Volkswagen Passat R-Line Wagon 2021 review | is the 206TSI VW’s best car? | Chasing Cars 

Let's indulge in this thoroughly underrated family truckster.

You guys give so many great real world details about the cars…. Another great review.

Moist! Love the review - own a 2009 Passat and I’ve grown up and this might be the ideal replacement (was eyeing the Alltrack and now you do this…). It’s great to hear that VW have dialed this in, it’s one of the things I love about my current Passat is that it’s so comfy to drive, but so compliant when you want to push it some, and I’m only punting a 2.0 TDi! Super review as always, really loving your channel, and love the fact you’re rocking the Seamaster - after driving a weapon like this, it might be time to grab a Speedmaster! Keep up the awesome work mate.

Wagon = Instant Best Car

Good review Tom. I have a mark 7.5 Golf R with the 7 speed DSG and my wife has a mark 6 Golf GTI with the 6 speed DSG. You’re dead right about the advantage in Oz of the 6 speed over the 7. Both cars have a Stage 1 APR edit and 6 speeds is all you need. In fact the edit on the Golf R rarely selects the 7th speed! Love your informative videos.

I have the 162 Elegance R Line and it is an amazing car. Plenty of power, plenty of space, quality interior with a lot of tech, and it drives much better than any SUV. Great review guys! 👌🏼

Pick mine up on Monday. Lapiz Blue. Thanks for the great video!

Great review, I appreciated seeing homesick by ADTR on the stereo :D

Mate this is your best review I’ve seen so far, great explanation about the suspension and steering behaviour and feeling. Having a kid and another coming , think this will replace my Golf R 7.5.

Great review as always! Good job! Also I noticed you’ve minimised “that being said” 😀

Love the new lens (or colour grading) 👌🏼

Great review. The car looks great and sounds like a lovely drive. Impressive.

Lucky to have a 2018.5 Passat Alltrack 140TDi Luxury - last of breed. A brilliant tourer with all the benefits of an SUV without the downside. At the time considered Sportage/Tucson/Tiguan. The Passat was a no brainer @ just over 50k drive away on runout. The diesel is a country road stormer with 400Nm from 1700rpm. Very comfortable seats which really matters when you regularly do 1300km in 2 days. Non urban range is typically 1300 kms or more. Closer to 1000 kms if urban driving is included. Long term fuel consumption averages 6.1l/100km. While not as high riding as an SUV the alltrack is easier to enter/exit than the normal variant and has never bottomed out or scraped on our dreadful roads, even fully loaded. Best car I’ve ever owned and I’ve had a few over nearly 50 years. Great review Tom but a pity diesel is being dropped by most manufacturers in the passenger car space. Australia is one country where they make a lot of sense.

Really liked this video. Now subbed. Currently looking for a replacement to my 2020 Golf R due to getting a big dog. This is looking like the pick, and I can keep the Lapiz Blue I’ve got now.

Thanks great review and has helped me make up my mind.

I have owned an R Line for 2 years..Thoroughly enjoy this Passat...Great driving...All the style you need...and a practical family car..

Absolutely love my 2017 R-line 206 wagon, it's outstanding and just eats up country roads. Fantastic car, easily the best I've owned, and that's coming from a previous F30 BMW owner.

Great review. I like your style. Makes a lot of sense 🤠.

Tom I just put a deposit on this wagon largely on the back of your review. I have driven the new RS Octavia wagon and then the Passat 206. I did previously drive the Stinger too. The Passat ticks almost every box and is good value compared to other competitors mentioned in your review. The BMW 330 is $30k more new with fewer choices due to lack of stock. I’ll pick up an FY22 in manganese Grey which also adds DAB radio in November. Thanks

A very good in-depth review of this car.

Love the mini comparison you made with the Audi, Merc, BMW and stablemate Alltrack 162tsi Tom. Really distilled the differences there in quick time. Well done!

Brilliant review. I have a Superb Sportline Wagon. Magnificent, old school, long travel, sports suspension. Don’t know why people buy SUV’s when these are available. I might look at the Passat in a couple of years or a new Superb.

based on your great review of this car, i went and drove it. You are pretty spot on with everything. Very comfortable drive. Put it in sport and it goes. Wagon practicality is unbeatable. Im buying one.

