cnet.co/1sYjlSC The new 2014 Volkswagen Passat SEL Premium competes in the toughest category with the likes of the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima. Brian Cooley takes it out for a drive and checks the tech.
I honestly don't understand why they are upset it has no driver assistance tech. If you can't park a car, keep in your own lane, and reduce your own speed before hitting the car in front of you you should not be driving period.
If people needs all this technology to drive then they don’t need to be on the road. I drive a base model freightliner cascadia for a living. I have no problems hauling doubles. When I’m off work I get in my mark 5 Jetta and I have a blast driving it home and on my days off. It doesn’t have any kind of modern technology but it handles just fine in all weather. Should I mention that Volkswagens are amazing in the snow with all season tires?
ugh, the constant whining that this car doesn't serve you maps, plays, food, bed and breakfast, blah, blah, blah... It's a freaking car. It's supposed to take you from A to B and the Passat does a GREAT job at that. It is VERY fuel efficient for the size, it is VERY quiet for the class, and it is a pleasure to drive.
Why is he whining about no tech? It is about value with this passat. All the upgrades this crybaby is wanting cost. Dont need any of the extra crap. Just a reliable car.
This guy absolutely hated on this car, yet it easily outclassed and outsold most of the competitors he references at the start of his evaluation. Nitpicking and obvious bias at its finest. 👎
If it was my money I would get a 2014 ford fusion titanium awd because of all the technology, and style. Also since I live in New Jersey awd is a must.
Honestly from all the family sized cars like the Accord , Camry , Jetta , Altima , Sonata - I think my favourite would be the Ford Fusion 2014 because its beautiful - It has an Aston Martin look on the front and has a elegant interior with premium materials built in. Overall with the great technology of Ford - I'd like to see more of the Ford Fusion
There are two kinds of people for this: those who love it and those who hate it. IMHO I think it's a rip off from Aston Martin and I definitely wouldn't want to be seen in a fake "Aston Martin". I can't help but laugh at people that think they purchased an Aston Martin. The tech itself might be good if not excellent, but when it comes to originality this is only a copy, a fake.
Tim Dorovskikh Aston Martin is overpriced junk. Only idiots would want to "pretend" to drive one. I like the Ford Fusion's look too, not because it looks like Aston Martin, but because it genuinely looks good. Who cares that it looks like something else? A lot of the grill designs in the auto world are converging (look at the new Ferrari's), and plenty of the "old brands" have copied others' designs in the past. On the other hand, if you want your cars' look to display your wallet, there're yet better ways to do it than Aston Martin anyway. I myself would instead drive a good and sensible car and not care what others think.
You know you're right. Aston is overpriced but is still the original. Ford went out the same way like Chinese on Land Rover... although that is crap as well. Point is there's lack of innovation at Ford to draw their own lines on clean sheet. Ford could have done a much better job than that
...couldn't agree more. In fact during a comparison in 2013, Motor Trend editors commented on the Fusion as "more German-ic" than the Passat. While the VW is a good option, I'll take the Fusion over it--in fact I did! and I'm loving it. ...PS the upcoming Passat will be more tech-heavy
Everywhere I look people are dogging on thos car when comparing it. Keep in mind that this car at its highest trim level destroys the competition in its native Germany. The reason VW makes lower end cars is because it has no faith in the American market because we have proven ourselves to be the basic brash individuals who are overwhelmed easily by complicated sound systems and fancy gadgets. This is also a factor of the american Gov't getting in the way of imports so this car is a product of mexican manufacturing standards and not the European luster that its cousins have. In short quit giving VW a bad name. They make much better quality vehicles than anything produced in america.
I know that this is cnet and i shouldn't expect them to review are car like a normal car reviewer, but come on you bashed on the car's entertainment system only and never touched on the amaing looking interior, the luxourious seating and dashboard materials, and the legroom in the car.
