2015 “Dieselgate” Passat TDI - 50MPG, great power and room, phenomenal car. Get one while you can!

[@nateback796]

Have the 2015 passat TDI SEL. Bought it for 10k with only 20k miles in 2019. Have 130k on her now. Average 45mpg with Kerma Tune. Made it from CO to TX on one tank. Only one set of tires and regular oil changes. Love the car.

[@ArmyProperty]

2015 was the best (and final) TDI!! Hoping ours will last for another 15-20 years

[@Foreignwrists]

Im jealous

[@ggysbers9810]

Have over 220k miles on my DSG with zero symptoms of fault or issue. Faithfully change my own DSG oil/filter every 38k miles. Installed additional cooling around 100k miles. *tuned the DSG w/ Malone at approximately 48k miles on car.

[@ArmyProperty]

That's great to know!!! We really liked our DSG, just would've been nervous about keeping it that long.

[@chriskeller3705]

I just bought a 2014 Passat TDI with 85k miles. Not sure if it has had DSG service or not, should I have the service done just to be safe?

[@Austin-cg7be]

⁠@@chriskeller3705yes absolutely

[@DarkAttack14]

Did you find you needed extra cooling? From watching my transmission fluid and clutch circuit output temps pretty closely they really never get too crazy even in the middle of summer

[@traviswwilliams7171]

​@@chriskeller3705 it's been 11 months how are you liking the car? any issues

[@mentoraliji5081]

I got Passat tdi 2013 TDI . 30k miles for 11200 dollars . 3 years of owning . knock on wood no problems , just oil change. we did 4000 miles trip in usa. getting 45 miles a gallon average .

[@ArmyProperty]

Glad to hear it! These cars are great.

[@kobefox9163]

I have a 2015 Passat TDI with 350k on it with zero issues. What a phenomenal vehicle.

[@ArmyProperty]

Glad to hear it! We love ours!!

[@chrismurray8019]

Got a 2015 Passat TDI with 263k km. Still going strong. Love the car and engine.

[@ArmyProperty]

2015 was the best year for these engines. We have one too.

[@chrismurray8019]

@@DJcanes77 timing belt needs change about every 115k miles. Check to see if that was done. My pet peeve with these cars is the engine oil filter. It's in a poor spot with other houses crossing in the way. I do oil changes on my other vehicles but the Passat TDI I take to the drive through oil change and bring my own oil because I make sure the specs for the oil are correct.

[@SF-rs3xm]

Have a 2013 Passat TDI (Europe) and 10 years on the technology and road holding is just incredible. Had some problems the first year of ownership but since I’ve been giving it long runs it hasn’t presented any problems

[@ArmyProperty]

Glad to hear it. These are fantastic cars.

[@vasodt]

The Passat TDI is a gem! 👍

[@ArmyProperty]

Yes, it really is! Really too bad VW stopped building them. But their reputation had taken such a hit... the TDI was a “toxic” product and was probably never going to make a comeback after Dieselgate

[@guydent9046]

i just bought a 2015 for $11,000 in like-new condition 90,000 miles. well cared for. no accidents. DSG. yes i see you worry for longevity. it's the car i've wanted and I searched all over the west and couldn't find a better one. The low mileage ones are going like hotcakes now. The DSG has proven to actually last. Gotta keep up on the 40,000 mile service.

[@brocraigemersonstrain3869]

The market is beginning to be flooded with TDI's that have been fixed. I bought a 2014 SEL TDI. This makes my 7th diesel in my lifetime. Rabit - Jetta Turbo-Diesel - Peugeot - Passat - Volvo 740 Turbo Diesel - Jetta TDI and now the Passat SEL TDI. All the previous Diesels got me 200k+. My (new to me) TDI has 122k miles and I hope to be my forever TDI. GET ONE WHILE YOU CAN! ! !

[@TheShakir98]

Best year for Passat is 2015

[@russthomas1887]

I absolutely love my 2015 Passat TDI, great power and silly MPG.

[@traviswwilliams7171]

still loving it??

[@ralfulrich6254]

Great to see someone appreciating the TDI. TBH I think the whole dieselgate thing was a form of economic war agains VW since the US market had nothing to go against them. As you said Tesla was still starting and cheap diesel cars that drive nice and make 50 mpg are big competition. Great to see that you did not forget its qualities which are long road trips without hassle. Don't be afraid of DSG. All it needs to last is the regular oil change.

[@ArmyProperty]

Good to know! (About the DSG.) A lot of people have said the same thing. Great transmission.

