By Dan Scanlan - MyCarData
The assignment was going to be fun — drive to Daytona International Speedway via the interstate to write about a vintage racing weekend. We had no exotic to drive there, or even a sports car. A businesslike midsize sedan would be our chariot. Behold a simple gray Volkswagen Passat R-Line with a turbocharged four, nice alloy wheels and its standard content of equipment with nary an option on the Monroney.
Passat means trade wind in German, in case you wondered. So let’s wind up the Passat and head to the high banks — or at least near them.
• R-Line design — Urano Gray is the official color, a somewhat subdued shade for a German sedan, accented nicely with chrome accents and very buff alloy wheels.
The Passat line has been around since the mid-1970s. This is the eighth generation model, coming to the U.S. in 2012, freshened in 2016.
Ours was a 2017 — expect some updates in 2018. The 2016 mid-cycle refresh left the 2012 doors and roof alone, but added some facets to hood, nose and tail atop a version of the modular MQB platform seen first under the Golf. There’s a gloss black strip atop the grill and over the headlights, which have a thin DRL strip along the bottom. The 4-bar chrome grill is upright, a big VW emblem in the middle. The outer edges of the grill flow into the hood, then into the windshield’s A-pillars.
The R-Line edition sees its front bumper get a distinct design edge with a deeper lower air intake with chrome strips, as faux side brake inlets also get chrome bars. R-Line also brings a deep side skirt with lower door chrome trim. Big LED taillights get a center trim line that flows off the trunk’s chrome accent. There’s a gloss black lower fascia under R-Line chrome-trimmed bumper, with a single polished stainless steel exhaust tip.
The sedan rides on twin-blade 5-spoke silver alloy wheels wearing 18-inch Continental Pro-Contact rubber, which set off the sedan nicely in the setting sun at the speedway. The overall look is clean and well planted, a no-nonsense feel.
• Passat passengers — A businesslike, clean and simple Moonrock Gray-over-tan interior greets you when you step over the polished steel scuff plate and settle into the R-Line’s very firm leatherette bucket seats with light gray piping. The driver’s seat has power adjustments. Both front seats get heat, and were a bit flat, but supportive and comfortable for the trip to Daytona.
A textured alloy accent strip in between the padded black dashtop and tan lower section is about the only jewelry inside.
The padded leather-clad steering wheel has a slightly flat bottom to clear thighs and manually tilts and telescopes, with tiny paddle shifters behind it. Straight ahead, classic white-over-black 160-mph speedometer with inset gas gauge and 8,000-rpm tach with temperature gauge.
In between, a simple trip computer with access to audio and fuel mileage information, with outside temperature and mileage, all changeable from a right steering wheel spoke control. Underfoot, alloy pedals, also part of the R-Line package.
Under a classic analog clock dash center, the Passat has a 6.3-inch capacitive touch sensor screen that acts like your smartphone to access basic audio, phone and a photo display function. Hover your hand near the screen to bring up main function button info along the bottom, as well as App-Connect to integrate smartphone platforms like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink. There’s an SD car slot on the head unit for music and photo uploads for the system, as well as a classic CD slot — we just Bluetoothed our phone for easy hands-free music and talk. A USB input is parked next to a 12-volt outlet in a covered compartment at the base of the center stack, with a rubber-padded space.
The center screen has volume and tuning knobs for a decent 6-speaker AM-FM-CD sound system, then a dual-zone climate control with heated seat buttons is below that. No start/stop button here — a classic key with remote lock/unlock. We had a backup camera, and a blind spot warning light in the side mirrors with rear cross-traffic alert.
Adaptive cruise control becomes standard in 2018.
There’s lots of room to stow stuff up front, with a big glove box, center armrest storage and door pockets. The back seats also offered lots of head and leg room, with a fold-down center armrest. The seat backs flip and fold 60/40 to expand a large 15.9-cubic-foot trunk, with remote seatback pulls. And in a nod to its relationship to Audi, all controls are backlit in red.
Again, just the basics for the trip to Daytona, but plenty of space to haul my gear as well as a quiet highway ride.
