2019 VW Passat Wolfsburg Edition

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Let me start off by saying that the trade in of my 2013 Passat diesel for the current 2019 gasser was not driven by anything other than my health. I have a series of health issues (I'm almost 72) and the chance to provide my wife with a car with a six year, 72000 mile bumper to bumper warranty bought from a VW dealer close by that we have no complaints about was what drove the deal. I also prepaid VW scheduled maintenance for 80,000 miles for her.
One does save a good bit of money doing that vs paying as you go. We have had the car now for about three months and below are my views and feelings on the new 2019 Passat.

GOOD

Fuel economy is GREAT. Here is a full size sedan with a very large back seat area (what attracted us to Passats in the first place) and an extremely voluminous trunk that has already given us 41+ mpg on a three hundred mile trip. And that was measured by actual fillup. Recently, my wife took it from central PA to Ocean City MD loaded with her quilting stuff, luggage for her and a friend and the friend as well. There was some city driving involved. She filled up in Ocean City for the return trip and her mileage coming back, including dropping off her friend in southeastern PA, was over 39+! With the lower cost of fuel vs diesel in the old Passat, the cost per mile to drive is about the same.

Comfort is quite good. We find the seats (black leatherette) to be comfortable and very supportive on a long trip. Seats are heated and have electronic controls on the drivers side and manual controls on the passenger side.

Fit and finish are excellent. Gaps around doors and trunks are even and symmetrical the way they should be. Doors and hood close with ease.

I find the electric power steering to be quite good. I always feel the road, the steering is tight and very responsive (helped by the Continental Pure Contact tires) and the power system makes it very easy to manipulate the car in parking lots and during parallel parking maneuvers.

So far, with only about 3000 miles on the car, there is really no noticeable oil consumption nor is there a "gassy" smell to the oil when I pull the dipstick. This is a two liter 4 cylinder direct injection engine that has a modified cycle. The engine uses the new 508 VW spec oil which is 0W-20 or 5W-20, forget which.

Interior is quite functional and actually very comfortable considering that the car is the lower of the two levels offered, the other being the R model. We like the blind spot warnings that light up on the outside mirrors if someone is coming up on your side.

Very easy to mate our cell phones to the car"s system and use Google maps on the car screen. Really no need anymore to pay the car manufacturer for an in-car nav system.

This vehicle comes with a six speed auto trans (NOT a CVT and not a DSG). First gear seems a tad too low when starting out but the overall driving experience with this system is reasonably good. My wife likes it which is what counts.

AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Engine can be loud at times, especially when accelerating and going up a steep hill. Not sure if this was intentional to give the illusion of more power or if it is a result of the combustion cycle of the engine. Intake valve closes during intake stroke early on to give a smaller air charge. But the power stroke allows for the smaller air/fuel charge to expand the entire way. When you hit the throttle, the intake valve stays open for the entire intake stroke.

As noted above, the tranny seems to have a very low first gear which sometimes can be a real "WOW" factor when giving it throttle from being stopped. I have learned to control it but it did take some getting used to.

The car has regular cruise control, not the adaptive type. SInce I bought this car off of the showroom floor to get a very good deal, I could not order anything that was not already there.

SUMMARY

Very good car so far for the money spent. It is a pleasure to drive and very economical. I plan to do 5000 mile oil changes even though VW calls for 10,000 miles. I never took any of my VWs in for warranty work and I am hoping that this car delivers the same kind of long term performance.
 
Try WAZE out for navigation. Google owns the company.
VW makes better driving vehicles, not Corolla LE's that disappoint.
 
Congrats on the terrific ride. A lot of your review rings true with what we've seen as my family has shifted to VW in the past year. Great mileage, comfortable, but you can drive these cars versus Toyota/Honda appliances that drive you.
 
Originally Posted by Boomer
Engine can be loud at times, especially when accelerating and going up a steep hill. Not sure if this was intentional to give the illusion of more power or if it is a result of the combustion cycle of the engine. Intake valve closes during intake stroke early on to give a smaller air charge. But the power stroke allows for the smaller air/fuel charge to expand the entire way. When you hit the throttle, the intake valve stays open for the entire intake stroke.


Yes, sadly VW seems to have "cheapened" their lineup on cars such as the Passat, Jetta and Golf by not building them in Germany anymore for the NA market (Mexico/US instead).
They've also dumped the V6 option that was available up until 2017 or 2018 for the Passat/CC.
Sad really, as that engine really mated well with the rest of the car. It made the car a sportier (yet luxurious/refined) option against cars such as the V6 Camry/Avalon etc.
 
