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Volkswagen Passat 1.8 TSI DSG (A) Review
30 Oct 2009|28,615 views
I know this guy in my area who owns a Volkswagen Passat.
When I say know, I mean I’ve only seen him around often enough to know exactly what he drives and who gets in the car with him in the mornings. Always clad in his business getup that doesn’t do a good job in hiding his Patek Philippe, the obligatory jacket slung lifelessly on his arm, I think it’d be safe to assume he’s probably in a comfortable position on the corporate ladder.
His hair’s thinning at the top and he walks from the lift, almost blocking out everything else in his path till he reaches his car.
Then, is this the Passat’s demographic of appeal?
Clean lines makes this one a middle-aged, clean shaven German
Yes.
Well, if we thought about it, it really shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. Any professional someone, who is concerned about projecting a particular image to his clients, boss, parents or even neighbours, would have to choose everything from what they wore, the way they talked and what they drove, carefully.
To put that in perspective, a friend’s dad drives a Camry when he very well could afford himself a Maserati, something to do with being humble he says. To complete the look, he’s usually in his slippers.
The Passat on the other hand oozes business and seriousness like no other car in the segment.
When I say know, I mean I’ve only seen him around often enough to know exactly what he drives and who gets in the car with him in the mornings. Always clad in his business getup that doesn’t do a good job in hiding his Patek Philippe, the obligatory jacket slung lifelessly on his arm, I think it’d be safe to assume he’s probably in a comfortable position on the corporate ladder.
His hair’s thinning at the top and he walks from the lift, almost blocking out everything else in his path till he reaches his car.
Then, is this the Passat’s demographic of appeal?
Clean lines makes this one a middle-aged, clean shaven German
Yes.
Well, if we thought about it, it really shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. Any professional someone, who is concerned about projecting a particular image to his clients, boss, parents or even neighbours, would have to choose everything from what they wore, the way they talked and what they drove, carefully.
To put that in perspective, a friend’s dad drives a Camry when he very well could afford himself a Maserati, something to do with being humble he says. To complete the look, he’s usually in his slippers.
The Passat on the other hand oozes business and seriousness like no other car in the segment.
 |
Leading to the rear is a belt line that runs the sides of the car, starting from the top of the headlamp, past the top of the door handles and calmly fading away just before the corner of the rear lamps.
A little spoiler on the boot rounds off the very flat rear perfectly with the no-nonsense twin pipes peeking from under the bumper.
An oddity about the Passat though is how from the side, the rear seems to be much higher from the ground than the front. That’s primarily thanks to the chrome-accented line that runs higher the further to the rear it goes.
 |
And then to really seal the deal on its plain looks, we’ve got those standard 10-spoke, 16-inch alloys wrapped in 215/55 R-16 Pirelli rubbers that look an inch or two too small on the Passat but nevertheless, does its part in the fuel economy race.
The interior
Inside it’s pretty much what we’ve all come to expect in most of the models in Volkswagen’s stable, well actually almost exactly like how it looks like in the Passat CC.
Extremely comfortable and grippy seats come courtesy of the leather and alcantara team-up that really sets the driver up in the perfect seating position with no lumbar intrusion that’ll really ruin your driving experience and possibly your posture.
Once in the dash area, before you is typical Vee-dub with the media interface surrounded by buttons on either side, air conditioning settings below that and the headlights conveniently located right next to the driver’s door. The steering wheel is something else the guys at Volkswagen has been so good at making over all these years. The thickness is perfectly sized and the leather is, unlike a recent car I tested, tacky enough to be comfortable when on different grip levels.
Then you’ve got the more stylish newly updated steering-mounted controls that are directly off the new Golf 6. Everything seems to be exactly where they should be and predictably all the buttons and knobs around the car are all firm and feels great to the touch.
Rear seating in the Passat, unlike in the CC which can only house two people at any one time, has a pretty flat bench for that extra person to squeeze in the middle on those car pooling days.
Taking in the whole interior feel of this car, I can’t understand how the sporty(ish) interior absolutely betrays the ‘plain-milk-boring’ exterior. But there’s a reason for that.
The interior
Inside it’s pretty much what we’ve all come to expect in most of the models in Volkswagen’s stable, well actually almost exactly like how it looks like in the Passat CC.
