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2013 Volkswagen Passat Review


Since its last redesign, the Passat has garnered mostly praise from automotive journalists for its tight German handling, capacious interior, and solid feel. During my two days with it as a rental car running around Houston with my family, the Passat simply felt like a car. Nothing more, nothing less. 

 Okay, when it comes to the interior space, the Passat is definitely more. The cabin feels airy, thanks to a nice, large glass area. Legroom is a nonexistent problem in the Passat; it has the space of a flagship luxury sedan. There are two caveats: the floor hump in the second row is rather large for a front-wheel-drive sedan, and the steering wheel is situated noticeably to the right of the center of the driver.

 Interior quality was alright. Being the base model, our Passat had unattractive silver trim. Other than that, all of the upper door panels are padded, all of the armrests are padded, and none of the plastics were particularly harsh. Volkswagen even throws in an intricate-looking analog clock between the front air vents. One low of the interior is the HVAC control area. The knobs controlling the climate system are the sloppiest knobs I have ever turned in my entire life. 

 Features on the base model are fairly basic, with the only notable items being Bluetooth phone connectivity and automatic windows for all four windows (woo!). Otherwise, there is no backup camera, there is no USB port, there is no automatic climate control, and the wheels are very cheap-looking.

 The riding experience was underwhelming. The suspension had an odd characteristic that I haven't experienced before: it felt as if the wheels leave the ground for a moment after a large bump. The ride was mostly soft, but it felt like the car skittered over bumps sometimes. On the highway at high speeds, the car still was stable. 

 Unfortunately, the cabin isn't quiet. The five-cylinder engine was unobtrusive and very smooth, but road noise is obnoxious. Tire whine on grooved pavement is reasonably subdued, but there was a coarse rumbling noise on all but the smoothest pavements. When the car stopped, the car suddenly feels very calm and silent because the low rumbling noise had finally stopped. In addition, wind noise at high speeds seems loud, especially if your head is leaned towards a window. 

 Unsurprising for a Volkswagen, an occasional rattle at the C pillar revealed itself towards the end of the drive over rough pavement. 

 In the end, the Passat left me underwhelmed. I'm not in a position to judge where the Passat should rank since I've never driven the car (or any car), and the only other family sedans I've extensively tested are the Mitsubishi Galant and Hyundai Sonata. I have vague memories of the Galant being one of the worse rental cars I've ridden in, but the Sonata I tested two and a half years ago left a lasting impression of quietness, stableness at high speed (upward of 110 miles per hour), and comfort. 

 If want the bang for your buck in terms of space, the Passat is not a bad option. However, I would caution to shop elsewhere before taking the plunge on a Passat. 

Sorry about the impromptu photos. I forgot to take some at the hotel, so I just quickly took some a the Houston Chinatown. 

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