2017 Volkswagen Passat SEL 1.8: Test Drive

[@briang70]

I found the LED headlights to be top notch. I traded in my 2008 Mazda 3 S Sport with the smoke tinted lens covers for the 2017 SE with Technology and almost feel sorry for oncoming cars at night. My 2007 Tacoma 4X4 has halogen lights. Even lifted a good foot above the Passat, the Passat's lights illuminate the road better than the Tacoma.

[@BharatHinduRashtra11]

@@briang70 need a help . I am going to Buy a 2017 passat, It’s driven 110k KM. Zero accidents and everything is looking good, Do you think it’s a good buy and a reliable vehicle?

[@nikhilkalra1530]

Love the way this guy speaks looks he's so relaxed n calm while speaking!

[@aguy1988]

I just bought one yesterday, with the same color and trim level. I feel really happy with no regrets. Camry, Malibu, Fusion, Mazda6, Altima, and the rest don't come even close, especially when he Passat comes even cheaper than most of those vehicles. I love it.

[@kyguy105]

Decent Person I just bought a 2017 SE over the weekend. This is my first VW. This car really impressed me. I love driving it!

[@chriskrl2681]

I have 2015 TDI fontanna reed look very good i like

[@ronaldboykin9755]

I have the SE version with tech! It was certified pre owned with 26k miles. I love it but I couldn’t find a used SEL Premium in my area!

[@markrakov6009]

I owned this car since 2016 and it is a blast to drive. very fuel efficient too

[@chingching664]

Wonderful car with gorgeous styling. I prefer the R-Line version since it is more sporty. Awesome firm feel to it.

[@MJF40]

Got the V6 version and love it.

[@seankadar9550]

I purchased one on Friday. SE w/tech. I was comparing with the new Honda Accord for 2018. The 2018 Accord sport 1.5t. I hate CVT,s. I enjoy sporty driving characteristics and well the Honda just didn't have it. Yes I could have had the Honda with a manual which would have been fantastic, however I live in Ohio and there is snow. A lot of it. I was shocked when I read that the Honda Sport 1.5t didn't come standard or even offered with heated exterior mirrors. That little option is a deal breaker for me. If you live in cold weather climates then you will totally understand. To address the power concerns as Sam pointed out, that's simple. APR has a stage I flash that really peps everything up. As a family man and needing a family car that is some what sporty and safe I feel I made a great choice. Thanks for the review. It definitely helped when shopping. Keep up the good work.

[@DLKL2121]

Enjoyed the review but wanted to mention a few things: You state that is has no memory seats but it actually does - you can also associate it with the key fobs so it auto adjusts depending on which key you use. I'm also able to fit my iPhone 7 Plus inside the front cubby plugged in for CarPlay and close the lid - granted you have to do it at an angle plug side in first. there's a large cubby to the left of the steering wheel and the door pocket fit water bottles - I'm surprised you only gave it 3 out of 5 stars for interior storage. Other than that I agree with most points - I have a 2016 version and love it.

[@thethorax1]

Yup the SELs have a pretty nice setup. Seats, mirrors and door unlock are all settable to your key fob.

[@jimwilkins7209]

Just discovered this presenter (TestDrivenTV). Very nice, calm, professional presentation. I will be looking for more reports from this presenter. If I could be permitted one piece of advice: Near the end of your video, you have a graph which lists the fuel being "regular unleaded." There hasn't been leaded gasoline in this country in decades. It is sufficient to merely say "regular gasoline". It reminds me of someone saying "round tires." Hey--They're ALL round.

[@briang70]

Regular describes the grade of gasoline. Premium, Plus and Regular are the typical grades.

[@hersheykiss4445]

Great review. I bought this model and love it. It is my 3rd Passat:). Drove a Honda Accord (boring) and Nissan Altima SR model. The Altima was nice and very comfortable driving position, but a little too bumpy for me. Preferred the Altima over the Accord, but my heart belongs to VW.

[@Kmodidroid]

Beautiful color

[@williamkreppner4564]

The TDI with the 6 speed dual clutch transmission was perfect in this car. It had plenty of get up and go plus great milage. The Passat is built as a great highway cruiser and I think it has a lot more to offer overall compared to the competition with back seat room, trunk space, very quiet riding and decent handling. I was sad to give up my 2015 Passat TDI. This engine is too small for this car.

[@TylerCohn1996]

I like the new grading criteria

[@elliottmanning4116]

This is the forgotten vehicle in the segment. Hardly see any in the Detroit area. Still has a handsome design, but it's showing a little age.

[@TestDrivenTV]

In Detroit you get a skewed mix of cars because of the cultural bias toward American brands. Outside of that bubble you see mostly import brands. Here in Phoenix, Passat's are everywhere.

[@JMotorCity]

I see these often on the east side. But it's true, this is the motor city and we love our American cars.

[@elliottmanning4116]

MotorCity J where on the east side do you see Passats?

[@elliottmanning4116]

TestDrivenTV True. I use to always wonder how the Camry was so popular, then I went to Georgia on vacation and understood. You should be here during the Woodward Dream Cruise. It's like 'Murica 2.0. It's just nothing but American Trucks, muscle cars, Corvettes, and the occasional German exotic.

