2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI: What's It Like to Live With?
Read the latest updates in our long-term road test of the 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI as our editors live with this car for a year.
What do you want to know about?
- Introduction
- No More Umbrella
- Fuel Economy Update For May
- It Has Already Begun
- Misaligned Seat and Steering Wheel
- Lots of Torque
- No Range Anxiety
- Nothing Is Infallible, Apparently
- Shifting Simplified
- Interior Tour Video
- Similar, Except For AdBlue
- Diesel Dirt
- Trip To The Coast, Part One
- Fuel Economy Update For June
- Trip to the Coast, MPG Report
- Secure Handling
- How Much Money Do You Save With TDI?
- Nice Seat Upholstery Inserts
- What Companies Should Give Their Travelling Sales Reps
- Track Test
- Compact Console
- Got Range?
- Got Wood?
- A Cool Character
- Enormous Cargo Potential
- Fuel Economy Update for July
- Long Weekend
- 5,000 Milestone
- Perfect Road Trip Car?
- Golf Clubs in the Trunk
- Will the Bike Fit?
- Huge Cargo Space for a Sedan
- Napa and Back in 30 Hours
- Fuel Economy Update for August
- Tracks Straight Once More
- A Look Underneath
- Hauls the Drums
- Phone-Pairing Secret
- Rear-View Camera
- Do You Bluetooth?
- Fuel Economy Update for September
- Lame Rear Ventilation
- Pristine Cargo On Board
- The Grabby Brakes
- Classic Styling
- "RNS 510" iPod Interface Is Slow To Respond
- Tire Puncture Repaired
- Easy Rear-Facing Child Safety Seat Install
- I Really Like TDI, But It Will Be Tougher to Pick in 2014
- Fuel Economy Update for October
- Weather Strip Hiss
- 10,000-Mile Update
- Great on a Road Trip
- Real Tuning Knob
- Good Floor Mat Retention
- Pictures
- Jump Starts a Plug-In Hybrid
- Fuel Economy Update for November
- What's the Difference Between the Passat TSI and TDI?
- Getting Used to Volkswagen Controls
- Diesel, But Drives Normal
- Fuel Economy Update for December
- Diesel Gives It Personality
- 10,000-Mile Service (A Little Late)
- Choosing a Midsize Sedan
- Would Prefer a Seat Bottom Tilt Function
- Enjoying the Fender Sound System's Audio Quality
- Fuel Economy Update for January
- Pet Transporter
- Seat Comfort
- Good Navigation Guidance
- Rear Garment Hooks
- Plenty of Space to Rest Your Feet
- Does Where It's Built Matter?
- Fuel Economy Update for February
- 15,000 Miles
- Seven Things To Like
- Ol' Reliable
- Fuel Economy Update for March
- Dog Report
- Blind Taste Test
- 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI vs. Ford Fusion Hybrid
- 43 MPG and a Fender Stereo
- B5 Biodiesel
- Fuel Economy Update for April
- Comparing Diesel #2 to B5
- Which Is Best?
- A Welcome Sight
- 20,000 Miles and All Is Well
- 20,000 Mile Service
- Diesel #2 vs. B5 Biodiesel Comparison Results
- Our Long-Term MPG Results May Shed Light on Future Emissions Recall Expectations
- Wrap-Up
Introduction
Our new 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Premium is a remarkable full-size sedan. Remarkable not for its interior space, which is ample. Not for its coddling ride quality, which is appreciated. Not even for its EPA fuel economy rating of 30 city/40 highway mpg and its butt-busting 740-mile range.
No, our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI is remarkable for its ability to put all of these things together in a package that doesn't stand out at all. It's not flashy, overly expensive or outwardly suggestive of its green credentials. The 2013 Passat TDI is simply a big, solid sedan that will swallow four adults in leg-crossing comfort while delivering fuel economy that will let you drive from L.A. to Vegas and back on a single tank of fuel.
Sounds like a perfect candidate for our long-term fleet. Flashy is fun for a little while, but it's the day-in and day-out functionality of a car that makes it attractive in the long run. Now we have a year to find out if the practical charms of the Passat remain over the long haul. And given its monster range, it could be a very long haul.
What We Got
Unlike most cars with multiple powertrains, comparing the TDI Passat with a gas-powered model is misleading. People buy diesels for a number of reasons that can't be broken down on a fuel economy chart. So, with that in mind, we're going to use a base price of $26,225, which is where the Passat diesel model starts.
For that entry fee, however, the Passat is no slouch. On top of the 140-horsepower 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine, buyers get 17-inch wheels, automatic headlights, keyless entry, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, upgraded gauges and an eight-speaker stereo with touchscreen interface.
Our car is not the base car.
Nope, we've got the full-zoot, 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Premium. Decode Volkswagen's cypher and you'll see that this car gets better front seats with suede inserts, dual-zone climate control, rearview back-up camera, keyless entry and ignition and power front seats with memory. Because this is a Volkswagen product and it doesn't do that sort of thing, our test car has no further options. On this model, the six-speed six-speed dual-clutch automated manual was available at no charge.
And this added up to an as-tested price of $33,710, including destination. We didn't pay this, however, as Volkswagen provided this vehicle for our long-term road test.
Why We Got It
Of course, this is not our first time around the block with this powertrain. We've seen it before on our long-term 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. That car, however, lacked the scale and sophistication that the Passat claims to offer. During the test of our Jetta, we averaged 35.7 mpg in notoriously rough L.A. traffic, and got a best tank of 46.1 mpg over a range of 642 miles. The Passat may have the same motor, but it's 9 inches longer and has a 4-inch-longer wheelbase than the Jetta and weighs a full 300 pounds more. Will the motor we found perfectly serviceable in the Jetta work in this larger, more luxurious car? Will the qualms about the Jetta's throttle persist?
And ignoring the diesel motor entirely, will the 2013 Volkswagen Passat hold up to our perceptions of what a Passat should be?
The space, features and ease of use add up to a compelling entry in the full-size segment. And given the price, the Passat can compete just as favorably in the midsize segment, too. We have 12 months to see if the 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI is a winner in either segment. Follow along on our Long-Term Road Tests page for daily updates on this and the rest of our long-term fleet.
Current Odometer: 594
Best Fuel Economy: 35.6
Worst Fuel Economy: 35.6
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 35.6
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
Years ago when I wrote a full test of the then newly-redesigned 2006 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T, it had a very handy umbrella tucked into the driver door panel. You might find that a bit gimmicky but the car also had two cooled storages compartments and a number of clever storage areas throughout.
You could argue that in 2006 the Passat had gotten a little big for its breeches. As my mother would say, it was putting on airs, reaching out of its class. The same was happening throughout the segment, the cars were getting larger, packed with more features and the prices were climbing. Wasn't this supposed to be an affordable segment?
In recent years, Volkswagen redesigned the Passat by making it roomier, downgrading the interior materials and dropping the price. It was back where it should have been before hyperinflation.
Our 2013 VW Passat TDI is still a nice car. It's reasonably priced, offers an impressive assortment of features, but isn't reaching too high. There's no umbrella, but there is a Fender audio system, some nice wood trim in unexpected places like at the top of the dash, and all the modern conveniences that you would expect like power adjustable heated seats, dual-zone climate controls, and a back-up camera.
We'll have lots to explore over the next twelve months.
It was a short month of city driving in our newest long-term test car, and our best fill-up during these first 520 miles netted a modest 31.7 mpg. Not so great, but it's early, and our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI will go on plenty of road trips.
Our car has the DSG six-speed, dual-clutch automated manual transmission, so it's functionally the automatic version of the diesel Passat. It carries an EPA fuel economy rating of 30 mpg in the city, 40 on the highway and 34 combined. Interestingly, the conventional manual-shift Passat TDI still earns slightly higher ratings at 31 city/43 highway/35 combined. In real life, though, the mpg differences between these two should be negligible and our DSG-equipped VW Passat TDI will be easier to deal with in heavy traffic.
Worst Fill MPG: 27.1
Best Fill MPG: 33.0
Average Lifetime MPG: 31.6
EPA MPG Rating (City/Highway/Combined): 30 city/40 highway/34 combined
Best Range: 417.8 miles
Current Odometer: 1,154 miles
You've heard this story before. I merge onto Interstate 10 heading east one evening last week. Almost immediately, I hear a warning chime from our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI's tire pressure monitoring system. There's also a visual message in the trip computer advising me to check the tires.
I can feel a loss of pressure in the driver-side rear tire. I take the next exit and pull over at a fuel station.
I get my tire gauge and check the label on the driver door jamb: The cold-spec psi for our car's 235/45R18 94H Continental ContiProContact tires is 33 psi. I walk to the left rear tire and, sure enough, it's way low: 13 psi as you see on my gauge.
It's 9:30 p.m. and I'm of the mind that I'd rather try to see if the tire will hold air than fuss with the donut spare, especially since our Passat has the same annoying lugnut caps we had on both our long-term 2011 GTI and Jetta TDI. I pump the tire up to 35 psi, and it seems to be holding.
I drive 30 miles, and when I arrive home, the tire still shows 35 psi on my gauge. Of course, now the tire has heat in it, so it actually has lost a few psi during my drive. Otherwise, it would read about 38 psi now.
The next morning, I check the pressure again and it's down to 25 psi. I drive to a nearby Goodyear tire shop with the hope that one of the techs there can patch the tire and send me on my way. But nope, the nail that I apparently ran over went in exactly where the tread meets the sidewall. Nice work, me.
The shop doesn't have our tire in stock, but the manager tells me he can order it for me and have it within two hours. The list price on the tire is $189.99, not including tax and labor. On a whim, I call the VW dealership up the street to see if they have the tire in stock and/or will beat the price. Turns out they don't have the tire and their price is $203 before tax and labor, so the Goodyear store gets my business.
The manager offers to have the donut spare put on our Passat in the interim, but since I'm not going far on this particular day, I decline and ask them to pump up the punctured tire and I'll just make do until later than afternoon.
About two and a half hours later, I get a call that the new tire is in and I return to the shop. They have me out of there in 30 minutes, so it's a good experience. With labor and tax, the total damage is $234.73.
You'll notice the trunk is open in the photos of the Passat from the shop. Apparently, the tech has dealt with a few Volkswagens with the infernal lugnut caps before and knows he'll need to retrieve the special tool to remove them from the trunk.
"How do you like those lugnut covers?" I ask.
"I hate them," he replies.
I noticed it as soon as I started driving. The Passat's seat isn't centered on its steering wheel. And it makes me crazy.
This morning I broke out a measuring tape and found the lateral centerline of the seat. I then taped a piece of string right down the middle. Did the same with the steering wheel using the VW logo and lower spokes as a symmetry reference. The string is largely covered in these photos with the red lines I put them over for better visibility. The yellow arrow shows the misalignment. I'd estimate it's an inch or so off.
Come one, Volkswagen. This won't fly with anyone who isn't married to a chiropractor, which I am not.
Diesels are torquey. This isn't news. However, the diesel in our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI really squirts when you give the right pedal a healthy roll-on from a standstill. In fact, after a very brief pause as the variable-nozzle turbo works up enough steam, the boost comes on, and the torque hits so hard that this big sedan will actually rip a tire loose momentarily before the traction control intervenes. Again, this is not even using full "throttle." I'm loving this engine already.
The traction control system could be less conservative though, as it trims the power too much and for too long when it senses wheelspin.
Mental note: Turn off the Passat's traction control every time I get into it. That way I can use the traction control system built into my right ankle.
It's what VW's TDI-powered cars are famous for: range. But until I refueled today it hadn't registered with me how far this car will go on a single tank. Try 750 miles according to the on-board computer. For perspective, that's enough range to drive from our office in Santa Monica to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Your bladder will never forgive you.
This is the touchscreen display used for audio, navigation, phone and various other functions in our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL. Since I still haven't moved to the 21st century, I listen to a lot of AM and FM radio in this car.
As you can see, there are two different ways to switch between radio bands on the center stack. You can use this hard button (above) or you can use the soft key on the display itself and bring up a submenu. For some reason, I'm partial to the latter method.
