The 2020 Passat is POOR EFFORT by Volkswagen... | 2020 VW Passat Review

[@mtunofun1]

I think they were afraid to step on the Arteon’s shoes so they intentionally handicapped it. I’m sure the dealers will have some incentives so there may be some value on this compared to Camry/Accord.

[@ciresolstice]

Sounds about right.

[@OPMDK]

Savagegeese discussed the business argument for why the Passat remains like this (read old and uncompetitive) and it brings perspective to the argument. Great video, always fresh to see both the good and the less than good discussed something sorely missed in all industries these days. Thanks! Oh, and exterior has a old Accord vibe?

[@brianreardon7700]

It’s dose have an old accord look lol for sure

[@ralphbernard3908]

I have always had good experiences with Volkswagen and have owned 4 of them. About two months ago I bought a 2020 Passat SE. I wanted comfort, lots of room and a toque converted 6 speed automatic transmission. I don't like the irritating engine stop/start feature. This Passat doesn't have it. The color is Platinum Gray Metallic. I chose that color because it reminds me of my Dad's last car and really highlights the exterior contours. Highway mileage is better than advertised. I got just over 38mpg the other day. It will be a good highway cruiser. I'm not a big "whistles and bells" guy but I do appreciate the safety systems which actually save me insurance costs. I bought it and got $6000 off msrp! I like the wheels and the temp guage (which my 2014 Jetta did not have).

[@alvinsimba734]

Are you financing or leasing?

[@AubreyBeauford]

Lmbo...Forrest when you floored it the needle barely moved 🤣

[@forrestsautoreviewsofficial]

😂 It was trying!

[@tlf361]

The amount of effort you put into these reviews is mind-blowing, especially for the number of views you get. I don't understand why you don't have more views...

[@davebest5624]

I had a new Passat in 2002, it’s hardly changed.

[@will_in_texas]

I have the 2021 Passat and I love it. It’s a comfortable car for long stretches of highway. Gas mileage is stellar

[@Powerjackrepair]

At $17,000 brand new (for basic trim) here in Chicagoland, it is financially a good deal compare to 22K+ (accord or camry), yes there are sonatas and k5 at around $17,600 with better warranty (that i would probably buy) BUT for taller people passat is unfortunately one of a few choices on the market at 17K. Big gas tank is a big plus because fueling up all the time isn't something i like on my toyota/lexus products (especially in 2020 when you have to put gloves and masks on at all times). If you compare the sheet metal you will see on that passat there is a 3 layer metal compare to camry / accord/ k5/sonata that all have 1 layer metal, 3 layer does not rust as bad, maybe holds better in a crash, and because of that 3 layer sheet metal all germans have lower mpg compare to coca cola cans of japan. I have to agree 2.0T hardly gets it moving. Has anyone gotten this passat at maybe 15k? brand new?

[@MilesPerHr]

All good points, Forrest. VW needs to do better with this car to be competitive. Thanks for the in-depth look!

[@AS-zk6hz]

Hit the brakes hard and it barked straight as an arrow. It’s a cruiser car well worth the money. It’s a great retro car with up dated safety features just great love it

[@Hauntvictim]

Love the car, thanks for the in-depth and great drive.

[@Atl404sFinest]

Used to own a 2009 Passat and let me tell you, this Passat is a shell of its former self. Volkswagen should just discontinue it at this point.

[@anthonyfarnan5935]

The all new Passat is a nice whip. This one is dated but ok if you just want to bland out. Cheap too probably.

[@Stevenet1]

I looove the color , but just say, “Meh!” I liked the CC’s design much better.

[@AS-zk6hz]

It’s beautiful it has a 6 speed trans. Better than a 10 speed it shifts good. A 10 speed sounds like it’s dAncing a samba. No stop start silliness on this car it’s not there. It’s a retro car in some ways. The sheet metal was all up dated on the 2020. Lots of safety features warning you if danger. Nice 2.0 turbo. Power is there when you need it. It’s a Volkswagen. Nobody builds a car like them. It’s a drivers car. What car has real wood. Get a 1950 jaguar if you want wood. All leather interior. Huge space inside. For all great leg room great trunk.space. Comfortable ride. Drive a Camry it drives like a bathtub. No personality. I have had 6 vw cars. They are fun fun fun. The wood is fine he is goofy.

