2012 Passat SEL TDI

[thundershorts]

now if they used a good French engine, like the Citroen C5 V6 , 240hp 495nm @1600 , it might be a great car.

 

[leicaman]

Exactly, and I can tell you 20 years from now, both that hood prop and those trunk hinge/springs will still be 100% functional, just like they are on my 20 year old Jetta. Sometimes the 'cheap' stuff just, well, works.
FWIW, my 20 year old Jetta's manual door locks, manual windows, manual sunroof all work the same as they did when it left the factory, too. Heck, so do its rear drum brakes! . And its original ignition switch, the rear window defogger, it all works! Yes, it's true, Volkswagen did at one time make cars that did not break! So if they can return to that same level of car, but keep some of the good stuff (like the 140hp TDI engine!) then so be it!

Jay Leno even talks about how simple the prop rod system is on many of his videos at www.jaylenosgarage.com

 

[daedalus]

Only a few things missing right now.

A wagon, and 4Motion on said same wagon.

That says it all. +1 !

 

[2002MK4]

VW styling for their BEST cars: Jetta and Passat has gone downhill since 2009.

 

[delaware_doug]

I just wish you could get a CC TDI with a real 3 person back seat. I'll keep my '05 Passat GLS.

 

[MotoX9928]

I just drove it a few hours ago and I must say I was very impressed!!!!
It drove quite well, looked great, and I was averaging 42 with the auto. I want one really bad now. It would be quite a step up from my 2001 Jetta project car. Or maybe that is why I like it so much!!!

 

[thundershorts]

as to the hood prop vs gas strut, the hood most likely is much lighter. Just try lifting your b5.5 without the strut attached.

 

[leicaman]

I've extensively test drove both the 2012 Passat TDI SEL and the SE 2.5 models this week. Both are well screwed together in my view and I came away impressed.

Now coming from a B5.5 Passat TDI (no I didn't trade or even talk that as I am writing a piece for the VW club of Sheboygan), there are a multitude of small neat improvements. Like for example of the cruise control switch. On B5.5 with the leather interior and the multi-function steering wheel, you have a on/off switch the turn signal stalk that is frankly somewhat crude in my view. It clicks with a rather rough click (and it has been that way since new). I usually have mine on all the time so it really isn't a big deal, but the new car switch has a much better feel to it. Doors still have that german thunk when you close them. One giant improvement is the power seat. I still scratch my head about the B5.5 TDI having a manual seat adjuster. I mean cripes my car was the top TDI model and has manual adjusters. New car seat controls are very easy to use and they are power electrical types. Also, the sunglass holder is even in the cheaper car. Not a big deal you say? Just have a wife who loses more sunglasses than anyone in the world. She would love that feature.

The 2.5L car is clearly aimed at people who own Accords, older Taurus cars and clearly out does that genre of car. I believe VW will make a ton of these. The automatic shifted nice and crisply and the car was simply utter quiet.

The TDI model is clearly setup as a more sporty car as it rides and drives a little more on the edge of things. The trunk still looks classy although you no longer have the metal protector on the trunk. This is where they will saved money. Have any of you ever priced that piece of metal on a B5.5 for gigles like I have. That is a $100 piece of tin! I applaud the regular trunk springs design as it is really not intrusive and the hood prop is fine. Just think you don't have to spend 50-100 to replace those trunk struts like I will this month on my B5.5

The car's ride and handling will please almost everyone, but I am sure some will just whine about things. For 98 percent it will be perfect. For that 2% buy an Audi. The TDI SEL has a crisper ride and steering inputs are crisper. The 2.5 while a touch softer, still is very compliant to inputs.

 

[oilhammer]

Gary, the B5 in GLX trim got a power seat. It also got Climatronic. But you could not get one with a diesel engine (only GL or GLS).

We are not missing anything, though. The power seat in those cars costs about an inch of headroom, which folks like me notice, especially on sunroof-equipped cars.