Extremely comfortable and grippy seats come courtesy of the leather and alcantara team-up that really sets the driver up in the perfect seating position with no lumbar intrusion that’ll really ruin your driving experience and possibly your posture.
Once in the dash area, before you is typical Vee-dub with the media interface surrounded by buttons on either side, air conditioning settings below that and the headlights conveniently located right next to the driver’s door. The steering wheel is something else the guys at Volkswagen has been so good at making over all these years. The thickness is perfectly sized and the leather is, unlike a recent car I tested, tacky enough to be comfortable when on different grip levels.
Then you’ve got the more stylish newly updated steering-mounted controls that are directly off the new Golf 6. Everything seems to be exactly where they should be and predictably all the buttons and knobs around the car are all firm and feels great to the touch.
Rear seating in the Passat, unlike in the CC which can only house two people at any one time, has a pretty flat bench for that extra person to squeeze in the middle on those car pooling days.
Taking in the whole interior feel of this car, I can’t understand how the sporty(ish) interior absolutely betrays the ‘plain-milk-boring’ exterior. But there’s a reason for that.
How does it drive?
You see, when I told you about the Passat owner living in my area, I conveniently left out the fact that he’s also an owner of a bike. Not just any bike though, a Ferrari red Triumph Daytona 675.
Like most other people nowadays, Mr Passat has different facets to his personality that accommodates the days when he just needs to get to work without hassle, and then days when he wants to realize his cravings for speed and adrenaline. All this under his business getup.
And that’s exactly what the Passat is, a dual-role vehicle. It surely can get you places without hassle but it’s also very capable of injecting that adrenaline and excitement in your mornings if need be. Performance figures on the Passat 1.8 reads to the tune of 160bhp and a peak twisting power of 250Nm.
That’s more than any other vehicle in the mid-sized car segment, within its price point!
This is where the car’s strong point comes in plain view. You’ve got a tried-and-tested piece of engineering in the 1.8-litre forced induced TSI engine that is matched up to the ever-impressive seven-speed dual clutch gearbox the Vee-dub group seems to be throwing in each of their cars now.
What you’re left with are ‘tau huay’ smooth gear shifts that harness all of the engines power through the well-ratioed seven gears, all controlled by a traditionally direct VW steering feel that’s second to none. Sporty driving? Check.
So whether it’s overtaking cars on the right lane or just blasting down your favourite stretch of road (within the speed limit of course), you’re sure to find your poison in this car, as you might in any of Volkswagen’s cars.
But at times you’re reminded of exactly what you’re driving when you take a sharp corner fast or ride over undulating surfaces as those found on the ECP stretch. It tends to float just a smidge more than the CC, almost the same as on the Honda Accord, which is exactly what most people are looking for in this segment anyway.
You see, when I told you about the Passat owner living in my area, I conveniently left out the fact that he’s also an owner of a bike. Not just any bike though, a Ferrari red Triumph Daytona 675.
Like most other people nowadays, Mr Passat has different facets to his personality that accommodates the days when he just needs to get to work without hassle, and then days when he wants to realize his cravings for speed and adrenaline. All this under his business getup.
And that’s exactly what the Passat is, a dual-role vehicle. It surely can get you places without hassle but it’s also very capable of injecting that adrenaline and excitement in your mornings if need be. Performance figures on the Passat 1.8 reads to the tune of 160bhp and a peak twisting power of 250Nm.
That’s more than any other vehicle in the mid-sized car segment, within its price point!
This is where the car’s strong point comes in plain view. You’ve got a tried-and-tested piece of engineering in the 1.8-litre forced induced TSI engine that is matched up to the ever-impressive seven-speed dual clutch gearbox the Vee-dub group seems to be throwing in each of their cars now.
What you’re left with are ‘tau huay’ smooth gear shifts that harness all of the engines power through the well-ratioed seven gears, all controlled by a traditionally direct VW steering feel that’s second to none. Sporty driving? Check.
So whether it’s overtaking cars on the right lane or just blasting down your favourite stretch of road (within the speed limit of course), you’re sure to find your poison in this car, as you might in any of Volkswagen’s cars.
