Volkswagen Passat long-term test: report 7

The car VW Passat 1.5 TSI eHybrid 204 DSG Life | Run by Max Eldeston, senior photographer

Why it’s here To see if the Passat’s reputation for comfortable and spacious transport endures in its latest generation

Needs to Function as a mobile office, have space for all my photography kit, and be comfortable enough to spend long hours at the wheel

Mileage 10,455 List price £44,850 Target Price £41,000 Price as tested £45,160 Test economy 65.7mpg Official economy 755mpg 

17 June 2025 – Road trippin'

When I was a boy, I loved taking road trips with my parents. I always enjoyed whiling away the hours in the back seat of our family car, watching the scenery change and taking it in turns to suggest the next radio station. So with a couple of days to myself and the summer sun shining, I decided to take my own road trip in my Volkswagen Passat.

My friend Ewan accompanied me on what would be a trip of around 1000 miles, taking me from London up into Scotland, to Aberdeen and back again. I made sure that my car’s fuel tank was brimmed before setting off, and that its battery was fully charged. With 98 miles of electric power showing on the dashboard readout, backed up by 415 miles of petrol power, I was confident that we wouldn’t need to pull in for fuel until we were well North of London. And I was only mildly alarmed when my electric range plummeted by 15 miles after turning on the air conditioning.

We were due to stop off at my parents’ house in rural Cheshire on the drive North, and the Passat’s excellent adaptive cruise control system made the 430-mile trek relatively relaxing.

The next day, we passed into Scotland and eventually came off the motorway and onto the kind of idyllic countryside roads you’d expect to see in a postcard. And while you won’t be surprised to learn that my Passat was no Mazda MX-5 through these sweeping roads, it still felt impressively engaging for a car as big and as heavy as this.

Having camped overnight in the Scottish countryside, Ewan and I were ready to head back to London, and it’s as well we did, because crossing back into England brought with it some typical British weather. Despite the downpour, I was impressed at how well the Passat’s wipers dealt with the deluge. However, activating the wipers took some figuring out, since the stalk they’d usually be found on is actually the drive selector in my car, leaving the wipers, lights and headlights to all be controlled by the other stalk.

As we pulled back into London I asked Ewan what he thought of my car. His views echoed those of my other passengers – he found it exceptionally comfortable. I agree wholeheartedly, and considering how many miles I regularly cover for work, it’s something I’m exceptionally grateful for.

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