2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI: What's It Like to Live With?
Read the latest updates in our long-term road test of the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI as our editors live with this car for a year.
What do you want to know about?
- Introduction
- Rear-View Camera
- Cold Morning, Warm Cabin
- Fuel Economy Update for December
- The Bike Fits
- Budget-Friendly Refinement
- Top Pick for Seniors
- Camry Comparison
- Big Gas Tank
- Fuel Economy Update for January
- Sunroof Cover
- Trunk Size Never Fails To Amaze
- Rear Seat is Large Enough to Haul Livestock
- Strangeness With the Radio
- Cupholders Done Right
- Keyless Access and Ignition
- 1.8-Liter Engine Is a Welcome Upgrade
- Using It as Intended
- Fuel Economy Update for February
- 5,000 Miles
- Made for Big Moments
- Same Engine, Different Car
- Every Kind of Port Except USB
- No Place for the Key
- Lots of Rear Legroom
- Tire Cost
- Fuel Economy Update for March
- Freeway Traffic
- Brake Pedal Feel Bugs Me
- Mobster's Trunk
- Character
- Clean
- 1.8 Is Enough
- External Trunk Lid Hinges
- Car Seat Friendly
- Keyless Entry Dislike
- I Like the Audio Interface
- Bluetooth Beep
- Fuel Economy Update for May
- Flimsy Fuel Filler-Neck Surround
- Radio Presets
- Fuel Economy Update for June
- What's It's Like in the Heat
- What's It's Like Driving Uphill
- Road Trip Cargo Space for Four
- I Love the Doors
- Road Trip Cabin Report
- Phoenix Road Trip!
- 10,000-Mile Update
- Phoenix Road Trip Part 2
- Phoenix Road Trip Part 3
- Stereo Has Some Cool Tricks Up Its Sleeve
- Fuel Economy Update for July
- How 'Bout Those Seats?
- Saying Goodbye to Colossus
- Fuel Economy Update for August
- Wide Grip
- Remote Start
- Performance Testing
- 15,000-Mile Update
- Texas Road Trip, Day 1
- Texas Road Trip, Day 2
- Texas Road Trip, Day 3
- Fuel Economy Update for September
- Texas Road Trip, Day 4
- Express Up and Down Windows
- Steering Wheel Off-Center
- Poor Man's Audi?
- Trunk Fit for a King
- Five-Star Safety Rating
- Fuel Economy Update for October
- Currently Kicking the TDI Diesel's Butt
- Harmony
- 20,000-Mile Service
- Wrap-Up
Introduction
For the sake of diversity and sanity (both for you our readers and our own) we try to keep our long-term test fleet as varied as possible. Cars, trucks, SUVs, sedans, coupes, domestics, imports: you name it, we test it. But every once in a while we hit a cycle where a new vehicle is so important that we'll accept a little redundancy.
This time around, that vehicle is the 2014 Volkswagen Passat SEL.
Eagle-eyed readers will spot the issue with this one right away. See, we already have a Volkswagen Passat in our Long-Term fleet: a lovely TDI SEL Premium that we introduced back in May. This new Passat, though, is a big deal. Volkswagen has ditched the clunky 2.5-liter five-cylinder in favor of an all-new 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. It's a big deal, as this engine will eventually be the base engine for the Passat and thus warrants a closer, longer inspection. We've got 12 months with this 1.8 (five of which will overlap with our TDI) to see how it shapes up and compares against its oil-burning brother.
What We Got
The 2014 Volkswagen Passat SEL is still available with the 2.5-liter five-cylinder. On S, SE and Wolfsburg editions it produces 170 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque while returning 26 mpg combined (22 city/32 highway). Base price on the S is $20,845. This same engine is available all the way up to the SE with Sunroof and Navigation car, which still has vinyl seats and stickers for $26,995.
Stepping up to our 1.8-liter car requires jumping to the SEL Premium, which includes a sunroof, navigation, 18-inch wheels, touchscreen infotainment system, eight-way power front seats, remote start, a leather interior and a six-speed automatic transmission. As equipped, this engine produces 170 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque from 1,500-4,750 rpm and returns 28 mpg combined (24 city/34 highway). This car carries a base price of $30,895, and when destination and delivery are factored in stickers for $31,715.
Why We Got It
Right now, we're seven months into our Long-Term Road Test of a 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI. We've got a good grip on the vehicle and what we like and dislike. Adding another one isn't a decision we took lightly. Like our LT TDI, this car is the top-tier SEL Premium and has all the bells and whistles. Unlike our TDI, this one has a normal, gasoline-powered engine that Americans won't have to adapt to.
A new engine is a huge deal for a company the size of VW, and this motor has broad implications. It's currently an option on both the Passat and the Jetta and should soon be the base motor for the Passat. This means that hundreds of thousands of Americans will soon have the opportunity to live with VW's new turbocharged 1.8 and we'd like to give them a taste of what they're in for. Is it better than the 2.5 it replaces? Do the EPA fuel economy gains pan out in the real world? Does this car, with its gasoline engine and conventional six-speed automatic, make for a better vehicle than the diesel TDI with its six-speed DSG?
We've got 12 months to put 20,000 miles on our new long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat SEL to answer these questions. Follow along on our Long Term Road Test blog for more.
Best MPG: 27.6
Worst MPG: 25.2
Average MPG over 778.9 miles: 26.5
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
The backup camera images on the 2014 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T are blurry in rainy weather. It's passable in the daytime, but I wonder what it will be like at night.
What happens to backup camera clarity in your car when the weather is wet or snowy? Do you get out and dry off the lens before you drive?
When I got into the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI at 5:40 this morning, the temperature stood at 40 degrees. The windshield wasn't just fogged, I discovered, but lightly frosted. This is what we'd call a "freezing" morning here in California. Not actually freezing, of course. But close enough for those of us who've lived here a while.
The Passat TSI rose to the warm-up challenge in no time. Exterior heated mirrors cleared up in about 30 seconds. The maximum setting on the front and rear defrosters melted the rime on the windows. The heated seats kicked in quickly, as did the heater itself.
By the time I got to work 30 minutes later, I was turning down the temperature and pulling back the seat heater from three bars to two.
No doubt the warm-up challenges for the car are greater in other parts of the country, where there's actually winter. And I'd like to see how the Passat TSI behaves in the snow country of Mammoth Lakes or Lake Tahoe. Here in the flatlands of Cali, the Passat TSI does the job just fine.
The end of December marked the end of our first month with our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI and its fuel-economy-centric 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Thanks to fairly impressive range, we've only run through three tanks of fuel over more than 1,200 miles of driving.
What kind of fuel economy is our new gasoline-powered Passat returning and, importantly, how is it comparing to our diesel Passat? Find out below.
Worst Fill MPG: 24.1
Best Fill MPG: 27.6
Average Lifetime MPG: 26.1
EPA MPG Rating: 28 Combined (24 city/34 highway)
Best Range: 451
Current Odometer: 2,280
Now, let's take a look at the Passat TDI's fuel economy from November. Just for kicks.
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
The Passat has a truly enormous trunk. So, yes, the bike fits. Big time.
A friend of mine is in the market for a new car. He recently rode in our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI and mentioned this is one of the cars he's considering. He's married with no kids, so he probably won't be using the generous legroom in the second row much. But he's a large guy, and for that reason, I think he finds the overall spaciousness of the cabin appealing.
Since he's working within a tight budget, I did a double-take at first when he said the Passat is on his short list. The car's refined handling and spare-but handsome cabin cause it to come across as more expensive than it actually is, and it doesn't naturally come to mind when I think of the most economical choices.
But with a starting price of just over $20,000 (our trim is, of course, is a bit costlier than base), it's definitely a strong option for those seeking affordable transportation. And while this model may not be as well-known as the Camrys and Accords of the world, it definitely has the goods to deserve your attention.
My friend says he heard about these Volkswagens via a commercial that mentioned a low car payment. Loaded with Teutonic sophistication and less ubiquitous than some of the more typical choices, the Passat proves you don't have to go generic to find a budget-friendly solution.
We recently published a list spotlighting 10 vehicles available with features that may be useful for certain older drivers and the 2014 Volkswagen Passat made the cut.
The car's list of available senior-friendly features includes a low door threshold for easy ingress and egress, larger dashboard controls, a rear backup camera and a large rear window for good visibility.
For a complete look at the Passat's senior-friendly amenities and to find out which other models rank on the list, see our story, Top 10 Vehicles for Seniors for 2014.
Climbing into our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI this morning encumbered with my laptop bag, the kid's school bags, and an armload of dry cleaning, I couldn't help but think how spacious the Passat's cabin seemed.
I know it's on the larger end of the midsize sedan segment, but I decided to pull up the interior measurements for a 2014 Toyota Camry for a direct comparison. Here's what I found:
2014 VW Passat TSI
Front head room: 38.3 in
Front shoulder room: 56.9 in
Front leg room: 42.4 in
Rear leg room: 39.1 in
Rear shoulder room: 57.0 in
2014 Toyota Camry
Front head room: 38.8 in
Front shoulder room: 58.0 in
Front leg room: 41.6 in
Rear leg room: 38.9 in
Rear shoulder room: 56.6 in
Pretty close on all counts, with a nod to the Passat for leg room, and the Camry for head and front shoulders.
I love that our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI test car has an enormous 18.5-gallon gas tank. Most sedans are in the 16-17 gallon range.
No matter how hard you put your foot down, the Passat, with its 27 mpg (city/highway combined) EPA rating, will carry you plenty of miles between gas stops.
We put 1,251 miles on our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat 1.8 TSI in the first month of 2014. Almost of all of that was city driving, so we set a new low for mpg at 24.1 mpg. That matches the car's EPA city rating, so if that's the worst we can do in Southern California traffic, it speaks well of VW's turbocharged and direct-injected, 1.8-liter gasoline four-cylinder engine.
Our best tank of the month came in at 25.7 mpg, which is quite a bit below our lifetime high of 27.6. More important, it's well short of our Passat's 28 mpg combined rating and 34 mpg highway rating.
Clearly, we'll need to get out of town and put some highway miles on the car if we intend to get within spitting distance of our other silver family sedan, the diesel 2013 Passat TDI, which is averaging a cool 36.5 mpg.