Superb review! If this car was sold in the US market, I'd buy one tomorrow.

Amazing choice of audio AD2R is all time !

Hi Tom. Just bought this car unseen and largely based on this review, love it and thanks for the steer! Question… did you have any troubles engaging launch control? I’ve had several dsg cars and never had an issue? Thanks!

Excellent review. Totally agree.

Tom, as a previous owner of an A4,S3 and V6TT, I would certainly purchase the Passat R-Line. It's almost all things to all people and a great alternative to an SUV. I currently drive a Golf and a T-Cross and even the T Cross displays the sort of calm on B roads at speeds up to 140k. Thanks for your objective review.

Can't wait for the i30 n review sure to come soon :)

really nicely presented

All the benefits of an SUV and then some without any of the negatives. Maybe VW are sticking with wagons in the knowledge they will be the next big thing when the SUV trend fades away?

Great car, had a r36 wagon, traded it for a Touareg, and now seriously considering trading it for the v8 r Wolfsburg edition. Have had a chance to drive the new passat and it was lovely. VW can do up market very well, have a few VWs 2001 Bora 4motion V6, 2017 Touareg 180 tdi, 2015 amarok highline and a 2020 crafter 50 LWB cab chassis. Love my dubs, and your very right about the handling and chassis tune of the cars, I know the roads your on my neck of the woods, great if you like to drive and have the car to do it

Great review. I recently purchased the close cousin to this car, a Skoda Sportline Wagon. I'd be interested to watch a review on how these two wagons compare to each others as they share so much of their DNA.

My wife bought a 206TSI Wagon demo in 2018. We paid $50K for it. It has been a truly awesome car for that money. I couldn't think of anything better. Superb on a long drive. My wife's only beef is that it is white which is a little boring especially compared to Lapiz blue of this test car. It now has 47k on the odo. No rattles, nothing has fallen off and it has been completely reliable. Won't be getting rid of it any time soon.

An updated version of the R36 from a few years ago. A practical, good-looking wagon with mental performance.

I love the separate heater controls, not integrated into the radio. The full sized spare wheel is another great advantage. VW are great cars and this 206 TSI is a great example. I own an R36, and wouldn't swap it for anything less.

Versatile, comfortable, reasonable turn of pace when needed, yep it all looks good.

It just looks awesome, both wife and petrol heads should be happy!!! Cant wait for Arteon wagon to arrive!!!

Brilliant review Tom and agree but do baulk a bit at price and 508 wagon would be my first choice I think however in this spec tempting for sure although 330i a tempting estate as well - maybe time for chasing cars comparison 🙏👍

I had one 4 years ago before swapping to the 7.5 Golf R. It was a great car, had everything in it, way more spec than the Golf and still was cheaper! Only thing it should have by now Tom is the 7 speed box as helps the fuel economy on long trips.

“Other people’s ratty children”!!!! Tom!!! I’m dying!

I got a 2016 206TSI wagon. Me and my wife enjoy it everyday on the road. it makes us very hard to find another wagon for an upgrade. I have been waiting for this Facelife, but it just doesn’t have much improvement from the last one, especially the fake exhaust doesn’t suits the 206 characteristics. But I still look forward to the B9 Passat wagon

Some interesting thoughts Tom. Funnily enough Skoda has not been mentioned once in your review. For size the Octavia comes within a whisker of the Passat’s measurements. While the Superb 206TSI 4x4 is bigger again. Maybe a comparison of VAG 206 4x4 is on the cards. Keep up the great work. Lloyd

I have a 2018 B8 206tsi in sedan format, I absolutely love it. Personally if I could have that again in the facelift with an option for a bit more robust exhaust note to match the performance id jump on it without hesitation.

Great review but I’m now even sadder to have had to sell my white 2017 206. It had Mich PZero 4s and was an absolute joy to drive. Maybe a new one in blue is the go! Just need no sun roof given tallness.

Great overview of the 206. It's the car I wish I had owning the 132. I know they're not direct competitors but for similar money would you get a Stinger GT or is this more your style?

Great review Tom. Can you review the 162TSI passat wagon which is $10K cheaper whose price sort of competes with Tiguan 162TSI?