[@ksorsomeplace]

The 2017 I had would do around 39 mpg on I-80 across Ohio. It had the 1.8 which seems to be a more inspiring engine and seems to better in the mpg department.

[@AubreyBeauford]

I do realize that car manufacturers have to build cars for all but it's a pass for me yet a great car for my mom

[@ivanlowjones]

Don't you mean it's a "pass-at" for you?

[@johnhenrymcmahon6878]

Hey Forrest! Great review, man. The color combo is awesome and I too love the classic and elegant German styling. The powertrain is really disappointing, tho. A sense of boredom about it, as opposed to the new Hyundai Sonata, you know? VW fans deserve a full product and not something halfway done. Ah well. :) JV Johnny

[@AS-zk6hz]

It’s plenty quick and plenty safe warning you if danger all the time it’s zero to 60 in 7 seconds.

[@52autoandmtanyct87]

Correction: That steering wheel came out with the Golf in 2015 and 2016 with the Jetta and Passat. It looks similar to 2005 but got more controls and sleeker over the years

[@sak1339]

I share your disappointment with VW. Aside from the GTI, they have "cheaped out" their cars and the tech is really way behind almost everyone else. The Passat is especially dated.

[@Jason23oc]

Bought the 2020 Passat SEL back in may. I agree most of what you said. The only thing I can’t stand is the seats. The front seats cup you too much very comfortable. Should have keeper my 2018 Tiguan still under powered though.

[@GUITARTIME2024]

What do you mean by cupped?

[@Jason23oc]

@@GUITARTIME2024 sorry, that was poorly written. The front seats are very tight around your side.

[@ksorsomeplace]

The interior wood trim adds more interest than the base dull silver version, in my view. What should they use? They won't use the real McCoy. You mention it doesn't have automatic wipers, but the standard equipment list includes the rain-sensing wipers. On my 2017, they come on automatically when in the rain-sensing mode. The big thing...is some additional power. That would make the most difference to me for everyday driving.

[@jbm0866]

The steering wheel/shifter dates back to about 2015..not 2008, but the basic platform of this car is older...maybe 2011-12? As for the rest, i pretty much agree...wheels and paint color look great, (give both to me on something else) overall styling is good if a bit boring. Yes, i also agree..if VW truly wants this to compete with the Accord, Mazda 6, Camry, Sonata etc...they really need to give us the same Passat offered in Europe, even if it's a bit decontented to stay price competitive. Seems the only way to get the Euro Passat is to pay quite a bit more for the Arteon...but as I understand it, even the Arteon isnt the latest Passat under the skin? Not sure about that, but anyway..agree on the lazy effort by VW when it seems the Koreans are rising quickly and Japanese makes are striving to regain their mojo from the 90's-early 2k's.

[@InfoumusMOBB]

Coming to a rental fleet near you....😒

[@spook5756]

Tell me any midsize sedans that aren't.

[@jonesbunny]

😭😭😭

[@stevee8318]

There is a reason the Passat is significantly cheaper than the Japanese competition. Decent option if you want a nice interior without paying for the upgraded engine you get in the upper trims of the Camry, Accord, and mazda 6.

[@vividvulpe9842]

I'm a prospective buyer, and I'm sorta split between this, a 2021 Passat SE, or a 2021 Jetta R-Line 6 speed. I test drove them both back to back, and without question the Passat felt a lot more confident on the road. Rowing the jetta's gears was okay, nothing like a miata's gearbox. I thought the ride quality in the jetta was poor. As of right now, I'm going with a Passat SE 2.0T out of the volkswagen sedans.

[@incognito6469]

Thank you for calling out VW. You were way too nice, though. I am German and frequently travel to Europe. What I can tell you is that VW takes Americans for idiots. Everything they sell in Europe is technologically a magnitude advanced over their US products. VW is the new Buick! They are intentionally insulting the American consumer. They dumbed the Passat down to an old people's grocery getter. I wish nobody would buy a single VW product until they sell the same products over here that they sell in Europe. By the way, it's also time to mention the disappearing arm rests in all of the VW vehicles. I am German and I am going to buy a Camry, not a Passat.

