2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI – Review and First Drive/Road Test
Editor’s Note: A new and in-depth review of the 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI was published on December 12, 2012.
The 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI will be arriving at VW dealerships soon and we had an opportunity to pick up the car at the factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and drive it to Nashville.
The Passat 2.0L TDI is available in three flavors. The basic TDI comes well-equipped with 17” alloy wheels, heated front seats, a touchscreen radio, and a six-speed manual transmission, all for $25,995. You can add a sunroof and a DSG (Direct-Shift Gearbox or Direkt-Schalt-Getriebe) as options (separately or as a package) or you can get both plus 18” alloy wheels, navigation, Volkswagen’s Mobile Device Interface (MDI), fog lights, and exterior chrome accents all in one package.
The top-of-the-line Passat 2.0L TDI SEL, retailing for $32,195, adds leather sports seats, keyless access and start, remote start, an upgraded navigation system, driver seat memory, a wood grain interior, 8-way power passenger seat, interior chrome accents, and a Fender audio system.
Two weeks ago, with great fanfare, Volkswagen officially opened its new factory where the new 2012 Volkswagen Passat is being produced. 
(The original Passat was first launched in 1973 and its name comes from the German word for trade wind.)
The Passat that is being produced in Chattanooga was designed expressly for the U.S. market and is not the same Passat being sold in Europe. The previous generation Passat (last sold in 2010, there was no 2011 model available in the U.S.) was too small and too expensive for American tastes. With fluctuating exchange rates, lowering the price of the new Passat would prove to be a challenge as well.
Volkswagen was able to neatly address all three problems in one fell swoop. Build the new Passat in the U.S. and make it bigger but use the same engineering and same engines as the European version.
The 2012 Passat, 
which sells for $7000 less than its predecessor (this is a 25% reduction), also comes in two gasoline variants. The base Passat has a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine and the Passat SEL has a 3.6-liter V-6.
Before one even settles in the driver’s seat, it’s important to note that the Passat achieved an EPA highway fuel economy rating of 43 mpg (5.47 l/100 km). It gets 31 mpg (7.58 l/100 km) in town and the combined EPA rating is 35 mpg (6.72 l/100 km). These figures are entirely realistic and puts it well ahead of the Toyota Camry Hybrid (31/35/33), the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid (35/40/37) and the Ford Fusion (41/36/39).
Once you’re in the driver’s seat, you’ll notice how big and roomy the interior is. Even with the lower price point, Volkswagen not only didn’t cheapen the interior but made it more elegant and upscale. For rear-seat passengers, the experience is almost limousine like.
Similar to other Volkswagen TDI models including the Golf TDI and the Jetta TDI, the Passat TDI comes with a heavy dose of Fahrvergnügen (a word coined by Volkswagen specifically for use in several U.S. advertising campaigns which joins “Fahr” from fahren, “to drive,” with Vergnügen, “pleasure,” to convey “driving pleasure.”)
Earlier this week, I drove the TDI from the factory in Chattanooga to Nashville, a 173 mile (278 km) drive that took a little less than four hours with a stop in Lynchburg to sample some Jack Daniels ice cream and brownies.
Click here to continue to Page 2 – Driving the 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI
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[...] a dealer and also saw The Diesel Driver magazine's review. Build quality looked excellent to me. 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI – Review and First Drive/Road Test By Jonathan Spira The 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI will be arriving at VW dealerships soon and we [...]
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[...] the factory is geared to exclusively produce the 2012 Passat sedan in diesel- and gasoline-powered versions. The Passat has been completely redesigned for the [...]
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[...] available for the 2012 model year. This includes the brand new Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec and the Volkswagen Passat TDI as well as recent entries such as the Mercedes-Benz E350 [...]
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[...] first drove the new 2012 Passat TDI in June around the fine state of Tennessee but, since it didn’t reach dealerships until later in [...]
Any chance VW will couple the TDI with 4-motion? I’m still waiting for VW, AUDI or BMW to couple a diesel engine with an AWD system for a non-suv vehicle.
Chattanooga to Nashville is 110 miles and should take no more than 2 hours. The editor of this article must have had more than a sample at the bourbon place
@Joseph
I’m praying to the Norse Gods for the same thing.
Just buy a set of snow tires if that’s your concern. You’ll be safer and handle better than AWD with all-season tires.
My son was driving a BMW 323I and thought that it was the most
pleasant car to drive. Sure, BMW cars are excellent cars for
highway driving and the reparing bills may depress the owners. We bought one VW vehicle and he loved it better
than BMW. I am living very close to Chattanooga for the
last 40 years, I pray and hope that VW can satisfy all the German
car lovers with an economical option and deliver vehicles for their
pleasure and joy.
Maddening, isn’t it? They sell them all day long in Europe. Subaru has them too (but not here! thanks EPA).
I can’t wait much longer for the AWD diesel sedan as my Audi A-6 has 120K on it. I believe I’ll be taking the TDI route with a (spare) set of snow tires. I bought my Audi a few years ago after slipping around in my Jetta (TDI) but that was before traction control and anti-lock brakes were standard. The prospect of doubling my mileage is just too enticing.
My 2003 Jetta TDI wagon 5 sp tracks better through the snow with Bridgestone Blizzaks than my Jeep (the old Cherokee style brick box) does with good all season tires and 4 wheel drive. No kidding.
For that matter, it also tracks better than the 2004 Subaru Forester AWD does with very good and just about new all season tires.
Actually, if it had just a bit more ground clearance, the Jetta would be an amazing winter vehicle as is. I know someone who has a British spec Peugeot 505 2 wheel drive >>5 speed<< turbodiesel (higher clearance than my NA spec 505 automatic turbodiesel wagon) and the same holds true as in the Jetta; it outdrives the competition–better designed vehicles don't necessarily need AWD or 4×4 systems, but if they had them, it would be awesome. I'm sure a TDI Allroad would have a ready market in North America.