I agree, he didnt even talk about the feature of the car...just the optional thing. i Just bought this, but the 2012 2.5L SEl Premium Pzev, so little different... but it works so well.
If anyone is thinking about buying this car, I want you to consider an alternative: buy a used Audi A6 (last gen) instead. You will get a car that is as stylish, better quality, and with more tech in it. You'll also get the premium German badge, if that matters to you. The A6 rides pretty well and handles decently as well. Insurance and gas might cost a little more, however maintenance should be rather similar for the most part since Audi and VW share a lot of internal parts.
The the VW isn't? All VW products are pretty unreliable, that includes brands that are rated for good quality like Porsche. A good example of it are VW window regulators, just look it up on Google and you'll realize how unreliable they are across the VW umbrella.
I've owned a Boxster S for 5 years now, so I do know about the VW umbrella. It's actually very frustrating because a lot of these parts are sold as "high end" parts, but are sometimes expensive and unreliable. This is ok for high end cars (like in an Audi A8) because at the price point customers don't expect indestructibility. However, in a segment where the Camry's and Accord's set the tone, the Passat cannot get away with that. With that in mind, I would recommend someone buying a Passat to look at a used Audi, because they will receive a more refined car with largely the same internal parts.
I didn't claim Camry and Accord are refined. I was stating that a used Audi A6 would be refined and just as reliable as a new Passat. And thank you, minus the expensive maintenance it's a blast to own.
I totally agree with what Brian is talking about when it comes to technology, VW lacks any effort in making any changes or bring forth the most common tech packages that are now basic in some other cars. I used to own a VW and know friends who have and now thinking of getting another one, but what hinders me is that it doesn't attract me to be immersive when I'm in the car. VW needs to update the UI of its controller and they need to stop using dot matrix altogether! Update the mirrors and add auto dimming and to its driver side mirror. I love that they are consistent with their designs throughout their models, but please add some useful technology in it so that at least your young demographic can have another reason to like your cars! I know that they updated some of their tech softwares and eliminated the dot matrix UI which also included a fresh looking instrument cluster screen and a new ignition key for the new 2015 CC. Please roll this out to your new cars, ASAP this is long overdue!!!
Try doing a hard restart. On the top side by the disc slot, hold down both the left and right arrows. And on the right side of the disc slot. Hold down the star button. Hold three of these buttons down at the same time until the screen turns off and it restarts.
Used to have a Jetta and just bought a new Mazda 3. Took out the new Volkswagens and they just seem like junk now. No tech unless you pay like 30k either.
Why do they always add delivery fees and title fees I thought the car was already there at the dinner and any like if I go to Walmart and I charge me a fee for a Fruitloop they bought it
I think the delivery fee is a way to lower the MSRP price by breaking up the numbers. Tax, title, and documentation is completely your county and state jurisdiction, there's no way for the manufacturers to make all of those the same amounts. I used to live in Hawaii you pay sales tax, title, documentation(this is dealer fees), and vehicle registration (based on weight). In North Carolina there's title, documentation, registration, and annual property tax(on your car based on value and age) but no sales tax.
Because to bring a Passat from Chattanooga to where ever you live without actually driving a car they have to pay a semi truck (car hauler) to bring it. Typically to haul a car costs 2-3 dollars a mile on semi, but since dealer orders more than one car on the same truck, it comes out cheaper overall.
We don't get that new Passat for another 2-3 years (in US) :(, and probably it would be much different then what Europe has in terms of styling packaging ect ect.
Who wants all the tech of the American boys when you have to put up with the horrible interiors, bad reliability, and high prices? This car is cheaper and better quality than Fords, GMs. Dodge is so ugly its not even on the list. Yes it's a big Jetta, funny thing, the only thing I don't like about the Jetta is that it's too small... hmmmm
Did I hear you say "unreliable" and "German" in the same sentence? That might surely be a first. No car handles the road better than a German car. They're not overpriced but expensive due to their assured quality.