[@brianreardon7700]

So true the only cars vw sells here in the u.s that are great are car most main stream buyers don’t get. Lol the imported golf r from Wolfsburg and gti also will come from Wolfsburg for the new mk8 .. and this is only lol.. because vw has soo much pride in these cars.. the would never mess with it.

[@jeffreyfurtado3681]

Car companies are using tricks lately with gas tanks. The Camry went from a 18.5 gallon tank to 17 gallon in the last generation. Now with the new 2018 generation they are using a 16 gallon tank. This has to do with the EPA wanting a certain amount of MPG.

[@aidenshearin1637]

It’s a real shame because the actual Passat (the one offered in Europe) is miles ahead of this

[@crownr0yalonice]

Have you been working out?!

[@dancar02]

I still like it. It is simple and does not have all the flashy chrome like the other sedan brands. It is very conservative.

[@heytherekay777]

It's not my cup of tea I much rather the Jetta over this

[@marconiki6302]

Looks great..feels amazing inside...

[@chrishoman6768]

Forget driving enjoyment, if all I care about is road noise, ride quality and seat comfort, will you pick this or the Accord EX-L? Thanks in advance!

[@haze1123]

Another good review! This looks super dull to me. Plus, not very reliable with a warranty that's just OK. I don't know why anyone would choose this car over the many better competitors. Among mid-sized sedans, this would be at the very bottom of my list. Although, I like VW interiors. That's about it.

[@alvinsimba734]

Some people like comfort along with loyal vw customers

[@alwaysiyi272]

It's a good car but there are way better options that are either more fun to drive or even looks t like the new Corolla or civic

[@cctheone9451]

All of those sharp lines deserve better interior and engine.

[@kyron2092]

The exterior isn't the issue. Everything else is.

[@BERNIEO4]

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE I-PACE RANGE TEST ??

[@perezsykes3803]

There should be a picture of the Passat in the dictionary next to the word “Car”. It’s just that a car. No more, no less. I’ll give them points for the exterior color, remote start, the brown leather, huge rear seat and great handling. However that’s where the pleasantries stop. In its defense this will make a great grocery getter for grandma, a nice SECOND vehicle (used) just for the office Mon.-Fri. or to pick up the kids from school and above all else will do great for rental car companies. But would I invest in this brand new as my sole daily driver.... eeehhh.

[@aaronpolo]

I would get the Jetta instead, Ventilated seats, digital cockpit, way better MPG, and similar performance. I totally agree, this Passat is "Poor", It's acceptable, it's not bad, but overall the care VW put into it is poor. It also rides on the older VW platform, and not the MQB. Overall poor score.

[@Juergen_Mueller]

I would recommend to avoid those lots of shadow when showing interior details. It's very annoying to see things in deep shadow again and again.

[@forrestsautoreviewsofficial]

I wish I could. Filming outside has massive disadvantages with this being the main one. Bright sunlight can make it extremely hard to avoid shadows. Even when positioning the car, I can never fully avoid it....😞

[@Juergen_Mueller]

@@forrestsautoreviewsofficial Maybe, but I never noticed disturbing shadows even close to that extent in any other of hundreds of car videos. What about putting the car into the shadow of a building to take pictures? Or asking other authors how they succeed in producing pictures that are comfortable to watch?

[@AS-zk6hz]

It’s got limousine like room.

[@RuckerEra]

I have a 2022 Passat. Tbh I wish I had just got an A4 lol

[@IsolestiK]

if you want a vw, go for a golf.

[@brianlucas1841]

The thing with this Passat is why didn’t VW just bring over the euro Passat as is? I know that they wanted to save money and not put too much effort into it, so from my view wouldn’t it be cheapest to just bring over the euro Passat as is and not have to spend any additional money. I mean they did do some stuff to this Passat so wouldn’t they be spending money they could have saved? I haven’t been able to find anything on why they didn’t bring that Passat over so if you know I would like to know too.

[@spook5756]

America is obsessed with crossovers and SUVs. Don't blame VW for not bringing over the better sedan.