But at times you’re reminded of exactly what you’re driving when you take a sharp corner fast or ride over undulating surfaces as those found on the ECP stretch. It tends to float just a smidge more than the CC, almost the same as on the Honda Accord, which is exactly what most people are looking for in this segment anyway.
 |
The shakedown
What we have here is a typical case of “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. A car that looks like a stone but has enough go, it probably could outpace everything in its segment's price range.
The equipment list runs long in this one as well with no less than 10 airbags, a remote boot release, auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, cruise control and an ‘Auto Hold’ function which when activated, automatically holds the car in place once stopped and releases it once you get your foot on the accelerator.
All this at $120,800. But although priced higher than its Japanese equivalents, the performance figures alone from the Passat are enough to justify the car’s extra cost. And it gets better once you’ve compared it with its closest German rival.
What we have here is a typical case of “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. A car that looks like a stone but has enough go, it probably could outpace everything in its segment's price range.
The equipment list runs long in this one as well with no less than 10 airbags, a remote boot release, auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, cruise control and an ‘Auto Hold’ function which when activated, automatically holds the car in place once stopped and releases it once you get your foot on the accelerator.
All this at $120,800. But although priced higher than its Japanese equivalents, the performance figures alone from the Passat are enough to justify the car’s extra cost. And it gets better once you’ve compared it with its closest German rival.
If you’re seriously in the market for a sporty mid-sized car, I strongly suggest looking at Volkswagen’s direction, but rather at their more fashionable CC variant which costs only $4,000 more and comes with an almost identical performance and equipment package. Unlike the Passat, the CC actually has paddle-shifters which really should have been included in the first place.
But if your financial consultant (read: wife, girlfriend, mom, etc) needs for your budget to head down south from the Passat, then a visit to Skoda for their Superb 1.8 will be in order.
With a similar engine and transmission as the former, the Superb might make more sense with its slightly larger proportions.
But if your financial consultant (read: wife, girlfriend, mom, etc) needs for your budget to head down south from the Passat, then a visit to Skoda for their Superb 1.8 will be in order.
With a similar engine and transmission as the former, the Superb might make more sense with its slightly larger proportions.
I know this guy in my area who owns a Volkswagen Passat.
When I say know, I mean I’ve only seen him around often enough to know exactly what he drives and who gets in the car with him in the mornings. Always clad in his business getup that doesn’t do a good job in hiding his Patek Philippe, the obligatory jacket slung lifelessly on his arm, I think it’d be safe to assume he’s probably in a comfortable position on the corporate ladder.
His hair’s thinning at the top and he walks from the lift, almost blocking out everything else in his path till he reaches his car.
Then, is this the Passat’s demographic of appeal?
Clean lines makes this one a middle-aged, clean shaven German
Yes.
Well, if we thought about it, it really shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. Any professional someone, who is concerned about projecting a particular image to his clients, boss, parents or even neighbours, would have to choose everything from what they wore, the way they talked and what they drove, carefully.
To put that in perspective, a friend’s dad drives a Camry when he very well could afford himself a Maserati, something to do with being humble he says. To complete the look, he’s usually in his slippers.
The Passat on the other hand oozes business and seriousness like no other car in the segment.
When I say know, I mean I’ve only seen him around often enough to know exactly what he drives and who gets in the car with him in the mornings. Always clad in his business getup that doesn’t do a good job in hiding his Patek Philippe, the obligatory jacket slung lifelessly on his arm, I think it’d be safe to assume he’s probably in a comfortable position on the corporate ladder.
His hair’s thinning at the top and he walks from the lift, almost blocking out everything else in his path till he reaches his car.
Then, is this the Passat’s demographic of appeal?
Clean lines makes this one a middle-aged, clean shaven German
Yes.
Well, if we thought about it, it really shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. Any professional someone, who is concerned about projecting a particular image to his clients, boss, parents or even neighbours, would have to choose everything from what they wore, the way they talked and what they drove, carefully.
To put that in perspective, a friend’s dad drives a Camry when he very well could afford himself a Maserati, something to do with being humble he says. To complete the look, he’s usually in his slippers.
The Passat on the other hand oozes business and seriousness like no other car in the segment.
|
Leading to the rear is a belt line that runs the sides of the car, starting from the top of the headlamp, past the top of the door handles and calmly fading away just before the corner of the rear lamps.
