2013 Volkswagen Passat Review
2013 Volkswagen Passat Review
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Used Passat for sale
Appraise This CarVolkswagen Passat model years
Volkswagen Passat types
- Sedan
- Diesel
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- High-quality cabin
- refined and quiet ride
- available fuel-efficient turbodiesel engine
- top safety scores
- strong V6 engine.
Cons
- Lackadaisical throttle response
- below-average braking distances.
What’s new
After a redesign last year, the 2013 Volkswagen Passat returns with only a minor shuffling of features and the addition of the Wolfsburg trim level. Most notably, a rearview camera is now available.
Edmunds says
Distinguishing itself with European-style refinement and an efficient diesel option, the 2013 Volkswagen Passat is a solid choice for a family sedan.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat S 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.50 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$165/mo for Passat S
Passat S
vs
$181/mo
Avg. Midsize Car
Vehicle overview
The 2013 Volkswagen Passat enjoys a rather unique position, since it's the only European entry in the family sedan segment. Now, this does not mean this VW calls soccer "football" or takes off all of August to holiday in Mallorca. Instead, a continental heritage helps the Passat bring to its class of sedans a certain premium flair that its rivals lack.
This is apparent as soon as you take a seat inside the cabin. The interior is classy and distinguished, with legible, informative gauges, a no-nonsense layout and solid-feeling switchgear. On the move, the Passat has a confident, responsive personality while also remaining comfortable and usable. And since European automakers are big on diesel engines, it seems only natural that the Passat offers one: a 2.0-liter turbodiesel that gets very impressive fuel economy.
However, this Passat isn't just beer gardens and lederhosen. VW actually builds this car in Tennessee expressly for the American market. VW knows what Americans want, and that's why there's an impressive amount of legroom, while the trunk is above average in size. And if it's power you desire, there's a strong 3.6-liter V6 good for 280 horsepower available.
There are a couple downsides to the Passat. We're not fond of the longer-than-average braking distances, for instance, and its lazy throttle response with the automatic transmissions can be irksome. There are also a lot of great choices for a family sedan this year, including the stylish 2013 Ford Fusion, newly redesigned 2013 Honda Accord, value-packed Hyundai Sonata and sharp-handling 2013 Nissan Altima. But all things considered, the European-influenced 2013 Volkswagen Passat comes highly recommended.
Performance & mpg
The VW Passat comes with a choice of three distinctly different engines. The entry-level 2.5L model is powered by a 2.5-liter inline-5 engine rated at 170 hp and 177 pound-feet of torque. Transmission choices include a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic. In Edmunds performance testing, an automatic-equipped 2.5 Passat accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 9 seconds, which is about average for the class. EPA-estimated fuel economy for the manual transmission stands at 22 mpg city/32 mpg highway and 26 mpg combined. The automatic drops slightly to 22/31/25 mpg. These figures are about average for the class.
Those looking for maximum miles per gallon can opt for the TDI model with its fuel-efficient 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel, which produces 140 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. It comes mated to either the six-speed manual or a six-speed automated manual transmission (known as DSG). In Edmunds performance testing, the Passat TDI went from zero to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds -- this is on par with gasoline-powered four-cylinder sedans. The EPA-estimated fuel economy is an excellent 31/43/35 for the manual and 30/40/34 with the DSG. In extensive Edmunds fuel economy testing, we've found that the Passat can easily surpass these numbers by 8-10 mpg.
If maximum thrust is what you're after, look no further than the 3.6L's 3.6-liter V6, which churns out 280 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. VW's six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission is standard. In Edmunds testing, this engine was able to bring the Passat from zero to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds -- very quick for this class. EPA-estimated fuel economy stands at 20/28/23 mpg.
Safety
Standard safety features for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat include antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. Models with the manual transmission also gain hill-hold control. In the event of a crash, the Intelligent Crash Response automatically cuts off the fuel supply, unlocks the doors and turns on the hazard flashers.