However, I've found that sometimes it's hard to press the correct spot on the band "buttons" and, oftentimes, even when you do press them correctly, the system is slow to respond and switch from FM to AM.
Recently, I became impatient with the lag time and hit the AM button repeatedly. This was a bad idea. The screen froze with the radio band submenu expanded (just as you see above) and wouldn't respond to inputs for about 10 minutes. During that time, the audio system was nonfunctional and the whole car was quiet (i.e., no Dodgers game could be heard).
Finally, the screen went black and the system rebooted itself. Very likely, I could have forced a reboot sooner by turning off the car and turning it back on, but we were on the freeway, so it wasn't practical.
Of course, this is exactly the kind of thing that has occurred with the MyFord Touch interface in our long-term Focus ST, not to mention every smartphone and tablet I've ever owned. Needless to say, touchscreen technology is not infallible. I think what makes this kind of thing more frustrating in our Passat (and various Fords we've owned) is that it's not as easy to reboot on the fly as it is with an iPhone.
Our 2013 Volkswagen Passat shouldn't really get credit for having a simple shift mechanism. That sort of thing used to be standard in any car with an automatic. But these days such a setup isn't guaranteed.
Plenty of manufacturers have tried to reinvent the wheel by using updated shift mechanisms with all sorts of added "features". Some barely move so as to create more space for cupholders while others are covered in auxiliary buttons.
As you can see, our Passat's shifter is as plain as they get. No extra buttons, no unnecessary gates and even a nicely detailed knob. It's refreshingly simple, like the rest of the interior and I like it.
Ed Hellwig, Executive Editor
I made you a video tour of our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI. Click through to view after the jump...
We've had a lot of Volkswagen test vehicles with the TDI engine come through the Edmunds long-term program over the years. (Most recently, and the only one currently available to read about, was a 2011 Jetta TDI.) For our new Passat TDI, the driving experience is pleasingly familiar, and I'm sure we'll have a lot of updates during the next year about that.
But one new thing that is different about the Passat TDI is that for emissions purposes it requires the use of a diesel exhaust fluid additive (DEF).
Volkswagen uses DEF (it's called AdBlue, a brand name, in the owner's manual) to help the larger, heavier Passat meet emission requirements. It's the same for the Touareg SUV TDI. The smaller Jetta/Golf TDI doesn't use a DEF system.
You can do a lot more reading about how DEF works on other sites (this one is quite good) but basically for the Passat, DEF refills are part of the service intervals (10,000 miles will be our first). Given that we have our vehicles serviced at the dealership, and that basic maintenance is free/covered by Volkswagen for the first three years or 36,000 miles, the DEF refills will pretty much be invisible to us.
Refilling AdBlue is very easy (it's done through a fill point in the trunk). But for somebody planning on owning a Passat TDI a long time and/or doing basic maintenance himself, it's still something to be aware of.
This is more the fault of the gas station and diesel fuel in general than of our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI, but pumping diesel fuel is dirty business.
I know, I know, diesel is much cleaner burning than it used to be. But pumping the stuff can be nasty. This isn't a particularly dirty gas station, but the diesel pump gets a cruddy build-up that the regular gas pumps don't get. My fingers get black soot on them that isn't easy to wash off without scrubby soap. Next time, I'll hold the handle with paper towels if they are available.
I don't mind the additional rumbly noise that comes with a diesel-powered vehicle. And I certainly don't mind the long range I get on a tank of diesel fuel. Would this grime stand in your way of buying a diesel-powered car? I think it would for me. That and the fact that the three gas stations in my neighborhood don't offer diesel fuel so I have to go out of my way to fill up.
I've had a summer vacation trip planned to California's central coast for a while. The week has finally arrived, and I happened to be signed up for the long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI.
My trip has only just started, but I'm already enjoying the Passat quite a bit.
By road trip standards, this trip with my family (wife, two young children) isn't very long, only about 150 miles each way (about three hours driving time given the roads used). But even on this relatively short trip, the Passat is winning me over with its comfort, room and diesel-boosted fuel economy and range.
I did have to pack up quite a bit of stuff, so the Passat's large trunk proved useful. I happen to like its squared off shape as it makes it easy to be efficient with space. (I took a picture without luggage so you could better see available room.)
The Passat is well suited for long-distance travel, boasting flat but comfy front seats and a smooth ride. The Passat's healthy amount of rear legroom is wasted on my kids, but I still managed to take advantage of it by using the extra floor space to carry more stuff (I fit a medium-sized cooler behind the front passenger seat, for instance).
Of course, that TDI engine is a highway mile-eating beast. I'll post final fuel economy in my next update, but based on the in-car fuel economy gauge I'll be easily above 40 mpg for this mostly highway-based trip. Plus, I suspect I'll use less than half a tank of gas.
The only thing I noticed that we really need to get taken care of soon (given how much I think this car will be used for long trips) is a wheel alignment. The Passat has a noticeable pull to the right, and doing three hours of minor counter-steering got pretty old.
We added about 2,000 miles to our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI during June. The majority of that came from normal driving around Los Angeles, but we did use the car for a 400-mile road trip at the end of the month.
For June, we averaged 38.3 mpg. That's about 4 mpg above the EPA's 34 mpg estimate for combined driving. The Passat's lifetime average is a bit lower at 36.7 mpg but overall this is one of the few cars in our fleet that looks like it will stay above the EPA's combined estimate for its stay with us.
We also got the most miles so far out of a tank of fuel this month: 616 miles (from 15.9 gallons of diesel).
Worst Fill MPG: 27.1
Best Fill MPG: 40.1
Average Lifetime MPG: 36.7
EPA MPG Rating (City/Highway Combined): 34
Best Range: 616 miles
Current Odometer: 3,120 miles
This is the second update from my recent road trip to California's central coast. I've got the final fuel economy numbers here, which has a bit more fuel economy detail to go along with our recent mpg update for June.
In total the trip was about 420 miles of driving. In terms of mileage totals, most of that was from highway driving at about 60 to 70 mph with the air conditioning on. But I also did some in-town trips with the car (loading up the family to go to restaurants, for instance) plus some back-road driving on the return leg in lieu of pure highway.
With all that, the Passat turned in 40.1 mpg, our best mpg number so far. (EPA combined is 34 mpg.) One mildly amusing anecdote: at one point during the drive home, my wife looked over to the gauge cluster, noticed that the fuel gauge was still reading above half a tank, and asked: "When did you stop to get gas?"
Of course, I hadn't stopped. It's just that the Passat TDI has got so much potential range that it would throw a lot of people off. For that 40.1 mpg, I fuelled up with 10.4 gallons of diesel. The Passat's maximum tank capacity is listed at 18.5 gallons.
Great fuel economy is why you buy a 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI. But if you happen to find yourself on a curvy two-lane road, the handling capabilities of this fuel miser are still on par for a family sedan.
It feels secure when driving around turns, not floppy or loose. At least that's my opinion after driving our long-term car on about 20 miles of road like the one pictured above. The steering doesn't convey much information to the driver, but few family sedans these days really do anyway.
Recently I came across a study that concluded that a diesel-fuelled new car can save its owner potentially thousands of dollars over five years of ownership compared to a regular gasoline version of the same car.
The Volkswagen Passat TDI wasn't part of the study, though the Golf and Jetta TDI were. Here the study concluded that the VW TDI models would cost less to own than the regular versions over three- to five-year timeframes, taking into account factors such as fuel efficiency, fuel prices and resale value.
However, you can use Edmunds' True Cost To Own (TCO) calculation to arrive at similar figures for the Passat TDI. I plugged in a 2012 VW Passat TDI SEL Premium and a gas 2.5 SEL Premium. Five-year Edmunds TCO for the TDI is $46,758, while the 2.5 is $48,379.
Based on this, going with the TDI version of the Passat would save you an estimated $1,621.
If you're buying a 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI, you're not going to find one with cloth upholstery. Even the starting TDI SE model comes standard with leatherette (premium vinyl). But if you go with the top TDI trim level, the SEL Premium (like our car), you get leather upholstery with these front-seat faux-suede inserts.
For a midsize family sedan, this leather and faux suede (Volkswagen calls it "Dimamica") combination isn't very common. Yet I happen to like the way it looks and feels. I've driven a Passat with leatherette, and I much prefer the leather/suede combo of the SEL Premium. It gives off a premium vibe that nicely matches the character of the car.
If I were a sales rep who had to do a lot of driving, I would love to have our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI as my company car. (And yes, I'll have to assume here that I'd be good enough of a sales rep to get a company car.)
The Passat TDI is ideal for a lot of highway driving. The seats are comfortable for multi-hour trips, the suspension provides a very nice highway ride quality, fuel economy is very impressive and the fuel range is just bonkers. There are other nice qualities as well, including useful cupholders and a solid-sounding Fender-branded audio system (with the SEL Premium trim level).
Plus, I think the Passat looks pretty sharp on the outside, helping me to impress my clients.
Our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI gets 40 mpg out of its 140-horsepower 2.0-liter turbodiesel. What does that translate to on the track? Check our track test to find out.
2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Track Test
You can fit the starting midfield for the German national soccer team in the 2013 Volkswagen Passat's rear-seat, yet the center console is this skinny, inefficient space. I think even the Focus ST's is larger. Lame.
Look, no one's gonna mistake the Passat for a driver's car. It's a nice, big utility sedan with a premium sheen. As such, give me big bins and compartments where I can throw keys, phone, wallet, sunglasses, gate opener, a compact camera sometimes, access cards to the office and garage, and other junk that attaches itself throughout the day.
In the Passat, you get the glovebox, low side-door pockets and this console. Armrest is nice, though.
When you fill up many cars, especially those of the more high-performance variety, it's quite common for the DTE gauge to read about 325 miles when it resets. It wasn't too long ago when that was common for more mundane cars as well, such as the VR6-powered 2000 VW Jetta I drove for seven years. Getting 325 miles out of her would've been a good tank.
And yet, with 325 miles to go, our Volkswagen Passat TDI was looking at a half tank when I took the keys last night. Just astonishing, and that's presumably with no effort made to be thrifty. I really hope that we try a few bladder-busting range challenges this year. Given that the Passat TDI in our 40-MPG Challenge actually managed 50 mpg on I-15 between Vegas and LA, we could see some truly epic distances.
I just got back from driving the all-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, a car with a spectacular cabin highlighted by its tasteful application of wood trim. It's integrated beautifully into the design and when removed, say in the carbon fiber-equipped S63, the cabin loses a lot of its panache.
Having said that, I'm usually not a fan of wood trim in cars since it's so rarely done well. Exhibit A: Our long-term Volkswagen Passat TDI. Indeed, it would appear to have even more wood trim than the new S-Class, but it's completely unconvincing and in such abundance that I can't decide if it's tacky or just horribly out of fashion. Nevermind, it's both. It's on the dash, the console, the doors and on the thin trim piece just below the windshield. It turns what is otherwise a cool, Teutonic environment into an homage to the Hyundai XG350.
Unfortunately, the plastic forest is required on today's top-of-the-line VW Passat. If you want the lower trims' metal look trim, you'll have to do without all the other extras included on the SEL Premium. To me, all that fake wood actually looks less premium.
Senior Editor Josh Jacquot says our Passat is where personality comes to die. It's a typically caustic Jacquot assessment of any car that can't get air or handle a rally stage, but it's not totally fair. Yes, the steering wheel is inexplicably off-center, annoyingly so. The center console is almost useless. The brakes are grabby.
But the 2013 VW Passat TDI has personality. It's tempting to tag it with our classic German stereotypes: stoic, clinical, humorless. Few of which I believe anyway. Break bread with a group of German backpackers on holiday and you won't either.
The Passat is actually pretty orderly and warm. The gauges, vents and center stack are laid out in clean, symmetrical form (which makes the skewed steering wheel even more bothersome). The wood overlay and classic three-knob climate controls are a nice touch, the latter a reminder that opposable thumbs prefer twisting and pressing, rather than pinching and pecking at smudgy touchscreens.
