Volkswagen Passat Saloon (2011 - 2014) 1.6 TDI Bluemotion Tech Highline 4d Owner Review

This is a large family saloon and we bought it expecting a quiet and comfortable ride. It displays neither. The engine is quiet for a diesel but road noise is very intrusive, especially on country roads like the A68. Ear ringing takes a while to go after a long journey. The ride is fidgety and even clunks over white lines though this has improved after the heavy self sealing Continentals were replaced. It does handle well for a long car but offers little driver enjoyment. Emergency stop braking is frighteningly poor. It is an excellent car on the motorway though and is a good mile eater. The engine is quite lively for a 1.6 diesel and it is quite responsive but there have been many running troubles, none of which were solved under warranty. It is better since the software update but fuel economy is now poor for a small diesel, even though we only do long journeys. This is a well finished car and is well put together but has an old fashioned feel about it.