A little spoiler on the boot rounds off the very flat rear perfectly with the no-nonsense twin pipes peeking from under the bumper.
An oddity about the Passat though is how from the side, the rear seems to be much higher from the ground than the front. That’s primarily thanks to the chrome-accented line that runs higher the further to the rear it goes.
|
And then to really seal the deal on its plain looks, we’ve got those standard 10-spoke, 16-inch alloys wrapped in 215/55 R-16 Pirelli rubbers that look an inch or two too small on the Passat but nevertheless, does its part in the fuel economy race.
The interior
Inside it’s pretty much what we’ve all come to expect in most of the models in Volkswagen’s stable, well actually almost exactly like how it looks like in the Passat CC.
Extremely comfortable and grippy seats come courtesy of the leather and alcantara team-up that really sets the driver up in the perfect seating position with no lumbar intrusion that’ll really ruin your driving experience and possibly your posture.
Once in the dash area, before you is typical Vee-dub with the media interface surrounded by buttons on either side, air conditioning settings below that and the headlights conveniently located right next to the driver’s door. The steering wheel is something else the guys at Volkswagen has been so good at making over all these years. The thickness is perfectly sized and the leather is, unlike a recent car I tested, tacky enough to be comfortable when on different grip levels.
Then you’ve got the more stylish newly updated steering-mounted controls that are directly off the new Golf 6. Everything seems to be exactly where they should be and predictably all the buttons and knobs around the car are all firm and feels great to the touch.
Rear seating in the Passat, unlike in the CC which can only house two people at any one time, has a pretty flat bench for that extra person to squeeze in the middle on those car pooling days.
Taking in the whole interior feel of this car, I can’t understand how the sporty(ish) interior absolutely betrays the ‘plain-milk-boring’ exterior. But there’s a reason for that.
The interior
Inside it’s pretty much what we’ve all come to expect in most of the models in Volkswagen’s stable, well actually almost exactly like how it looks like in the Passat CC.
Extremely comfortable and grippy seats come courtesy of the leather and alcantara team-up that really sets the driver up in the perfect seating position with no lumbar intrusion that’ll really ruin your driving experience and possibly your posture.
Once in the dash area, before you is typical Vee-dub with the media interface surrounded by buttons on either side, air conditioning settings below that and the headlights conveniently located right next to the driver’s door. The steering wheel is something else the guys at Volkswagen has been so good at making over all these years. The thickness is perfectly sized and the leather is, unlike a recent car I tested, tacky enough to be comfortable when on different grip levels.
Then you’ve got the more stylish newly updated steering-mounted controls that are directly off the new Golf 6. Everything seems to be exactly where they should be and predictably all the buttons and knobs around the car are all firm and feels great to the touch.
Rear seating in the Passat, unlike in the CC which can only house two people at any one time, has a pretty flat bench for that extra person to squeeze in the middle on those car pooling days.
Taking in the whole interior feel of this car, I can’t understand how the sporty(ish) interior absolutely betrays the ‘plain-milk-boring’ exterior. But there’s a reason for that.
How does it drive?
You see, when I told you about the Passat owner living in my area, I conveniently left out the fact that he’s also an owner of a bike. Not just any bike though, a Ferrari red Triumph Daytona 675.
Like most other people nowadays, Mr Passat has different facets to his personality that accommodates the days when he just needs to get to work without hassle, and then days when he wants to realize his cravings for speed and adrenaline. All this under his business getup.
And that’s exactly what the Passat is, a dual-role vehicle. It surely can get you places without hassle but it’s also very capable of injecting that adrenaline and excitement in your mornings if need be. Performance figures on the Passat 1.8 reads to the tune of 160bhp and a peak twisting power of 250Nm.
That’s more than any other vehicle in the mid-sized car segment, within its price point!
This is where the car’s strong point comes in plain view. You’ve got a tried-and-tested piece of engineering in the 1.8-litre forced induced TSI engine that is matched up to the ever-impressive seven-speed dual clutch gearbox the Vee-dub group seems to be throwing in each of their cars now.
What you’re left with are ‘tau huay’ smooth gear shifts that harness all of the engines power through the well-ratioed seven gears, all controlled by a traditionally direct VW steering feel that’s second to none. Sporty driving? Check.