 

[Lug_Nut]

As I've also discovered.
I obtained a pair of power front seats from a GLX and discovered that, although they did provide a separate front height and rear height adjustment capability, that the range of adjustment wasn't to my liking. I couldn't adjust the seat to a bottom angle that I found comfortable AND still provide clearance to the lower rim of the steering wheel for entry and exit. The whole seat was too high.
I've put the manual seat back in, but with a modified front mount that gives me the support under my knees that I've so missed since the A3/B4, yet the top of the thigh to steering wheel rim clearance is there. Since I'm the only one that (has to) drive this, the seat front height offset being fixed isn't an issue. (the whole seat is still able to rise front and rear together, but now at a new angle).
The newly obtained seat position also has alleviated one of my (many) complaints, that in which my left elbow wouldn't fit the door arm rest because my elbow was back too far with the seat at its least intolerable distance. Now that the bottom angle is changed, I am able to slide the seat forward a notch or two to maintain the hip-knee-ankle length, now on a more acute angle, and this seat movement forward moves my torso (and elbows) closer to the front too. My elbow now rests on the arm rest, not at the B pillar.
Damn, this B5.5 GLS driver seat comfort is now nearly as nice as a 97 Jetta GL!

 

[leicaman]

Gary, the B5 in GLX trim got a power seat. It also got Climatronic. But you could not get one with a diesel engine (only GL or GLS).

We are not missing anything, though. The power seat in those cars costs about an inch of headroom, which folks like me notice, especially on sunroof-equipped cars.

Yeah but when you are 5 foot 6 like me, headroom is available in nearly every car I've ridden in except the for the rear seat of the CC Passat. That car is crazy bad in the headroom dept. for rear passengers. I'd have no issues with manual adjusters if they made it so you wouldn't readjust the seat height accidently by just exiting the car (which I have done from time to time).

 

[DasTeknoViking]

I agree, B5 seats are not all that comfy. I love falling into a seat with my legs up high n butt down low. Each time I drive a regular A4 body car I hate the way you sit on the seats vs in em. I find my R32 seats to be almost perfect, they would need to be perforated as any longer drives and you can get swamp a$$ in em. My B4 seats might be worn to sh!t but I can rock it in them for hours with no fatigue

 

[meowguy]

I am reminded of a famous quote from the 1992 Presidential elections...."it's the economy stupid". In this case it's the "fuel economy". The Passat TDI, in my book, is forgiven an awful lot because it gets 43+ highway and is a bigger ride than the Jetta.

 

[Smaug]

Are the seats super narrow like the current JSW or Golf? When I test drove the JSW and Golf last year I found the bottom seat cusion to be too narrow. I am not really fat, but 6'6" and 235lbs, and felt a bit squeezed.

 

[meowguy]

I am not really fat, but 6'6" and 235lbs, and felt a bit squeezed.

I don't have dimensions for the actual seat. But the Passat is two inches wider than the Jetta. That would make it about the same width as our CRV. I know some huge people who drive CRV's without any problem.

Drive it, you might like it.

 

[whizznbyu]

any hint of when a wagon may come out? That Mazda someone mentioned, it's not coming until 2014! Why is there such a resistance to brining in these cars now, huh?

 

[darrelld]

Are the seats super narrow like the current JSW or Golf? When I test drove the JSW and Golf last year I found the bottom seat cusion to be too narrow. I am not really fat, but 6'6" and 235lbs, and felt a bit squeezed.

I am 6'3" 210lbs and the seat bottoms are definately wider in the 2012 Passat vs my 2010 Jetta.

 

[heykw]

I agree. Seat bottoms are wider, for sure.
If you drive it you will like it.

 

[rotarykid]

any hint of when a wagon may come out? That Mazda someone mentioned, it's not coming until 2014! Why is there such a resistance to brining in these cars now, huh?

2014 is the first year that the coming increase in CAFE required in law will apply enough pressure to auto makers like Mazda forcing them bring a diesel to the US market. That is to balance out their current fleet of low mpg crap to bring the numbers high enough to avoid fines.

This is also why every auto maker that sold cars in the US sold diesel models in 1985 MY and earlier, CAFE pressure with a target of 40 mpgs by the mid 1990s. The dropping of real CAFE to 26.5 without yearly increases in 1986 lead to EVERY auto makers dropping all diesel options from the US line in 1987 MY.

You want more diesel options, support the coming 54 mpg CAFE without loopholes of any kind. If they remove loopholes our roads will overnight fill with fleets of 50-70 mpgUS diesels.

 

[TDI-JAY]

My real good friend just ordered a 2012 Passat TDI SEL. Black on Black with every options, I drove in the dealer demo test drive SEL (Black / Tan that everyone got) and that car was awesome! That is A LOT of car for $33,000 that gets 43 MPG.