Worst Fill MPG: 24.1
Best Fill MPG: 27.6
Average Lifetime MPG: 25.5
EPA MPG Rating: 28 Combined (24 City/34 Highway)
Best Range: 451.7 miles
Current Odometer: 3,532 miles
This morning I got into our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI, and while reaching up to hit my garage door opener, I noticed the sunroof cover was open a half-inch or so. Only reason it caught my attention is that I saw the same thing yesterday, and so I closed it tight.
Since I was the only one in the car for the past two days, there was no chance someone else had opened it.
Could it really have inched itself open while the car was in motion during just 5 miles of city driving?
If you've got a school-aged kiddo like mine, you know the omnipresent roller bag. When I was a kid her age, I had a locker where I kept my school books and a small canvas backpack to haul homework back and forth. Now, however, lockers have gone extinct and laptops, chargers, textbooks, reading books, binders, lunch box, water bottle, and all manner of flotsam and jetsam travel to and from school every day.
The typical routine is to lower the rollerbag's telescoping handle before hoisting into the trunk. With the 2014 VW Passat's generously proportioned cargo hold, that's not necessary. So large is the 15.9 cubic-foot trunk that what normally looks like a lot of stuff looks almost silly in there.
Okay, so a guinea pig might not be livestock, technically, but when it's in its 2x2x3-foot cage, it's almost the size of a farmyard animal.
Once in a while, my girl's guinea pig, Cafe, needs to be transported and I always hope I have a large enough vehicle (preferably not a coupe) for those times. I couldn't have been more pleased that I had our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI on this occasion. Not only do the rear doors swing open nearly ninety degrees for easy loading, but the cumbersome cage is dwarfed by the scale of the rear seat accommodations.
In the meantime, I'll go online and find a proper guinea pig restraint system (GPRS) to safely transport the critter next time, but I'm not sure those exist.
After a fine weekend with our 2014 Volkswagen Passat 1.8 TSI (the one that takes gasoline), I encountered a curious problem with the audio system on my way to work one morning.
When I got into our silver family sedan, the radio was still on 101.1 FM (L.A.'s oldies station has become a compromise radio station for my husband and me). After a few seconds, the sound cut out. I then switched to my more usual 89.3 (yes, public radio), started listening to the news, and after a few seconds, the sound cut out again.
Eventually, I determined that when switching between stations, or from the FM to AM band (or vice versa), I'd get 5 Mississippis worth of sound and then, total radio silence.
Meanwhile, there were no issues whatsoever with the satellite radio, though our Passat apparently has an abbreviated trial subscription so we don't get all the stations. (Tragically, for example, we don't get Channel 122, which plays NPR programming.)
After the Passat was turned off for a few minutes while I was refueling, I switched from Sirius back to 89.3 FM and was heartened to get about 60 seconds worth of news. Then, the sound cut out again, and subsequently, we were back to the 5 seconds of news/music on any given station.
Maybe this was an anomaly. Or, maybe I've gone totally nutso and the VW senses that. We'll let you know if it happens again, in which case we'll make a service appointment.
Even though auto manufacturers have been in the cupholder business for a long time, it's surprising how many holders still seem like afterthoughts.
The ones in the center console of the 2014 Volkswagen Passat 1.8 TSI are a different story. These are an example of cupholders done right.
Cupholders aren't exactly a sexy topic, but you start to understand the worth of a good holder when you take an aggressive turn and your water bottle goes flying across the car.
Admittedly, it's not easy for the manufacturers to satisfy all cup sizes, from jumbo fast-food sodas to coffee mugs to water bottles to all manner of energy drinks.
But the Passat has most sizes handled pretty well. There are two keys: The grippy rubber surface definitely helps. But what really holds drinks in place are the anti-tip knobs that retract in/out depending on the size of drink.
So, why isn't this "anti-tip tech" more rampant?
Our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI comes standard with keyless ignition/entry, which means you can keep the key fob tucked away (in your pocket or handbag, presumably). As you approach, the car recognizes that the fob is close and then allows you to open the door and start the car with the push-button ignition. Personally, I find this feature to be very convenient. If I were thinking about buying a Passat, I'd consider it one more draw for the SEL trim level.
Keyless ignition/entry is pretty common these days, at least as an option. Mostly, I like not having to fish around for the key anymore. It's especially nice if your hands are full, say with groceries or small children (or both, as the case can often be for me.)
One of my coworkers argues that the value of keyless ignition/entry is overblown. She says if you've attached the car's fob to your key ring, which is likely, you're still going to need to get your key ring out to unlock the front door of your house. It's a valid point. But my reply to that is I'm not always at my house.
Volkswagen offers this feature on the Passat in SEL trim, like our car, or on the SE trim level with the Sunroof and Navigation package.
When the current generation Volkswagen Passat debuted for 2012, its base engine, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, was hardly a standout. For 2014, the competition is even better, and that sets up the 2.5 as an underperformer for both acceleration and fuel economy.
With the 2014 Passat's newly available turbocharged 1.8-liter engine, though, the game has changed.
Around town, our Passat TSI SEL 1.8 feels suitably quick when you press on the gas pedal. That impression is backed up by our track testing, where we recorded a 0-60 mph sprint of 7.7 seconds compared to 9.0 seconds with the 2.5. There isn't any lag or hesitation at low idle, and the engine feels smooth and strong all the way to redline.
Of course, fuel economy is the other big factor here. The results aren't exactly stellar so far, as we noted in our latest fuel economy update. But it's also pretty early in our test of this car, and we've yet to take any long highway-biased road trips.
Regardless, the 1.8 is the greatly preferable choice over the 2.5.
If you go by Volkswagen commercials, typical Passat owners would include dads who have kids super into Star Wars, goofy corporate types who air drum and sing Rush, dads who can't throw worth a damn, guys with tennis balls hanging in their garages, and "lucky" dads.
Hey, I think I qualify on all counts!
Well, technically, my son is too young to be into Star Wars, and my daughter much prefers princesses and ponies to Darth Vader and X-Wings. Besides that, though, our long-term 2014 VW Passat TSI is a great match for me.
The backseat is roomy, and it's easy to install child safety seats and to get little kids in and out. I like the new 1.8-liter engine for its mix of power and fuel economy. I also find the current generation model's interior and exterior design to be handsome and not overdone. This is a car I could see owning for a long time and not getting tired of it.
With nearly 5,000 miles on the clock, our gas-powered 2014 VW Passat TSI is starting to hit its stride when it comes to mileage. A long highway stretch netted 33 miles per gallon, easily its best showing yet. Overall mileage improved to 27.1 mpg which moves it closer to its combined rating of 28 mpg.
The power of the turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder continues to impress as well. It's smooth, responsive and it pulls all the way to its redline. If it wasn't for the mileage hit, the gas engine would be an easy choice over the diesel version.
Worst Fill MPG: 24.1
Best Fill MPG: 33.0
Average Lifetime MPG: 27.1
EPA MPG Rating: 28 Combined (24 City / 34 Highway)
Best Range: 451.7 miles
Current Odometer: 4,990 miles
Our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI recently hit the 5,000-mile mark and it's been a smooth ride so far. No problems to report and plenty of compliments on its smooth, quiet engine.
As the miles have piled up, the overall fuel economy has slowly risen to just over 27 miles per gallon. Not exactly TDI territory, but not bad for a sedan of its size.
The jury is still out on which Passat we like better. The TDI's mileage is hard to beat but the power isn't always there when you want it. There's more noise, too, and those dirty pumps don't help its cause either. We'll see how the TSI fares at the 10,000 mark to see if it starts to earn any converts.
I recently volunteered to indebt myself to a bank for far, far too long. But driving the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI on the multiple fact-finding missions toward this end somewhat alleviated this grim prospect. The Passat feels like an adult's car.
The mute and weighted door closing, the cabin's clean horizontal lines and amenities, the easy phone and media interface: it all makes the Passat feel like a car to get things done. Even the chrome door sill whispers achievement.
Some of us say the Passat has zero personality. Actually, that's only Josh Jacquot. Dynamically speaking, that's true enough. This just isn't your car for Sunday morning road carvings, but I sleep late on Sundays anyway. But when I'm driving around town, walking myself into a banker's net, I'm fine with a car that at least suggests I'm doing something right. If only they offered the wagon.
Our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI's 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is one of the great engines out there, boasting energetic power and excellent fuel economy. It certainly seems well-suited to our big Passat, bringing it from zero to 60 mph in a quicker-than-average 7.7 seconds and thus-far returning 27 mpg (versus an EPA 28). Plus, it hasn't done many miles at this point, so future road trips could improve that number.
However, this engine gets even better in smaller vehicles. It's a major reason to buy the otherwise unremarkable Jetta, and was thoroughly impressive in a European-market Seat Leon I rented recently while on vacation in Switzerland.
Attached to a slick Volkswagen six-speed manual and paired to the Leon's "FR" sport package, the 1.8-turbo helped create the impression of a hot hatch lite. Not only did it provide ample get-up on the mountain roads of Switzerland's Bernese Oberland, it managed a remarkable trip average of 36.6 mpg. Credit an Eco setting that aids fuel economy without sucking the life out of the throttle.
Though there's zero hope of getting the brilliant little Leon here in the United States, the fact that it's based on the next-generation Golf certainly provides a glimpse of how good that car will be when it eventually shows up here.
If you need to charge your iPhone, you're golden in the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI. There's a dedicated plug right there in the center console. If you want to plug in an MP3 player, there's a port for that, too.
You want to charge your non-Apple phone? Far chance, there's not a USB port to be found anywhere. Kind of odd for a car that's so technologically advanced in most other respects.
Luckily, it's an easy problem to fix. As you can see I just used a cigarette lighter adapter to turn one of the 12V outlets into a USB port. Total cost: $1.50.
I like keyless start systems. They make sense. Get in the car with the key in your pocket, hit the button and go.
So the first time I saw a car that had a slot for the key fob even though it was a keyless ignition, I was confused. Why take the key out and put it in the dash? Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of a keyless start setup?
After using various setups in various cars over the last several years I've come to appreciate having somewhere to put the key even if it's not necessary. Turns out most key fobs have gotten so big these days that I almost always take it out of my pocket when I get in for my long commute home. I usually just toss the key into one of the cupholders, but then I go to put an actual cup in there and it practically tips over because it's sitting on a key fob.