[@blackberrydreamsz]

Truth.

[@Larrybrwn]

I used to get 56.9 MPG in my Passat TDI SEL with the DSG. I miss that car a lot.....lol

[@ArmyProperty]

The DSG was a great transmission! We got a manual for our "20-year car" because we figured it would outlast the DSG, but a lot of people seem to suggest that the DSG has no longevity issues. And it's a lot nicer to drive. We almost got the manual for novelty's sake..... and to teach the next generation how we all used to drive, back in the day.

[@HighGear7445]

Have had one since new and no regrets. Also a big thank you to VW for the cash back ect for keeping the car. It was a little over $9,000 ( on a $24,000 car) . A trip to Hawaii and still some cash left over. The fix seems to help drivability (it was good to begin with) but does use a bit more DEF. Still averages 39/40 with 50 easily on trips. Ours has the DSG but we do our own maintenance on it and everything else ...so far so good.

[@ArmyProperty]

We loved our DSG too. Would've kept it but the buyback was an offer we couldn't refuse. Somewhere around $25K for a car we had bought for $11K, two years prior!!! The 6-speed manual is "nice" -- mostly for novelty purposes, because they're so rare these days -- but the DSG is a better transmission for this engine in terms of acceleration, smoothness, overall driveability, etc. The main reason we didn't get another DSG is just the fact that German cars are so damn complicated and over-engineered. The thought of having to pay for a full rebuild at the 150-200K mark was..... daunting.

[@PM-uw4be]

Get the Malone tune DPF delete, mine has 333,000kms on it and DPF system needed to be replaced quoted 6k at dealer said no thank you, so went with the malone tune, and DPF & EGR Delete Downpipe from Rawtek best move we've made so far.

[@ArmyProperty]

Thanks! Good to know.

[@sleeper.simulant7327]

Also get much better mpg when the DEF system is removed…

[@mdayne1142]

Nothing like a manual. I will be buying one of these!

[@ytb695se]

I am seriously considering buying a manual TDI in the near future. These look like great cars to get.

[@ArmyProperty]

They are! You won't be disappointed.

[@winchestersons6258]

Had a 6 speed 2015 jetta tdi for 14 day before someone turned it and totalled it. 4 years later I still miss it

[@matthewgross3487]

Have a 2015 DSG Passat. Rolled over 117k miles last week. Fun to drive and the efficency is amazing. Planning on getting a stage 2 tune on it in the near future to hopefully minimize turbo lag.

[@27Zangle]

Honestly, I have always wanted either a TDI w/manual or a Honda Element with AWD and manual. The Honda Element's are stupid expensive for what you get and hard to find with the manual and decent miles without emptying the bank account. Now for the TDI equipped cars, I see at least 3-5 a week come available on the market place and one of those is usually a manual. I am torn between these options. With the DSG, it would be easy commute and traveling, but I have mostly owned manuals over the years. Sadly, my wife has many medical issues which means she can not drive manuals for long periods of time, so a DSG makes more sense. However, she has the family car and it is an automatic, but with that, she would use the TDI for road a trip to visit family once a year.

[@ArmyProperty]

There's no shame in getting the DSG! It's a fantastic transmission, and to be honest it's the better one for this engine. We have owned a number of manual transmissions over the years, and some engines do great with them... and some don't. Our last Passat (with 2.8L gas V-6) felt fantastic with the manual. This one feels like driving a delivery truck, to be honest!! But in the long run, this will probably be the final non-EV sedan that we buy. Too much complexity and stuff that's going to break. The car only has 100,000 miles and we've already had a few costly issues. Loss of heat to the cabin. Bad timing belt pulley. Etc, etc, etc. The overall simplicity, total cost of ownership, reliability, and range / charging speed of EV's make them more compelling by the day. But we also had to buy "one last manual" to teach the next generation how to drive one, before it's too late!!

[@winchestersons6258]

2014 passat tdi. Ive gone 1100 miles on one tank.

[@bsrcat1]

Nope, i am at 210k...never had a single trans issue. Do your PMS, do not skip an oil change. When there is an issue fix it immediately. The car will run 400k easily with less maintenance costs. I recently put a coolant filter in line to counteract their higher egts which are cooking the coolant and clogging the coolers with crystals that look like sand. I guarantee you I won't have any issues in the future. I can even run a conditioning later on. You got good car, be proactive on your maintenance. Take care of it and I'll take care of you.

