Road Test: 2015 Volkswagen Passat TDI Highline
Story by John LeBlanc
How expensive is that mountain bike you just bought? Or that snowboard? I ask because when I talk to new car buyers, they often state the extra space required for their lifestyle accessories as the main reason why they opt for an SUV or crossover over a car with a trunk. But while your bike or board may only cost hundreds of dollars, the price of buying a larger utility vehicle to haul around your weekend kit may add up to thousands.
Take for example this wonderfully capable 2015 Volkswagen Passat TDI midsized sedan I’ve been driving for a week. First seen for 2012, the latest generation of VW’s midsized, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger four-door sedan was designed for corn-fed American buyers and chauffeured Chinese business types, following the German automaker’s compact Jetta sedan’s strategy of offering more for less.
Dimensionally, the Passat is a whole size bigger than the outgoing version sold here between 2005 and 2010. The big VW sedan is about the size of full-sized sedans like the Chrysler 300 and Ford Taurus but priced more in line with mid-sizers, like the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. But in a market where buyers glom onto SUVs and crossovers, the Passat TDI Sedan is also more comfortable, fun-to-drive, has more room for its passengers, sips less fuel and also costs tens of thousands less than a comparable SUV.
Prices for the base, 2015 Passat Trendline with a 170-horsepower 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine and six-speed manual start at $25,370 (all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees). A Passat with the parsimonious and torque-rich TDI diesel motor starts at $27,970. My topline Highline TDI rang in at $36,956, but that included a six-speed autobox, and extras like power everything, leather everywhere, a thumping 400-watt sound system, plus nav and a backup camera, among other niceties.
For a few paragraphs, let’s dispense with the typical Passat vs. Fusion/Accord/Camry comparo. Instead, I’d rather try to convince the must-have-an-SUV/crossover buyer that a big, frugal, demi-luxury sedan — like the Passat TDI — is a much smarter substitute than the SUV/crossover because you only ever need an SUV’s full capabilities a fraction of the time.
Take for example VW’s Touareg. As a value-laden substitute for pricier German SUVs, I like the Touareg a lot. But compared to the Passat sedan, the five-passenger, four-door, midsized SUV sips more fuel, has less passenger space, and doesn’t drive as well.
For starters, the lighter (1,546 kilograms versus 2,130 kg) Passat can get away with a 2.0L four-cylinder turbodiesel (measured at 150 hp and 236 pound-feet of torque), while the Touareg needs a 240-hp, 406 lb.-ft. TDI, displacing 3.0L. The result is a 5.4 litres per 100 km estimate for the Passat TDI in the city, versus 10.8 for the Touareg TDI.
Sure. The VW SUV comes standard with traction at all four wheels. But my front-driving VW sedan (when properly equipped with snow tires for my mid-February road test) was more than capable handling the atrocious road conditions this winter brought to much of the country. And even on those rare occasions where I was able to enjoy a dry highway, it was a pleasant surprise to find out that the Passat TDI has that firm-but-compliant ride and handling characteristics German car fans will find familiar.
Its fuel-economy-oriented six-speed automatic keeps the Passat’s torque-rich diesel mill at low revs in the upper gears when cruising. But you can swap cogs on your own using the console-mounted lever or via something the Touareg doesn’t offer: a manual gearbox.
There’s also plenty of off-centre steering feel in the Passat TDI. And although it’s best at chomping up highway miles, the VW sedan can also string together a set of curves quite easily. Let’s be clear: the Passat is no sports sedan. That’s the role of the Audi A4 in the VW Group’s empire. But for most drivers, the Passat TDI will feel more sophisticated than comparably priced (or more expensive) SUVs and crossovers.
And yes, I know. You can’t stand up your four-thousand-speed mountain bike in the Passat’s trunk. But still, the 450 litres of available trunk space (which can be extended via fold-down rear seats) handily beats the VW’s smaller family sedans for space. And for passengers, the Passat is like a German limousine. With a much longer wheelbase than the outgoing model, the current Passat offers more rear legroom than Touareg or any of its midsize sedan rivals.
For a TDI diesel Touareg, you’ll need to spend at least $60,770. Loaded to match the Passat TDI Highline in kit, and you’re looking at a $69,970 Touareg. Yes, you do get traction at all four wheels. And about twice the rear cargo space. And VW’s forthcoming three-row crossover based on the CrossBlue Concept will surely be less expensive than the premium Touareg.
However, with its luxurious and roomy cabin, sophisticated road manners, and frugal diesel engine, the 2015 Volkswagen Passat TDI sedan is a fantastic alternative not only to pricier midsize German diesel sedan rivals, but also more expensive SUVs and crossovers.
Oh yeah, then there’s the cost of needing to haul around your bike or skis or antique dresser in that SUV/crossover.