So whether it’s overtaking cars on the right lane or just blasting down your favourite stretch of road (within the speed limit of course), you’re sure to find your poison in this car, as you might in any of Volkswagen’s cars.
But at times you’re reminded of exactly what you’re driving when you take a sharp corner fast or ride over undulating surfaces as those found on the ECP stretch. It tends to float just a smidge more than the CC, almost the same as on the Honda Accord, which is exactly what most people are looking for in this segment anyway.
You see, when I told you about the Passat owner living in my area, I conveniently left out the fact that he’s also an owner of a bike. Not just any bike though, a Ferrari red Triumph Daytona 675.
Like most other people nowadays, Mr Passat has different facets to his personality that accommodates the days when he just needs to get to work without hassle, and then days when he wants to realize his cravings for speed and adrenaline. All this under his business getup.
And that’s exactly what the Passat is, a dual-role vehicle. It surely can get you places without hassle but it’s also very capable of injecting that adrenaline and excitement in your mornings if need be. Performance figures on the Passat 1.8 reads to the tune of 160bhp and a peak twisting power of 250Nm.
That’s more than any other vehicle in the mid-sized car segment, within its price point!
This is where the car’s strong point comes in plain view. You’ve got a tried-and-tested piece of engineering in the 1.8-litre forced induced TSI engine that is matched up to the ever-impressive seven-speed dual clutch gearbox the Vee-dub group seems to be throwing in each of their cars now.
What you’re left with are ‘tau huay’ smooth gear shifts that harness all of the engines power through the well-ratioed seven gears, all controlled by a traditionally direct VW steering feel that’s second to none. Sporty driving? Check.
So whether it’s overtaking cars on the right lane or just blasting down your favourite stretch of road (within the speed limit of course), you’re sure to find your poison in this car, as you might in any of Volkswagen’s cars.
But at times you’re reminded of exactly what you’re driving when you take a sharp corner fast or ride over undulating surfaces as those found on the ECP stretch. It tends to float just a smidge more than the CC, almost the same as on the Honda Accord, which is exactly what most people are looking for in this segment anyway.
|
The shakedown
What we have here is a typical case of “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. A car that looks like a stone but has enough go, it probably could outpace everything in its segment's price range.
The equipment list runs long in this one as well with no less than 10 airbags, a remote boot release, auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, cruise control and an ‘Auto Hold’ function which when activated, automatically holds the car in place once stopped and releases it once you get your foot on the accelerator.
All this at $120,800. But although priced higher than its Japanese equivalents, the performance figures alone from the Passat are enough to justify the car’s extra cost. And it gets better once you’ve compared it with its closest German rival.
What we have here is a typical case of “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. A car that looks like a stone but has enough go, it probably could outpace everything in its segment's price range.
The equipment list runs long in this one as well with no less than 10 airbags, a remote boot release, auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, cruise control and an ‘Auto Hold’ function which when activated, automatically holds the car in place once stopped and releases it once you get your foot on the accelerator.
All this at $120,800. But although priced higher than its Japanese equivalents, the performance figures alone from the Passat are enough to justify the car’s extra cost. And it gets better once you’ve compared it with its closest German rival.
If you’re seriously in the market for a sporty mid-sized car, I strongly suggest looking at Volkswagen’s direction, but rather at their more fashionable CC variant which costs only $4,000 more and comes with an almost identical performance and equipment package. Unlike the Passat, the CC actually has paddle-shifters which really should have been included in the first place.
But if your financial consultant (read: wife, girlfriend, mom, etc) needs for your budget to head down south from the Passat, then a visit to Skoda for their Superb 1.8 will be in order.
With a similar engine and transmission as the former, the Superb might make more sense with its slightly larger proportions.
But if your financial consultant (read: wife, girlfriend, mom, etc) needs for your budget to head down south from the Passat, then a visit to Skoda for their Superb 1.8 will be in order.
With a similar engine and transmission as the former, the Superb might make more sense with its slightly larger proportions.
Car Information
Volkswagen Passat 1.8 TSI DSG (A)
CAT B|Petrol|13.6km/L
Horsepower
119kW (160 bhp)
Torque
250 Nm
Acceleration
8.5sec (0-100km /hr)
This model is no longer being sold by local distributor
All Used Volkswagen Passat
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