As you can see, our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI doesn't have a slot for the fob, just a reminder that, "Hey, you don't need to insert the key, it's all wireless!" Oh well, back to the cupholder it goes.
I've driven our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI several times, but until recently, I'd never been in the backseat. I was curious to see what kind of room it provided for a human-sized guinea pig, so I set the front seat position about an inch farther back than I normally would (I'm about 5-feet-9-inches tall) and climbed in the back.
It turns out that the backseat of this Passat is seriously roomy. My knees had plenty of real-estate to spare.
There were several inches of leftover legroom and more than enough headroom for someone of my average stature. So if your childhood was anything like mine and your taller, older, notoriously reclining brother always shouted "Shotgun!" on the way out to the car, then rear legroom makes a big difference.
|
Passat |
Accord |
Fusion |
Camry |
Maxima |
Rear Legroom |
39.1 in. |
38.5 in. |
38.3 in. |
36.8 in. |
34.6 in. |
While there isn't a huge gap between these rivals, an inch seems like a mile when you're stuck behind your big brother for hundreds of miles, with nothing to do but stare out the window and kick the seat.
My sister called from Michigan complaining her 2010 Chrysler Town & County blew its second tire this week in a giant slush-filled pothole.
While searching Tirerack.com for minivan replacement tires ($124 each for the OE Bridgestones), I figured I'd check the price on tires for the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI I'm currently driving.
Continental ContiProContact Grand Touring All-Season
235/45R18
$146 each
Lucky for me we don't have many snow-and-ice road issues here at the beach.
We put 1,017 miles on our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat 1.8 TSI in March. Almost of all of it was city driving, and we're learning that VW's 170-horsepower, turbocharged and direct-injected, 1.8-liter gasoline four-cylinder engine is quite sensitive to driving style in these conditions. We set a new low for mpg at 21.1 mpg, well short of the car's 24 mpg EPA city rating.
Our best tank of the month came in at only 31.0 mpg, which is below our lifetime high of 33.0 and short of the car's 34 mpg highway rating. The Passat 1.8 TSI's average after 6,000 miles is 26.4 mpg. We'll need to log some highway miles to catch up to the EPA's 28 mpg combined fuel economy rating.
For those keeping score at home, our diesel 2013 VW Passat TDI, is currently averaging a cool 36.6 mpg against an EPA rating of 34 mpg combined (30 city/40 highway).
Worst Fill MPG: 21.1
Best Fill MPG: 33.0
Average Lifetime MPG: 26.4
EPA MPG Rating: 28 Combined (24 City/34 Highway)
Best Range: 494 miles
Current Odometer: 6,000 miles
It was Cesar Chavez Day in the state of California, and in Los Angeles, we commuters celebrate all holidays, however state or nationally recognized. They typically mean lighter traffic, and on my route, a chance to push the speedometer past 35 mph.
Our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI was a welcome friend in and out of the fast lane. The spacious sedan's 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is long on passing power, and I found myself actually enjoying my morning slog, instead of merely tolerating it.
I spent last weekend in the car on the left, our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI, but what I'm about to say also applies to our silver 2013 Passat TDI on the right and (to some extent) even the 2014 BMW 3 Series GT in the center. All of these cars have a soft brake pedal feel, and it drives me a little nuts in normal driving situations.
In our two VW Passats, the brake pedal is soft, almost squishy, and actual braking response is lazy in those first few millimeters of pedal travel. Press harder and you eventually get the requested slowing, but it comes on abruptly because the pedal feel is so vague. The upshot is that it's hard to stop smoothly in either Passat when you're driving in the city or stuck in stop-and-go expressway traffic.
It is probably something I would get used to if owned this 2014 Passat 1.8 TSI, but given all of the other fine options for a relatively affordable midsize sedan (Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Mazda 6 and Nissan Altima), I don't think I would accept this compromise. I'll just get a sedan that has the brakes set up the way I want them in the first place.
Oh yeah, the bike fits. Lengthwise, no less. The scooter and the helmet fit, too. There's even enough room for the kid that rides that stuff, but we don't put her back there too often.
Ok, so it's a kid's bike with 16-inch wheels that isn't too demanding on cargo space. The trunk on our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI is still ginormous.
I took a day trip in the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI with a friend who is really into old Mercedes. He said this Passat makes him think of the '80s-era S-Class Mercedes. In particular he mentioned it was the simplicity of the dash layout, the size of cabin (particularly the backseat) and the overall feel of solid German engineering that impressed him. Not only that, but it's a car that actually has some character.
But there are at least two big differences between this 2014 VW and a 1980s era Mercedes.
The first big difference is price. Back in the day, the S-Class was selling for $60-$80,000. Our TSI stickers for $31,715 and it looks like it is selling for close to invoice now, a $1,600 discount.
The other difference is the efficiency of the engine. On the highway, the onboard fuel economy meter showed the turbocharged engine, running on regular gas, was getting 34 mpg. Back in the '80s, a Mercedes owner could buy gas for about $1.20 so it wasn't an issue. But today, both the cost of gas and the tailpipe emissions are important factors in choosing a car.
Anyway, after my friend's comments, I felt good to think we are getting more car for our money than ever before.
I popped the hood to check the oil in our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI, which is usually a dirty job. Not only was the dipstick clearly visible, and made of plastic so I didn't burn my fingers, but there was barely a speck of dust on the engine cover.
Usually, a film of oil builds up on the metal and plastic and then is covered by grime and dust. But you could have eaten a picnic lunch off the top of this engine. It must be an extremely well-sealed engine compartment.
And, no, the engine didn't need oil.
Driving the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI is a lot easier than I expected. Weighing in at a tad over 3,200 pounds, I was concerned the 1.8-liter four-cylinder 170-horsepower engine might come up a bit short, turbocharged or not.
No problem at all.
Over the three days I had the 2014 VW Passat TSI, I put roughly 230 miles on its odometer through typical L.A. driving. About a quarter of those miles were stop-and-go traffic, but the rest were split between wide open freeways and canyon driving.
Driving over the Santa Monica Mountains via Topanga Canyon, in my eyes at least, is a great way to learn about a car. Twelve miles of twists and turns, a steady climb in elevation, and only a very few stoplights.
The 1.8- liter turbocharged four-cylinder did a great job of moving the midsize car through the canyons, and at no point did it feel underpowered. In fact, I felt as though the 2014 Passat TSI had more than enough power, and the canyon wasn't even a challenge.
Getting up to freeway speed was a breeze, and as Kelly noted, the Passat TSI has plenty of passing power. Rather quiet, too.
It's great when a car exceeds your expectations. That is certainly the case for me in the 2014 Passat TSI.
External trunk lid hinges on our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI are the only blemish on an otherwise excellent trunk design. The Passat has a large opening for easy cargo loading and it is spacious, to the tune of 15.9 cubic feet. Divided cubbies near either taillight offer space for storing delicate items as well. There is a lot to like, here.
I only wish there was a way to tuck these hinges away so they don't impede on the storage area. Sure, it may be infrequent that cargo and hinge come in contact. And VW certainly isn't the only manufacturer guilty of this. But I don't think that makes it okay.
After several days in our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI I have to say, the Passat makes the car seat shuffle refreshingly easy. Three things stand out as examples of how the Passat does it right with respect to car seats...
LATCH Tethers
Lower LATCH hooks are visible beneath the seatbacks and you need not flay your fingertips to access them. The only difficulty was access to the upper tethers. This may not apply to all car seats, however, as the shape of our convertible seat required the rear headrest be removed for proper seat installation. And removal of the headrest required a special tool, of my own design, to depress a hidden button while simultaneously pressing the visible, vertical adjustment button. I tossed it in the trunk and never looked back.
Center-Mount Car Seat Access
Not all midsize sedans make it easy to mount the child seat in the center. Of course, this can vary depending upon the child seat brand. Our convertible seat fits great on the slight hump while still attaching snugly to the center tethers. So how do rear seat passengers fare with the seat installed? It's tight. But both outboard safety belts are fully accessible. Two mid-sized adults wouldn't complain over short distances.
Back Seat Accessibility
Another important quality, according to my back, is how easily my three-year-old can get into the seat. Just this morning he muttered a, "Daddy, this car is really easy to climb into. There is a little step." This kid climbs in and out of different cars almost as often as his dad, so I'm going to consider his an expert opinion. The step he's referring to is the door sill. So this ease of entry would apply to any car this height. But still, if he can climb in and out easily, it makes my job easier. That's a win in my book.
As much as I appreciate the keyless entry feature on our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI, there is one aspect of it that I really dislike. With the key in my pocket, I slide my hand behind either front door handle and it unlocks. But it does not unlock the rear doors at the same time.
Each time I want to load my kid into the back seat, assuming I don't just use the key fob, it is a multi-step process: 1) Open the front door; 2) Reach inside and press the interior unlock switch; 3) Walk back to open the rear door and let in the rugrat. Is this a deal-breaker? Probably not. But it makes the already complex task of running errands with a toddler more difficult than I'd like.
If there was a feature to allow all doors to unlock when the fronts do, then I would have only praise for the VW. I've searched the onboard menus and manuals for such a feature but to no avail.
I find the audio interface in our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI very easy to use. The simple design and logical button layout makes navigating it a breeze. And I welcome the inherent element of customization this system offers.
Not all manufacturers utilize redundant controls on their radio head units. Volkswagen does. Change between bands, presets and radio stations along the dial via touchscreen, spin one of two knobs or press buttons on the steering wheel. It's your call. I happen to prefer using the knobs, but not exclusively. The option is something that appeals to me and is a feature on the Passat that deserves recognition.
The execution of the system is not perfect. There is occasionally a delay between press and response when using the touchscreen. Its buttons don't seem to have the same hesitation, which in my mind, almost makes it forgivable. Next time we take the car in for service, we'll ensure we have the most current software available, as perhaps this is a contributor.
Still on the whole, I've enjoyed my experience with this interface.
After about 30 minutes of working just fine, the Bluetooth streaming in our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI decided to stop playing music and start playing a single, high-pitched tone at stupid-high volume.
Wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?