I've got the 2019 VW Tiguan with the almost the same de-rated 2.0L turbo DI engine (mine is DGUA; yours is DDSA). Both use Budack for fuel economy. I'm not sure why VW put the 6-speed transmission in yours when the Tiguans get the Aisin torque convertor 8-speed trannys, which works well enough.
VW watered down their warranty a lot for the 2020, so it is good to get in on the last full 6-year warranty (72k miles) ones.
 
I found for some reason that Waze eats into our data plan vs Google maps. Since we use Consumer Cellular and get 2 GB of data a month on our plan, we find Google maps seems to work better with our phone plan. But I may have to give Waze a try again.
 
Nice review, Boomer.
Here's wishing you better health and a long fruitful life enjoying a wonderful vehicle on dates with the wife.

All the best,

Warren
 
Originally Posted by Boomer
I found for some reason that Waze eats into our data plan vs Google maps. Since we use Consumer Cellular and get 2 GB of data a month on our plan, we find Google maps seems to work better with our phone plan. But I may have to give Waze a try again.


Google Maps has a massive advantage if you don't have large data plan. You can pick areas you travel and download the entire local maps so the app is just using data for traffic. It helps massively. Waze is a data eater. We used both in our 2018 VW Tiguan with the likely similar smartphone(apple play) integration.

Congrats on Passat. I liked the loaner 2019 I got at dealer.
 
nice! i am a VAG fanboy, 200,000 on my 2001 jetta 1.8T wolfsburg hopped up + now a lo mile 2001 TT 225Q roadster, both manuals of course!!
 
Not sure about your Passat but VW installs a SoundAktor module on many vehicles to fake engine noise into the cabin. It is mounted under the windshield along the firewall in the engine compartment. May have to remove the plenum below the wipers to get at it. You can unplug it or program it silent with RossTech programming if indeed it is on your vehicle.
 
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by Boomer
Engine can be loud at times, especially when accelerating and going up a steep hill. Not sure if this was intentional to give the illusion of more power or if it is a result of the combustion cycle of the engine. Intake valve closes during intake stroke early on to give a smaller air charge. But the power stroke allows for the smaller air/fuel charge to expand the entire way. When you hit the throttle, the intake valve stays open for the entire intake stroke.


Yes, sadly VW seems to have "cheapened" their lineup on cars such as the Passat, Jetta and Golf by not building them in Germany anymore for the NA market (Mexico/US instead).
They've also dumped the V6 option that was available up until 2017 or 2018 for the Passat/CC.
Sad really, as that engine really mated well with the rest of the car. It made the car a sportier (yet luxurious/refined) option against cars such as the V6 Camry/Avalon etc.


The vw's now are more reliable than in the past. A guess what, theyre assemb;ed in mexico!!!
When VW had a really bad rep(80's,90's 2000's), it was for cars that were imported from Germany. It doesn't have much to do with where it's assembled but how it's engineered. Having cars built in the mexico vs germany doesnt matter anymore.
 
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Yes, sadly VW seems to have "cheapened" their lineup on cars such as the Passat, Jetta and Golf by not building them in Germany anymore for the NA market (Mexico/US instead).
They've also dumped the V6 option that was available up until 2017 or 2018 for the Passat/CC.
Sad really, as that engine really mated well with the rest of the car. It made the car a sportier (yet luxurious/refined) option against cars such as the V6 Camry/Avalon etc.


I dunno, my 2008 Jetta I used to have was built at the Mexico plant and it was a very solid, well built car. My current GTI is also a Mexico build and just like my Jetta, it's a well put together car. I will say when they first introduced the MK6 Jetta it was really cheapened, but it seems now they are back to the quality it should be.
 
Originally Posted by Delta
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Yes, sadly VW seems to have "cheapened" their lineup on cars such as the Passat, Jetta and Golf by not building them in Germany anymore for the NA market (Mexico/US instead).
They've also dumped the V6 option that was available up until 2017 or 2018 for the Passat/CC.
Sad really, as that engine really mated well with the rest of the car. It made the car a sportier (yet luxurious/refined) option against cars such as the V6 Camry/Avalon etc.


I dunno, my 2008 Jetta I used to have was built at the Mexico plant and it was a very solid, well built car. My current GTI is also a Mexico build and just like my Jetta, it's a well put together car. I will say when they first introduced the MK6 Jetta it was really cheapened, but it seems now they are back to the quality it should be.

[response for LolvoGuy]
Some of them are also built in Tennessee.
I think some Passats and Tiguans...

My '2016 GSW looks and feels good. Hecho in Mexico.
For the Mazda5 replacement, if no wagon/mini-minivan needed, I'm eyeing some Made in Tennessee Passat. The TDI's are REALLY cheap for diesel lovers. Even cheaper than Jetta/Golf Sportwagen TDI... Or gas.
 