 

[oxford_guy]

The EPA rates it 40 MPG highway with the DSG and 43 with the manual.

 

[rotarykid]

The EPA rates it 40 MPG highway with the DSG and 43 with the manual.

And many of the tester cars in the hands of car reviewers are reporting high 40s to low 50s real world while driving. That current epa test on diesels is less than useless for comparison.

Reminds me of a review I read today on the Volt having a 95 city/90 highway rating, what a pile of stinking useless untrue crap when in reality the thing barely returns high 20s to low 30s ( a shade over 31 ) when actually driving it. The stupid epa rating completely discounts the fact that the thing uses electricity like it's free, electricity cost 5-8 times today what it did 10 years ago in the Denver area. And you can bet your body part of choice it will not be free to charge when they start showing up in the real world as electricity costs increase in the next few years. I am using about 1/2 of the electricity at my place in Denver today but my bill is more than 3 times what it was in the year 2000. My place in NC I am using about 1/2 what I was in 2000 and the bill this month was over 4 times what the bill was in 2000.

I talked to friend that knows what he is talking about this weekend that told me about a remodel they did to one of the large buildings he manages in CO Springs. Because of energy credits available when the remodel started he considered installing solar panels on the roof. But the figures that came back were that it would take at a minimum of 40 years to break even on the costs related to installing solar panels and the projected maintenance when compared to local energy costs from the grid.

I can't wait for the headline, a massive electrical grid failure was caused yesterday during a record heat wave or record cold snap you fill in the blank for the reason for the overload by all the plug in hybrids overloading the power grind.

The new Passat TDI-CR should for most if they drive like they have some sense easily return mid to high 40s mimimum DSG and manual. A heck of lot maore than that volt will ever see...........

 

[jesseteague]

MPG from one of the test cars

A buddy of mine works at the plant in Chattanooga. One of the testers was driven from Chattanooga to DC and back. 44mpg and 45mpg avg respectively. "normal" driving ... 75mph +/-

 

[meowguy]

I think these criticisms are just nit-picking. Everything in the world is going up in price and you want a car with more stuff for less money. It can't be done.

I have no problem with any of the changes they have made. I just want to see the pricing and packages of options that will be available after Sept. Then I will decide whether to get the SEL or a lessor model with a few options. But I am definitely on board for one of these for delivery in November.

BTW, mileage listing I saw on the sticker of the SEL was 30/40. Sticker price was $33,000 something.

 

[leicaman]

The 30/40 is the epa rating. VW estimates the highway to be 43mpg. I tend to agree with VW because on my Passat it was rated 28/38. On a properly driven highway trip my car will get 40-41mpg without too much ado.

 

[darrelld]

Just ordered my 2012 Passat TDI SEL, estimate about 4 weeks till delivery.
Platinum Gray Metallic w/Titan black interior.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I was talking to our local dealer last week and the owner told me that they won't see any production Passats for two months. Maybe he was being pessimistic.

 

[darrelld]

I was talking to our local dealer last week and the owner told me that they won't see any production Passats for two months. Maybe he was being pessimistic.

They were giving a rough estimate, depends upon if dealer allocations match what I ordered.

 

[oxford_guy]

I was talking to our local dealer last week and the owner told me that they won't see any production Passats for two months. Maybe he was being pessimistic.

1. Your dealer already sold his/her allocation of that trim. For instance, if the dealership was allocated only one SEL for September and only two for October and if all three were pre-ordered before you got there, then you're looking at November.

2. The car you want is non-standard. Dealers in my area got black, white, silver, and red TDIs -- all with black interiors. If you want a different combination, then you're going to have to wait until it goes into production if they can't trade for it. It looks like the TDI SE with manual transmission and no sunroof hasn't been built yet at all.

This is my understanding, although details are sketchy so your mileage may vary.

 

[darrelld]

1. Your dealer already sold his/her allocation of that trim. For instance, if the dealership was allocated only one SEL for September and only two for October and if all three were pre-ordered before you got there, then you're looking at November.
2. The car you want is non-standard. Dealers in my area got black, white, silver, and red TDIs -- all with black interiors. If you want a different combination, then you're going to have to wait until it goes into production if they can't trade for it. It looks like the TDI SE with manual transmission and no sunroof hasn't been built yet at all.
This is my understanding, although details are sketchy so your mileage may vary.

I am in no hurry, willing to wait for the color combos I prefer.