I'm especially digging the ridgeline along the Passat's dash with its wood strip inlay, high-frequency speakers, and attendant Fender logos. There's no particular reason it should be there, other than to break up an otherwise expansive dash horizon. It's a nice, understated design element, far from the overwrought expression of, say, the Focus ST or even the Fusion's cabin.
I'm pretty sure once Jacquot jumps this thing, it'll grow on him.
I had an awkwardly shaped TV stand and a 6-foot-2 floor lamp to transport a few blocks. Now, I could've taken the easy route and used my wife's Mazda 3 hatchback, but what kind of automotive journalist would I be if I did that? Before going to the bullpen, so to speak, I had to see if my own starting pitcher was up to the task.
Given that our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI is enormous, it certainly had a better chance than its midsize sedan competitors. With the 40 side of the split back seat lowered, the lamp fit straight-away even with my driver seat rolled back. The Mazda certainly would've required angling the lamp in some way. The TV stand was trickier, but after playing with the back seat configuration, it managed to fit in the 60 portion seat. If I had been going further I would've secured it and protected the interior from scrapes, but as it was, everything (including the back seat trim) arrived intact.
With its 15.9-cubic-foot trunk and huge back seat, the VW Passat is a cargo-hauling champ. Well, at least as far as sedans go.
We put 1,225 miles on our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI during the month of July. That's a low total for us, but several of us are planning road trips in August, including our technical director, Dan Edmunds, who will be traveling to Oregon. One way or another, we'll get our diesel Passat's mileage up.
Although no one topped last month's range record of 616 miles, we set a new high for mpg on a single tank at 42.4 mpg.
We also recorded a new low for mpg at 25.2 mpg. Blame Southern California traffic for that one. Nevertheless, our VW Passat TDI's lifetime fuel economy is already above its EPA Combined rating at 36.3 mpg. Not bad at all considering we haven't even made it to the 5,000-mile mark.
Worst Fill MPG: 25.2
Best Fill MPG: 42.4
Average Lifetime MPG: 36.3
EPA MPG Rating: 34 Combined (30 City / 40 Highway)
Best Range: 616 miles
Current Odometer: 4,346 miles
I recently became a homeowner, and as you might guess from the exterior paint, said home is a true fixer-upper. My task this weekend was to unearth the house's original wood floors from decades of carpeting and prepare them for refinishing. I made countless runs between the house and the hardware store in our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI. Later in the weekend, when our work was finished, we made a trip to Angel Stadium for Sunday's Angels-Blue Jays game.
I've driven the current-generation Passat 2.5 before, and it didn't do much for me. But the more I drove our diesel Passat, the more I liked it.
The low-end torque is certainly a big part of it. Our Passat is not quick, and as with other diesel VWs equipped with this particular dual-clutch automated manual transmission, there's a short-lived, but noticeable delay in response when you ease into the throttle. Actually, with the delay, you really can't ease into it. You have to be deliberate with your right foot. But you do learn to live with it, because once this big sedan is moving, there's enough torque here to catch most of the holes in traffic.
Ride quality is the other thing I really like about this car. The Passat gives you just about the ideal balance. There's ample cushioning over the roughest sections of the I-5 and I-710 freeways, yet the VW generally feels composed and steady, you know, like a real German sedan.
The only thing I don't care for so far is the brake pedal feel. It feels like not much is happening in the initial pedal travel (something we noticed when we track-tested the car). So, then you press a bit harder, and the brakes come on with more force than you need. I'm getting better, but it's hard to brake smoothly in stop-and-go traffic.
Our 2013 VW Passat TDI has crossed the 5,000-mile mark after about 2.5 months. So far it's had an unfortunate run-in with a nail and the touchscreen interface can be awfully slow to respond to the point that something may be wrong. I flat-out couldn't get the iPhone interface to work while paired to Bluetooth. Given that this same interface in our long-term Beetle and other VW's worked without such issues, this could require a dealer visit at some point.
Otherwise, our Passat TDI is humming along to the tune of 36.3 mpg versus the EPA's 34 mpg combined. Hopefully that'll nudge up even further when I drive on the same Las Vegas route the Passat managed an incredible 50-mpg on during the 40-MPG Challenge.
The perfect car for the journey. That pretty much sums up my experience with the Volkswagen Passat TDI as it transported two couples and a trunk filled with their stuff to Las Vegas and back. The only better cars would surely cost $90,000.
As a 6-foot-3 driver, it's not very often that a full-size adult can fit behind me over long distances without one of us feeling mushed. Yet with the giant Passat, I didn't have to (as usual) put my tiny wife behind me or even care how far I moved my seat back. As for the trunk, it managed three sizeable Roll-aboard suitcases, an overnight bag, my briefcase and a 36-liter roller cooler that impressively fit all the way rearward. No Tetris needed, it all went in without effort.
Big deal, you might say. A lot of full-size sedans could manage that. Perhaps, but how many could've achieved 41.2 mpg on the journey? That's not as good as the in-car meter reported (46.3 mpg) or an empty Passat TDI accomplished in our ironically named 40-MPG Challenge (51.3 mpg), but it's still better than the EPA's 40 estimate. Furthermore, driving the Passat TDI is vastly better than some equally fuel-sipping hybrid. Its torque-rich engine is definitely a boon when trying to pass left-lane automotive ruminants on southbound Interstate 15, which on a Sunday, has to be the most aggravating stretch of freeway on the planet. Seriously, how damn hard is it to maintain your speed on a hill? If you're having trouble, there's this thing called cruise control.
Where was I? Ah yes, the Passat TDI. I said in the beginning that the only better cars would cost $90,000, thinking about the Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec and Audi A8 TDI. On second thought, though, the A8 has a significantly smaller trunk than the Passat and the S350 is likely to fall 10 mpg short of the humble Volkswagen. So in that way, I feel safe in calling this one. The VW Passat TDI: the perfect car for a road trip with four adults.
After my experience with our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI the previous weekend, it really wasn't surprising that our large VW managed a three-person golf outing with ease.
As the photo shows, our golf bags, including Takahashi's silly giant cart bag, fit width-ways with drivers (as in the golf club, not the car pilot) in place. In many cars you need to remove the driver (ditto) or place a bag or two diagonally. The Passat's trunk couldn't make it easier, and in fact, we probably could've fit in an extra bag if our fourth passenger had decided to join us (see below).
But sadly, Maggie decided to visit some dog friends while we hit the links. Didn't stop her from saying hi to Mark, though.
My bicycle was stolen recently. I'll spare you the details, but there was a lot of pouting, and the bike needed replacing. Summer is in full swing and I haven't spent nearly enough time outdoors, so I enlisted the services of our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI to check out a second-hand bike from an ad on Craigslist.
No surprise, the bike fit without any issues.
I used the quick-release on the bike's front wheel, and got it in the trunk without any fuss. There was plenty of room to spare for more cargo or even a backseat passenger if the need arose. If I needed to haul a second bike, I'm sure a game of trunk Tetris would ensue and I'd eventually be able to fit that in as well.
I'm happy to have wheels again, and my next stop in the Passat will be the bike shop, where I'll pick up a stronger lock.
My to-do list for the weekend was short, but it included the demolition of the bathrooms at my new old house. I could have rented a truck to haul around the shop vac, six-foot ladder and assortment of pry bars and sledgehammers I borrowed from friends, but the more time I spend with our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI, the more respect I have for its hauling capabilities.
The VW's trunk measures 15.9 cubic feet. That's a healthy number for a family sedan, but what really makes this car useful is the huge pass-through space when you fold down the 60/40-split rear seats.
There's not so much space that you're going to be loading up your Passat with 4-by-8-foot sheets of plywood, but the 3-by-6-foot piece of wood that I had cut at the hardware store (to cover and protect our 1950s' bathtub from flying pink tiles) fit easily.
Before this project, I don't think I had enough appreciation for large trunks and 60/40 rear seats. Most other family sedans give you good trunk space, but not all of them have a split-folding seat. And in this situation, our Passat provided just enough utility that I didn't have to rent a truck (the long-term Silverado wasn't available). And I find it more comfortable and enjoyable to drive than similarly priced compact crossover SUVs.
Earlier this week, I made a road trip from Los Angeles to California's Napa Valley and back in 30 hours. Needless to say, there was little time to linger in the tasting rooms, but it was a relaxing trip in our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI.
I've told you before how I like the way this car rides around L.A., and that also held true over the monotonous stretches of Interstate 5. The driver seat ranks above average in my book, too. I rarely got uncomfortable, even on the return leg when I hopped into the Passat for the 450-mile trip after a day of driving other cars around Napa.
It's also a quiet ride. I'm not thrilled with the sealing properties of the driver door's weather stripping, which lets in more wind than I'd like (though it's not nearly as bad as the seals on our long-term GTI), but there's minimal noise from the tires.
There were times when I wished the Passat TDI's 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder packed a meaner punch (it's good for 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque), and these times were mainly during passing maneuvers, when I simply wasn't able to grab holes in traffic and pull away from other drivers with the authority I prefer.
However, there's plenty to like about our diesel Passat's automated manual transmission, which swaps gears quickly once you're on the move. Finally, I hate stopping to refuel when I'm in a hurry, and I only had to stop one time on this trip. I'll divulge my new range record (which will be broken by Mike Magrath in about 5 minutes) in a subsequent update.
We put 2,928 miles on our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI in August. Not only did we plump our lifetime average to 37.7 mpg (up from a mere 36.3 a month ago), we set new highs for both mpg and miles traveled on a single tank.
Interestingly, these feats did not occur on the same tank. James Riswick is the new record holder for mpg, as he logged 43.8 mpg on a 452.2-mile tank on August 11.
Later in the month, yours truly traveled 733.5 miles from Kettleman City, California, to St. Helena, CA, and then to Long Beach, CA, before finally refueling in Santa Monica. I wasn't particularly light on the gas pedal during that tank and I only managed 41.7 mpg. With the right driver at the wheel (i.e., not me), our diesel Passat could easily make it to 800 miles. I've included a photo of my 700-mile tank, but ignore the optimistic range estimate: I snapped the shot while the VW was refueling.
As you may have noticed in the top photo, I also pulled into a 76 station in Long Beach that sells diesel, but couldn't sell it to me. This station is evidently aimed at truckers using the 91 freeway, and those large-diameter nozzles wouldn't fit in the Passat's slender filler neck. It was too bad, because they were selling it for a good price.
Our overall average for August was 39.7 mpg (over those 2,928 miles), and our lowest tank of the month netted 35.4 mpg.
Worst Fill MPG: 25.2
Best Fill MPG: 43.8
Average Lifetime MPG: 37.7
EPA MPG Rating (City/Highway/Combined): 34 Combined (30 City / 40 Highway)
Best Range: 733.5 miles
Current Odometer: 7,247 miles
A couple of us had noticed recently that our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI was pulling to the right. And during my recent 900-mile road trip to the Napa Valley, it was undeniable. I always had the steering wheel cocked slightly to the left as I cruised up Interstate 5.
Upon my return to Los Angeles, I took the Passat to our local Santa Monica shop, Stokes Tire Pros, for an alignment.
A tech quickly confirmed that the Passat was indeed out of alignment. (In the midst of the day's tasks, I did not take time to inquire just how far off the factory specs it actually was. My bad. Sorry.) For $135, we got both an alignment and a tire rotation (we didn't feel like waiting until the 10,000-mile maintenance interval).
I picked up the Passat later than afternoon, and sure enough, when I hold the steering wheel straight, our diesel VW now goes straight.
Take a look underneath our long-term VW Passat TDI. Photos by Scott Jacobs.
I'm aware that we're beating you over the head with joyous posts about the 2013 VW Passat's cavernous space and cargo ability. Now it's my turn to contribute. But there's an important lesson in here, if for no one but me.
I started playing drums long before I could drive. Once I could drive, a whole new world opened to me: gigs. Primarily high school and college house parties, and bars where the manager wasn't particularly concerned with the ages of the musicians.