If I switched to the radio (XM or FM, I didn't try AM because I don't think that band exists anymore), the beep stopped. Back to Bluetooth and there it was! This went on until I pulled over, stopped the car and restarted it. Then everything was fine.
Back in March, we set a new low for fuel economy in our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI at 21.1 mpg. In May that figure dropped even lower to our worse tank yet, just 18.7 mpg.
With our best fill holding at 33 mpg, our new lifetime average for the car is now less than 26 mpg, or 2 mpg lower than the EPA's combined city/highway rating of 28 mpg.
With approximately 10,000 miles left to go during our long-term test, we have another five months to see if a few more road trips help improve the Passat TSI's fuel economy figures.
Worst Fill MPG: 18.7
Best Fill MPG: 33.0
Average Lifetime MPG: 25.9
EPA MPG Rating: 28 Combined (24 City/34 Highway)
Best Range: 494 miles
Current Odometer: 8,113 miles
Most of the trim on our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI is well built from high-quality materials, but this piece isn't. It's the mounting surface around the fuel filler neck. Instead of being made of sheet metal or hard plastic, it's a strange flimsy rubber. It flexes and bends under the weight of the fuel nozzle, which disengages the fuel pump's automatic-fill-latch-thingy, and makes for an annoying fuel stop.
Instead of being able to walk away and clean the windshield while the Passat was filling up (take THAT states with silly no-latch laws), I had to stand around holding the pump with both hands, at just the right angle. This wasn't a problem with our long-term 2013 Passat TDI because diesel pumps don't have the same spring-loaded nozzles as standard gasoline pumps.
Maybe the gas pump I was using was particularly finicky, but I checked eight of our other long-term cars, and on each of them this piece was made of either hard plastic or metal. You don't use this part of the car much, but when you do it's a bit of a letdown.
A long commute to work means I spend a large amount of time listening to terrestrial and satellite radio. I have begun to appreciate the logic of radio presets in cars like our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI. I like how FM, AM, and SiriusXM channels can be programmed all on the same list of presets.
In contrast, our 2014 Kia Cadenza has a separate list of presets for each band. If my favorite radio station is on FM and second favorite is on Sirius, why should I have to press more than one button to switch?
My family and I just got back from a road trip to Mammoth Lakes, California. The full story of that trip and our experiences in the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI will have to wait for another update (or two); this post is all about the car's fuel economy over the last month.
The good news is that, after a couple of months of new lows in gas mileage, the Passat hit a new high: a best fill of 34.4 (which happened to occur while I was on that Mammoth road trip, huzzah!). We managed to hit the Passat's EPA rating for highway driving over the many hundreds of miles of cruising (and cruise controlled) time on wide-open highways between Los Angeles and Mammoth.
Worst Fill MPG: 18.7
Best Fill MPG: 34.4
Average Lifetime MPG: 26.2
EPA MPG Rating: 28 Combined (24 City/34 Highway)
Best Range: 494 miles
Current Odometer: 9,600 miles
I'm not sure what distance the on-board average fuel consumption computer is using for its computations, but it was fun to watch that number creep up over the duration of our trip.
I parked our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI in my driveway this weekend. I live on a hill near the Pacific Ocean where the sun beats down heating things up pretty darn good. Whenever I get into a car during daylight hours, the interior is hot.
The interior of our Passat is black but it doesn't really matter. Any car I park in my drive in the summer gets hot hot hot. While the air conditioner in our Passat works really well, on start-up it takes a long time for the air to become cool. Once it gets going, I have no complaints. The vents are positioned well, the controls are easy for driver and passenger to use, and the air flow is strong.
Another hot weather issue is the metallic strip on the shifter (pictured above). Boy, does that get hot. Our Passat doesn't have a manual transmission, so I only need to put it in Reverse to back out and then in Drive to get going. But those few seconds are searing.
Any hot weather issues with your car?
I like to drive each of our long-term cars into the hills of nearby Palos Verdes to judge how easy or difficult they find the climb.
On this particular trip, the weather outside was very hot and I had the air conditioner pumping very high. Our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI did not hesitate at all. There was no struggle to maintain speed during the climb. The Passat remained impressively smooth and steady. I could even pass without the car feeling reluctant.
Our SEL Premium's new torque-rich turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder is impressive. Combined with a six-speed automatic that is quick to downshift, the Passat makes hill-climbing effortless.
Say you and your spouse have two smallish kids. Let's also say you two crazy lovebirds decide to take your smallish kids on a summer road trip to Mammoth Lakes, California (approximately 300 miles away from your home), to meet up with two other families and do fun summer lake stuff together for a four-day weekend.
And suppose you had also recently purchased a 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI as your family car because you feel that a midsize sedan — and the Passat specifically — is the best choice for your family, as it serves your needs perfectly 95 percent of the time, is easy to park, has a massive trunk (pictured) and looks good. Great reasons. You don't like crossovers, SUVs, minivans and wagons. You like to drive a sedan. I feel ya. Rock on, sedan-lover.
(Note from the writer: My husband and I have not recently purchased a Passat. We drove Edmunds' long-term Passat TSI for this road trip, but that tidbit didn't fit in with my pastoral about this fictitious family.)
Now let's look at how you might fit all the stuff that a family of four with two smallish children needs for an extended weekend road trip in summertime Mammoth.
Full disclosure: We overpacked. I freely admit this. In our defense, we hadn't taken a road trip with the kids for a few years, and we'd never been to Mammoth in the summer. And we weren't sure where the kids were going to sleep (hence the sleeping bags). And there were going to be six kids under age 12 to entertain for four days. Please forgive me.
This is a photo of everything we shoved into that big trunk:
This is it in list form:
2 rolling carry-on suitcases
1 standard (non-rolling) carry-on suitcase
1 medium-sized soft-sided cooler
1 large grocery-bag style cooler bag
1 3-gallon water container
2 kid-sized sleeping bags
1 adult-sized sleeping bag
1 large canvas tote bag
1 yoga mat
1 medium Amazon box filled with craft supplies
1 medium clear plastic craft bin (more craft supplies — did I mention that I overpacked?)
2 standard pool noodles
1 plastic grocery bag filled with junk
1 large Ziploc bag (filled with I-can't-remember-what)
3 beach towels
1 tabloid-size California almanac
1 empty growler from Indian Wells Brewing Company (picture is from our trip home)
This is what it looked like in said trunk:
Keep in mind our kids also had a bunch of stuff in the passenger compartment to read, color, do, destroy and kick over, so this isn't everything we took with us (more on that in another post.) But it is everything that fit easily into the Passat's massive trunk.
And I think that's pretty impressive.
I rarely notice a car door. Unless something is glaringly wrong like a super loud squeak or a handle not working, I don't pay attention to the door when I'm getting in or out of a car. Done it too many times to even notice I'm doing it. So when I got out of our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI this weekend, I was surprised to have the door catch my attention.
You know those little stops that slow down the swing of a door, the detents? A detent is responsible for the small break or "speed bumps" that will stop a car door from opening past a certain angle. If you want the door opened further, give a car door a nudge and the door will swing on its intended path until slowed down by the next one. The detents are pretty stiff on the Passat. For me, that's a good thing.
At home, I don't have a lot of room in my parking garage. On both sides of my tandem parking spot are my neighbors' cars, and there isn't a lot of space. Between you and me, I once opened my passenger door and the corner of it hit my neighbor's driver door. Perhaps I was too aggressive, or perhaps the car door swung too freely. Maybe both. Either way I take responsibility.
Ever since, I'm always mindful about dinging somebody else's car.
When I hopped out of the Passat and released the door, the door swung open, hit its latch point, and pretty much stayed put. No extra swing. Solid.
In the Passat, with the weight of the doors and the position of the stops being so tight, I don't worry about it accidentally swinging into something. One less thing to think about in my cramped garage. Or cramped parking structure at work. Or cramped parking lot at Trader Joe's.
It's not like I sit up at night worrying about this or anything. But the Passat doors impressed me.
I'm sure some of the guys here would attribute that to build quality. I would attribute that to thoughtfulness by the engineers. They know hitting your neighbor's car door stinks.
I'm doubtful car shoppers are thinking about out how car doors swing when they are out shopping for new rides. But, little things like that can really enhance the car ownership experience.
Are there any "little things" in your car that bug the heck out of you or make you happy with your buying choice? You know, like having to hit okay on your navigation system every time you want to drive somewhere?
In my last update, I showed you everything my family of four put in the trunk of Edmunds' long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI for our extended weekend with friends in Mammoth Lakes, California.
You already know that the Passat's trunk performed admirably. But what about the passenger compartment?
During the drive to and from Mammoth, conditions inside the Passat were not ideal. With the kids' car seats, road trip snacks, drinks, kiddo activity packs, books, lap desks, and pillows (plus all the cheese bread we bought at Schat's Bakkery in Bishop both coming and going — we are weak) and necessary for both comfort and entertainment of all passengers (aged 44, 41, 8 and 4), it was pretty tight in the front passenger and back seats. (You'll have to take my word for it; my pics of the cramped conditions are not fit to publish.) Every inch of floor space was occupied by either cargo or feet, and if you were in the back seat, sometimes it was cargo under feet.
At one point during the drive, to give them some relief (and let's face it, we benefitted from this, as well), our kids moved into the minivan of one of the other families of four caravanning with us on the trip. Not surprisingly, our offspring were much happier with this scenario. While we were in Mammoth, they elected this option as often as they could when our entire group had to drive somewhere, like Mono Lake (pictured above) for the very informative and enjoyable sunset walking tour.
Now, under normal everyday driving conditions, the Passat has plenty of space and it's quite comfortable. I drive my kids to school in a coupe, so this midsize sedan feels downright huge to me for everyday living with kids.
In road trip mode, however, I found myself wishing we had a larger car in all respects. A larger back seat with more legroom/floor space would have made our kids' ride much more comfortable. Granted, bringing a little less stuff probably would have helped, too.
And while the trunk swallowed an impressive amount of stuff, a taller cargo area, like that of a crossover or SUV, would have allowed us to bring my 4-year-old's best friend and daily driver: his 12-inch bicycle, something we had planned on including before we actually packed.
Could you sense a tinge of sarcasm in that headline exclamation point? No? Well, it was there.