A day to remember ❤

Love my 2019 model

Hot wagons are cool. I was soooo hoping we would get the VW Arteon R Shooting Brake. It's like this car but turned up to 11 🤩

Great review! Realistically what do you think is best haggle price at dealer? I'm never one to just pay RRP drive away.

I drive a Tesla Mode 3, and the dual wireless chargers work perfectly. Even though I drive the Performance version which has brutal acceleration, the phones never move…

Best looking car they make as well.

Great review. Can this take a towbar? TIA

Regarding the phone charging, you can always buy a good fast wireless charger pad that plugs into USB-C. There are some good devices available that properly hold the phone in place and charge adequately.

Gonna be honest - I like the new VW group gear selector, it's just clean.

Pricing up wagons at the moment and looking at the 206tsi wagon vs the Skoda Superb Sportline wagon. Pricing is close once you option a roof in the Skoda but also looking long term ownership over 4 to 5 years. In your opinion, what is the better vehicle?

Hi Tom, great review as always. Intersting comment about 6 speed Vs 7 speed. I'm looking for a wagon and I've shortlisted Skoda Superb Sportline and Volvo V60 Cross country (2022). Your review has made me think about the VW Passat. If I were loooking for somthing under 80k which among these 3 would you suggest?

Super jealous, Hmmm Passat Alltrack or this car, maybe one of each I do need a bit extra ride height though

Love it

A car extremely close to my heart. I really wish it came to South Africa.

Road noise level on the b-grade surfaces? Sounded a bit boomy while you were speaking, but could have been the mike setup

Hope you get your hands on the Golf R Line soon, it's gas such great materials for seating, would be nice to hear what you think of it overall.

Good to see they have gone back to more physical buttons. Still need a volume knob! 70k is a lot for a wagon, but looks like a great bit of kit and I love the AWD layout, and the practicality. You can get a pretty nice second hand X5 for the price however…

Looks like it's a reasonable height not low slung so ease of entry and exit unlike the stinger which I found hard to enter and exit and I'm average height 6.2

What are your thoughts of this vs the a4 avant for a little more money, and the S4 avant for substantially more money?

I checked the VW Australia website and it has the Passat listed as coming soon … is this the newest model or is there a newer version coming soon? I’m considering a purchase and can hold off if a totally new model is coming very soon (next 3 months)

Great review Tom but controversial AF. I would prefer the upcoming Golf R wagon. More focused and sporty compared to the oversized Passat and presumably similarly priced. Looking forward to your review of that monster.

Great review!! I understood that the price in AUS of this Passat is around 70k AUS dollars, is that right? That is equivalent to €45K, here in Spain, with this amount of money you can only buy the 2.0tsi version, 140kw. If this is correct, is VW cheating European customers? What are the reasons for this big price difference? Fines for CO2 and emissions? Different trading strategies? Are the car prices, in general, lower in Australia than in Europe? Thanks and best regards from Spain.

Just wish theyd kept the analogue clock. Also the front passenger footwell is intruded by the wheel arch so your left leg / foot doesn't sit as comfortably as it does in other cars which have an unimpeded footwell

This model looks great, and I agree the carbon upholstery is not the best. Love my Passat Wagon.

I wonder if the Golf R Line would take that crown as the next best.

I have to agree with you with the best VW they’ve made. I’m not a fan of the new interior of the golf with the aircon controls in the infotainment or the nob gear shift. I like the previous interior which the Passat keeps and I prefer wagons and sedans over SUVs

Nice review! I have difficulties to make it a better choice than a Peugeot 508 SW. it looks less fun and too old school!

My 2017 Skoda Superb 206 is a carbon copy of this car !! I’m due to update and just can’t find anything any better !!!