My Nissan pickup at the time was the perfect hauler. The open bed was a security worry, but sharing a bit of the evening's earnings with the doorman always kept our cars safe from fast fingers. That Nissan ingrained in me the belief that I'd always want a truck if I was to keep playing drums and lugging them around.
But I have to admit, the Passat has shown me another way.
A more grown-up or sophisticated option, let's say. Nothing wrong with trucks, SUVs and wagons, of course. But the way the Passat recently consumed my entire drum kit (drums in bulky hardshell cases, cymbals, and hardware) and still left an open front passenger seat and plenty of trunk space to work with, was pretty impressive. Admittedly, rolling up to the gig in a Passat in not very metal, but suits the odd jazz night or Kraftwerk cover band pretty well.
Not ready to give up my SUV yet, but the old pile is long since paid off and I have the luxury of keeping her around for kicks. If I was limited to a single, multitasking car however, the Passat makes a good case for itself here.
Some Edmunds editors were talking about the pros and cons of technology in our long-term cars and the topic of the 2013 Volkswagen Passat and phone pairing came up. The secret, Ed Hellwig said, is to ignore the phone icon on the left of the steering wheel. It will not get you where you want to go. Instead, you work off the Multi-Function Indicator (MFI) in the center of the instrument panel.
Since I had just signed out the car for the night, this was a valuable tip. I easily found my way to the Phone menu in the MFI and proceeded with pairing from there. Bluetooth Audio was also a cinch to fire up.
This was a reminder that sometimes the easiest way to learn a bit of car tech is not through guesswork or a manual, but to have someone walk you through it. Also helpful are tech videos like this one, created by a dealership, Luther Park Place Volkswagen in Rochester, MI.
When you're learning the ways of a car, do you prefer trial and error, show and tell, or RTFM?
Our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI comes with a rear-view camera standard in the SEL Premium edition.
Some safety advocates are suing the federal government to make rear-view cameras mandatory on new cars.
Two questions for you: Does your car have a rear-view camera? Do you think it is something that should be considered mandatory safety equipment?
Read more in this Edmunds news article:
Feds, Safety Advocates Fight Over Rear-View Camera Recommendation
When I was growing up my older sister was always on the phone. This was back in the day before call-waiting, texting, etc. So, she tied up the home line for hours. I'm the total opposite. I dislike talking on the phone and to this day, very rarely talk on the phone while driving.
I know a lot of my colleagues pair their phones to our long-term cars using Bluetooth and also use Bluetooth for music, etc.
I'm not there yet and probably will never bother pairing my phone to a car.
When I start our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat, the car tries to pair with the last phone that was connected. Then it tries every other name on its list of pairings. Then it seems to get disappointed when I don't jack in.
My questions for you today: Do you use Bluetooth and why or why not?
After a record-breaking August, our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI settled into more mundane city driving during the month of September. Not surprisingly, its mileage figures reflected the stop-and-go conditions of our daily commutes.
The overall average dropped from 37.7 mpg last month to 36.5 mpg in Sept. Not exactly gas guzzler territory, but a notable drop nonetheless. We only went through about four tanks of gas over the last four weeks so the overall number of miles driven was considerably less than in August as well.
Still, it's pretty impressive mileage for a sedan of the Passat's size, so few were disappointed in the numbers. Wish we could same the same about the brake pedal feel.
Worst Fill MPG: 25.2
Best Fill MPG: 43.8
Average Lifetime MPG: 36.5
EPA MPG Rating: 19 Combined (16 City / 23 Highway)
Best Range: 733.5 miles
Current Odometer: 8264 miles
Our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI has a lot of good things going for it. It's fuel efficient, easy to drive, quiet, comfortable and has a ton of space for passengers and stuff. It was that last bit that made me sign out the Passat when the girlfriend's parents came to L.A. for a visit.
Unfortunately, the VW Passat's rear seats, while spacious, have a shortcoming.
The rear ventilation in the Passat is lousy. It's been surprisingly warm in L.A. lately and, even when it's not, you keep the windows up when slogging through the city. Front seat passengers were comfortable the whole time, but those camped out in back were constantly complaining about the heat. Chock that one up to the Passat having only this tiny HVAC register in the back of the center console. Nothing in the doors. Nothing apparent coming out from under the front seats like in other large sedans.
I wasn't expecting my rear passengers to have Phaeton levels of rear-seat comfort, but I was hoping they'd get more than a whisper of A/C.
The 2013 Passat has a very large trunk, which is good, because I need to move a very large dress.
Seeing how it's my wedding dress, I don't want to roll it into a ball and shove it in the trunk of any ol' compact sedan. I want to lay it out gently, tuck it in with freshly washed hands.
The VW's 16 cubic-feet of clean cargo capacity make a nice nest for the many layers of girly poof that are hiding in the white garment bag.
Now it's off to the tailor to get the big dress ready for the big day.
You may have seen us mention in some other updates that the brakes in our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL can seem inconsistent (or "grabby") when coming to a stop. I've got more on the subject.
Here's an example of what we're talking about: You're coming up to a stop sign in our Passat. You apply the brakes, just like you do in every other car. Everything's nice and linear in regards to deceleration until about 15 mph. Then all the sudden the Passat unexpectedly slows down even more quickly. And no, your pressure on the brake pedal didn't change. The result? Either you pull up 15 feet short of the stop sign, or you have to ease off the brakes to get back to the rate of deceleration you wanted.
It can be annoying for sure. But it doesn't have anything to do with the brakes.
Instead, this quirk comes about from our car having the DSG automated manual transmission. Based on my observations, it seems as if the transmission downshifts to first or second gear (hard to tell) right around that 15 mph mark. And that extra engine braking is what causes the change in deceleration.
I've tested this by placing the car in neutral as I come to a stop, and the Passat's braking is perfectly linear then. Also, I noticed exactly the same issue in our long-term 2011 VW Jetta with the TDI and DSG combo.
As a minor defense of the Passat, I will say that this is something that affects us more than it does the typical TDI owner. If you drive the car all the time, you naturally get used to the extra braking and subconsciously ease off the brakes to equal it all out. Or, you just buy the car with the manual transmission.
One of the aspects that I've come to appreciate more with our 2013 Volkswagen Passat is its styling. There's nothing really flashy or dramatic going on. Instead, the Passat just looks clean and handsome to me.
From a long-term ownership standpoint, I think that's important.
Styling is subjective, of course, and everybody has their own opinion. But just like clothes fashion, a car design that can seem really great right now can become a "what were they thinking?" 10 years from now.
I think the Passat's classic look will be immune to this. And if I were planning on buying a new family sedan and keeping it for a long time, this is something that would definitely enter my mind.
When you buy the top-of-the-line SEL for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI, you get a variety of exclusive upgrades, including partial leather upholstery (with faux-suede seat inserts), remote ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, the Fender premium sound system, driver seat memory settings and a power front passenger seat. You also get an upgraded navigation system with traffic and Travel Link information.
Seems like good stuff, right? It is. However, that last feature, VW's "RNS 510" navigation system, also comes with a touchscreen and iPod interface that can be finicky to use.
"A touchscreen interface that Edmunds dislikes? That's crazy talk, Brent!" I know, I know. It can seem like we're constantly taking issue with these systems. But for our Passat's interface, the iPod/music interface can really be distracting. Sometimes you get a quick response to your touch, sometimes you'll get a slow response (2 to 3 seconds), and sometimes you get no response. And while these qualities seem mostly related to when I have the "Media" input selected (my iPhone/iPod, in this case) I've experienced it at least once with the radio stations, too. (Erin also wrote an update where the system completely froze up.)
It really is a driving distraction, and it's made even worse by the lack of a tuning knob for iPod control. The head unit has one, but it doesn't seem to work for moving through lists.
The funny thing is, I don't recall slow speeds or responses being an issue with the lower-level navigation system, the "RNS 315," that comes with just about every other VW, including the Jetta and the Passat SE with the Sunroof and Navigation package. And a Web search does seem to indicate that our car isn't the only one suffering from this RNS 510 problem.
Maybe this issue is just a firmware update or reset away from being fixed. But nevertheless, it's annoying.
A couple of days ago the tire pressure warning light illuminated in our 2013 Volkswagen Passat. It happened in the morning, and I thought it might be due to the colder temperatures recently. But no such luck. The Passat had a screw firmly implanted in its front passenger-side tire.
Fortunately, the leak was slow enough that I could make it over to a local tire shop (Tire Pros in Fresno, Calif.) that I find to be reputable. They were able to fit me in quickly, and I was back on the road in less than an hour. Cost: $20 for the repair.
I'm writing this update a few days later, and so far all seems well with the tire.
One of the 2013 Volkswagen Passat's attributes for the latest generation car is its generous amount of rear seat space. Normally, you think of this helping out with fitting a car-load of adults, but it's actually quite handy if you're installing bulky child safety seats, too.
The safety seats for infants and very small children typically install in a rear-facing position. Consequently, they take up a lot of room. And if you're installing one in an outboard seating position, you can encounter clearance problems with the front seats.
In the Passat, though, there's so much rear legroom available that rear-facing seats aren't a problem. In the above photo, the driver seat was set for me, and I'm 5-foot 10-inches tall. There was still plenty of room left, so taller drivers shouldn't have any issues, either.
While I don't expect installing a rear-facing safety seat will be a troublesome issue for any new top family sedan, the Passat's plus-sized rear seat is certainly a bonus for young families.
As we've been reporting since we got our 2013 Volkswagen Passat as a long-term test, the TDI diesel engine is pretty cool. It's fuel efficient, suitably powered for everyday driving and provides a very impressive amount of fuel range. It's got some character, too.
But if I were thinking about buying a Passat for the 2014 model year, I'd have a harder time immediately making the TDI my engine of choice.
Reason number one is the Passat's new 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that comes out for 2014. Debuting for the SEL trim level (like our car) first, the 1.8 replaces the previous 2.5-liter inline-5. Horsepower is the same as the inline-5 (170 hp), but there's more torque and, most importantly, better fuel economy (28 mpg combined). One of our editors has driven a Passat with this engine and found it to be pretty impressive.
The TDI still gets better fuel economy (34 combined with DSG). But you do have to pay more for it up front (a couple grand, typically). I wrote an earlier post noting that diesel ownership should be less expensive over the long run, but for 2014 the gap is no doubt narrower.
There are new competing models coming out in 2014 that also seem intriguing to me. One is the upcoming 2014 Mazda 6 diesel. It's been delayed until the spring, but it does look to finally be an alternative diesel offering for a family sedan. Also new: the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid and its 47 mpg combined rating. We already think very highly of the latest Accord, and the hybrid version looks to be even better.
In the 31 days of October we drove our long-term 2013 VW Passat TDI 1,079.4 miles and used 27.7 gallons of diesel in the process. That's an average of 39 mpg, which is much higher than the Passat's combined EPA rating of 34 mpg.
In fact, we consistently beat the Passat's combined EPA number. So far we've driven our silver Passat a total of 9,730 miles at an average of 36.8 mpg. Pretty cool.
Worst Fill MPG: 25.2
Best Fill MPG: 43.8
Average Lifetime MPG: 36.8
EPA MPG Rating: 34 Combined (30 city/40 Highway)
Best Range: 733.8
Current Odometer: 9,730
Our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI has developed an air leak. No, not from a tire or intake, it's coming from the passenger-side rear window or door.
The hissing becomes evident on the highway, just above 60 mph. It's pretty noticeable from the driver's seat. It's not a huge deal, though after only 9,000 miles, it does seem a bit premature. Let's hope the dealer can address this the next time we need to take it in.
Since May, we've driven our long-term 2013 VW Passat TDI 10,000 very satisfying miles. In that time we've averaged 36.8 miles per gallon of fuel and have yet to experience any unreliability or mechanical issues. In fact, the Passat is only now due for its very first scheduled oil change and maintenance, which we will take care of shortly.
We have spent some money, however, although due to no fault of the car. We bought a tire ($234.73) after an unfortunate nail incident and we had the front suspension realigned ($135) back at the 7,353-mile mark. We're not sure, but the bum alignment was probably caused by running over debris in the road.
