What Year Model to Buy TDI Passat or JEtta

I would appreciate all advice and experience on which year and model I might buy, Passat or Jetta TDI. Presently driving '03 Jetta GL since it was new.I know the Passat is a bit larger, rides a bit better than the Jetta's.



I finally recieved my check for my totaled Mazda Miata. It was my dream car, but sure can't buy another one. Insurance company sure lowballed me on that. I guess as long as you don't have any claims, they like you. The Semi Tractor/Tanker companies insurance company (we were rear ended in work zone on Interstate I-80) has been very nice. Paying wife's and my doctor bills and actually call to see how we are doing. Hell my ins. co. won't even pay for my broken prescription glasses. Ugh.


Are any 2012 to 2015 years better than others?


I heard something about the Passat SEL has a better sound system, true false?


All use ADblue I'm guessing, any problems here for Wisconsin weather in winter?


Not sure, which is better if available the DSG or Triptronic. Actually I prefer the manual transmission, not sure if they built them with that.



Anything special to watch out for?



I see a lot of low mileage Passats available, at around $15000, which seems to be the going price.



I don't need all the bells and whistles, but Just looking for a heads up, on what to consider.



thanks to everyone, who sent prayers and well wishes for my wife. Her head injuries are healing and she will be ok.



TY Couleetdi

Sorry to hear about your accident. Well wishes and a speedy recovery.

Couleetdi said:

Are any 2012 to 2015 years better than others?

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That's kind of a double edged sword.... The '12 and early 13's have the most content. But the 15's have a redesigned motor and (thanks to Dieselgate) a MUCH longer warranty. 10 years or 120k miles for '12-'14 as opposed to 11 years or 162k miles for the 2015.

I heard something about the Passat SEL has a better sound system, true false?

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That is true. It has the Fender amplified sound system with the subwoofer. Honestly, it is only marginally better in my opinion. But I'm not a diehard audiophile. There are many more plusses to the SEL trim as well (KESSY, Full power leather seating, navigation just as a few examples).

All use ADblue I'm guessing, any problems here for Wisconsin weather in winter?

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Correct. All 2012 and newer TDI passats use Adblue. It does have a pretty low freeze point (I googled it and it says around 12* F,). But it has a built in heater to thaw it. Not to mention, at that point, your fuel is probably going to be gelled as well. But I dont have a lot of experience with freezing temps as I live in Las Vegas where temps RARELY drop below 40*F

Not sure, which is better if available the DSG or Triptronic. Actually I prefer the manual transmission, not sure if they built them with that.

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The Passat TDI was only available with the DSG, not the tiptronic. They were also available in the SE trim with a manual transmission. However the '12-'14s are going to be increasingly harder to find as there was no approved fix for them. So people are going to hold on to them for dear life, or they are getting bought back by vw and destroyed.

Anything special to watch out for? I see a lot of low mileage Passats available, at around $15000, which seems to be the going price. I don't need all the bells and whistles, but Just looking for a heads up, on what to consider. thanks to everyone, who sent prayers and well wishes for my wife. Her head injuries are healing and she will be ok.

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I cant think of anything particularly troublesome with the passat that will cost you out of pocket... The 12-14's had the adblue heater recalled. It appears the newest revision is more reliable than the previous version. It also has an extended warranty on it. So failure shouldnt be an issue. The High Pressure Fuel Pump issues you may read about are much rarer on the Passat. Not saying it cant happen, but our pump runs at a lower pressure so its not as sensitive. That said, any gasoline in the system will still ruin it.

Personally, I would go with a CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) 2015. With the CPO, you will get a 2 year (I believe unlimited mileage) warranty that covers almost everything bumper to bumper (certain items are excluded). As well as the 11 year 162k mile emissions warranty that covers pretty much everything in the engine, fuel, and exhaust systems.

Go for a 2015 Passat SEL if you don't mind the DSG transmission. Fuel economy is same/better than Jetta and having more room is nice too. A 2015 Passat runs at about 400 rpm less than a 2012-2014 at the same highway speeds too. Fender Audio is standard on SEL and optional on SE's IIRC.

With careful shopping you can pick up a SEL for less money than a SE. A CPO from a VW dealer gives you the best warranty - price may be a bit higher than a used car lot but worth it for the increased coverage.

There are a few - very few - 2015 Passats with a manual. They are not as well equipped as the SEL, much harder to find and priced accordingly. For example I saw a 2015 manual SE with 99K miles for more money than a 2015 SEL with DSG, 30K miles.

Many 2012-2014 Passats also had issues with cabin heater failures which were covered under warranty. I've only heard of one 2015 with a cabin heater failure to date. I wouldn't let this be a stopping point if you come across a 2012-2014 in the right condition with low miles and priced cheap. If at a VW dealer have them check to see if the cabin heater was replaced on a 2012-2014 before you buy.

Sorry to hear about your accident - best wishes for recovering and best of luck in finding a suitable replacement vehicle!

Agree with the others. 2015 has the new, improved engine, plus the better emissions warranty. 2015 with MT was my ideal, but I gave up after months of searching and eventually got a DSG. Regret it every day. Occasionally I see a good deal on a 2015 with MT, but never close to home - if you're willing to fly out, or just pay for shipping and trust the warranty, you may be able to get a good deal on a MT. It's not hopeless; just hard. But I LOVED my old MT, and the DSG is a fine car but just isn't as much fun to drive.

I love my ‘14 sel, no regrets at all. Drive both (the 12-14 are harder to find), see which you prefer

I went from a 2002 Jetta to a 2015 Passat.
There is NO comparison.

I can stretch my legs when driving which on looooooong drives makes a big difference. The trunk is much bigger than a Jettas trunk.

The space between the front seat backs to the rear seat is much more than a Jetta. When I had my drivers seat in the Jetta set for myself, there was hardly any legroom for a rear seat passenger. Not so in the Passat.


Because of the longer wheelbase I find the ride much better and more comfortable.

I went from a '97 Passat 5speed to a '09 Jetta 6spd to this '15 Passat DSG.

Can't remember what year they went to the 'gen 2' DSG but this is the first 'automatic' that doesn't make me wish it was a manual. The car is great, too. Very happy thus far.

I've seen a 'gen 1' DSG clutch packs out of a '09 TDI Sportwagen that were good for continued usage at 457,000 miles. Good transmissions.