on the Euro side so I started shopping for the Passat I will use the SEL TDI Premium and the Accord Touring(2014 and 2015) as examples. Both cars are sticker-ed just about the same but my concern/question is why do you get LED DRLs with the Accord and not the Passat?Why can’t you get LED headlamp on the Passat but its available on the Accord? if the Passat was created for US buyers, why do they not come equipped with USB ports but available on the Accord? Who uses SD Cards in a car? The laser welded Seams and the door hinges are impressive structural safety features but why did VW not complement them with Driver assistance technology such as blind side warning, frontal collision warning, lane intrusion warning? Which all of those are available on the Accord. I saw on the video Alex mention that the accord dash with the double screens was a little too busy while the passat was more simplistic. I had a VW sales rep tell me the same thing and even stated that VW did that to ensure driver focus and to avoid distractions. If that is the case then how come the NAV system doesn’t have voice assist like the Accord? You can actually type in the address while driving and how safety intuitive is that? that to me contradicts the claim of ensuring driver focus. Another concern is consistency between the 2 cars. The Nav system for the EX-L, EX-LV6 and the Touring are all the same. The Passat line has 2 different types, RNS 315 and the RNS 510. Why can’t VW just create one Nav system for their trim lines as the 315 seems like a glorified Garmin to me. For a car that is supposed to be a Premium high end with a Premium price on the sticker, why as a buyer is being charged extra for an alarm system and floor mats? Security system with remote keyless entry is standard on all Accord trim levels, even the Camry and the Mazda 6 but not the Passat Premium? It just seems to me that for the same sticker price, VW is short changing their buyers while Honda is providing more bang for the dollar.
beckfield My 2015 Passat TDI SE is now 2 weeks old. I researched this car heavily, so there have been few surprise disappointments (none, really), but there are several that I found through my research that delayed my purchase. Disappointments: 1. Compact spare tire. I hate these things, and I refuse to have them. I consider them a safety hazard. My disappointment extends not only to the car manufacturers, but to the government safety regulators that allow them. I made them prove that a full-size tire would fit in the spare well, and then I bought one. 2. This is my first car with a touch-screen audio system. I have long suspected, and now confirmed, that touch-screen audio systems in cars are a BAD IDEA. Talk about a driver-distracted accident waiting to happen. With physical buttons (preferably LARGE physical buttons. Tiny buttons aren't much better than the touch screen, IMO), you at least have a chance of memorizing the layout and operating the system by touch, without pulling your eyes from the road. Not so with touch screens. I know, I know, they're all going this route. Doesn't make it a good idea, and it doesn't mitigate my disappointment. Aside from that rant, the stock stereo in my Passat isn't bad. I am using the SD card feature, and am considering some sort of MP3 player that will integrate with the system, but I'm quite spoiled by the Phatbox I had in the Jetta, and that will be sorely missed, as I have found nothing yet that will replace some of the Phatbox functionality. 3. Manual transmission is only available in the base SE trim. So drivers, like me, who insist on manual transmissions must forego niceties like premium sound, sunroof, etc. This makes me think that VW considers us second-class citizens. 4. Still lagging in support for biodiesel blends above 5%. There is no excuse for this, as far as I can tell. The stated concern is that biodiesel somehow finds its way into the engine oil and dilutes it. If that's the case, do a better job of isolating these systems. I ran B20 to B99 in my Jetta for 8 years, with no ill effects. On the up side: 1. This is the first car in memory where I don't have to put the driver's seat all the way back to drive comfortably. I'm 6'3" tall and overweight, and even large SUVs can't accomodate me this well. Now, even my 6 ft tall friends can sit behind me. 2. Diesel. My Jetta is still in great shape, and the engine sounds as good as the day I bought it. I have high expectations for the new Passat. I'll be finding out this weekend how high I can get the MPG on straight freeway driving. 3. Overall quality. Two weeks isn't enough time to make this determination on my own, of course, but I am encouraged by reviews such as Ms. Mayo's above.
Cat5210 I have a 2013 TDI SEL Premium and I have gotten 55.7 MPG from St Louis to my home in Indiana, north of Indy!!!! I have a 2011 Jetta manual and have gotten 55.2 MPG on the same trip length! I had VW Rabbits since 1980 and these cars are so much better and get better fuel milage than any of my Rabbits and have lots more horsepower!!!!!!!
Burls I bought a 2015 Passat TDI less than a month ago.....I have filled it up quite a few times...BUT today-even though the tank is < 1/4 full I'm unable to put fuel in it....keeps tripping the nozzle as if the tank is full-and it's not. Took it back to the dealer and they are now removing the tank and trying to figure out why....they say it is most likely a stuck valve....not happy.....