I just drove our long-term 2013 VW Passat TDI from Tinsel Town to Sin City and back. If you're under 75 years old, you probably have no idea what I just said, so let me start over.
I just drove our long-term VW Passat TDI from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back. That's 576.2 miles. But here's the cool part. I did it on a single tank of fuel. Actually, I did it on three-quarters of a tank of fuel. When I returned home the Passat was still packing 155 miles worth of fuel range. Wow.
Trust me, I'm no hypermiler. But I did use the Passat's cruise control for most of the trip, and I hit zero traffic along the way. My average fuel economy was 40.7 mpg, which is just ahead of the Passat's EPA highway rating of 40 mpg.
But this trip wasn't just about great fuel mileage and range. The Passat showed me something out there in the deserts of California and Nevada. This is a great car on the open road. It's supremely comfortable. Outstandingly quiet. And its highway ride is exceptional. Hours behind the wheel seem like nothing.
And it'll motor. That economical 2.0-liter turbo diesel has plenty of power when you need to fire around that left lane hog or that encroaching Peterbilt.
I really like the Passat around town. But out on the intestate, this big sedan is hard to beat.
This update was originally going to commend Volkswagen for providing an actual knob for radio tuning. Then I tried to tune with it.
Tuning with the knob is plagued by such a lag time that it's virtually worthless. Come on, people. How hard is this stuff? Remember analog? Analog anything? Those days weren't so bad.
Our 2013 Volkswagen Passat utilizes two of these plastic snap-lock devices to keep its driver's side floor mat from sliding up into the pedal area. And they work brilliantly.
I found myself sitting in our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI the other morning admiring the sunrise. So I climbed out and started taking pictures. The Passat certainly isn't the most striking of designs, but I like it. There is something about its lines that I find soothing. I could get used to seeing it every morning. Or do I need to get my eyes checked?
This morning our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI came to the aid of a car with a dead battery. We used the Passat to jump start a Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid, whose battery had died while the car was plugged in charging. Yep, we got a laugh out of that one, too.
It's always a bit anticlimactic writing about our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI's fuel economy. There's usually not much to tell: "Went a few places. Filled up twice."
That's about how November went. We took it to Vegas, did that round-trip (approximately 560 miles) on a single tank. Drove it around town. Crossed the 10,000-mile milestone. Filled it up three times, about 32 gallons total. Our best range this month was 576.2 miles.
Whatever else you think about the Passat, there's something pretty damn special about a car that will take you 500, even 700, miles on a single tank of diesel. It makes all those daydreams about getting way, way out of town on a Friday afternoon suddenly that much more tangible. This car would fill arena parking lots if the Grateful Dead were still touring.
Worst Fill MPG: 25.2
Best Fill MPG: 43.8
Average Lifetime MPG: 36.7
EPA MPG Rating: 34 Combined (30 city/40 highway)
Best Range: 733.8
Current Odometer: 11,031
At first glance it might look as though our two Passats are identical. They are, in fact, the same color and trim, but they have one major distinction: their engines.
The only way to tell them apart on the outside is by the badges on their respective trunklids. The gasoline-powered Passat is badged as a "TSI" while the diesel-powered car is labeled "TDI". What do they mean exactly?
On the diesel Passat, the TDI badge stands for "Turbocharged Direct Injection," which isn't really all that helpful as the gasoline-powered Passat is also turbocharged and also uses direct injection. Volkswagen attempts to clear this up by calling this Passat the "Passat TDI Clean Diesel". If it helps, though, just pretend like the "D" stands for "diesel" and you'll be fine.
With the gasoline-powered Passat, the "TSI" badge stands for "Turbocharged Stratified Injection." It means that the 1.8-liter four-cylinder combines turbocharging and direct injection, but it also is used to indicate that this new engine uses Volkswagen's latest and greatest technology. In this case that means a new turbocharger, a lighter cylinder head and a water-cooled exhaust manifold. The result is an engine that is lighter and more efficient that previous Volkswagen four cylinders.
I like our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI's interior. It stays quiet on the highway, the seats are comfortable, and the switchgear is made from dense, high-quality materials.
The controls on the gear lever, instrument stalks, steering wheel and radio feel good to touch and are pleasant to look at, but ultimately, I find them all a bit frustrating to use.
Mind you, I cycle through several different test cars every week, so I know it takes some time to get used to the various locations of controls. With the Passat it takes me twice as long as any other car.
Things don't feel as intuitive or easy to use as they do in some other cars. Even after a few days in the Volkswagen, I have difficulty performing most secondary tasks like adjusting the climate control while driving. The infotainment screen and climate control are located fairly low on the center stack, causing me to look away from the road if I'm adjusting any settings or selecting a new song. Also controls are on both sides of the touchscreen as well and I can never remember which side to go to first. Maybe after a few weeks or months of ownership I'd know my way around the interior, but it's difficult to acclimate.
I haven't spent much time in our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI. I'm going to try to correct that over its final 8,000 miles or so.
There's a lot to like here.
For instance, this turbodiesel can effortlessly rack up over 600 miles between fill-ups.
And I mean "effortlessly." In most cars, if you want good fuel mileage you actually have to work for it a bit. Not in this thing. It just happens. So far we've been averaging almost 37 mpg with all sorts of different drivers and driving.
But here's possibly the best thing about the Passat TDI: It drives like a normal car.
You almost never think about the fact you're driving a diesel, it's so smooth and quiet.
And that may be the best compliment you can give to a turbodiesel.
Our 2013 Volkswagen Passat diesel worked hard in December, logging over 2,000 miles for the final month of 2013. Average lifetime MPG was down a smidge from November's figure, falling from 36.7 to 36.2 (note that the mileage shown in the photo above is not a lifetime average). The Passat's lifetime best and worst fills currently stand at 44.4 and 25.2 mpg, respectively.
Worst Fill MPG: 25.2
Best Fill MPG: 44.4
Average Lifetime MPG: 36.2
EPA MPG Rating: 34 combined (30 city, 40 highway)
Best Range: 733.5
Current Odometer: 12,010
We've written plenty of updates about our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI's impressive fuel economy and range. But one other thing about the TDI engine that I happen to like is that its character is so different than the norm for four-cylinder midsize family sedans.
Part of it has to do with the engine's strong low-end torque. I never feel like I have to really rev the engine to get a quick burst of acceleration around town. Squeezing on the gas pedal is typically enough to merge or pass a slow-moving car.
More than that, though, I like the way the car sounds. Being a diesel, it makes that distinctive, lower-pitched noise and, yes, a certain amount of rattle, particularly at startup and cold temperatures. Harmonious to the ear? No, not really.
Some people would no doubt consider this a solid reason for skipping TDI. But I dig it. For me, it gives the car some personality. Family sedans are already super practical. With TDI, there's some flair that I get to enjoy every day I drive the car.
We were behind schedule, but at 11,247 miles we finally got our 2013 VW Passat TDI in for its 10,000-mile service. We took it to Volkswagen Santa Monica a few blocks from our office for the Service Express package. No appointment needed and promised in about an hour, so we walked back to the office.
VWSM changed the Passat's oil and filter, rotated the tires and topped off the fluids. Our service advisor, Daniel, later called to tell us the techs found a nail in the front right tire. He quoted us $34.90 to patch it and we agreed to the work. They also checked our brake pads, reporting the front pads at 11mm, the rears at 10mm. The rest of the work didn't cost us anything.
Only later did we think to ask if the fluid top-offs included the AdBlue diesel exhaust fluid additive, scheduled for a refill at 10,000 miles. We assume it was, but it's not specifically noted on the service sheet. We'll have a call into the dealer in the morning to confirm. Or reschedule.
If you're shopping for a midsize sedan, I suspect one of the trickier aspects is just figuring out which model is going to be best for you. Once you get past the obvious Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, the array of choices can be rather intimidating, especially if you don't often pay attention to what's new these days.
For me, the 2013 Volkswagen Passat still stands as a very desirable choice. I've spent a lot of time with our TDI model, including a road trip to take my family on vacation to California's central coast last summer. I'm constantly appreciating the car's interior room, fuel economy and range, styling, balanced ride quality and handling.
Accord? Altima? Camry? Fusion? Malibu? Mazda 6? Optima? Sonata? It's going to be tough to pick, but I'd certainly recommend keeping the Passat in mind if you are looking to buy in this segment.
Overall, our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI is well suited for long-distance drives. But there's one thing missing that I think would help improve driver comfort even more: an eight-way power driver seat. As it is, the Passat SEL has just six-way power (minus lumbar) and lacks a seat bottom tilt.
Each time I get into our Passat, I notice how the seat bottom feels a little too flat for my tastes. Ideally, I'd want to be able to tilt the forward edge of the seat bottom up a little to better support my thighs.
I always get used to the driver seat eventually, so it's far from a grave issue. But if you're shopping for a Passat and take a test drive, make sure to see if you can get the driver seat truly set to your tastes.
Volkswagen installs a Fender-branded, nine-speaker upgraded sound system on some of the Passat's top trim levels, including our 2013 TDI SEL. It's kind of too bad VW doesn't offer it on more versions of the Passat (as an option), as it's one of the better sound systems that I've heard in a moderately priced vehicle.
I'm not going to claim that I'm an expert at reviewing sound systems, but having had casual conversations around our office with other editors about the Fender system, it seems my coworkers agree. To me, the Fender system sounds accurate and clear, with the bass tones, in particular, being present without being overdone. Played music does seem to be biased to be up front, as adjusting the fader rearwards does little to create a surrounding effect. But as I'm always in the driver seat, that's just fine with me.
Our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI continued its fuel-thrifty ways in January. It still only requires about three fill-ups a month, and is averaging 36.5 miles per gallon. Its lifetime best and worst fills continue unchanged from last month, at 44.4 gallons and 25.2 respectively. It spent most of the month with Edmunds Senior Automotive Editor Brent Romans, roaming California's Central Valley.
On my short stay with the car this week, I was doing a mix of freeway and around-town driving and I loved seeing the nice, fat 35-36 mpg averages on the Passat's MFI display.
Worst Fill MPG: 25.2
Best Fill MPG: 44.4
Average Lifetime MPG: 36.5
EPA MPG Rating: 34 combined (30 city/40 highway)
Best Range: 733.5
Current Odometer: 13,373
It's no fun carting a very sick cat from one veterinarian to another. Our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI handled the job admirably, though.
When I had to take the cat from our local vet to a specialist in Culver City that I hadn't been to before, the Passat TDI's navigation system proved handy. The turn-by-turn directions in the center MFI display were easy to follow, even for a preoccupied driver. And I didn't have to worry about stopping for gas.
The car's flat seats and wide-opening doors also made it easy to load in the cat's good-sized carrier.
Not only do I find the sport seats in our 2013 VW Passat TDI SEL Premium super comfortable, I also really like the quality of the materials.
The leather feels nice and soft, but it's the soft inserts I appreciate most. Not sure if they're real suede, and Volkswagen doesn't call them out in its press material. But real or faux, they've got my vote.
As you can see here, our navigation system-equipped 2013 VW Passat TDI has a secondary navigation display located dead center in the instrument cluster. This small, multi-function display screen provides other information too, such as phone, audio and trip data. But while tooling around over the weekend to parts unknown, this no frills display proved helpful.
Apart from those times when I wanted to know how many miles I had left to go or what the traffic looked like, I found myself using this display rather than the larger and more detailed one on the center stack. Thanks to its simple, minimalist graphics it allowed me to see at a quick glance what my next turn/exit was. The solid part of the bar graph helps too as it diminishes as you close in on the upcoming turn/exit. Of course, you can always go with the voice prompts, which I often do as well. But for those times when you want to enjoy your music or conversations uninterrupted, this feature is nice to have.
Yes, this is super nitpicky. But I was surprised that it took me multiple tries to get two dry-cleaning hangers onto a hook in our 2013 VW Passat TDI's rear seat area.
Twice the hangers holding my newly pressed black suit fell into a crumpled heap as I was twisting the hangers, and turning them around to make them fit around the grab handle.
Again, super nitpicky. But then, I'm not someone who needs to use those hooks on a regular basis.