Not that there's anything wrong with Phoenix, Arizona, but this hotbed of desert heat is far from my first destination choice. Especially in the middle of summer.
I was being sent there for a backgrounder on the 2015 Nissan Murano at Nissan's proving grounds outside Phoenix in Stanfield. Edmunds car czar Mike Schmidt said our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI needed some mileage love, so Phoenix, Stanfield...whatever...off I went.
Just as with our 5,000-mile update, it's continued to be smooth sailing, mechanically, up to the 10,000-mile mark for the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI.
Our fuel mileage numbers haven't been spectacular, with an overall average of just 26.2 mpg, but if we can log a few more road trips such as the Arizona one I'm on right now, that could easily go up.
There have been some complaints about the action of the brakes, but beyond that we're looking forward to another 10,000 trouble-free miles in this Passat.
Driving the miles and miles of desert highway from southern California to Nissan's proving grounds near Phoenix, Arizona gave me much time to consider the front seats in the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI.
The verdict?
I like 'em. A lot. Seats are, of course, one of your more personal preferences. Meaning, just because they fit me doesn't mean they will suit you. But I found the driver seat had just the right level of firmness, and the seatback envelops me. So I feel like I'm sitting more in the seat than on it. I'm not sure how this would be for wider folks.
The suede inserts add to the comfort, especially for those of us who wear shorts until it gets below 35 degrees. Which it never does here in SoCal.
About the only thing I could ask for would be seat coolers, for those days when the car's thermometer says the outside temp is 110 degrees.
After staying in Chandler, Arizona for the night, it was off to Nissan's proving grounds in Stanfield the next morning to get some background information on the 2015 Nissan Murano.
After a few hours with the Nissan folks, I hopped back in the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI to head to south Orange County. I punched my address into the navigation system and, like a good citizen of Orange County I blindly followed the route it gave me.
After driving along on the two-lane road for a bit, I realized it wasn't going to take me back the way I came on Interstate 10. Instead the nav had chosen Interstate 8 West. After I thought about it, this actually made sense, both because of my starting point in Stanfield, which is due south of Phoenix, and because I was heading home instead of to the office in Santa Monica.
It also turns out that Interstate 8 has considerably more interesting desert topography than Interstate 10, the last which is largely dirt and scrub brush. There seemed to be fewer cars on I8, too. The downside is it put me close to San Diego driving through near-rush hour on a Thursday evening, with all that entails. In sum, ultimately there's no escaping traffic around these parts.
As for the Passat, it averaged 31.9 mpg over the 812 miles (the EPA rates it at 34 mpg on the highway). It's quite a comfy cruiser, with a decent ride, low road and wind noise and that smooth turbo four-cylinder that has just enough power for the situations I encountered.
The Passat's faults, namely the weird-to-modulate/vague-feeling brakes and slow-reacting six-speed automatic transmission, were of little bother on this primarily highway trip.
My teenage son and I visited my mom up in the Bay Area last weekend. I was lucky enough to take our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI. I say lucky because the more time I spend in the Passat, the more I like it.
As a guy who has primarily driven Japanese cars for the past 20 years, it's always fun to get in some German car time. It's like moving to a new city. The language is the same, so are most of the customs. But some things are just simply different.
We took the I-5 freeway for most of the drive, and it was as fun as ever, which means not much. Between southern and northern California, the I-5 is a two-lane highway that runs hundreds of mostly flat miles along stretches of farmland, cows, and the occasional town. Because of the drought and the time of year, most of what you see is brown dusty fields. All in all, it's a long boring drive.
One thing that made the ride a bit easier was the Passat's stereo system. It sounds great and does some cool tricks. One thing I especially like was the ability to rewind songs on the steering wheel. While streaming Bluetooth, many cars give you the option to restart the song, but not rewind. To rewind a song, you'd have to do it from your cell phone, and messing with my phone isn't something I'm inclined to do while driving. So all the help I can get to hear what I want while sitting on the 5 is welcome.
Kinda cool, especially because many of the tracks on my library are DJ mixes and concerts, both of which are seen as one long song by my phone. Being able to skip or wind to the good parts is always appreciated.
I found another useful feature while listening to the Sirius/XM. In the Passat, you can listen to one station, and see what another station is playing at the same time. This is something else you don't find in all cars. Turn the tuner knob on the right side of the display to the station you're thinking of switching to, and you can save yourself from turning on Maroon 5 in the event you're just not in a Moves Like Jagger kind of mood. Nothing against Maroon 5.
As much as I like these cool features, they don't make up for the Passat not having a normal USB port. I had forgotten this little fact, and hadn't fully charged my phone before hitting the road. I was concerned I'd lose juice during the trip, which is a huge no-no for me. Luckily enough, I made a snack stop at a gas station that happened to sell cigarette lighter USB chargers for 5 bucks. Disaster averted.
When the trip was done, I asked my son if he had any complaints about the car. Not a single one. He did mention he was surprised how big the trunk was. What he didn't mention is feeling cramped. He is a big boy, about six-foot-three with long legs. We drove roughly a thousand miles in three days, and to not have legroom not even brought up is a win in my book.
Like I said, the more time I spend in the Passat, the more I like it. Now if VW would just include a universal USB port.
It's been a busy month for our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI, 3,222 miles in several long road trips, the most miles in any month since we got the silver sedan.
That's probably why this also was one of the VW's best months ever for fuel efficiency.
VW's 1.8-liter TSI engine loves road trips and the Passat 1.8 TSI has become one of those rare cars that actually comes very close to delivering the EPA's estimated mileage. It's now at a 27 MPG lifetime average versus the EPA's combined rating of 28 MPG.
We set a record for single-tank fuel efficiency in July, 34.5 MPG on a 453.7-mile leg of Mike Monticello's jaunt to Phoenix.
The Passat also gave us three more of our top 10 trips so far, with a 33.4-MPG tank on July 28, a 32.4-MPG fill-up on the 29th and a 32.1-MPG tank on the 31st. The car covered 1,210 miles over those final four days of the month.
One thing we noticed — and it's not exclusive to VW — is that the car's own calculation of its fuel economy is a bit optimistic: As you can see from the photo, the average MPG for an end-of-the-month round trip from Santa Monica to San Jose shows on the Passat's information readout as 33.4 MPG, while the actual fuel economy for that 842 miles was 32.3 MPG.
Worst Fill MPG: 18.7
Best Fill MPG: 34.5
Average Lifetime MPG: 27.0
EPA MPG Rating: 28 combined (24 City/34 Highway)
Best Range: 494 miles
Current Odometer: 12,821 miles
In reading through previous entries in this blog for our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI, I noticed that my colleague Mike Monticello found the front seats to be marvelous for someone with his trim frame but wondered how a wide-bodied driver would do.
Much as I hate to admit it, I'm fairly wide-bodied at 6'2" and 238 pounds. And I can provide an answer.
They do just fine.
I've got a lower back issue, and just traveled 842 miles in the Passat, most of it in long drives to and from the Silicon Valley city of San Jose. I made just two stops each way, one for gas and other stuff one does at a gas station, and one for a coffee and restroom break. So I spent a lot of time in those leather and suede seats.
My longest stretch of uninterrupted driving was just over four hours.
I found the Passat's front buckets comfortable and supportive and didn't have to spend the drives squirming around trying to easy a backache. I never got a backache. And I didn't limp around adjusting my spine for 15 minutes after getting out of the car, something I often must do when emerging from my daily driver, a 2007 Honda Civic GX.
It's been years since I've visited Six Flags Magic Mountain, but the impending closure of one of its most famous roller coasters meant I felt compelled to make the trip. The coaster-heavy theme park was about to retire Colossus, the wooden behemoth that, to me, served as Magic Mountain's mascot. I needed something comfortable for the long ride to and from Valencia, so I grabbed the keys to our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI for the weekend and drove up on a Saturday.
The Passat is a long distance cruiser and the seats are great for hot summer days. Unlike most of the cars in our long-term fleet, the Passat's seats aren't full leather. They have faux-suede inserts that keep backs and butts from sweating when the car's interior becomes excessively hot. The experience would be perfect if the Passat had cooled seats, but I digress.
My friend and I arrived shortly after the park opened and made a beeline to Colossus. The line was longer than I remember it being in trips previous, but shorter than I anticipated. We went a week before the ride closed, so maybe we were able to avoid some procrastinators. At nearly 40 years old, Colossus rode without the spine-rattling harshness typical in wooden coasters. It felt much more comfortable than either Ghost Rider at Knott's Berry Farm or the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 in our garage.
When it opened, Colossus was both the tallest at fastest roller coaster in the world, with a top speed of 62 mph. While Colossus doesn't hold a candle to the dizzying drops and multiple g-forces of steel coasters, it's still plenty of fun.
We left Six Flags disappointed to see the iconic coaster for the last time. Even if it is replaced by a steel duplicate, as some online rumors suggest, it won't be the same. Colossus's dual trains have stopped at the station for the last time.
In August, we drove our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI about 1,700 miles and averaged 28.2 mpg. It wasn't as busy as July for the silver sedan, when we added 3,200 miles to the odometer, but we still drove the Passat up to central California for a weekend and on a day trip out the farther reaches of Los Angeles County.
Road trips are the Passat's specialty and we recorded two 30-mpg tanks this month on trips of 421 and 470 miles. The additional mileage in August also bumped up the Passat's average lifetime efficiency to 27.2 mpg, edging closer to the EPA's rating of 28 combined.
But as Senior Editor John O'Dell noted last month, the Passat still wildly exaggerates its own efficiency. This month, it inflated its indicated mpg as much as 6 mpg, claiming 36.4 mpg on the long 470-mile trip. Its actual mpg was 30.0. And as in the photo above, even with 56 miles already on a new tank, the Passat wants us to believe it can range another 500 miles. At 494 miles, we’ve been close, to this estimate anyway.
Worst Fill MPG: 18.7
Best Fill MPG: 34.5
Average Lifetime MPG : 27.2
EPA MPG Rating: 28 combined (24 City/34 Highway)
Best Range: 494 miles
Current Odometer: 14,685
It's almost an automotive cliché that German cars are "solid," that they deliver a certain gravity of sensory experience that other sedans don't always deliver.
It's the trunk thunk, the door close, the steering wheel feel, the buttons, dials and controls. All those little details add up to the feeling of a well-built car.
