Our Passat long-termer arrived with 1 202 km on its odometer, and with a good mix of town and open road driving that figure has grown to over 7 500 in the five months since its delivery in February.
First impressions were certainly positive. My previous long-termer (a Citroën C3), good as it was, can at best be described as a little “tight” on space for a family such as mine – two adults, two growing kids. The Passat’s massive rear legroom and boot are therefore welcome. In CAR’s July 2011 issue road test of this model we measured a boot space of 400 dm3!
Our car is the 1,8 TSI Comfortline model, with a DSG dual-clutch transmission. The 1,8-litre, turbopetrol delivers 118 kW and 250 N.m of torque, which may not seem like much on paper but translates into a very relaxed driving experience, yet there’s also enough responsiveness on offer when needed. The seven-speed transmission may not be quite as smooth as a traditional automatic, but for most owners it will be more than good enough, especially considering the fuel-consumption improvements brought by the extra ratio. Although the Passat is a large, heavy car (1,5 tonnes), it is no slouch. We recorded a best 0-100 km/h time of 9,35 seconds. Overtaking acceleration is good, too, provided you use the ‘box.
As mentioned previously, the Passat’s spacious interior is one of the biggest trumpcards, and the seats offer a great deal of comfort with the right levels of support. Our car is fitted with the standard cloth-upholstered, manually adjustable seats. The fitment of standard Active Climate control air-conditioning (standard across the range) to these seats is quite a rarity in this segment. The facia has an upmarket feel to it and quality materials are the order of the day. The cabin is also quiet and road noise is kept to a minimum except, strangely, when driving in strong crosswinds.
The 6-disc CD changer and 8-speaker audio combination delivers great sound – especially when you are on your own in the car and can turn up the volume as much as you want! The multi-function steering wheel with aluminum inserts is a pleasure and has all the necessary controls at hand, including the standard cruise control. It is also height and reach adjustable.
Thus far the Passat has spent most of its time in town, and resultantly my average fuel consumption is sitting at 8,57 Litres/100 km – very respectable all things considered, and just about equal to CAR’s Fuel Index of 8,4 L/100 km. The Passat has a large tank, so you can expect a range of about 830 km.
It’s still early in this car’s long-term test career, but thus far the Passat has already impressed as a classy package with good specification levels and it offers great levels of refinement. A long road trip beckons.
* You can read the original CAR magazine Road Test from July 2011 here
So far:
Mileage (Km): 7 521
Fuel consumption (L/100Km): 8,57
We Like: Ride quality, spacious cabin, massive boot, and relaxed driving experience
We don’t like: “rolling” on an incline in tight parking spaces, cross-wind noise