In government crash testing, the Passat scored a perfect five out of five stars overall, with five stars for frontal impact protection and five stars for side crash protection. Similarly, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Passat its top score of "Good" for frontal-offset, side-impact and roof-strength tests. In Edmunds brake testing, both a Passat 3.6 SEL and TDI came to a stop from 60 mph in about 130 feet, which is longer than average. A 2.5 SE delivered a class-average 123 feet.
Driving
The 2013 Volkswagen Passat's character depends a great deal on which engine is under the hood. Performance and fuel economy from the 2.5-liter five-cylinder are adequate and it should be an acceptable choice for most buyers. Our recommendation, however, is the turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel, which offers livelier low-end power and truly extraordinary fuel economy. For those who care more about power than fuel economy, the 3.6-liter V6 engine delivers much more enthusiastic acceleration.
The DSG automated manual transmission that's available with the turbodiesel engine and standard with the V6 works well, though throttle response (with the DSG and the regular automatic) is rather lackadaisical, with a noticeable lag between the time the pedal is pressed and when the engine actually kicks in.
On the highway, the Passat is impressively comfortable, snuffing out bumps large and small. Around corners, the steering is reasonably precise, although it's numb on center and a tad heavy at low speeds. Overall, though, the Passat manages to earn high marks for the type of tasks for which family sedans are typically used.
Interior
Spaciousness is the operative word when describing the Passat's cabin. Space up front is good; however, the driver seat only adjusts in six ways (minus lumbar), and it lacks the seat-bottom tilt found in most competitors. In back, the Passat verges on full-size sedan dimensions, allowing even good-size adults to stretch out their legs. The backrest is too upright, however, which can result in taller occupants' heads grazing the roof. The spacious trunk can swallow 15.9 cubic feet of cargo -- a number that bests many of the Passat's competitors.
The quality of interior materials isn't as high as seen in previous Passats, but they remain among the best in the class, while the design adds an upscale feel. The layout of gauges and controls is also refreshingly simple. Finally, the premium Fender audio system has been tuned to the acoustics of the interior and will please even hard-core audiophiles.
2013 Volkswagen Passat models
The 2013 Volkswagen Passat sedan is offered in three broad models broken down by engine (2.5L, TDI and 3.6L), which are further subdivided into a quartet of different trim levels (S, Wolfsburg, SE and SEL).
The lineup starts with the "S" base model (2.5-liter only), which comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels, automatic headlights, keyless entry, full power accessories, air-conditioning, a six-way manual driver seat with lumbar adjustment, cloth upholstery, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, audio controls on the steering wheel, cruise control, a trip computer, Bluetooth with streaming audio and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player and an auxiliary audio input. An available Appearance package adds a six-speed automatic transmission, 16-inch alloy wheels and a rear-seat center armrest.
The Wolfsburg includes the features of the S with Appearance package and adds unique 16-inch alloy wheels, leatherette (premium vinyl) upholstery, a six-way power driver seat, heated front seats, satellite radio and a USB/iPod interface.
Move up to the SE trim level and you get 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome exterior trim, heated mirrors, rear seat air vents, a sliding front armrest, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, upgraded gauges and displays and an eight-speaker sound system with a touchscreen audio interface.
Options on SE models include a sunroof or the sunroof bundled with a navigation system and iPod integration. TDI SE buyers can add 18-inch alloy wheels and foglights as well. The 3.6L SE comes standard with these options except the navigation system, which remains optional. A nine-speaker Fender audio system is also included.
The 2.5 SEL models include all of the above (minus the foglights but keeping the 17-inch wheels), plus upgraded front seats, live traffic updates, dual-zone automatic climate control, a rearview camera, a rear-seat pass-through and wood interior trim. The 2.5 SEL Premium adds the foglights, keyless ignition/entry, remote ignition, partial leather upholstery and power front seats with driver memory functions. Both the TDI and 3.6L can also be had in SEL guise, but the Premium package is mandatory.
Reliability Ratings by RepairPal
4 out of 5 stars4/5Above Average
#20 out of 28 among Midsize Cars
RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.