Any car equipped with an automatic transmission should have a good dead pedal, otherwise known as a good place to put your left foot. You'd be surprised how many cars don't bother with one.
As you can see, our 2013 VW Passat TDI is generous in this department and it makes a difference when it comes to getting into a comfortable driving position. Instead of pushing your foot into some mushy mound of carpet, a good dead pedal gives you a nice sturdy foothold so you can be more precise with your right foot.
Normally, I would use my left foot for braking, but our Passat has such a touchy brake pedal, I don't bother. Maybe that's why it has a big deal pedal. Let's hope that's not the case.
As you can see, our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI wasn't built in Germany. It was assembled by some well trained workers at a plant in Tennessee. This is not only a big deal for the people in and around Chattanooga, it was a big deal for Volkswagen, too.
It had been a long time since a Volkswagen was built in America and the last time it happened didn't turn out so well. This time around Volkswagen had a better plan and it appears to be working out as the build quality of our Passat TDI is excellent.
It does beg the question whether buyers still care where their cars are built? In a business dominated by global companies, does it matter if a German car is built in Germany? Or if a Japanese car is built in Japan? Or if a Chevrolet is built in Canada or a Ford in Mexico?
Something tells me most buyers don't care as long as the quality is there.
In the month of February, our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI added nearly 1,400 miles to its odometer and averaged 36.9 miles per gallon. This brings its lifetime fuel economy average up a tick to 36.6 mpg. A freeway road trip to northern California is partially responsible for the increase during this month.
These results continue to surpass its EPA combined rating of 34 mpg.
Worst Fill MPG: 25.2
Best Fill MPG: 44.4
Average Lifetime MPG: 36.6
EPA MPG Rating: 34 combined (30 city/40 highway)
Best Range: 733.5 miles
Current Odometer: 14,754 miles
Note: Cars are sometimes refueled before their fuel tanks are nearly empty. As such, "best" and "worst" fuel economy entries above are not necessarily the result of an entire tank's worth of driving.
Our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI crossed the 15,000-mile mark.
The comfortable diesel sedan is well-liked around the office, with much praise for its excellent fuel range, relaxing interior and high-tech Fender sound system.
Let's hope the remaining 5,000-10,000 miles of our long-term test are as trouble-free.
There are a lot of things to like about our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI. Here are seven I noted after a weekend with the car. I hardly drove anywhere, so the car's astonishing range is not in the list:
1. Feels big, drives small: The 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI is plenty roomy on the inside, but it drives and parks like a much smaller car.
2. Easy Bluetooth Audio. Many cars have fussy steps for instituting Bluetooth Audio. Not this car. It's a snap.
3. Ginormous trunk space. I can't fill it up, even at Costco. I keep trying.
4. Power when you need it. It's a champ at passing laggards on the freeway. There is a slight bit of turbo lag, but as our comparison test of the car with the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid points out, Sport mode helps.
5. Lumbar support and heated seats. Together, they provide a mini-spa for the lower back. I do wish the lumbar pad had an up/down adjustment, however.
6. Grippy seats. The suede inset holds the tush nicely.
7. Its delightful scent. I have no idea why this car smells like Ivory soap, but it does. Even between car washes.
Nothing makes you feel more helpless than when there's a family emergency and you're 400 miles away. At that moment, you don't need a fast car (speeding will just result in tickets or worse). You need a car like the 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI to get you there. If my dog and I had the bladder capacity we totally could have made the last-minute trek from L.A. to Sacramento in our long-term TDI without any stops. We usually average about three stops on that road trip; if only for gas, it can range from one to two stops, obviously depending on the car.
But this time not only did I gas up only once during the actual 400-mile stint, but only one other time while I was in Sacramento after driving my mom around to and from the hospital where my dad was (he's fine now) and to her various appointments and errands around town. Bonus was that we could take my dog Mya with us everywhere, too. I was impressed. And best thing was that it was one less thing to worry about. Pfew!
On this trip, we averaged about 37.3 mpg with a mix of city and highway driving. But it looks like I was a bit of a leadfoot when driving on city streets as the second of the three refills the entire week was 32.3 mpg (EPA mpg rating is 34 combined).
In the month of March we added over 2,400 miles to our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI. That's 700 miles more than our monthly goal for long-term cars. A trip to Sacramento accounted for most of it. Our Passat trekked northbound 424 miles on a partial tank and 638 more on a second tank. That's some great range, but it still isn't our best.
Worst Fill MPG: 25.2 mpg
Best Fill MPG: 44.4 mpg
Average Lifetime MPG: 36.6 mpg
EPA MPG Rating: 34 combined (30 city / 40 highway)
Best Range: 733.5 miles
Current Odometer: 17,175 miles
Having taken our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI on a weeklong road trip to Sacramento and Sonoma with my dog, I was really able to put it through the paces for this dog report. And I didn't just dump Mya at my parents' house once I got to Sacramento. I took her EVERYwhere with me, even to the hospital to visit my dad. (So cool that they allowed dogs there. Really cheered him up to see her.)
So she was more than acquainted with the Passat's backseat, curling up as soon as she got back there. And the seat was low enough to accommodate her when she was too tired to jump into it, she'd just climb it. The air vents on the back of the front row center console were at face level for her, keeping her panting to a minimum. Again, love that the seatbelt fasteners protruded from the seat, for quick and easy buckling in.
I had put down a blanket for her to protect the seats so don't know if that helped limit fur getting everywhere but the mix of leather and suede seemed resistant to her grays.
Couldn't ask for a better dog hauler.
The knock against diesels used to be that they were noisy, slow and smelly. Driving our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI the other day, it struck me as so refined, and so responsive, that a strange thought occurred to me. I began to wonder what would happen if a person was somehow plunked down behind the wheel of this car, with no prior knowledge of what they were driving. Could they tell it was a diesel?
I know what many of you are thinking you would know instantly. But you're enthusiasts and you pay attention to detail. But what about a completely ordinary person only wanting to reliably get from Point A to Point B? Well, I had a chance to run a blind taste test and you might be surprised at the result.
I had to pick up a friend who knows I get test cars from Edmunds. My friend slid into the passenger seat, looked around and said, "Nice car! What is it?"
"VW Passat."
A short time later we stopped at a long traffic light and I listened to the TDI engine idle. To my ear, it has a distinctly different sound. Diesel engines always sounded like rocks in a tin can. This has been muted over the years, but I can still hear it. I wondered what my friend thought.
"Do you notice anything different about this engine?" I asked my friend.
"What do you mean?"
"Does it sound or feel any different?"
"No," my friend said, looking puzzled.
When the light turned green I stepped on the accelerator. There was the characteristic turbo-lag and then the diesel growled and responded with a nice surge of power.
"Now do you feel or hear anything different?" I asked.
"I don't know what you mean?" my friend answered seeming confused and now annoyed. "It's a nice car but I don't think there's anything different about it."
"It's a diesel," I said.
"Okay, fine. It's a diesel. So what?"
This blind test was fascinating to me, but was really irritating my friend. Still, it proved my point if only with a very small data sample. Diesels have come a long way. It's time to bury the noisy, slow and smelly reputation.
A friend of mine is in the market for a new car, and specifically a midsize family sedan with good fuel economy. I suggested he take a look at our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI and he was quite impressed when I brought it by. Mainly, the enormous back seat means he can set the front seats as far back as he wants without worrying about bumping up against his rear-facing child seat. When you're 6-foot-4 like he is, that matters. The cavernous trunk was another attraction. His wife was almost in shock at how deep it was.
However, the Ford Fusion Hybrid has also caught his eye. Although I was quite impressed with it during our hybrid sedan comparison test, my gut reaction was that it would be considerably more expensive than the Passat TDI. I was wrong.
Since our Passat is a 2013, I compared the pricing with the slightly cheaper 2014 Passat TDI SEL that costs $33,395. If you option up a Ford Fusion Hybrid with all the Passat SEL's features, it hits the register at $33,460. In other words, they're a rounding error away from being equally priced.
OK, so those are loaded versions. Or rather, the Passat is, since there are luxury (ventilated seats, heated wheel) and copious safety (lane departure warning, automatic parking, etc.) options further available on the Fusion.
What about lower trims? The base Passat SE w/ Sunroof (the cheapest way to get an automatic) costs $28,675. A similarly equipped Fusion Hybrid SE with an optional sunroof and basic MyFordTouch (for the rearview camera) costs $30,095. A bigger difference to be sure, but not as significant as I originally thought.
Of course, fuel economy is important with both of these models. According to EPA estimates, the Passat TDI will achieve 34 mpg combined (30 city/40 highway). The Fusion highway gets an estimated 47 mpg in every cycle. Furthermore, the EPA estimates you'll spend $1,750 to refuel the Passat every year versus $1,150 for the Fusion. Just for kicks, the new 1.5-liter regular Fusion will cost $1,900.
In Edmunds testing, we've routinely done better than the EPA ratings for the Passat, including a run on Interstate 15 from Las Vegas to Los Angeles that topped 50 mpg. On that same run, the Fusion Hybrid managed 44 mpg. In the city and suburbia, however, the Fusion will trounce the Passat. We got 53 mpg on our suburban driving loop during the aforementioned comparison test. In a different but similar fuel economy test the Passat TDI got 43 mpg.
Given the negligible difference in price and the Fusion's fuel economy advantage, it would seem like opting for the Ford would be the better financial choice. The fact that Edmunds' True Cost to Own data shows the Fusion Hybrid being more than $11,000 cheaper over the course of five years drives that point home further.
So, I suppose I'll be recommending the Fusion Hybrid to my friend. The back seat is still very large, and although the trunk is compromised by its battery pack, it should still be useful enough for his small family. He doesn't really need the Passat's cavern.
The question now is, which does he prefer?
I spent the weekend with our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI. This was the first time I drove a diesel-fueled car for more than a few hours, and I was excited to see if it behaved any differently than the hundreds of gasoline-powered sedans I've driven over the years.
I noticed two things: The turbo lag at acceleration and the Passat's sound while idling after a cold start. Neither of these things bothered me. I picked up the car on Thursday afternoon, and was used to these quirks by Friday evening.
On the highway, the car sounded very ordinary to me. Besides, I was too busy enjoying the Fender audio system. I didn't make any phone calls, but I did stream Bluetooth audio. Pairing my Android was a snap, and the stereo sounded great.
The multi-info display on the dash is a nice touch too. I used the navigation only once over the weekend, and being able to have simple turn-by-turn instructions in my line of sight helped. Looking to my right for a navigation screen that isn't at eye level can be distracting.
My only complaint is that the backup camera looked a bit fuzzy. However, I think the huge trunk and comfy seats more than made up for a slightly blurry rear cam.
I averaged 43.2 mpg over 200+ city and highway miles according to the Passat's own calculations.
I'm sitting in my brother-in-law's San Jose, CA living room looking for any excuse to bail. After five hours of extended family time, I need a break. So I ask if there's a gas station around that sells diesel. Yesterday I had driven our long-term 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI up to his house from Los Angeles and we were making the return run later today.
"There's one about a mile away", he says. "But we should fill it with biodiesel."
"From where?" I shoot back.
"There's a pump for the stuff over by the freeway at a Chevron station," he says.
"I'm intrigued. Let's go," I say. "But before we do, let's check the VW's owner's manual."
And there it clearly states, "Diesel fuel with concentrations of methyl ester biodiesel higher than 5% (B5), such as B11, B20, or B100, are strictly prohibited."
Hmm. We drive over hoping the pump is dispensing B5, but it isn't. It's selling B20 along with a second pump for E85. Although the sign says it's compatible with "any diesel vehicle" I pass.
Turns out the Propel (propelfuels.com) branded pump is one of seven located in California's Bay Area, including three in San Jose.
Back home I read up on the subject. It's very unlikely one tank of B20 would have harmed our Passat TDI. However, constant use may ultimately contaminate the engine oil which would lead to engine wear and eventual failure. I'm still intrigued, however. We're going to test our Passat TDI on B5 and see what it does to our MPG.