Our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI, for example, feels more substantial than other midsize family sedans. Not to say everything else feels cheap. That's not fair or accurate. But one reason for the Passat's tangible something-ness is that it sits on one of the widest contact patches in the segment.
Our Passat wears 235/45/R18 Continental all-season tires. Other midsize sedans vary, but only the Ford Fusion Titanium trim comes with identical-sized tires.
The Honda Accord EX-L sits on 215/55R17 rubber. Opting for the Accord Sport matches our Passat SEL's rubber, but the EX-L trim is a closer overall match to the Passat SEL.
To get almost the same sizes on the Toyota Camry, you need to consider the sporty-ish SE model at 225/45R18.
Tire sizes on other family sedans:
Mazda 6: 225/55R17
Nissan Altima SL: 215/55R17
Hyundai Sonata: 215/55R17
Hyundai Sonata Sport 2.0: 235/45R18
Kia Optima: 225/45R18
Does this ultimately mean anything? Probably not much. But the additional contact patch is handy for spiking the Passat's early torque, 184 pound-feet at 1,500 rpm, and chirping out of the neighborhood. It also makes the Passat look good standing still.
The remote start system on our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat is annoying.
It starts the car, no problem. If you've got the air-conditioning or the heater on when you turn the car off, those things kick in and can help get the car ready for your journey, but there is one major, glaring annoyance.
If you unlock the car, it turns off.
The first time this happened, I thought I made a mistake. Maybe I accidently pressed the wrong button or that there was some strange/secret procedure to keep the VW running. I should read the manual. That'll set me straight, right? Nope. Unlock the car or open the doors and the engine shuts off. It's entirely counterintuitive to turn on the car via remote, then have it shut off when I get in, only to turn it right back on again.
Our long-term 2014 Ram 1500 has a much better way of using remote start. Instead of shutting down when you unlock or open the doors, the Ram locks out gear changes and most other interior functions while the remote start is engaged, but once you put your foot on the brake and press the start button inside the cab, everything is ready to go. To my mind, this is how all remote start systems should work.
Since we took delivery of our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI back in December, it has performed the regular commuting duties with little or no fuss. Our VW has also undertaken a few moderate road trips and hauling duties, you know typical sedan stuff. It has served us as well as any other midsized family sedan in this capacity. It also went to our test track.
The big news with this 2014 Passat isn't its ability to hold five people pretty comfortably, we knew it did that. The interesting bit is actually its new 1.8-liter, four-cylinder gasoline motor that pumps out 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.
How'd it do?
(The following performance numbers were obtained shortly after the Volkswagen Passat TSI joined our long-term fleet. )
Vehicle:
Odometer: 2,287
Date: 12/23/2013
Driver: Chris Walton
Price: $31,715
Specifications:
Drive Type: Front engine, Front-wheel drive
Transmission Type: six-speed automatic
Engine Type: turbocharged, inline-4, gasoline
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 1,798 / 110
Redline (rpm): 6,000
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 170 @ 4,800
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 184 @ 1,500
Brake Type (front): 12.3-inch one-piece ventilated with single-piston sliding calipers
Brake Type (rear): 10.7-inch one-piece solid with single-piston sliding calipers
Suspension Type(front): MacPherson strut, lower control arms, coil springs, stabilizer bar
Suspension Type (rear): Multi-link, coil springs, stabilizer bar
Tire Size (front): 235/45R18 94H M+S
Tire Size (rear): 235/45R18 94H M+S
Tire Brand: Continental
Tire Model: ContiProContact
Tire Type: All-Season, low rolling resistance
As tested Curb Weight (lb): 3,338
Test Results:
Acceleration:
0-30 (sec): 2.7 (w/TC on 3.4)
0-45 (sec): 4.9 (w/TC on 5.6)
0-60 (sec): 7.7 (w/TC on 8.6)
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 7.4 (w/TC on 8.2)
0-75 (sec): 11.5 (w/TC on 12.2)
1/4-Mile (sec @ mph): 15.7 @ 88.7 (w/TC on 16.2 @ 88.7)
Braking:
30-0 (ft): 31
60-0 (ft): 123
Handling:
Slalom (mph): 65.7 w/ESC on
Skid Pad Lateral acceleration (g): 0.85 w/ESC on
RPM @ 70: 2,000
Comments:
Acceleration comments: Without the ability to shut any electronic controls off, the best way around the Passat's otherwise super-lazy saunter off the line is with generous pedal overlap. Also, auto-upshifts in Manual mode proved quicker and at a slightly higher rpm than Drive. Seems like this car wants shift paddles, doesn't it?
Braking comments: Medium-soft pedal throughout test, and highly consistent stopping distances despite brake-pad odor by the end. Good directional stability with minimal (for a large-ish sedan) dive.
Handling comments:
Slalom: Because there's no ESC or Traction Control defeat available, the best way to keep the electronics happy is with minimal driver input and deliberate, single-action steering requests. Like many VW vehicles, the Passat rolls quite a lot, but manages to maintain good grip and response. Steering is obedient, but a little lacking in feel.
Skidpad: Steering is less objectionable here, and loads nicely according to speed, and again, there's quite a lot of grip here before the non-defeat ESC begins closing the throttle at the limit of grip when the front tires start to howl.
The odometer clicked past the 15,000-mile mark on our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI. The car continues to put those miles on without any mechanical hassles.
Also, our lifetime fuel economy has increased to 27.2 mpg.
So, what to do next?
We're thinking a road trip to Austin, Texas and back is in order. That should give us a cool (and quick) 2,700 miles or so. Well, other than the fact it's actually hot in Texas. But whatever.
More info to come.
Day 1: Lake Forest, California to Deming, New Mexico, 688 miles.
I needed to get to Austin, Texas for the press launch of the 2015 Audi S3. Here at Edmunds we have a bunch of long-term cars, so it was decided I would drive instead of taking the easy way and flying.
Edmunds car czar, Mike Schmidt, said our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI was most in need of some mileage lovin' (my words, not his), so that's what I took on my road trip.
Now, because I'm awesome (and by that I mean I'm about as far from awesome as you can get), I left, oh, about three-and-a-half hours later than intended. It's kinda my thing.
Since I hit the road at 1:30 p.m. instead of around 10:00 a.m., I was taking a big risk I'd get caught in the dreaded 91 East freeway afternoon traffic-fest. I got lucky, and it wasn't too jammed up in Corona.
Regardless, I needed to make up some time on the road and try to get as far as I could on the first day so as to not leave too many miles for the final drive into Austin. Couldn't be late that second day, as there was an S3 press conference I had to attend in the evening.
As I was leaving the general south Orange County area, I was once again reminded of my biggest gripe with the VW Passat TSI: its six-speed automatic transmission is rather clunky and slow-minded around town. But I think I finally found a work-around for the initial off-the-line lurchiness. I tried waiting a second or two after taking my left foot off the brake before putting my right foot on the gas pedal. It worked, making the throttle tip-in and transmission take-up much smoother. Of course, it does seem rather silly that you need to do this.
Somewhere in The Middle of Nowhere, New Mexico, I completely lost track of my fuel-remaining countdown on the instrument panel while on the phone with a friend. Hands-free, of course.
Now, I wasn't trying to one-up colleague Josh Jacquot and his near-insane desire to push a car to the last drops of fuel (remind me to tell you about the time he tried to run us out of gas around one in the morning in a Mitsubishi Evolution on our way to Moab for some mountain biking. Yeah, he's brilliant.), just refer back to the beginning of this article where I say I'm "awesome."
Luckily I came across an exit with gas not long after the Passat's instrument panel was in fuel panic mode. On the bright side, it was a pretty good tank, going 513.4 miles with a 32.3 mpg average.
I stopped for the night in Deming, New Mexico, checking into a hotel around 11:30 p.m. Once I was in my room, I realized that, with the time change, it was actually 12:30 a.m. That's just...so great.
Day 2: Deming, New Mexico to Austin, Texas, 681 miles.
Something I haven't done on previous multi-day road trips, but that I wanted to try with this one, was to go for a run each morning before I hit the road in the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI. There were a couple of reasons for this: First, I don't eat particularly well on the road, so the running partially makes up for it. Second, exercise is a good way to wake the ol' bod up first thing.
So, around 5:30 in the morning there I was, running in the rain in the dark on an access road next to Interstate 10 in New Mexico. Got soaked, but it was worth it. Felt good.
Trust me on this, no one is going around calling me a genius back at the Edmunds headquarters (derogatory things yes, genius no). To that end, I probably should have looked up, or maybe just known, that I'd lose another hour in Texas. I figured this out once Google Maps on my iPhone told me I was scheduled to arrive in Austin at 6:00 p.m. instead of 5:00. Guess I was going to have to make up more time on the road.
On the bright side, the speed limit on Interstate 10 in Texas is 80 mph.
I love when navigation systems tell you the current speed limit of the road you're on. The Passat's does this, and it's a huge help to keep you on the good side of the law. You can't fully trust it, as every once in a while it's off by five mph or so, but most of the time it's spot-on and it's super-handy to look down at that nav screen for a quick check. Also helping here is that you can configure the center of the instrument panel to show a large digital speedo, which is super easy to read.
Even with a major rain storm and traffic near El Paso, the Passat's long fuel range (plus thankfully little Austin city traffic) meant I was able to make it to my hotel by 5:30 p.m. One hour to spare before the 2015 Audi S3 press conference started.
Fuel mileage for the trip from California to Texas: 31.4 mpg.
Day 3: Austin, Texas to Willcox, Arizona, 805 miles.
With the 2015 Audi S3 press event over and done in Austin, I wasn't as constrained by time commitments for the homeward-bound portion of the Texas Road Trip. That meant I could sleep in a little bit and go for a relaxing (albeit hot and muggy) run down by the Colorado River. I was on the road by 9:45 a.m., earlier than Day 1's 1:30 p.m., more civilized than Day 2's 6:30 a.m. wheels-up time.
Plus, I knew I would have time changes on my side heading west in the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI.
It was pretty easy-going getting out of Austin on a Sunday morn, and by the time I was in west Texas Interstate 10 was downright empty. Refreshing.
