Volkswagen Passat Estate 1.8 TSI 160 S 5dr Review

For This is one of the cheapest Passat estates you can buy, but it comes with a powerful engine and a decent standard of kit.

Against CO2 emissions are on the high side and SE cars have a few desirable equipment upgrades.

What Car? says

4 out of 5 stars

It might be one of the cheapest models, but this Passat estate has plenty of kit and lots of power. We reckon it’s worth upgrading to SE trim, though.

What Car? readers say

3

Key facts

0–60mph: 8.7 secs
Top speed: 137 mph
Average mpg: 40.9
Tank range: 630 miles

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Features

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Size

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View the whole Volkswagen Passat Estate range

The full Volkswagen Passat review

Performance
4 out of 5 stars
An impressively strong range of engines
Ride & Handling
3 out of 5 stars
Relaxing, if not fun, to drive
Refinement
4 out of 5 stars
A mostly quiet place to be
Buying & Owning
4 out of 5 stars
Reasonable prices; solid residuals
Quality & Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Solid, if not particularly special
Safety & Security
5 out of 5 stars
Lots of safety kit and a high-security key
Behind The Wheel
4 out of 5 stars
Easy to get comfy, but some irritations
Space & Practicality
4 out of 5 stars
Lots of cabin and boot space
Equipment
4 out of 5 stars
A decent amount of kit across the range

Buyer's notes

Target Price team says:

The Passat saloon clearly lacks the hatchback versatility of some rivals, but this estate version is as practical as its best rivals, and has a classy image and roomy cabin on top.

As well as cutting a suitable dash in the corporate car park, the Passat is good to drive, if not quite as accomplished as a Ford Mondeo. There are some fine engines to choose from, most of which are very competitive for CO2 emissions and fuel economy.

For the most part, the Passat lives up to its upmarket image. It’s solidly built and looks the part, but some of the interior plastics aren’t as plush as you might expect.

Entry-level S trim provides all the basics, and SE and Sport versions come with plenty of kit. A number of high-tech options are available, including systems that steer the car into a suitable parking space for you and one that can stop the car at low speed if you get too close to the vehicle in front.

Reader test team says:

Volkswagen Passat Estate 1.4 TSI 122 S Bluemotion Tech 5dr

I hired this car for a round-trip of 450 miles using a mixture of motorways, A-roads, and town driving. The car was comfortable, spacious, well-built,…

Andy Roberts

3 out of 5 stars

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