Cost
The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Volkswagen Passat from 2008-2022.$496/yr
vs. $415/yr
for Average Midsize Car
for Average Midsize Car
Frequency
The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).1.12x/yr
vs. 0.87x/yr
for Average Midsize Car
for Average Midsize Car
Severity
The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).10.6%
vs. 10.2%
for Average Midsize Car
for Average Midsize Car
powered by RepairPal Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2013 Volkswagen Passat.
5 star(61%)
4 star(19%)
3 star(14%)
2 star(2%)
1 star(4%)
101 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
5 out of 5 stars
Compares with cars that cost $10K more!
65dodgers, 10/29/2013
2013 Volkswagen Passat V6 SEL Premium 4dr Sedan (3.6L 6cyl 6AM)
**UPDATE** This is an update to my original review posted below. Now that I have owned the car 2 1/2 years I can offer a "post-honeymoon" perspective. Overall I have to say that I am VERY satisfied with this car. I have driven it hard in L.A. traffic everyday for over 2+ years and it is holding up well. Unless you have driven in this type of traffic you cannot appreciate how this can … wear down a car. The V-6 has plenty of power when I need to pass and the wide wheel base makes for a comfortable ride. Having said this, there have been some issues along the way that were all covered by the warranty but I felt I should still mention them. I should also mention that I bought the car with 8K miles as a VW Certified Pre-Owned which extended the warranty up to 60,000 miles.
1. 18K Miles, Fuel Door Stuck - For some reason the fuel door would not unlock and I could not put gas in the car. VW roadside assistance towed the car to the dealer and provided a loaner while this was being fixed.
2. 56K Miles, Fuel Sensor - This caused the check engine light to come on and was affecting the car's acceleration. VW repaired it and provided a loaner car while it was being fixed.
3. 58K Miles, Nav/Entertainment System Replaced - The Nav system would sometimes shutoff and reboot itself for no reason. This was an ongoing problem that I complained about multiple times at the dealership. They could not duplicate the problem and thought a software update would solve it but it did not. I was able to video this happening once and took the car to a different dealer. After seeing the video, they immediately diagnosed it as a hard drive problem and replaced the entire unit. I have had no problems with it since then. The only issue that some people may not like is the system does not read your text messages in the 2013 and 2014 models. I thought this was odd since it does everything else but I don't really miss it, and it was corrected on the 2015 model.
Overall I am still very satisfied with the car and will probably give it to my son when he gets his license next year.
**ORIGINAL REVIEW** I just bought a top of the line V-6 SEL Premium and I am loving it. I was looking for a luxury sedan with reasonable gas mileage and had driven almost everything under $45K. I was prepared to get the Cadillac ATS 2.0T Luxury with an MSRP of about $44K. I leased a new Passat for my wife back in '02 and remembered it was a reliable car so I thought I would stop at the VW dealer on my way to get the Cadillac. Needless to say I never made it to the Caddy dealer. This car blew me away with it's price and performance. The ride and interior space is comparable to the Mercedes E350 or Acura RL. For less than the price of a base model Cadillac ATS, I was able to get a fully loaded Passat V-6 SEL.
4.63 out of 5 stars
First VW, first diesel = Don't know why I waited!
sheepleking, 01/28/2013
2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Premium 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6AM)
Traded in a 2011 Rav4 Limited because the fit and finish (i.e. squeaks, rattles, road/wind noise) were terrible.
I looked at countless vehicles and finally looked at the Passat.
Once I read everything I could, scoured the reviews for any negatives (there weren't any) and convinced my wife that diesels aren't what they used to be, I took one for an extended test drive and was … hooked.
Fantastic fit and finish, little or no wind noise at highway speeds (75 to 80), solid "thunks" when the doors are closed and no odd noises from the cabin.
Overall - Very happy and look forward to years of quiet, 40+ mpg drives.
I'll post follow-up's every few months (as comments) for anyone interested.
4.88 out of 5 stars
Bought for MPG - Love for the Great Quality
countrydrive, 03/01/2013
2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Premium 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6AM)
This is our first diesel car - and we love it!
We were pleasantly surprised at the acceleration - at least as good as all of our previous cars.
On our first tank we averaged 44.8 mpg about (80/20 highway/city)
The ride is firm.
