Review: 2016 VW Passat 1.8T S has style without the extras
It's an excellent option for sedan shoppers.
Boston.com Cars is your go-to resource for coverage of local car news, events, and reviews. In the market for a car or truck? Check out our new car specials and used car specials curated by our local dealer network.One of the realities of testing new cars for review is that the vehicles generally come loaded with almost all of the manufacturers’ available options.When you think about it, that makes sense. The automakers want us to write about the bells and whistles, hoping customers will opt for top-of-the-line models. Those vehicles usually have the bigger (optional) engine, larger wheels, fancier interiors, plus the latest technology packages.But many buyers are looking for the other end of the line when they go car shopping. They want a vehicle with a new-car warranty, a smaller engine for better fuel economy, an affordable payment, and fewer gadgets that can distract them. So welcome to today’s car, the 2016 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T S. The S is at the bottom of the Passat food chain, below the sporty R-Line and more upscale SE, SEL, and SEL Premium versions.And so is the price. The MSRP is $22,440 plus $820 destination. Options? There were none on this vehicle. This well could be the car in the newspaper ads. You know the “order in your choice of color” or “two available at this price” vehicles.We figure an adept negotiator could buy this car for less than $19,000.That’s about half of the $37,655 (including destination) list price for the Passat SEL Premium.We don’t risk running out of space listing the standard features on our base Passat: 16-inch alloy wheels (tires are less expensive to replace), dual-zone climate control, multifunction steering wheel, automatic shut-off headlights, 5-inch multifunction driver display, Bluetooth and USB port, rearview camera, cloth seats, lumbar function in the manually controlled driver’s seat, and VW’s “post-collision” braking system.There was nothing in the option column; however, a $1,245 lighting package is available. It contains LED headlights, LED driving lights, LED taillights, and front fog lights.What options did we have to do without? Heated seats, for one thing. A larger infotainment screen. Maybe power seats and satellite radio.What didn’t we miss (on a cold November day)? A sunroof, leather trim, fancy diffusers, sun shades, a leather-wrapped wheel, chrome exhaust tips, larger (up to 19-inch) wheels, hands-free trunk lid, auto-dimming rearview mirror (we can still flip the lever), rear seat pass-through, remote start, color driver display, front-door entry lights, a V-6, hill hold control, and paddle shifters.What would we have liked is the LED lighting package and the real driver assistance suite—adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning (with autonomous emergency braking), blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning with active steering assist, and the park distance control (don’t want to scratch the bumpers).
ON THE INSIDE: The Passat interior is hardly luxurious, but it’s comfortable, and has a pleasant layout and intuitive controls.
All Passats except the SEL Premium trim level, which gets a V-6, come with the 1.8-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. It makes 170 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is way more than adequate in the power department and should give you about 30 miles per gallon. It’s rated at 25 city and 38 highway.
Power goes to the front wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission that seemed smoothly mated to the engine.
One of the nicest Passats I ever had the pleasure of driving was the TDI (diesel) with a manual transmission. Alas, that combination likely won’t be seen again on these shores as VW plans to stick with traditional gas engines with an eye to moving heavily into electric vehicles in coming years.
The Passat gets a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) when equipped with the full driver assistance package. Our version had to settle for a Top Safety Pick (without the +). It got the same good results in all crash tests, but didn’t have the advanced safety systems.
At a time when sedan sales overall are down, Passat competes in this segment against a number of good choices, including the top-selling Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.
Styling-wise, the ’16 Passat puts forth one of the nicest looking fronts in the midsize class. The slim headlights meld with a narrow, wide, four-bar grille that’s the antithesis of the gaping maws on some new vehicles, especially SUVs.
The result is a low, wide look.
VW, like most new vehicles, hasn’t fared well in the early phases of IIHS headlight testing. For that reason, the lighting package and LED headlights are worth considering.
In back, the smallish trunk lid opens wide to allow easy access to a huge storage space. When Mrs. G “let” me accompany her on a massive $300 pre-Thanksgiving food shopping expedition, everything, including turkey and many extras, and a pair of bowling bags fit nicely with room for a couple of suitcases in addition.
Rear seat passengers have adequate legroom for most trips without having front-seat passengers move forward to permit them extra space.
The front seats, even minus the power adjustments, were well-designed and quite comfortable.
One of the nice things about having the base model is not having to deal with a navigation system. The AM/FM radio was easily adjustable on the 5-inch display screen either via presets or a turning knob (what a technological advance!).
Bluetooth quickly picked up our iPhones, and calling was easy.
On the road, the Passat was a pleasure to drive. The suspension smoothed out the bumps and steering was comfortable though far from having a sporty response.
Interior quality was a bit bare-bones in comparison with higher trim levels, but quite acceptable as a value proposition. Perhaps because we were facing a well-orchestrated control panel without the bells or whistles section, buttons and knobs were intuitive.
Frankly, this is the way driving used to be.
2016 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T S
THE BASICS
Price, base/as tested (with destination): $23,260/$23,260. Fuel economy, EPA estimated: 25 city/38 highway/29 combined. Fuel economy, Globe observed: 34.0. Drivetrain: 1.8-liter turbocharged I4, 6-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel-drive. Body: 5-passenger, unibody sedan.
THE SPECIFICS
Horsepower: 170. Torque: 184 lb.-ft. Overall length: 191.9 in. Wheelbase: 110.4 in. Height: 58.5 in. Width: 72.2 in. Curb weight: 3,263 lbs.
THE GOOD
Performance, economy, styling, interior, and cargo space.
THE BAD
Small infotainment screen, driver assistance features only available on top trims.
THE BOTTOM LINE
A very good midsize sedan at a good price.
ALSO CONSIDER
Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Mazda 6, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy, and Toyota Camry.
Bill Griffith can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @MrAutoWriter.
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