Hit some good rainstorms on the way out of Texas, as I had in Arizona and New Mexico on the way over. The Passat handled them without any problem, I just slowed the speed down some to lessen the chance of aquaplaning over any standing water. Of course I wondered aloud (and no one heard, or cared) why some of this rain couldn't find its way to southern California. Why, Ma Nature, why? Come on!
I digress. Spending this many hours in a car gives you plenty of opportunity to listen to the sound system. I try not to get all consumed by name brands, nor do I consider myself an audiophile/music snob/expert like colleague Dan Frio (he knows everything about music. And knows it.), but even to these tone-deaf ears I must say the Fender audio system in the Passat sounds dang good. Other than a few moments of quiet reflection (another thing you have plenty of with a life on the road), there was almost always something coming through the sharp-sounding speakers to keep me company.
The day was going smoothly, so I pushed on through New Mexico and made it to Willcox, Arizona, ensuring the final day would be fairly easy mileage-wise. It sure helps when you're driving a car with a fuss-free ride and such comfy seats.
For this leg of the journey, the Passat averaged 31.2 mpg.
Thanks to a road trip by Mike Monticello, our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI has a new best MPG, furthest range and a higher overall fuel economy average. Good work, Mike. It must've been thrilling.
How boring, I mean efficient, was he?
Worst Fill MPG: 18.7
Best Fill MPG: 36.5 (up by about 2)
Average Lifetime MPG : 27.8 (up by about .2)
EPA MPG Rating: 28 combined (24 City/34 Highway)
Best Range: 513 miles (up by a dozen or so)
Current Odometer: 18,436
Day 4: Willcox, Arizona to Lake Forest, California, 571 miles.
Another early morning wake-up call on my Texas Road Trip. Partially because, once again, I wanted to get in a run before I hit the road in the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI, and partially because I wanted to get home at a reasonable hour to get some things done.
Arizona had gotten some rain the day before, and the sky was full of leftover clouds for a cool-looking sunrise. It also helped my mood that I found a much nicer backroad to run on near my hotel, kind of off in the country, than I had on my trip over in New Mexico. I'm telling you, I'm loving this early-morning run thing on road trips. Even if it means sacrificing 45 minutes or so of sleep.
I took a slightly different route home to California than I had to Texas.
I had stuck to boring Interstate 10 pretty much the whole way to Texas, that is until I got close to Austin, at which point I cut across on 290 through Fredericksburg. That was a nice way to roll into town, as 290 is mostly a wide-open, fairly high-speed two-to-four-lane road that's out in the country and largely devoid of traffic.
Of course I took 290 back out of Austin, and continued on Interstate 10 West through Texas and New Mexico into Arizona. But near Casa Grande, Arizona I switched over to Interstate 8, a more southerly route, for a change of scenery. Maybe it's just me, but I find the desert landscape on the 8 a bit more interesting versus the scrubbiness on the 10.
The total length of the trip rang up at 2,745 miles, gas station to gas station in Lake Forest, California. Fuel economy for the trip came in with an average of 31.9 mpg. The best distance on one tank was 513.4 miles.
Thoughts on the trip: Four days on the road to get to and from the 2015 Audi S3 launch was a bit of a slog, I'm not going to lie to you, I was pretty tired when I got home. But I'd do it again in a heartbeat. This is what we do. We drive cars.
I thoroughly enjoyed my short time in Austin, as well as the vast open land in Texas and the considerably more interesting scenery than you encounter in eastern California. Not to mention the actual weather I drove through in Texas and New Mexico. I also liked the 80 mph speed limit in Texas, as well as anti-littering road signs like "Don't Mess with Texas." I mean, how classic Texas is that?
Thoughts on the Passat: Overall, this is a fine highway machine. As stated previously, I find the automatic transmission's low-speed operation a bit lurchy, but once up to speed (which you're pretty much always at out on the open road) the Passat is nice and smooth. It has enough turbo power to merge onto 80-mph highways without fear of being squashed by a big rig, the suspension is cushy, the seats are super-comfy. I especially like the suede inserts.
But no matter how perfectly the Passat performed throughout the trip, I just couldn't get excited about it. It's, well...kinda boring. It doesn't offer any real driving enthusiasm. And its styling, while certainly not offensive in any way, doesn't stand out as anything special.
That doesn't make it a bad car. It's just maybe not the car for me. Your thoughts may differ.
Don't scoff. This is one of the handiest features going today, one you don't often find in cars selling for $30,000. Heck, you don't find many in our fleet that offer this. You can find express-down front windows all day long, sometimes express-down front and rear windows. But our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI has one-touch windows front and rear, up and down.
Unless it's a damp, chilly morning or rain is falling, I'm always using this feature. It's invaluable for venting a car that's been sitting in the sun while waiting for the A/C to ramp up. And since most cars today seem to suffer from severe buffeting, it's not enough to simply lower the driver side window and hang your elbow out the side. You have to crack the rear glass at least a bit to minimize turbulence inside the cabin.
Once the A/C is blowing cold, one touch brings all the windows back to attention. It's one of many minor details that make the Passat feel like a much more premium car than its price suggests.
Toward the end of my four-day Texas Road Trip in our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI, I noticed the steering wheel was slightly off-center.
When driving straight down the road, the steering wheel is turned slightly left (the photo here is a good approximation), while the car pulls slightly to the right if you let go of the wheel. As a general rule, though, don't let go of the wheel.
An alignment is in order.
Styling is subjective, I know that. But still, I'm struck by how handsome our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI is. To my eyes, it embodies a clean, neatly-tailored design reminiscent of its upscale Audi cousins. No exaggerated swoops along the body sides, no bulging headlights, no discordant taillights.
The Passat's spacious cabin is similarly gimmick-free and along with this car's comfy seats, peppy performance and impressive fuel economy have made it one of my favorite sedans in a segment that's chock full of good choices.
After a fairly painless round of allergy testing, I learned that dust, and the dreaded dust mite, is my enemy.
"Get a new mattress," the ENT doc said. "Buy all new pillows, bedding — change everything you can associated with your bed."
While I didn't try to stuff a new Cal King Tempurpedic into the trunk of our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI, I did pick up a couple of king-size down-alternative pillows on my way home.
Hope the Passat's trunk is mite-free...
How did the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI perform during the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's battery of crash tests?
Five stars overall, which is NHTSA's top rating.
The breakdown:
Frontal Crash: five stars
Side Crash: five stars
Rollover: four stars
Click through to NHTSA's 2014 Passat rating page to watch the videos.
You're really getting your money's worth today. This is more than just an October fuel economy update for our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI long-term test car.
It's also a 20,000-mile milestone post.
Who'd have thought our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI would reach its 12-month mileage target with 4 weeks to spare? I'm not sure I would have taken that bet last November, especially since we had already been driving an identical silver TDI diesel version when this gasoline one arrived.
Turns out the Passat has endeared itself by being a capable family runabout and a credible highway cruiser. And it can be quite efficient if you put your mind to it, as Mike Monticello showed us last month.
October's total of 1,967 miles were added at an average of 30.6 mpg, the Passat's best single-month performance to date. No new best-tank or best-range records were set this month, but its lifetime average nevertheless crept up to 28.1 mpg, a number that compares nicely to the VW's EPA Combined rating of 28 mpg.
Worst Fill MPG: 18.7
Best Fill MPG: 36.5
Average Lifetime MPG: 28.1 (up by 0.3)
EPA MPG Rating: 28 combined (24 City/34 Highway)
Best Range: 513 miles
Current Odometer: 20,294
The gasoline versus diesel question is one of those math problems that doesn't have a fixed answer. As of today our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI is beating the pants off the TDI version. But six months ago it was the other way around in my neck of the woods.
It all has to do with the relative price of the two fuels involved: 87-octane regular unleaded and low-sulfur diesel.
This week the national average price of regular unleaded fell to $2.98 per gallon. Diesel, on the other hand, currently sits at $3.60 per gallon. But the Passat TDI enjoys a substantial rated fuel economy advantage of 34 mpg versus 28 mpg combined for our TSI gasoline model, and the extra efficiency boils down to a net TDI savings of...
$10 per year.
The TDI version costs $2,100 more, so the TDI payback period currently stands at a somewhat discouraging 210 years. Perhaps you prefer to think in terms of miles driven because you drive more than the assumed 15,000 miles per year. Fair enough. At today's prices the TDI will start paying you back after a mere 3.16 million miles.
But the price relationship between gasoline and diesel is a stormy one, and one-size-fits-all national statistics don't mean much in the face of substantial regional price variations.
So here are a few more payback scenarios.
The first chart uses the aforementioned EPA Combined ratings for the Passat TDI and TSI (34 and 28 mpg, respectively.) The fuel prices are the reported average according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report in the locations specified. The lone exception is the Orange County pricing, which I got off the sign at my local filling station.
|
Gasoline |
Diesel |
Annual |
Payback |
Payback |
National average |
2.98 |
3.596 |
$9.96 |
211 |
3,163,291 |
Orange County |
3.159 |
3.699 |
$60.41 |
35 |
521,440 |
Alaska |
3.713 |
3.933 |
$253.96 |
8 |
124,035 |
New Hampshire |
3.029 |
3.495 |
$80.77 |
26 |
390,012 |
Michigan |
2.951 |
3.806 |
-$98.22 |
Never |
Never |
Everything is the same on the second chart with one exception. I used the year-end fuel consumption average of our long-term test cars instead of the EPA ratings. Our dearly departed 2013 Passat TDI beat its EPA estimate with an average of 37.2 mpg and our current 2014 Passat TSI has just crossed the 20,000-mile threshold at 28.1 mpg.
|
Gasoline |
Diesel |
Annual |
Payback |
Payback |
National average |
2.98 |
3.596 |
$140.75 |
15 |
223,805 |
Orange County |
3.159 |
3.699 |
$194.77 |
11 |
161,732 |
Alaska |
3.713 |
3.933 |
$396.14 |
5 |
79,517 |
New Hampshire |
3.029 |
3.495 |
$207.63 |
10 |
151,712 |
Michigan |
2.951 |
3.806 |
$40.59 |
52 |
776,063 |
The long-term TDI's overachieving performance improves the payback considerably, but it's still longer than most people keep their cars.
Except Alaska. A diesel VW Passat seems to make a lot more economic sense there right now.