[@nsbioy]

The European passat is more expensive, no? Americans will not pay any more for a Passat. Arteon sales in the US are around zero

[@brianlucas1841]

@@spook5756 I'm just more wondering why they didn't bring it over since it was already redesigned instead of spending more money to touch up the US spec Passat. maybe it was cheaper for them to do what they did but I am just trying to understand their thought process. but I guess if they aren't bringing over the small suvs the t-roc or t-cross they won't bring over a sedan.

[@perezsykes3803]

If you would have told me 5 to 10 years ago that Kia/Hyundai would be the new “non luxury” standard bearers and not VW I would have thought you were crazy, yet here we are. Ask yourself, would you seriously buy this over a 2020 Sonata or the upcoming Optima? This 2020 Passat is what the 2017 should have been and today we should be looking at a completely new vehicle from the ground up. Instead we’re looking at a vehicle that has virtually been the same since 2010. The sea of scratchy plastic, lack of modern features, and just the overall blandness is a huge turn off. The final nail in the coffin for me with VW was the Atlas Sport. Take a look at the 2019 Touareg that Europe got and you will see why the Atlas Sport is such a colossal let down. Priced at $50k with a $25k interior, no thanks. Would rather go with an aging Jeep GC or the refreshed Nissan Murano. Is VW giving up on its US market?

[@ciresolstice]

Pretty boring and uninspiring to me looks-wise. Definitely like the Arteon WAAYYYYY better(worth the price difference). Personally would go Accord or Camry for this segment.

[@ErosMorelli]

Bruh is that Madara Uchiha?

[@jwpiranesi]

Weakness disgust me

[@clothestravel]

I wish VW would bring back the Passat wagon, keep the Alltrack, and Golf Sportwagen, and dispense with the ugly and annoying Atlas. Or at least bring back the Touerag, as it’s much better looking than the Atlas.

[@otherthanthat9449]

The Jokeswagon pass it

[@tjsean0308]

This feels like a bit of shade for dieselgate. I bet this car with a TDI and DSG would be a better drive. I'm off to google to check out the EU market version.

[@forrestsautoreviewsofficial]

No shade at all! If anything it’s upsetting because I know how great VW can be! If this had a DSG, livelier engine, and maybe a slightly updated screen, I would be more forgiving. It’s a good car, just not good enough. 😕

[@tjsean0308]

@@forrestsautoreviewsofficial Sorry, I was implying VW was throwing the shade for the EPA and Virgina Tech blowing the whistle. I thought your review was spot on, they didn't even bother to give us the better interior. That EU interior and instrument cluster is way nicer.

[@forrestsautoreviewsofficial]

tjsean0308 Haha sorry! 😅 It’s always hard to interpret through the internet. I know! They even get a wagon! 😭

[@abingeorge9228]

VW seriously needs to stop fooling around and bring reasonable products like the ID.3, T-Roc, T-Cross, Taigun to North America instead of leaving it for only Europe and all other places... It's foolish of them to continue with this boring sedan in a market that wants Crossovers and SUVs ...it's not like they don't have any other crossovers; they have plenty of other models, but none are available in North America...SMH 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@jbm0866]

It is odd VW withholds existing crossovers (built on the same MQB platform as most of their vehicles sold here) to a large market that seems to want nothing but crossovers...of all sizes. Literally every other manufacturer has all the size segments covered for crossovers...even a small company like Mazda (compared to VW) offers the CX3, CX30, CX5 and CX9. VW offers the somewhat beween mid-size and full size Atlas and the slightly larger than compact Tiguan..and thats it. The crazy thing is they have all the other sizes covered in other markets. I think the T-roc would do well here if marketed correctly.

[@armedpreacher]

I live in Dallas. If you’d like to review my 2019 Dodge Charger Scat Pack let me know!

[@thiagolima5232]

vw s2

[@eyalbarmitzvah]

you mentioned leather 23 times in this review, it's better to be honest and say vinyl because this is not real leather

[@chance2646]

It was offered in real leather in 2020 (SEL trim), which is what is being reviewed in the video. You can tell it is the SEL leather seats by the way the pattern is on the seat and seat back.