The point is GOOD quality snow tires on a SUPERIOR 2 wheel dr vehicle trumps all season tires on a 4×4/AWD vehicle…never ever lost control/traction with the Jetta and most times I can brake hard enough on snow to be leaning against the shoulder belt without the ABS activating. Can't say the same about the Jeep and the Subaru. The Jeep is relegated to towing other cars, not for winter use, and the Subaru got good snow tires this last winter. It still barely beats the Jetta though on the same roads, and the only place it really excels over the Jetta now is climbing VERY steep snow covered driveways or roads at slow speeds. Otherwise, I take the Jetta for road travel even in blizzards.
Drove the first PAssat tdi last night at Cherry Hill VW in NJ, fully loaded black sel and it was very nice, quiet, fast, gobs of power, fit and finish is beautiful.
hope to be a regular Joe on these boards. I’ve had 3 VW diesels, a 2000 Jetta, a 2004 Passat, and a 2010 Jetta. Put 300,000 miles on the first two, and the 2010 which is 18mo old has 54,000. Right now, the Jetta is getting 45 combined, about 47-49 highway, which is what I mostly drive. I live in Maine, and since I’m not in a helluva hurry to get to work I drive 60mph. When I am solidly at 60 with no stops, i’ve gotten over 51mpg. When I do 65, I’ll get around 45. This Jetta is nicer than the old Jetta and nicer than the 2004 Passat. So I was anxious to see the new Passats.
Just test drove the new Passat TDI SEL yesterday. Jury is out. It doesn’t feel as solid as my 2004 Passat, but is roomy and despite some of the negative comments on various blogs, the looks are sharp, very elegant and understated, sort of what you’d expect from a traditional german performance sedan. Some things – the trunk lid – definitely feels cheaper. The selling point for these cars compared to Toyotas, Lexus, Mazdas – is how solid it feels. Almost bought a Kia SUV last year but it felt like it was made of crepe paper. The interior fit and finish is excellent. Nearly identical to my current jetta. Drove great. Feels a little lighter. Absolutely no complaints. Checked curb weight, and as I thought it is almost identical to the 2010 Jetta, so obviously they used some tricks to lighten the vehicle (2012 passat 3359lbs, 2010 Jetta 3230 pounds (not sure if this is the TDI)). Wasn’t as impressed with the cosmetics of the interior as with my Jetta; the leather inserts in Beige didn’t give the same appearance of luxury as the leatherette in my Jetta. Perhaps it was the beige color. Will be checking another with grey/black interior.
So it is interesting to hear about snow conditions. Living in Maine, I have never had a 4wd car, never used snow tires. I’ve never gotten stuck or needed to be towed and have only lost traction a few times on ice or packed snow (and once did a nifty 360 driving a Lexus SUV UP an entrance ramp.) Obviously I wouldn’t take it off road or to a remote camp on an unplowed road, but moving through storms, a few inches of powder, icy plowed interstates, I’ve never had a problem.
Would love to hear from some other VW TDI fans.
thanks
Joe
While its true that FWD w/ snows is a nice option for most snow driving, those of us that live in chain control country (i.e Sierras) need AWD to get thru chanin control check points. I’m thinking maybe slap a 4motion badge on the Jetta/Passat might do the trick.
We have a 2010 Jetta TDI Sportwagen and a 2010 Jetta TDI Sedan. I bought the sedan just before the new model was introduced at 0% interest rate and thought the new model was going to be too decontented. We live in the New Haven County,CT and we had the most difficult winter in CT for some decades. Our Sportwagen had 17″ Conti winter tyres and I must tell the car just plowed through the almost 4′ snow piles on our driveway, it was amazing. My wife had to do the most of the driving during January thru March as I was recovering from surgery and she was absolutely amazed with the car ( she used to have a 2005 Honda CRV and did not want to give up that one initially). We mainly do city/suburban driving (80 city, 20 rural 4 lane with many lights, no interstate to speak of) with the wagon and after 16,000 miles we are at 39.5 mpg. We took the sedan rarely out of the garage and then only to the local library and Yale events in New Haven, in other words 100 % city. The sedan averaged after 6,000 miles 37.5 mpg. Full disclosure: we are both Europeans and like to drive fast whenever possible, no egg shelling the gas pedal here, the opposite. Both cars are DSGs and both are impeccably finished…No problems whatsoever with either car and we especially love the heated leatherette seats
Volvo has a plug in, hybrid, diesel with AWD….
Love this car… Live in LA driving a 2002 Prius ready for a family size car with a trunk. Love my Prius but the thought of a new Prius hatchback isn’t my idea of a car.
The TDI SEL fully loaded is on my list to buy … maybe at the top.
The look is simple, elegant, and true. I don’t care for all the plastic crap on the new Ford Focus, and the Chevy Volt console should be declared a national disaster, ugly and not functional.
I am 5’8″ 230 driver’s seat very comfortable and the power seat allowed my beautiful 5′ Italian wife to find a comfortable position. The Fender Sound system was a surprise, plenty of power and tight bass, not like most cars with pure mush on the low end.
My first car was a 1963 VW Type 3 Notchback, loved that car. Owned an 86 Jetta for over 12 years. Looks like it is time to come back to VW. I would love to visit the factory in Tennessee.
Drive one you will see what everyone is talking about
We drove the TDI SEL yesterday and it is soooo great. Our 01′ TDI Jetta has only 180,000 so we will be keeping it. The back seat is huge. My son, who is 6’2″ sat in back and had plenty of room with front seat in normal position. This car is very quite….you have to really listen for any valve clatter on acceleration, and it is not very perceptible unless you have the air and stereo off.