Thanks to a road trip to Las Vegas, and then a side trip to the Valley of Fire State Park near the Utah border, we added over 2,411 miles to our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI.
We logged our best fuel economy ever at 46.5 mpg on an all-highway run of 168.3 miles. This might have been because we filled up in Barstow, California, elevation 2,178, and then again in Los Angeles, at sea level. The new data changed the lifetime average to an even more impressive 36.9 mpg, which is 2.9 mpg better than the EPA combined rating.
Here are the numbers:
Worst Fill MPG: 25.2 mpg
Best Fill MPG: 46.5 mpg
Average Lifetime MPG: 36.9 mpg
EPA MPG Rating: 34 combined (30 city / 40 highway)
Best Range: 733.5 miles
Current Odometer: 19,586 miles
Scott's recent experience at a biodiesel pump got us both thinking. Would biodiesel make a noticeable difference in the performance or MPG of our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI?
A test was in order, but it seemed to me that the 5-percent biodiesel fuel (B5) allowed by VW might produce small differences that would be difficult to quantify. If I was to make sense of this I needed to control as many variables as possible. And I needed a fairly long route that would burn enough fuel to nullify any pump-shutoff inconsistencies.
Fortunately, I had a business trip to Las Vegas coming up, one that I had planned to drive to anyway. My time was spoken for all day Friday and Saturday evening, but the bulk of Saturday was mine.
I decided to drive the TDI to Vegas Thursday afternoon on diesel #2 and park it in the hotel parking garage while I attended to my Friday obligations. Then, since I despise gambling and I'm behind on my audiobooks, I figured I'd use my free Saturday to drive BACK to my southern California starting point.
Once there I'd fill it with B5 biodiesel, turn straight around and retrace my route back to Vegas in time to make my evening appointment. After another overnight stay I'd head home and finish the B5 loop on Sunday morning.
It was a good plan, if not a bit insane, but then a fuel supply problem cropped up at the 11th hour.
I did everything to head it off, too. I searched online for a biodiesel station that sold both Diesel #2 and B5 biodiesel at a suitable location, which I defined as somewhere on the eastern edge of the L.A. basin. I found one in Ontario, California. and called ahead to make sure they sold diesel #2 along with the B5 (and B20) indicated by the Web site.
But that's not what I'm seeing now that I've arrived to top up with Diesel #2 and begin the first of two 458-mile round trips. There isn't a B5 pump here, just the same sort of B20 pump Oldham saw in San Jose. Now what?
And I've still got another problem. But this one I already knew about: How will I dispose of the unburnt diesel before I make the switch to B5? I'd already decided that draining the tank or siphoning fuel wasn't going to be practical. And the first round-trip to Las Vegas, long as it is, won't burn three-quarters of a tank, let alone drain it. There's going to be some Diesel #2 left in the tank unless I drive an artificially long route or drive extra fast, neither of which seems like a good idea.
Wait a minute. Problem solved. The lack of a B5 pump is in reality a two-birds-with-one-stone solution.
When I come back after this first loop I'll ignore the diesel remainder in the Passat's 18.5-gallon tank. It won't matter. I'll just pump in exactly one-quarter of a tank of B20 (4.625 gallons), then finish the fill at the same Diesel #2 pump I used at the start. I'll brew my own B5 cocktail right in the tank. Loop One consumption will simply be the sum of the amounts dispensed at the two pumps.
Each loop will have the same mileage, same route, same elevation profile, same time of day for the outbound and inbound legs, same temperature and traffic profile, same lunch stops and, now that I've encountered this B5 "problem," the same pump shut-off calibration for all top-off readings.
Excuse me while I hit the road. I've got some driving to do.
I drove our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI two weeks ago, and then took our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI to Las Vegas for three days. Out in the lonely desert, I had a lot of time to think about which V-Dub I liked best. While the two cars look similar, they drive quite differently, mainly because of the engines and transmissions. Here's my quick take on the differences.
I found that in the normal transmission mode, the TDI felt sluggish around town. It was always in a hurry to get to the lowest gear, obviously to increase fuel economy. But then when I put it in the sport mode, it seemed over active. I wanted something in between. That in-between point seemed to exist in the TSI gas version of the Passat. The TSI's transmission always felt like it was in the right gear at the right time without manual shifting or putting it in another mode. It seemed responsive and refined.
However...
Getting good fuel economy is very important to me. Even though our TSI offers surprisingly good fuel economy, with a lifetime average of 26.4 mpg, I would go for the diesel because of the amazing range and the 36.6 mpg lifetime average we have achieved.
I know that diesel usually costs more, and our TDI ($33,710) cost more than our TSI ($31,715) but fueling up less often is great and having all of that range gives a feeling of freedom. For that, I'll just relax and learn to live with that around-town sluggishness.
Here's something you don't see very often, and something that makes the 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI an even better bargain: diesel is less — way less — than gas. I used the numbers on this pump in Barstow, Calif., to do a comparison of what it would cost to drive to Las Vegas and back on both diesel and gas. It was a bigger savings than I expected.
First, here is the data.
I drove a total of about 900 miles. Diesel cost $4.179 a gallon while gas was $4.489. I used the lifetime averages as reported last month in our fuel economy updates: 36.6 mpg for the TDI and 26.4 mpg for the TSI. Turns out that this price difference and the higher mpg for the diesel engine resulted in a handsome savings of $5,027. The trip cost $102.76 in the TDI and $153.03 in the TSI.
I only wish that diesel fuel was always this low.
It happened on Interstate 15 on the first of two Las Vegas diesel fuel economy runs. Our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI was barely 5 miles inside California and drawing abreast of the Ivanpah Solar Power facility.
This trio of power towers stands within easy sight of the Interstate. The three arrays of heliostat mirrors that encircle them consume a combined 5.5 square miles of desert. A weird and eerie plasmatic glow hovers in the air several yards removed from the impossibly bright surface of the receivers that top each tower. In the bright desert daylight it's still quite easy to make out the rays of light that converge on the receivers.
I'd hate to be a bird flying through there.
But I'm sitting in a diesel-powered sedan that can easily generate over 40 mpg on such a freeway trip. I'm seeing 50 mpg on the meter for the time being, and I'm going with the flow of traffic, which seems to be in a hurry. I don't expect it to last because of some city driving in my near future, and such meters tend to read high anyway, but still.
Our overall fuel economy average to this point is 36.9 mpg, which handily beats the Passat TDI's EPA combined rating of 34 mpg.
This, of course, has little to do with the three Ivanpah power towers, whose designed annual output is roughly equivalent to the yearly needs of 200,000 Tesla Model S sedans, if that many existed.
Our time with the 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI is almost over, but we had one more service item to take care of before the car leaves. We powered through the 20,000-mile goal we set for all long-term test cars thanks to Dan Edmunds' biodiesel experiment. The Passat requires maintenance at 10,000-mile intervals, so the timing was perfect to get the car all freshened up before we return it to Volkswagen.
Volkswagen provides complimentary scheduled maintenance for the first three years/36,000 miles. The 20,000-mile service includes standard items like an oil change, tire rotation and various inspections. For our TDI, that also means topping it off with AdBlue and replacing the fuel filter.
We visited Santa Monica Volkswagen as we did with the Passat's first service. I was greeted almost immediately and referred to a service advisor. He went over the items covered under the service, and informed me of an outstanding bulletin regarding a fuse box washer.
I was in no immediate rush to get the car back but I preferred having it before 2:00 p.m. the same day. I got a call at 1:30 informing me that the car was ready to be picked up. I didn't spend more than ten minutes at the service center all day. Quick and simple, no hassles. Just the way I like it.
It's over. I've completed two identical 458-mile loops to Las Vegas and back in our 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI. The only difference was the fuel: Diesel #2 on the first loop and a B5 biodiesel brew on the second loop.
I say "biodiesel brew" because I was forced to MacGyver my own B5 by blending B20 biodiesel with Diesel #2 right in the Passat's tank. There wasn't another station close enough to be of any use, and I had just learned (the hard way) that the biodiesel locator Web site I'd used to find this place wasn't much use for finding anything under B20, the prevailing blend carried by suppliers around here.
Here's what I learned.
Price:
B20 biodiesel was 4 cents per gallon cheaper than the Diesel #2 sold at the same station. But there is an asterisk: If you pay with a credit card.
This Propel Fuels B20 pump is embedded in a Union 76 service station. The 76 pumps serve up a 12-cent cash discount. But the separately branded Propel Fuels B20 pump does not. Pay with cash and Diesel #2 is 8 cents cheaper than B20.
Call it a draw. The B20 was cheaper for me because I buy fuel on credit. I hate going inside to wait in line (twice) with the folks buying cigarettes, coffee or Gatorade.
Besides, the "savings" were even more negligible in this experiment because I only bought a quarter-tank (4.625 gallons) of B20 to brew my Loop 2 my cocktail.
Performance:
No detectable difference. There are plenty of long grades to climb on this route. Cajon Pass and Baker Grade are the named ones, but there are others. I'd have noticed.
MPG:
This was the surprise part.
Loop 1, Diesel #2: 11.484 gallons, 40.0 mpg (2.50 gallons per 100 miles)
Loop 2, B5 biodiesel: 10.446 gallons, 43.9 mpg (2.28 gallons per 100 miles)
I'm not sure what I expected going in, but I didn't expect the difference to be this sizable. It's a 9.6-percent improvement no matter how you look at it. I'm not entirely certain I believe it.
I controlled everything I could: identical route, identical time of day, identical speed. I duplicated the number of stops and I topped up the tank at the same pump and nozzle each time. Each loop even included a simulated city driving pattern that consisted of 22 stops with 2-minute idle periods.
The only thing I couldn't control was the wind. I had to drive into a strong Santa Ana wind during Thursday afternoon's outbound leg for perhaps 100 miles. Two days later the second loop's outbound leg had no such headwind.
Summing Up:
I can safely say that performance using B5 doesn't suffer, subjectively, at least. And the price is about even. It also seems that any predictions of worsened MPG were unfounded. I'm not sure if our 9.6-percent observed improvement is absolutely correct, but it's pretty clear there was some improvement.
I plan to repeat this test with our new 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, which has two things going for it that may make this easier to sort out.
First, we have almost a year to work with. The Passat is leaving us very soon but the Ram just got here. We can repeat this sort of test several times if we want and we can measure acceleration at the track, too.
Secondly, the Ram can run on B20, which means the concentration of biodiesel will be four times greater. This should make it easier to pick out differences. We can always run it on B5, too, if we find it useful to mimic the conditions of this test.
Biodiesel's biggest problem from where I stand is simple availability. The Web site we used listed less than a dozen stations that sell B20 in the megalopolis that is the greater Los Angeles/Orange County/Inland Empire area. On a per capita basis biodiesel pumps are one in a million.
Our Long-Term MPG Results May Shed Light on Future Emissions Recall Expectations
A cloud hangs over Volkswagen and its TDI "clean diesel" engine offerings. The target is the 2.0-liter TDI engine, the US market's best-selling passenger car diesel engine. Volkswagen has been caught using illegal software that recognizes when the car is undergoing an emissions test and engages a special ECU calibration that meets all emissions standards.
All other times, including every mile anyone actually drives one of these, a second calibration takes over, one that apparently misses the Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) emission standard by a huge margin. The test group that initially uncovered this scheme reported NOx levels as much as 40 times above the legal limit.
That is not an insignificant amount.
All of the affected cars use the 2.0-liter TDI engine: the 2009-2014 Jetta, 2010-2014 Golf, 2012-2014 Beetle, the 2012-2014 Passat and the 2010-2014 Audi A3. Of these, the Passat is the lone example with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), a system that injects diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) into a special catalyst to control NOx.
The EPA hit-list also includes the 2015 TDI versions of all of these cars, and has refused to certify any 2016 versions for sale. But these use a totally new 2.0-liter TDI engine, one that belongs to a whole new engine family that goes by the name EA288. All of them have SCR systems that use DEF, not just the Passat.