[@Mr321olive]

lost me at dsg=100k miles. Had 2 of them and both lasted 200k+ and were still solid when sold.

[@ArmyProperty]

We had a DSG and loved every minute of owning it. In a lot of ways it is the ideal transmission for this engine. Got a 6-speed manual after we turned in the DSG for the buyback..... and as much as we'd like to enjoy it, the manual just isn't fun to drive with this engine. It's like driving a tractor. That being said, we've never heard of a manual trans failing (other than needing a new clutch every 100-200K), and heard tons of horror stories about automatics (and DSG's by extension). Glad yours held up, though!!!

[@Banshee365]

I have a DSG on a 2006 Jetta TDI with 320k and still going strong.

[@laredotech]

360k on my jetta dsg... 134 on my passat dsg

[@695Bluefin]

@@Banshee365 We have the same year Jetta with 306K on the clock. Wife and I drove it go fishing last night! Love the car! We now have a 2015 Passat TDI with the manual 6 speed. Also a great car! Love our TDIs!

[@lazoknezic3855]

i think i might own this exact car. i have the same inteiror with the very rare 6 speed

[@ArmyProperty]

It’s nice to have a manual transmission in a sedan!!! Sorry to see these things going the way of the dodo bird…

[@lazoknezic3855]

@@ArmyPropertywhat is the last 4 of the vin i might have bought your car

[@ytb695se]

Also, which of the TDIs should I opt for (Jetta/Passat/Golf/Sportwagon), and which model year? I am looking to drive it over long distances. And also what model years require Adblue, and how often should I refill it?

[@ArmyProperty]

We had a 2014 for about 18 months, and we've had a 2015 for 3 years now. They both required DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid, otherwise known as AdBlue). We found the Passat to be an easy choice, because of how gigantic it is on the inside. A little on the boring side, in terms of styling and driving experience... (because that's what VW thought American drivers wanted, 10 years ago), but there's no reason not to get one.

[@spidergoose891]

My dash is always saying 45-50 mpg and 47 average. Dividing miles by gallons comes out to 65-80. 65 only in the coldest days of winter. I have the rawtek straight pipe and 0.5 stage Malone tune.

[@vadadofthr3357]

Looking to get another one after leaving my 2014 during dieselgate, buyback was the only thing that made sense at the time. Is there a substantial difference between gen 2 and gen 3 for either mileage or durability?

[@ArmyProperty]

I think the horsepower went up from 140 to 150. Not really noticeable. Apparently the Gen-3 was the easiest to "fix," because required the least amount of mechanical reworking, and it had the best drivability afterward. For our part, we've owned the car (2015 model) for 3 years and had very few issues. Our MPG's have been in the mid/upper 40s, or even low 50s on occasion, the entire time.

[@vadadofthr3357]

@@ArmyProperty My first one was a 2014 and I had it for about 90000 miles before VW purchased it back. my long term average was 37.8 for the 60000 miles I tracked it on fuelly. Do you know if the gen 3 gets substantially better mileage up against the gen 2s?

[@nathanpetrovski7525]

I don't know why people made such a big deal over the emissions data. The cars still worked so that should be all that matters.

[@paveltkachenko3231]

do you know of a anyone selling passage with stick shift desiel 2015 year? please let me know.

[@adamsons2890]

I’m in Ontario. I flew from Toronto to Saugenay Quebec to buy a 2015 Passat TDI 6 speed manual. I had been looking to get this car for about a year. I love it. I’ve had vw diesels since the mid 80’s. Had a 1978 Rabbit. The manual tranny is fantastic for towing. About to install my Curt hitch from eBay. I like your post.

[@ArmyProperty]

Thanks! These are such great cars

[@epbski]

Does anyone have any thoughts/advice for me? I'd love to buy a 2013 to 2015 VW Golf TDI, or a 2014/2015 Audi Q5 TDI. Would also be happy with a 2013 to 2015 Jetta/Golf wagon TDI, though I personally prefer the regular hatch. The 13' and 14' VW TDIs had the previous engine, while the 15's had the newer one, though I'm not sure how different they are. However, the 13's and 14's had an independent rear suspension and no AdBlue system, which could be a benefit over the 15's.

[@ArmyProperty]

Just FYI - we had a 2014 before we got this one, and it most definitely had the DEF system. Everyone says the 2015 is the better engine, so if you can find one you should definitely go with it, but the older ones will also be saddled with a DEF system, so you aren’t getting off easy by going with an earlier model.

[@sayless9937]

do these (CVCA) have problems with the hpfp? is it a c4 pump?