[@67tomcat]

Live in the Detroit area and I see quite a few Passat models around. Not as many as Fusions/Malibu's, or Accords/Camry's, but still a decent number.

[@JMotorCity]

It is handsome. Like what I see.

[@jasonsmith1143]

always wanted a Passat but reliability stop me

[@jacques2007smith]

Jason Gee Same! I LOVE the Touareg (however its spelled) but the reliability of VW is the struggle. If only Honda or Toyota built it 😞

[@djayt1215]

these are much better than yesteryear, currently vw is rated at about average for reliability. As long as you follow the maintenance schedule there should be no big issues.

[@cawimmer430]

In my experience German cars require strict maintenance schedules. Stick to these schedules and don't try to save a buck by using cheaper oils or going to cheap mechanics and the car should be fine. Regarding the mechanical maintenance, have the Volkswagen dealer work on it or a QUALIFIED mechanic who knows what they are doing. Lately I've been watching some videos on KZbin which have made it clear to me that a lot of car horror stories are due to poor/lazy owner maintenance and/or going to a cheap mechanic who doesn't know how to work on the car and essentially scams you by not maintaining/fixing the car properly. All of the German cars in my family (and my BMW) are properly maintained and they keep going and going without any problems.

[@ryanmiller8459]

Reliability? Travel to Europe. You will see 20 year old VW on the road

[@synysterdemon]

I had this car but in the base trim for 2 days as rental when my car was getting repainted. I really enjoyed the powertrain. It's way faster than my Honda Civic, but I enjoy my car more because it has a manual transmission. Other than that, the infotainment system (for what I could do with it) seemed good. I would've liked to have more time to explorer Android Auto.

[@cc-iq2bs]

vw passat tdi,s are super reliable confirmed i should know i,ve had 3

[@Kwaminho]

Thanks for reviewing the Passat. Hope you will review the 3.6 VR6 version next time around though. 😄

[@ReesesHistoryPieces]

Another good one Sam. Always enjoy your VW reviews. When will you review the R or GTI? Would like to hear your comparison to the WRX you reviewed. Great review.

[@TestDrivenTV]

Last WRX we did was an STi. We might have a GTI coming soon but a Golf R is really where that's at. None the less a GTI would be a good reason for the mountain road ;)

[@omariharrison2553]

I like this guy..

[@dantheman9395]

27 mpg is pretty good. What kind of range will it get? That to me is the real story

[@mountainhobo]

"Sense of value" was distinctly stretched not to embarrass VW overall. Throughout the whole review the message that came through was "underwhelming".

[@TestDrivenTV]

If it had a TDI he would have been licking the wheels. And yes....we would have shot that.

[@mountainhobo]

I understand the TDI devotees, but TDI in a VW is not coming. Not for a long time after that little stunt VW pulled. With the 1.8 TSi it's just not the same, and the cheap materials and unrefined suspension don't help the "sense of value".

[@djayt1215]

I actually prefer the hard plastic and vinly that vw use, its durable and textured. easy to clean, and wont degrade like the leather, plastics, and soft touch material that a lot of others makers use.

[@djayt1215]

la cuccaracha Mazda for sure. Something about the materials and designs of Nissan and Honda's is very off putting.

[@Usernotknown21]

yeah maxima, but not a fair comparison. Altima is compared to passat and passat less expensive and better.

[@ckloh5938]

Test Driven please do the review on the Volkswagen Passat 2017 2.0 TSI HighLine

[@fastfridaysfacts3694]

Can you get up to 500,000 miles on the engine like the toyotas?

[@aguy1988]

Good job! Keep it up!

[@waynemagin2554]

Nice Job.. Thanks

[@jwillwork3683]

it does have memory setting for seats, my wife's keys make me unable to fit in the car, mine make her unable to see over the wheel. Source: I drive mine everyday.

[@NigelNaughton]

Cars without a spare tire should be banned! What good is an inflator kit when you rip your sidewall or have a flat?! I rented a car unknowingly without a spare and had a flat way in the middle of know where...really stupid move.

[@gregarioussolitudinist5695]

those Germans.....still sticking it to us when they can.

[@patrickarellano4823]

I bought one of these a few months ago. I just got my first service and the told me I needed an alignment for my wheels. They were charging me $590 to align the wheels because apparently, they also have to re-calibrate the blind spot monitoring system and the auto brake. Is that accurate or can I just get the wheels aligned without touching the sensors. It seems absurd since this is just a step above the base model. It is also only a wheel alignment that will be done multiple times throughout the lifetime of the car. Its an affordable car not like an Audi. I can't seem to find any answers in the forums so i'm hoping i would find it here. Thanks.

[@TestDrivenTV]

Why it is called a "stealership"

[@Moisi547]

How is the interior noise?

[@palebeachbum]

I really like the Passat and have for a long time, but I can't imagine the 1.8L turbo 4 is enough power for such a big car. It's way behind class compared to...everyone else? Subpar power and MPG. Very competitive price, but with predicted reliability low, parts costs high, and a short warranty, it may be a costly purchase in the long run.