VW's response includes a statement that says the bad software was limited to the older EA189 engine family, which only goes as far as the 2014 models. If true, the 2015 and later vehicles may fall off the EPA's list with no need for updated software or other recall measures to be in compliance. Time will tell.
A recall is inevitable, but current owners are worried about how the coming changes may affect the future performance of their vehicles.
What does that have to do with our long-term test fleet?
A 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI diesel spent an entire year with us. If that wasn't enough, we also hosted a gasoline-powered 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI at about the same time. They actually overlapped for a few months. We put about 20,000 miles on each and kept scrupulous fuel economy records.
No one could have engineered a more perfect matchup. Both were fitted with the 6-speed DSG transmission, they rolled on the same wheels and tires and were both SEL Premium models with no options. They were even indistinguishable in photographs due to their matching Reflex Silver paint and Titan Black interiors. The TDI was a 2013 and the TSI was a 2014, but there were no important changes between the two years.
The only meaningful difference was their engines. One had the 2.0-liter TDI turbo-diesel engine (first photo) the other had the 1.8-liter TSI turbocharged gasoline engine (second photo).
We've long been impressed with Volkswagen's official EPA MPG ratings. It has always come across as a company that didn't over-promise and under-deliver when it came to MPG on the window sticker. It didn't always claim the highest ratings in their class, but the numbers were achievable — and believable.
These two Passats did nothing to quash that impression. Both met or exceeded their EPA window sticker fuel economy ratings during their year with us.
And that's where this gets interesting in the context of the current troubles.
Fuel economy ratings are derived from the same series of indoor dynamometer (dyno) tests that are used to measure emissions compliance. The two are so interlinked that MPG is wholly based on one of the emission components that are measured: CO2. The amount of fuel burned is directly related to the amount of CO2 produced, so MPG is actually back-calculated from the measured quantity of CO2 emitted during the tests.
What this means is the illegal software trick that was triggered by the dyno test also had a direct bearing on the Passat TDI's fuel economy test results. Likewise, the on-road calibration that does not comply with emission standards would determine the TDI's observed fuel economy in real-world circumstances.
How does the gasoline-powered 2014 Passat fit in? That car is not under suspicion. As far as we know, the illegal dual-calibration dyno test shenanigans are not working behind the scenes here. In this case the rated fuel economy should closely match our observed fuel economy, and that's exactly what we see.
Here are the gasoline-powered Passat TSI's test result highlights after 21,050 miles:
Average Test MPG: 28.0
EPA Combined rating: 28
Best tank MPG: 36.5
EPA Highway rating: 34
Our staff matched the EPA rating over the span of the test, and a couple of drivers managed to beat the highway rating a few times. This example shows ratings that are in line with real-world fuel economy.
In contrast, here are the Passat TDI's test result highlights after 20,724 miles:
Average Test MPG: 37.2
EPA Combined rating: 34
Best tank MPG: 46.5
EPA Highway rating: 40
Our end-of-test results almost never exceed EPA combined by more a tenth or two, and coming in low by as much as a single mpg is considered a reasonable result. Moreover, we never exceed highway mpg anything close to that much, but our TDI exceeded its 40 mpg highway rating on 18 different tanks of fuel.
The TDI results were frankly amazing, but we were at a loss to explain them.
The recent revelations offer a possible explanation. Based on how MPG is derived, the window sticker ratings were surely derived from the emissions-complaint dyno calibration. Meanwhile, our observed fuel economy can only be the result of the illegal non-compliant engine calibration that takes over when the car is not being tested.
What does this mean for the expected performance of these cars after their software is brought into full compliance with the law? In theory, any new calibration would move real-world performance closer to the test-only calibration that currently passes the dyno tests. Since that calibration drives today's window sticker fuel economy, a customer's observed mpg should fall, but only to the level of the current window sticker. VW's mpg-based marketing claims may still hold up after the dust settles.
That's based on what we know now. Things could turn out different if the recalibration process is not that cut-and-dried.
Wrap-Up
What We Got
The 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI starts at $26,225. This price includes the 140-horsepower 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine, 17-inch wheels, automatic headlights, keyless entry, a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, upgraded gauges and an eight-speaker stereo with a touchscreen interface.
That makes for a well-equipped base sedan, but we elected to go for the top-trim SEL Premium version, which adds additional equipment.
Upgrades included with the SEL Premium trim are suede seat inserts, dual-zone climate control, a rearview camera, keyless ignition and power front seats with memory and a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission. As tested, our Passat had an MSRP of $33,710. Volkswagen provided the car for this long-term road test.
Our Impressions
"I just drove our long-term Passat TDI from Tinsel Town to Sin City and back. If you're under 75 years old, you probably have no idea what I just said, so let me start over. I just drove our long-term Passat TDI from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back. That's 576.2 miles. But here's the cool part. I did it on a single tank of fuel. Actually, I did it on three-quarters of a tank of fuel. When I returned home the Passat was still packing 155 miles worth of fuel range. Wow.... But this trip wasn't just about great fuel mileage and range. The Passat showed me something out there in the deserts of California and Nevada. This is a great car on the open road. It's supremely comfortable. Outstandingly quiet. And its highway ride is exceptional. Hours behind the wheel seem like nothing.... I really like the Passat around town. But out on the interstate, this big sedan is hard to beat." — Scott Oldham
"Earlier this week, I made a road trip from Los Angeles to California's Napa Valley and back in 30 hours. Needless to say, there was little time to linger in the tasting rooms, but it was a relaxing trip in our long-term Passat TDI.... The driver seat ranks above average in my book. I rarely got uncomfortable, even on the return leg when I hopped into the Passat for the 450-mile trip after a day of driving other cars around Napa. It's also a quiet ride. I'm not thrilled with the sealing properties of the driver door's weather stripping, which lets in more wind than I'd like, but there's minimal noise from the tires. There were times when I wished the Passat TDI's 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder packed a meaner punch.... However, there's plenty to like about our diesel Passat's automated manual transmission, which swaps gears quickly once you're on the move. Finally, I hate stopping to refuel when I'm in a hurry, and I only had to stop one time on this trip." — Erin Riches
"Diesels are torquey. This isn't news. However, the diesel in our long-term Passat TDI really squirts when you give the right pedal a healthy roll-on from a standstill. In fact, after a very brief pause as the variable-nozzle turbo works up enough steam, the boost comes on and the torque hits so hard that this big sedan will actually rip a tire loose momentarily before the traction control intervenes. Again, this is not even using full 'throttle.' I'm loving this engine already." — Jason Kavanagh
"As a 6-foot-3 driver, it's not very often that a full-size adult can fit behind me over long distances without one of us feeling mushed. Yet with the giant Passat, I didn't have to (as usual) put my tiny wife behind me or even care how far I moved my seat back. As for the trunk, it managed three sizable roll-aboard suitcases, an overnight bag, my briefcase and a 36-liter roller cooler that impressively fit all the way rearward. No Tetris needed: it all went in without effort. Big deal, you might say. A lot of full-size sedans could manage that. Perhaps, but how many could've achieved 41.2 mpg on the journey?... I said in the beginning that the only better cars would cost $90,000, thinking about the Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec and Audi A8 TDI. On second thought, though, the A8 has a significantly smaller trunk than the Passat and the S350 is likely to fall 10 mpg short of the humble Volkswagen. So in that way, I feel safe in calling this one. The VW Passat TDI is the perfect car for a road trip with four adults." — James Riswick
"One of the 2013 Passat's attributes is a generous amount of rear seat space. Normally, you think of this helping out with fitting a carload of adults, but it's actually quite handy if you're installing bulky child safety seats, too. The safety seats for infants and very small children typically install in a rear-facing position. Consequently, they take up a lot of room. And if you're installing one in an outboard seating position, you can encounter clearance problems with the front seats. In the Passat, though, there's so much rear legroom available that rear-facing seats aren't a problem." — Brent Romans
"Great fuel economy is why you buy a 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI. But if you happen to find yourself on a curvy two-lane road, the handling capabilities of this fuel miser are still on par for a family sedan. It feels secure when driving around turns, not floppy or loose. At least that's my opinion after driving our long-term car on about 20 miles of twisty road. The steering doesn't convey much information to the driver, but few family sedans these days really do anyway." — Brent Romans
"You can fit the starting midfield for the German national soccer team in the Passat's rear seat, yet the front-center console is this skinny, inefficient space. I think even the Focus ST's is larger. Lame. Look, no one's gonna mistake the Passat for a driver's car. It's a nice, big utility sedan with a premium sheen. As such, give me big bins and compartments.... In the Passat, you get the glovebox, low side-door pockets and this console. Armrest is nice, though." — Dan Frio
"When you buy the top-of-the-line SEL Passat TDI, you get a variety of exclusive upgrades... (including) an upgraded navigation system with traffic and Travel Link information.... VW's RNS 510 navigation system comes with a touchscreen and iPod interface that can be finicky to use.... the iPod/music interface can really be distracting. Sometimes you get a quick response to your touch, sometimes you'll get a slow response (2-3 seconds) and sometimes you get no response. And while these qualities seem mostly related to when I have the Media input selected (my iPhone/iPod, in this case), I've experienced it at least once with the radio stations, too.... It really is a driving distraction, and it's made even worse by the lack of a tuning knob for iPod control." — Brent Romans
"The VW's trunk measures 15.9 cubic feet. That's a healthy number for a family sedan, but what really makes this car useful is the huge pass-through space when you fold down the 60/40 split rear seats. There's not so much space that you're going to be loading up your Passat with 4-by-8-foot sheets of plywood, but the 3-by-6-foot piece of wood that I had cut at the hardware store fit easily." — Erin Riches
Maintenance & Repairs
Regular Maintenance:
The Passat TDI calls for routine service at 10,000-mile intervals. And the Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance plan picks up the tab for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first. Service at 10,000 miles was straightforward, with one exception. A nail. The tire was patched up easily enough, but it marked our third nail encounter. A patch fixed the prior occurrence, while another required a new tire. Our only other out-of-pocket expense was for a four-wheel alignment.
Service Campaigns:
Our Passat was not affected by any recalls or TSBs during our test.
Fuel Economy and Resale Value
Observed Fuel Economy:
Fuel economy projections for the Passat are 34 mpg combined (30 city/40 highway) according to the EPA. We averaged a total of 37.2 mpg over 20,736 miles. Our best single tank was 46.5 mpg, while the least efficient stretch resulted in 25.2 mpg. The best range we managed on one tank was 733.5 miles.
Resale and Depreciation:
Our Passat TDI had an MSRP of $33,710. After one year and 21,000 miles, Edmunds' TMV® Calculator valued the sedan at $25,110, based on a private-party sale. This equated to 25.6 percent depreciation from its original MSRP.
Summing Up
Pros: Outstanding mileage and range, strong acceleration around town, quiet cabin on the highway, supportive front seats, spacious rear seats, plenty of usable trunk space, high-quality interior trim, simple cabin controls.
Cons: Diesel engine gets winded at highway speeds, brakes feel grabby at low speeds, radio interface can be slow to respond, meager interior storage space.
Bottom Line: This is one of the best long-range midsize sedans on the road today. It's impressive around town as well thanks to solid off-the-line acceleration and sharp handling. If you're looking for a straightforward sedan with plenty of passenger room, the Passat TDI is one of the best sedans in the midsize class.
| Total Body Repair Costs: | None |
| Total Routine Maintenance Costs: | None (over 12 months) |
| Additional Maintenance Costs: | $424.23 |
| Warranty Repairs: | None |
| Non-Warranty Repairs: | Patched two leaking tires, replaced one tire |
| Scheduled Dealer Visits: | 2 |
| Unscheduled Dealer Visits: | None |
| Days Out of Service: | None |
| Breakdowns Stranding Driver: | None |
| Best Fuel Economy NA: | 46.5 mpg |
| Worst Fuel Economy NA: | 25.2 mpg |
| Average Fuel Economy NA: | 37.2 mpg |
| True Market Value at service end: | $26,110 (private-party sale) |
| Depreciation: | $8,700 (25.6% of original MSRP) |
| Final Odometer Reading: | 20,736 miles |
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.