Volkswagen Passat Estate

The Volkswagen Passat Estate has all the qualities of the luxurious and comfortable Passat saloon but with the addition of a large and versatile boot

Auto Express Car Reviews

Rating:
Latest deal price: from £17,429 to £27,744
For : Massive boot, superb build quality, efficient engines
Against : Bland looks, engines are underpowered, uninspiring to drive

With a huge load area, well appointed cabin and comfortable drive, the Volkswagen Passat Estate is a fantastic all-round family car. It's also got a great range of engines, including a BlueMotion diesel model capable of 65.7mpg.

Our pick: Volkswagen Passat Estate 1.6 TDI SE

Video: watch CarBuyer's video review of the Volkswagen Passat

Styling

The sharp, understated styling of the Passat saloon translates well to the estate model. Neat styling touches like an analogue clock and classy dash make the Estate's interior a nice place to spend time. Higher-spec versions such as the SE and Sport variants look better thanks to chrome trim and larger alloy wheels.

Driving and Performance

The 1.6-litre TDI engine with 104bhp is a good match for the Passat Estate. At cruising speeds it's quiet and returns 65mpg in BlueMotion trim. It can feel slightly underpowered though, so drivers who are likely to be carrying big loads on a regular basis should go for a 138bhp or 168bhp 2.0-litre TDI. Three petrol options – a 120bhp 1.4-litre TSI, 158bhp 2.0-litre TSI and 207bhp 2.0-litre TSI – are all smooth and quiet. In the bends, the Passat Estate handles well with taut body control and nicely weighted steering. It's not the last word in driving fun by any means though.

MPG and running costs

The Passat Estate in BlueMotion trim is one of the cleanest estate cars on the road. It emits just 114g/km meaning road tax is free for the first year. Fuel economy is an impressive 65.7mpg. The higher powered 138bhp 2.0 TDI is pretty good too though, with over 60mpg. A fixed price service plan is available for 30,000 miles or three years.

Practicality

The Passat Estate's 603-litre boot is far bigger than that of the Ford Mondeo or Audi A4 Avant. The rear seats fold down with the tug of a lever in the boot to increase this load area to 1,731 litres. Build quality is hard to fault and there's a huge amount of space in the back seats if you need to carry tall adults. S models kick off the range but still come with air-conditioning, electric windows in the front and rear and a USB aux-in connection. Leather seats are a costly option, but higher-spec models come with hi-tech gadgets like Bluetooth, sat-nav and DAB radio as standard.

Safety and reliability

The Volkswagen Passat carries an impressive reputation for reliability, and owners of the previous generation – on which this car is based – reported no major issues. A five-star rating from Euro NCAP proves the Passat Estate is also one of the safest cars in this class, and it now comes with some hi-tech safety features like fatigue detection, lane-keep assist and automatic braking. However, many of these features are optional extras.

For an alternative review of the latest Volkswagen Passat visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

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2 Comments

Wheel arch Intrusion

What I appreciate about my MK4 Mondeo estate is that there is little wheel arch intrusion. This can be a very limiting factor if you have a flat load. The Passat looks rather narrow between the rear wheels.

Also Ford can get 115bhp from their 1.6 diesel, however in a car weighing around 2 tonnes 140 bhp would really be the minimum requirement with over 40 mpg on average. A large car with a huge carrying capacity with a small engine is not a great combination, especially as some people will try and tow a caravan as well

By MonsieurKev on 22 July, 2011, 3:01pm

araldite

I'm a bit confused, in your "compare a car" program , it shows the mondeo as having the largest luggage area, whereas in your review above it says the passat has the largest by far! When you see the mondeo parked next to the passat , its obvious the mondeo is a good deal larger

By araldite on 10 May, 2012, 8:27am

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