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by Boomer
Engine can be loud at times, especially when accelerating and going up a steep hill. Not sure if this was intentional to give the illusion of more power or if it is a result of the combustion cycle of the engine. Intake valve closes during intake stroke early on to give a smaller air charge. But the power stroke allows for the smaller air/fuel charge to expand the entire way. When you hit the throttle, the intake valve stays open for the entire intake stroke.


Yes, sadly VW seems to have "cheapened" their lineup on cars such as the Passat, Jetta and Golf by not building them in Germany anymore for the NA market (Mexico/US instead).
They've also dumped the V6 option that was available up until 2017 or 2018 for the Passat/CC.
Sad really, as that engine really mated well with the rest of the car. It made the car a sportier (yet luxurious/refined) option against cars such as the V6 Camry/Avalon etc.

They were not cheapened, but VW is not bringing latest Passat to US. This Passat is still based on old platform, I think PQ45, or more accurately on same set up as European Skoda Superb.
 
Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by Boomer
Engine can be loud at times, especially when accelerating and going up a steep hill. Not sure if this was intentional to give the illusion of more power or if it is a result of the combustion cycle of the engine. Intake valve closes during intake stroke early on to give a smaller air charge. But the power stroke allows for the smaller air/fuel charge to expand the entire way. When you hit the throttle, the intake valve stays open for the entire intake stroke.


Yes, sadly VW seems to have "cheapened" their lineup on cars such as the Passat, Jetta and Golf by not building them in Germany anymore for the NA market (Mexico/US instead).
They've also dumped the V6 option that was available up until 2017 or 2018 for the Passat/CC.
Sad really, as that engine really mated well with the rest of the car. It made the car a sportier (yet luxurious/refined) option against cars such as the V6 Camry/Avalon etc.

They were not cheapened, but VW is not bringing latest Passat to US. This Passat is still based on old platform, I think PQ45, or more accurately on same set up as European Skoda Superb.

None of which include a v6 as previously available on older German Passat/CC models.
Only a noisy 4 cyl. as mentioned by the OP.
coffee2.gif
 
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by Boomer
Engine can be loud at times, especially when accelerating and going up a steep hill. Not sure if this was intentional to give the illusion of more power or if it is a result of the combustion cycle of the engine. Intake valve closes during intake stroke early on to give a smaller air charge. But the power stroke allows for the smaller air/fuel charge to expand the entire way. When you hit the throttle, the intake valve stays open for the entire intake stroke.


Yes, sadly VW seems to have "cheapened" their lineup on cars such as the Passat, Jetta and Golf by not building them in Germany anymore for the NA market (Mexico/US instead).
They've also dumped the V6 option that was available up until 2017 or 2018 for the Passat/CC.
Sad really, as that engine really mated well with the rest of the car. It made the car a sportier (yet luxurious/refined) option against cars such as the V6 Camry/Avalon etc.

They were not cheapened, but VW is not bringing latest Passat to US. This Passat is still based on old platform, I think PQ45, or more accurately on same set up as European Skoda Superb.

None of which include a v6 as previously available on older German Passat/CC models.
Only a noisy 4 cyl. as mentioned by the OP.
coffee2.gif


Sure, I get that part. Probably VR6 did not sell good. It is this new strategy by VW to go after Honda and Toyota customers. Interestingly, Toyota offers V6 and Honda offers beefed up 2.0T.
Problem for VW is that offering Euro spec. Passat seriously cuts into Audi.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by edyvw
Sure, I get that part. Probably VR6 did not sell good. It is this new strategy by VW to go after Honda and Toyota customers. Interestingly, Toyota offers V6 and Honda offers beefed up 2.0T.
Problem for VW is that offering Euro spec. Passat seriously cuts into Audi.

I agree. Most who ordered a Passat did so with fuel economy in mind (and chose the 4 cyl. as a result).
I just think it's sad.
 
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by edyvw
Sure, I get that part. Probably VR6 did not sell good. It is this new strategy by VW to go after Honda and Toyota customers. Interestingly, Toyota offers V6 and Honda offers beefed up 2.0T.
Problem for VW is that offering Euro spec. Passat seriously cuts into Audi.

I agree. Most who ordered a Passat did so with fuel economy in mind (and chose the 4 cyl. as a result).
I just think it's sad.

Well yeah, it is sad. But again, main issue is Audi.
 
My wife is in the market for a small/mid-size SUV. We test drove the Tiguan and liked it except for the engine. Sounded like a can full of marbles under full acceleration and underpowered as well. I assume this is the same engine used in the Passat. It's a shame because the version used in the GTI and even the 1.8 in the Alltrack is much much better.

Also, on a side note, the previous GTI that I owned was eventually replaced under the lemon law due to a bad transmission (6 MT). Guess what....it was one of the few parts actually made in Germany.
 
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