2012-2015 DSG Passat TDI.

If you had your choice of an automatic DSG Passat TDI from 2012 to 2015, which year would you go with? Why?

2015. EA288 engine and higher gearing compared with 2012-2014.

2012 to 2014 is a very different engine. As for the DSG I have to admit I've no idea.
But since I have no experience other than my 2015, all I can say I love it. The Stage 2 tune is great and soon I'll do the DSG tune as well. I've already had the VW Phase 1 done, just waiting for the Phase 2.

A vote for the ‘013. Gen2 fix done, still get fantastic fuel economy, 50 + Highway. It’s geared just fine.

Tom in PT said:

A vote for the ‘013. Gen2 fix done, still get fantastic fuel economy, 50 + Highway. It’s geared just fine.

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Sammie same..........agreed

my 13 dropped into the low 40's after the fix so I vote 15 manual just think, last year of the TDI 1 year only engine and a manual to boot, will be totally a collector car

I have owned a 2013 for 4 years now, and just picked up my 2015. The 2013 will be going to buyback a week from yesterday. The CVCA engine of the 2015 is superior to the CKRA of the 2012-2014 models. It's quieter and warms up faster. As previously mentioned, the shift-points (expecially in Sport mode) are WAAAAYY better on the 2015 than earlier models.

Which ever one has a better price, if the '15 isn't more than 2K more, I'd jump on that deu to the taller gearing of the DSG.

2K at 75MPH is such a nice sweet spot for highway cruising.

If you aren't going for the '15, I would submit that the '12 had more goodies than the '13, at least at the SE trim level (e.g. climatronic, ambient lighting, deactivated rain sensor, puddle lights in the doors, probably more). The nice thing that the '13s got was the console vent to the rear seats but lost some other goodies in the process.

If you're looking SEL, then please ignore my comments entirely!

I have a '14, part of my reasoning was i did not want a motor that was produced for one year, at least the '14 was made for 3 years.

While the CVCA was produced for only one year, It was used in the Passat, Jetta, Golf, Sportwagen, Beetle, and Audi A3.

Where as the CKRA was used in ONLY the passat for 2012-2014.

Also, the CVCA is an improved engine design off the CKRA. Sure, the CKRA was used in the Passat for 3 years, but the redesigned CVCA could very well have been used in Passats for 5-6 years had it not been for dieselgate shutting down production.