Volkswagen Passat Estate (2015 - 2024) GT (Panoramic Sunroof) 2.0 TDI SCR BMT 190PS DSG auto 5d Owner Review

This is an excellent car in many ways but I would not recommend this particular version. Having owned a number of conventional automatics & one CVT car previously, this is my first dual clutch vehicle. The car is quite jerky when moving off from stationary, especially if you try to do so with any kind of urgency. It is also very prone to wheel spin with even just a moderate amount of power, making it trickier to claim a tight gap at a busy junction. It feels like the gearbox cannot deal effectively with this amount of torque, so I suspect the 150bhp diesel is just as fast in the real world. The DSG also makes an annoying whining noise at low revs, which you do not get with a conventional automatic. Whilst I was waiting for the car to be delivered, VW starting taking orders for petrol versions. I would have preferred a petrol version anyway but given my experience with this car, in retrospect I would have ordered the 150bhp DSG petrol instead. I suspect it would be a better match for the dual clutch gearbox, with better refinement & minimal real-world difference in power. I was also disappointed to find that the GT model does not have a variable boot floor, due to it having a full-size spare wheel. There is no indication of this in the specification guide & it means you lose a significant amount of extra potential boot space. In retrospect, I would have put the money saved from buying the petrol version towards buying the R-Line version instead, which has a space-saver spare wheel & in turn, the variable boot floor. Finally, do not order the rubber boot mat. It is actually a very shiny plastic material & although it looks good & protects the boot carpet, it causes everything to roll around in the boot. In summary, this an excellent car, just make sure you choose the right version!