Finally, a car that my wife and I agree on: the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI.
Negotiations are ongoing in my home about a next-car for my wife and daughter, as they're both outgrowing a long-serving Honda Civic. The options have run the spectrum. I like the Honda minivan idea actually (last generation only), thinking it can serve a good second life as beach wagon after its useful service as mom-and-kid shuttle and road tripper. We haven't abandoned the idea, but it feels a little excessive.
A wagon has good odds. The TSX Sportwagon is high on the list, but I'd like to wait and see what the new Golf SportWagen can offer. If I could sneak a CTS-V wagon past the wife and my financial adviser, well, that'd win the Internet and the space program, wouldn't it?
A roomy midsize sedan is the leading favorite. My wife thinks an Accord would be right, but those are her nationalistic roots talking. I'm not totally on board with it. A Fusion and Mazda 6 are also considerations, but I was surprised when we took a drive in the Passat and she started an inquiry that was more than casual. I sold all the points I like about the car: good power and delivery, classy interior with unfussy entertainment interface, respectable fuel economy (28 mpg combined), huge trunk and back seat.
Later when we walked out of a restaurant toward the car, I was even more surprised when she said "it looks like an Audi." Whether that elicits cheers or jeers from either side of the Volkswagen aisle, I don't know. But I'm certain the Passat will be an easy sell if the time comes.
Our long-term 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI was about a day away from ending its tenure in the fleet when I noticed it was nearly due for its 20,000-mile service. It didn't seem right to return the car to VW with dirty oil. It's sort of like borrowing a suit from a friend and not having it dry cleaned. Our fleet admiral, Mike Schmidt, made a call to get our loan extended by a few days so we could take care of the maintenance.
I took the car to Volkswagen Santa Monica the following day. I didn't have an appointment, but they took the car without any issue.
The 20,000-mile service calls for an oil change with synthetic oil, tire rotation, a cabin filter replacement and the usual inspections.
A couple of hours after I dropped the car off, I received a phone call from the service advisor, saying it was ready. The parts and labor were covered under Volkswagen's Carefree Maintenance program.
Total Cost: $0
Days out of Service: 0
Wrap-Up
What We Got
When the Passat TSI joined us, we already had a Passat TDI active in our long-term test fleet. With the exception of its engine, we loaded up the new Volkswagen to mirror its diesel counterpart. The result was a 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI SEL Premium with an MSRP of $31,715.
It had numerous options, most notably the latest 1.8-liter turbo inline-4 engine. Rated at 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, the updated 1.8-liter engine is slated for use in various Volkswagen products. A six-speed automatic transmission was standard. Other features included a sunroof, 18-inch wheels, touchscreen interface with navigation, eight-way-adjustable driver seat, remote start and leather interior.
Performance
"Around town, our Passat TSI SEL 1.8 feels suitably quick when you press on the gas pedal. That impression is backed up by our track testing, where we recorded a 0-60-mph sprint of 7.7 seconds compared to 9.0 seconds with the 2.5. There isn't any lag or hesitation at low idle, and the engine feels smooth and strong all the way to redline." — Brent Romans
"In our two VW Passats, the brake pedal is soft, almost squishy, and actual braking response is lazy in those first few millimeters of pedal travel. Press harder and you eventually get the requested slowing, but it comes on abruptly because the pedal feel is so vague." — Erin Riches
MPG
"The gasoline versus diesel question is one of those math problems that doesn't have a fixed answer. As of today, our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI is beating the pants off the TDI version. But six months ago it was the other way around in my neck of the woods." — Dan Edmunds
"The total length of the trip to Texas rang up at 2,745 miles, gas station to gas station in Lake Forest, California. Fuel economy for the trip came in with an average of 31.9 mpg. The best distance on one tank was 513.4 miles." — Mike Monticello
Comfort
"I found the driver seat had just the right level of firmness, and the seatback envelops me. So I feel like I'm sitting more in the seat than on it. I'm not sure how this would be for wider folks. The suede inserts add to the comfort, especially for those of us who wear shorts until it gets below 35 degrees, which it never does here in SoCal." — Mike Monticello
"My colleague Mike Monticello found the front seats to be marvelous for someone with his trim frame but wondered how a wide-bodied driver would do. Much as I hate to admit it, I'm fairly wide-bodied at 6'2" and 238 pounds. And I can provide an answer. They do just fine. I've got a lower back issue, and just traveled 842 miles in the Passat.... I found the front buckets comfortable and supportive and didn't have to spend the drive squirming around trying to ease a backache. I never got a backache." — John O'Dell
Cargo Space
"The typical routine is to lower the roller-bag's telescoping handle before hoisting it into the trunk. With the 2014 VW Passat's generously proportioned cargo hold, that's not necessary. So large is the 15.9-cubic-foot trunk that what normally looks like a lot of stuff looks almost silly in there." — Chris Walton
"Oh yeah, the bike fits. Lengthwise, no less. The scooter and the helmet fit, too. There's even enough room for the kid that rides that stuff, but we don't put her back there too often. OK, so it's a kid's bike with 16-inch wheels. That isn't too demanding on cargo space. The trunk on our 2014 Volkswagen Passat TSI is still ginormous." — Dan Frio
Interior
"I've driven our Passat several times, but until recently, I'd never been in the backseat.... It turns out that the backseat of this Passat is seriously roomy. My knees had plenty of real estate to spare. There were several inches of leftover legroom and more than enough headroom for someone of my average stature." — Travis Langness
"So how do rear-seat passengers fare with a child seat installed in the center position? It's tight. But both outboard safety belts are fully accessible. Two midsize adults wouldn't complain over short distances." — Mike Schmidt
Audio and Technology
"If you need to charge your iPhone, you're golden... There's a dedicated plug right there in the center console. If you want to plug in an MP3 player, there's a port for that, too. You want to charge your non-Apple phone? Fat chance, as there's not a USB port to be found anywhere.... Luckily, it's an easy problem to fix. I just used a cigarette lighter adapter to turn one of the 12V outlets into a USB port. Total cost: $1.50." — Ed Hellwig
"I find the audio interface in our Passat very easy to use. The simple design and logical button layout makes navigating it a breeze. And I welcome the inherent element of customization it offers. Not all manufacturers utilize redundant controls on their radio head units. Volkswagen does.... The execution of the system is not perfect. There is occasionally a delay between press and response when using the touchscreen. Redundant buttons don't have the same hesitation, which in my mind, almost makes it forgivable." — Mike Schmidt
Maintenance
"The 20,000-mile service calls for an oil change with synthetic oil, tire rotation, a cabin filter replacement and the usual inspections. A couple of hours after I dropped the car off, I received a phone call from the service advisor, saying it was ready. The parts and labor were covered under Volkswagen's Carefree Maintenance program." — Ron Montoya
"Toward the end of my four-day Texas road trip, I noticed the steering wheel was slightly off-center. When driving straight down the road, the wheel is turned slightly left while the car pulls slightly to the right if you let go of the wheel. As a general rule, though, don't let go of the wheel. An alignment is in order." — Mike Monticello
Miscellaneous
"I recently volunteered to indebt myself to a bank for far, far too long. But driving the Passat on the multiple fact-finding missions toward this end somewhat alleviated this grim prospect. The Passat feels like an adult's car. The mute and weighted door closing, the cabin's clean horizontal lines and amenities, the easy phone and media interface: It all makes the Passat feel like a car to get things done. Even the chrome door sill whispers achievement." — Dan Frio
"Styling is subjective, I know that. But still, I'm struck by how handsome our Passat is. To my eyes, it embodies a clean, neatly tailored design reminiscent of its upscale Audi cousins. No exaggerated swoops along the body sides, no bulging headlights, no discordant taillights." — John DiPietro
Maintenance & Repairs
Regular Maintenance:
The Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance plan covers all routine maintenance for three years and 36,000 miles. Based on the prescribed 10,000-mile service intervals, we saw the dealer with 10K and 20K on the odometer. We paid nothing for either visit.
Service Campaigns:
Software update 24AE 2013-11-12 and campaign 97AO 2014-05-01 were the only repairs beyond normal maintenance during our test. 24AE was an ECM/TCM reflash. 97AO involved installation of updated washers and caps for the fuse box.
Fuel Economy and Resale Value
Observed Fuel Economy:
EPA estimates for the Passat were 28 mpg combined (24 city and 34 highway). We averaged 28 mpg over the term of our test. We achieved 36.5 mpg on our best single tank. The longest single-tank range was 513 miles.
Resale and Depreciation:
Our Passat TSI SEL Premium had an MSRP of $31,715. After one year and 21,050 miles, Edmunds' TMV® Calculator valued the VW at $23,696 based on a private-party sale. This 25 percent depreciation is about average. For comparison, the value of our recent 2013 Passat TDI dropped 26 percent with similar wear and mileage.
Summing Up
Pros: Solid performance and mileage from four-cylinder engine, spacious rear seat, expansive trunk, front seat fits wide range of drivers and remains comfortable on long drives, 500-plus-mile fuel range, free scheduled maintenance.
Cons: Touchy brake pedal makes it hard to slow down smoothly, delayed reactions from dashboard touchscreen, no USB port, hinges intrude into trunk when lid is closed.
Bottom Line: The Passat is a classic family sedan with plenty of room inside, a huge trunk, solid fuel mileage, excellent range and user-friendly controls. Other than its touchy brake pedal and slow-to-react navigation system, we found few faults with this midsize family sedan.
| Total Body Repair Costs: | None |
| Total Routine Maintenance Costs: | None (over 12 months) |
| Additional Maintenance Costs: | None |
| Warranty Repairs: | ECM/TCM software update, install fuse box washers and caps |
| Non-Warranty Repairs: | None |
| Scheduled Dealer Visits: | 2 |
| Unscheduled Dealer Visits: | None |
| Days Out of Service: | None |
| Breakdowns Stranding Driver: | None |
| Best Fuel Economy: | 36.5 mpg |
| Worst Fuel Economy: | 18.7 mpg |
| Average Fuel Economy: | 28.0 mpg |
| True Market Value at service end: | $23,696 (private-party sale) |
| Depreciation: | $8,019 (25% of original MSRP) |
| Final Odometer Reading: | 21,050 miles |
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.