[@ArmyProperty]

Thanks for writing in! It looks like a completely different pump from the CP4. Haven't heard of failures on it. Here's what it looks like: www.idparts.com/high-pressure-fuel-pump-cvcacrua-04l130755e-p-15667.html

[@nicholasfink6170]

I didn't hear about anyone being angry about the emissions.

[@Costa_del_Artlepool]

You'll get even better MPG if you put some air in your tyres. Sorry if I'm the hundredth person to point it out (not sorry rly)

[@chriskeller3705]

Mine keeps burning up alternators. Any advice?

[@ArmyProperty]

Sorry to hear it!!!! Sounds like something is drawing a ton of current and putting way too much load on the alternator. Possible short somewhere? Maybe disconnect the battery and attach a current tester to see if there's any "ignition-off" draw, and if not, start testing individual circuits.

[@graysongoff3861]

I have this car and I’m only getting 16.8 mpg. Does anyone know why I might be having this issue?

[@winchestersons6258]

You getting any codes? Are your filters clean? Are you keeping up with bludef

[@samarch2189]

My Problem with he Passat is that It's too big (Full Size) and the Jetta (Compaq) is too small. They need an "Accord" sized car. But I'd love to have a TDI that gets that type of mileage. My midsize Truck gets 16mpg combined :(

[@ArmyProperty]

Guess it depends where you live. In the Midwest it's no big deal having a "large" car. In the Northeast or a big city, it can at times become a problem. But then again, we've driven that car in cities a lot and never had a problem getting parked, even in tight spaces. What they REALLY should've done was make an AWD version.

[@jakobbecker6435]

Bet a bmw 328d

[@govtfunded]

owned one and sold it. great car when it worked correctly but the electronics are horrid; infotainment, climate control, back up camera faults, RCTA faults, airbag codes, plus it's not overly comfortable for the driver, unless the driver is small. My Mercedes diesel > my VW diesel.

[@ArmyProperty]

Sorry to hear it! We've been lucky with ours so far. We also had a '99 Passat that held on for 20 years with minor issues. German cars are always "luck of the draw" when it comes to reliability. They're so damn over-engineered.....

[@govtfunded]

@@ArmyProperty other than the electrical issues, and the front seats not fitting well (6'2, 240) it was a very nice car that got amazing fuel mileage. It was my 5th and final VW, as the power loss post-recall soured me as the third strike. My E class diesel is great, albeit not a 50mpg highway driver. 35 avg per tank. My favorite VW diesel ever is the B4 Passat (98,99).

[@ArmyProperty]

@@govtfunded rented an E-Class diesel in Amsterdam once. Very nice ride. Got it on the autobahn and it was strong up to about 120mph when it started to run out of juice. (Eventually got it to 140!) Also drove a BMW 320d in Germany a few times, and that was really nice too. Unfortunately the Europeans are ditching all their great ICE cars and switching to EV's at breakneck speed, whether or not it makes sense.

[@AnIdiotAboard_]

If you drive a fucking diesel properly in the first place mate you don't drop your boost on upshifting or downshifting, you STAY on the throttle with nothing more than a TINEY throttle lift it doesn't have to be much, so long as the throttle input stays above the ECUs set rate the waste gate WILL NOT OPEN, it will NOT dump the boost, and you will NOT have to wait for it to re-spool, further, that car your driving along with my Audi A3 and many other diesels, has a VGT turbo, as soon as you touch the clutch pedal the computer injects fuel to keep the turbo spooled, that with the wastegate firmly closed because you never got "out" of the gas. An automated manual is not the same as an Automatic box, one has an actual clutch plate and flywheel, and the other has a torque converter, they working in nothing like the same way, the concepts are fundamentally different for the same output result True auto boxs are geared considerably longer as much as 40% longer,. Automated manuals retain the same gear ratio as the manual box, with a change in final drive only. Now ive said it go drive, when you shift up you need the tineyest of tiny lifts you wont drop any boost at all.

[@kaltrinful]

Try not to drive over 2000rpm greetings from europe

[@Louis-wi8kr]

i have to comment on the volt. i hear the same thing about theory and no gas. well let your gas car sit for 6-9 months and then run it a little. the longevity would be non existant

[@ArmyProperty]

For sure. The Volt was a neat idea at the time, but it had issues that were hard to overlook. For us it was the complete lack of passenger & cargo space.

[@AndrewKessler-b4g]

Michigan sucks lol go bucks

[@ArmyProperty]

😂😂😂