• Passat power — While our Passat looked like plain gray with basics inside, when it came time to hit the highway, there was some German sports sedan there. For 2018, the Passat will get a new turbocharged 2-liter four with 174-hp. But for 2017, we had the 170-hp 1.8-liter turbocharged four hooked to a 6-speed automatic. A 3.6-liter VR6 with 280 hp and a dual-clutch automatic is available in the new GT trim. A 2014 VR6 we tested back then hit 60-mph in 6.2 seconds, and averaged 21 mpg. Our four-cylinder 1.8T R-Line, with transmission in “Sport” to hold it in gear longer, moved out quickly once the turbo kicked in and hit 60 mph in a 8 seconds.
Sure, we missed the VR6’s twin-clutch DSG and its instant gear-changes, but the base automatic never stumbled. Passing power was just fine after the merest of turbo lag, our plain Jane Passat eager to pass slow trucks easily. It just loved to rev and go, and fuel mileage scratched an indicated 29 mpg on regular, which was very nice on the Daytona trip. FYI – tapping the right paddle turns off “Sport” shift.
Under the skin is a strut-type front suspension with lower control arms and an anti-roll bar, with a multilink rear and second anti-roll bar. We found the ride supple and comfortable, a slight bounciness on bumpy pavement that was well controlled at full compression. The Passat did lean a bit in curves, but it took a set and remained very neutral as it cornered with a fairly high understeer limit. In fact, it really was a fun sedan to drive through turns, its German heritage shining through. That made it an agile companion on my Daytona road trip, the electric power assist steering precise if a bit high in boost.
Our 20,000-mile-old test sedan’s 12.3-inch front/10.7-inch rear disc brakes offered precise pedal feel and solid stops with no fade after repeated hard use. Overall, this unassuming gray car was a fairly powerful and well-mannered sedan that offered competent handling and a quiet ride.
• Passat price — Our 2017 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T R-Line started a $23,975 with standards like a six-speed automatic transmission, 16-inch alloy wheels; dual-zone climate control; steering wheel audio and phone controls; automatic headlights, MIB II with 5-inch color display, six-speaker sound system, rearview camera and leatherette seats. The R-Line added new bumpers with chrome accents as well as some interior redesign, but our car had to added options and had a final price of $24,795 with destination. The 2018 Passat R-Line base price is $24,995, adding the new base 2-liter engine.
The midsize sedan market is a very busy one despite America’s love of crossovers, with Passat’s 2017 competitors including the $25,000 Chevrolet Malibu LT, $23,000 Ford Fusion SE; $22,000 Honda Accord LX, Hyundai Sonata SE and Mazda6 Sport, and $24,000 Toyota Camry. All have a 4-cylinder engine at this trim level, ranging from Chevrolet’s 1.5-liter/160-hp, Ford’s 2.5-liter/175-hp and Hyundai and Toyota’s 2.5-liter/178-hp, to Mazda’s 2.5-liter/184-hp and Honda’s 2.4-liter/185-hp. The Accord and Mazda6 are the quickest to 60 mph, both just over 7 seconds, while the rest do it in the 8- to 9-second range.
All range at or just under an average 30-mpg. All handle fine for midsize sedans, the Mazda having that edge in finesse and overall sportiness. The Sonata edges out the rest in interior room, although all handle a family of four with stuff just fine. They are also handsome if basic in design bar the Mazda6, with its aggressive face and curved body, while the Camry, especially in its 2018 redesign, has a very aggressive front design.
• Bottom line — The 2017 Volkswagen Passat is a solid yet subtle performer in the midsize sedan field, a lot more fun than it looks.
2017 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T R-Line
Vehicle type 4-door mid-size front-wheel-drive sports sedan
Base price - $23,975 ($24,795 as tested)
Engine type – Turbocharged cast iron DOHC 16-valve in-line four
Transmission – 6-speed automatic
Horsepower (net) - 170 @ 4,800 rpm
Torque (lb.ft.) – 184 @ 1,500 rpm
Wheelbase – 110.4 inches
Overall length – 191.9 inches
Overall width – 72.2 inches
Height – 58.5 inches
Front headroom – 38.3 inches
Front legroom 42.4 inches
Rear headroom – 37.8 inches
Rear legroom – 39.1 inches
Cargo capacity – 15.9 cu.ft.
Fuel tank: 18.5 gallons
Curb weight - 3,274 pounds
Mileage rating - 23 mpg city/34 mpg highway