2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Review and Report
DRIVING THE 2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT TDI
In my week with the Passat TDI, I had the opportunity to drive it on the 
winding parkways of Westchester County and Long Island as well as on a variety of city and suburban streets.
I found the Passat TDI to be an excellent Autobahn cruiser. Expansion joints, bumps, and potholes go practically unnoticed. Passengers will not be disturbed. It is Verboten.
While I found the steering on the Passat TDI in July to have too much play at slower speeds, that problem was not present in the newer model and I found the steering in this car to be responsive to driver inputs. The DSG (Direkt-Schalt-Getriebe or Direct-Shift Gearbox) shifted appropriately although at times I would have preferred the manual transmission (and VW does offer a six-speed manual, I should add).
The chassis is solid and the car politely goes where pointed. Struts are in front; an independent multilink suspension similar to the European Passat lives in the rear. Braking was solid and predictable.
Ultimately, it’s the torque of the diesel engine we’re after, not the horsepower, and the omnipresent 236 pound-feet available to the driver made overtaking on highways something to look forward to.
VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT INTERIOR
Despite the significant cut in price, the Passat’s interior is rather high end. Fit and finish is excellent and outclasses what one finds in other VWs. 
The comfortable seats with suede seating surfaces are quite suitable for backpain-free longer drives.
The extra length of the new Passat adds an additional inch of legroom to the front and 1.4” to the rear, making for a very comfortable back seat that also bests the competition from Toyota and Honda.
Our TDI, which was an SEL model, came with a great leather steering wheel, wood trim, ambience lighting, power front seats with driver-seat memory, keyless start and access, and the top-of-the-line VW navigation system.
Inside the cabin, passengers refused to believe they were in a diesel. The Passat has extra sound insulation and the cabin was almost completely silent, even during acceleration.
Click here to continue to Page 3 – Completing the Package and Bottom Line
RELATED ARTICLES
No Comment »
8 Pingbacks »
[...] VW Passat TDI SEL Review 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Review and Report [...]
[...] 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Review and Report 12 December 2011 – 20:49 | [...]
[...] 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Review and Report 12 December 2011 – 20:49 | [...]
[...] 43 miles per gallon, it is no wonder Motor Trend recently named the Passat their Car of the Year. Read more about the new Passat on The Diesel Driver GA_googleAddAttr("AdOpt", "1"); GA_googleAddAttr("Origin", "other"); GA_googleAddAttr("LangId", [...]
[...] ride and handling seem generally acceptable, if not better, to [...]
[...] entirely new diesels were introduced in 2011, namely the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec and the Volkswagen Passat TDI . Both cars are four-door sedans with excellent fuel economy and plenty of passenger [...]
[...] 5.) 2012 Diesel Car Lineup in the U.S. – What’s New A look at what’s new in 2012, including the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec and the Volkswagen Passat TDI. [...]
[...] the voting for the Diesel Car of the Year, the BMW X5 diesel received 19.9%; the Volkswagen Passat TDI and Golf TDI placed second and third [...]