Volkswagen Passat Saloon (2015-2021) running costs and reliability

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Running costs rating: 4 out of 54.0

Written by Tom Goodlad Published: 16 April 2020

Miles per pound (mpp) ⓘ

Low figures relate to the least economical version; high to the most economical. Based on WLTP combined fuel economy for versions of this car made since September 2017 only, and typical current fuel or electricity costs.

Petrol engines	5.2 - 6.9 mpp
Diesel engines	4.9 - 7.7 mpp
Plug-in hybrid petrol engines *	6.3 - 7.0 mpp

* Fuel economy of the engine when operating without assistance from the electric motor and battery.

What is miles per pound?

Fuel economy ⓘ

Low figures relate to the least economical version; high to the most economical. Based on WLTP combined fuel economy for versions of this car made since September 2017 only.

Petrol engines	35.8 - 47.1 mpg
Diesel engines	38.2 - 60.1 mpg
Plug-in hybrid petrol engines *	42.8 - 47.9 mpg

* Fuel economy of the engine when operating without assistance from the electric motor and battery.

View mpg & specs for any version

Impressive across the range
GTE the best performer on paper
New 2.0 TDI Evo most economical diesel

Headline figures for fuel economy go to the plug-in hybrid Passat GTE, with VW claiming it’ll achieve up to 217.3mpg on the combined WLTP cycle. Choose a higher-spec GTE Advance and economy is a claimed 201.8mpg. To actually get anywhere near this figure, you’ll need to be charging up at every possible opportunity and only running on battery power. With a claimed 36 miles of EV-only range, you’ll need to be doing this regularly. When the battery runs out, you’ll essentially just be running a petrol Passat and figures will more likely be in the 40-50mpg region.

For the rest of the range, the 2.0-litre TDI Evo returns the best fuel economy figures of up to 57.6mpg for cars fitted with the manual gearbox. The less powerful 1.6-litre TDI claims up to 49.6mpg while the 190hp 2.0 TDI returns the same figures, but with 4Motion all-wheel drive drops slightly to 45.6mpg. Higher-spec models return lower figures due to larger wheels fitted. At the top of the diesel range is the 38.2mpg 2.0-litre BiTDI.

The petrols aren’t a huge way behind the diesels for fuel economy. The 1.5-litre TSI Evo claims up to 45.6mpg, while the 190hp 2.0 TSI offers up to 36.7mpg.

In terms of CO2 emissions, the GTE headliner emits just 34-36g/km, making it the pick of the range for company car drivers. Diesels vary between 105-151g/km, while the petrols range between 121 and 143g/km.

Is it reliable?

The Passat feels like it’s well built
But has been recalled several times
Check any recall work has been done on used cars

While Volkswagen has a reputation for building cars that look and feel solidly put together, the Passat undoes this reputation somewhat – it’s been recalled a number of times for a variety of issues. None are overly serious, ranging from sunroof trim not being bonded correctly to lights failing, but also some including the airbags and child locks.

If you’re buying a used model, it’s worth checking any remedial work has been carried out (it should have been), but there’s a three-year warranty to cover you if buying new.