Best bang for buck what a car

I WISH we got these in California man. I’m such a BIG wagon guy but unfortunately not everyone likes them and I get that, but I truly wish we got them here I’d LOVE to own an Arteon wagon

as an owner of a TDI passat, three things make me sad about the current passat the lack of the diesel, in that wagon, it makes sense, on the highway, (due to the mass of torque on tap) you can drive with purpose and briskness in the TDI's, and your not copping a huge increase in fuel use around town (i often average 6.7l) driving the same way in the TSI's puts that well into the teens (on highway it lopes along in diesel form and sub 5's is easy) i wish they would bring the TDI's back, they have them in europe the second thing, is so damn minor, but its also right in your face, and that is the clock, which on the new models is a glossy square with the words passat, while the clock useful, but also, a nice touch of class, (and the current one just isn't doing anything with that space) and the last, the cup holders in the rear, i am sure it has been done for a reason, but the old one, that centre armrest was an unbroken, comfortable armrest, with the cupholders retractable the old design is better suited for those that only have adults in the rear, (and on a long (plus 5 hour) drive, that small difference makes a difference) i understand that for those with children, the current set up is more robust, and great for kids. and in my case, i'd prefer the older style

I keep telling my wife her B8 Comfortline is one of the best. Being heavy and fwd has some shortcomings, obviously this deals with most of those, but it still handles admirably, super comfortable and was very affordable when it was new (from a dealer that had it in their stock for far too long and wanted it gone)

Good review. What do you prefer the new R line 162 tsi five seat Tiguan or this ?

Interesting that once you add the pana roof option to a Superb Sportline and add 5 years service to the VW and Skoda siblings their price is pretty much the same. The Skoda use to have a few thousand advantage. Superb a tad bigger and VW should have better resale. Really just down to subjective criteria for the buyer. Both great cars.

Hi Tom. How do you rate the suspension and handling of the 162TSI Elegance compared to the 206TSI?

This is a super duper nice wagon, but i'm too much of an old man to forfeit hardware buttons. So i'd buy 2017-2018 R-Line and make do with the older tech in it.

Tom's statement that there are four exhaust pipes underneath is incorrect. My brand new wagon has two pipes lurking beneath, one on each side - you can even see them in the video here.

Nice but I’ll stick with my A5 Sportback quattro 2.0 tfsi. Still get comments on how it looks and drives like a dream

Question is go for the this Passat or wait for the upcoming golf r wagon which probably has more character?

I like the alltrack ones with a diesel engine

Mare is it better than the new Arteon shooting break?

I'd like to see you compare this car to the Superb Sportline 206TSI. Same car much less money.

To be clear. The new Golf R is not a sub 4 second car for its 0-100. Its claimed by VW to be 4.7s but I have seen some reviews in the lower 4's

@chasing cars, can we please have arteon my22 review.

Those slider HVAC controls set low in the centre console behind the gear lever, would be awkward to operate on the move.

Can you compare this to the Skoda Superb Sportsline

Had a 176kw twin turbo diesel r line wagon since 2016…lost it in a flood 2019 and replaced it with another. Honestly a very under rated wagon…and I came out of Audi wagons to this thing and won’t go back. Only thing I can’t agree with you on (and the reason I didn’t go our 206kw petrol) is the 7sp gearbox. 1800rpm at 110kph is not only more frugal, but also quieter. The fact the dsg drops a gear as quickly as the next I’ve found I’ve not touched the paddles. Yes I’ve had mine reprogrammed (224kw and 590nm) but mines used as a tourer so the 95% of the time it’s cruising so long legs have been good…but as I’m a wee bit aggressive when faced with idiot brain dead drivers I can dispatch then into the rear window quote quickly regardless of terrain…and trust 590nm means I can do it uphill as easily as down hill. As an all rounder…I rate these things. Just a pity they have a German Camry imagine here

Hey Tom, do you think this car would be the go-to for a sporty and practical family car under $90 000, I am currently thinking that this car would likely be my next car. Do you have any recommendations for a sporty and practical family car? PS: Great review, keep up the effort :D

The 6 speed sits at 2,500 rpm at 110kph.....I think it does need the 7 speed to drop the revs and increase fuel economy. Otherwise a great package.

How about a Passat wagon vs mk8 golf R wagon episode?

The Passat is the car enthusiast dad car.

7 speed vs. 6 speed DSG, fuel economy all the time, vs. the rare occasion you are accelerating from 110 on the highway you get a slight hesitation. No mate, that makes FA sense to the average driver on daily use. The 7 speed DSG in my Octavia RS is excellent. They are all EA888 equipped mate, just different levels of tune. If you want 220 odd kW get a Stage 1 reversible tune. Simples.

@5:12 i agree with your approach. why fix something if its not broken