The car absolutely hugs the road on turns.
No rattles
The SEL Premium has electronic seat adjustments and lumbar support on the driver's and passenger side - … which is really nice.
One caution - new in 2013 is the refueling guard.
There is a flap over the gas tank which can only be opened with the correct size diesel car nozzle.
Check inside the nozzle for a small bar. Of course the first time we tried to refill we were at a station with "truck" size nozzles.
5 out of 5 stars
They almost knocked it out of the park
CN, 08/23/2015
2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Premium 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6AM)
This the fourth diesel we've owned (2nd VW) and they just keep getting better. We bought this car after comparing it to the Honda Accord and Subaru Legacy. It, by far, was the most refined, quietest, smoothest, and most composed of the three. Surprisingly (to us) the Honda was a distant last. After 42,000 miles over 2 years, the car has been flawless. Mileage is consistently between … 42 and 44 over a tank with 60% hwy / 40% city split. Open highway runs are typically in the mid to upper 40s. I've seen as high as 52 mpg.
The DSG transmission is the mark by which ALL other transmissions should be compared with respect to smoothness of operation. I have never driven a car with a smoother shifting transmission than this one. Even when one watches the shifts, they cannot be felt; utterly imperceptible. It has the most room of any mid-size car, especially in the back seat. It handles well, and ergonomics, while not perfect, are very good.
The diesel engine does take getting used to. One of my sons says it's "touchy". It's not, really; just behaves differently than most other cars. Pulling power is quite good thanks to the abundance of torque, though with only 140 hp one isn't going to win any stoplight races. Then again, that's not why one would buy this car in the first place.
My quibbles with the car boil down to three items. First, the ride, while composed, can become somewhat harsh. The 50 series tires certainly don't help, but softening the ride slightly would make a big difference in my book. Second, some of the interior parts are on the cheap side. Not as bad as the crap Toyota uses, but they could be better, or at least made to "feel" better. Last, and by far the worst issue, is the infotainment system. It is unquestionably the absolute worst excuse for such a system ever put in a vehicle. While the radio sounds great, and the nav system is quite good, the system is so pathetically slow to respond to input it is maddening. Taking my time, I can back out of a parking spot and drive off before the back-up camera ever turns on. I can literally count the seconds it takes between pushing a button and the system taking action. I could go on about how bad it is, but I digress...
Overall, the car had been outstanding. More reliable than a Honda we recently replaced, it has continued to be exactly what we needed.
Update - We now have a bit over 52,000 miles on the clock. The car has remained trouble-free. The fuel economy of 41-43 mpg (average over a fill-up) is unchanged. We expect to put at least 100,000 miles on the car before replacing it. Of course, with the emissions debacle (grossly overblown in our opinion) in full swing, we really couldn't doing anything if we wanted to (which we don't) until whatever solution the eco-Nazis force on us is implemented. On the bright side of that issue, though, VW's Goodwill Package has effectively provided us with free maintenance for the next two years, and that will be about the time we would look at replacing it anyway. That makes this the least expensive car to operate we have ever owned.
Update 2 - We had to stop driving the car about two months ago. Not because of anything wrong with it (it still runs perfectly), but because of the diesel settlement structure. We will be selling the car back to VW. It has a little shy of 59,000 miles on the clock, which is just below the threshold for a mileage deduction of the buyback price. While we won't recoup our full purchase price, we will be getting back a heck of a lot more than we could ever think of getting by selling it on the open market. it's too bad because it's a really good car despite some of its aggravating shortcomings (e.g. the lousy infotainment system).
2013 Passat Highlights
Sedan
S
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $20,845 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 26 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $165/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 15.9 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the Passat include:
- Back-up camera
- Alarm
- Tire Pressure Warning
- Stability Control
- Post-collision safety system
NHTSA Overall Rating
5 out of 5 starsThe National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverall5 / 5Driver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverall5 / 5
- Side Barrier RatingOverall5 / 5Driver4 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront Seat4 / 5Back Seat5 / 5
- RolloverRollover4 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of Rollover10.7%
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalGood
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestGood
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintGood
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