[@DLKL2121]

I had the same concerns but it actually works plus it gets much better mileage than the competitors.

[@hersheykiss4445]

The power of this is quite surprising. I had a 2013 Passat with a 2.5L and this one is much faster.

[@thethorax1]

I own a 2014 2.5 passat and a 2016 1.8T Passat. Low end torque on the 1.8T more than makes up for the displacement loss from the 2.5.

[@CLMDADE]

No manual available, so why not eliminate the pull up e-brake...Install an old school foot pedal or a new e brake. This car is showing its age

[@gifted6305]

How come on the German ones they put dual chrome exhaust and on Americans they don't,why is that ?

[@DLKL2121]

Depends on the engine - the V6 has dual exhausts.

[@cassiocm]

Sam, I love your reviews but, I have a constructive criticism. You went out of your way not to call the front ugly. You complimented the back to compensate. You need to be more direct and sincere and let us know how you really feel about a car. We rely on you to help choosing a car and to narrow down choices. So, a more direct and tougher criticism would go a long way to help us. Thanks

[@TestDrivenTV]

He didn't think the front looked ugly ;).

[@gregarioussolitudinist5695]

The USA fuel standards are ridiculous. Everybody wants enough room for 10 passengers and 100 mpg. It AIN'T happening. Expect a car to get about 20 MPG, the guy with the big ears is gone!!

[@TestDrivenTV]

Your comment made it to The Mow Down: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpC5cn-fhK2Yfa8

[@ckloh5938]

Hand brake on a Passat? Not say that use the Electronic Parking Brake then this

[@mfmf100]

Nice looking car exterior, interior not the best- not a fan of the wood trim, especially at 31+. Fusion probably a more European feeling midsize.

[@cc-iq2bs]

ok enough already, im not bothered about little cubby hole type spaces, or memory settings for my seat, be real how often do you actually use that crap really .... the car is fine the space is fine, it drives great, its super reliable, its you generaion your too picky and squeaky clean, your like rose petals and crem LOL, Heated seats not bothered about it at all again hardly gets used or silly heated steering wheels these are all things you really do not need , what you need is a good reliable car and engine and ride the passat does all that with ease, effortlessly and the boot is huge these cars are the perfect all rounder with a littel bit of class and great on fuel especially the 2.0 TDI and above engines there bomb proof, maitain them and your good for big numbers in the miles it can clock up.

[@GS-kj6ur]

I just got a 2016 for 8800!!

[@KenechukwuAzikiwe24]

Hey how’s that 2016 holding up? Thinking about buying one tomorrow

[@GS-kj6ur]

@@KenechukwuAzikiwe24 she stays in the garage I don't really use her. I've only put like 6000 miles on it since I had it. I had to get the rear o2 sensor replaced cost me 550 nothing besides that knock on wood

[@GS-kj6ur]

@@KenechukwuAzikiwe24 mind you I have 18,444 on it and it's a 5 year old car

[@ATHORNFAM2]

I can't purchase another VW until they over diesel again...

[@TestDrivenTV]

The only reason he was not excited enough about it to put it on the "Id Buy It" list was the lack of the TDI option.

[@Bronco2Cj]

Yes, I can agree with that.. I owned a 2015 TDI SEL Premium and lemon lawed it for a 2016 SEL Premium gas flavored and it seems the TDI has more power, smoother shifting with the DSG vs the 1.8 with the Torque twister... I'm sorry, but a 1.8 is too small of an engine for a car this big.. it feels very weak..

[@ckloh5938]

Bronco2Cj 1.8 I know is too small for a large car but you can buy the r line or the high line for 2.0 4 motion or 2.6 4 motion still is better than the 1.8 or buy a jetta with twin turbo and One thing about why i love the german cars and japanaese cars why There safety is AT a high level on the IIHS, Euro Ncap , NHSTA and latin Ncap I rate the passat Storage:3 marks Sport:4 marks comfort:5 Audio:5 marks Vision:5 Driver Assistance systems:5+ marks Brake:4 marks Safety:5 marks and first WHO likes german cars and japanase cars

[@Bronco2Cj]

Matthew Wolf those engines you mention aren't available in the US

[@samsonokoro5036]

Not at all as good as the accord and camry I have to say. This is a great seller only in Europe really.

[@almondao]

The European versions are much nicer too. Totally different chassis and engine options. This one is made in the USA in Chattanooga Tennessee. They softened it up for the US market. The European market version is much better sorted and nicer all around.

[@Usernotknown21]

passat way better. passat definitely faster than camry and accord in real world test.

[@samsonokoro5036]

mynellemail Nell r u sure it's faster than the new camry with a new engine? There's a 2018 camry and the interior blows this passat out of the water

[@Usernotknown21]

Samson Okoro i was looking at passat camry altima chevy impala. Passat fastest and best ride to me in real life testing. Really goid for big city high traffuc driving.

[@Usernotknown21]

Samson Okoro 2017 Maxima has best interior imo. high end luxury quality.

[@mahinahmed2316]

The only thing i hate about cars..,, firm suspention

[@rbielarski]

Reliability?.....