After offering a simplified trim level lineup for 2019, the 2020 Volkswagen Passat returns with a mild redesign and a more traditional four-trim lineup. The Passat‘s standout features remain the same: lots of passenger space, including around 39 inches of rear-seat legroom, and a large trunk, offering around 16 cu ft. of space. Still, the Passat’s basic design dates back to the 2012 model year and it shows in the form of a dull driving experience, a forgettable powertrain and a relatively small center infotainment screen. Additionally, while it’s a little better to look at than in previous years, the 2020 Volkswagen Passat is still conservative and understated when it comes to styling. Such an approach has its own particular appeal, though, even if it does make the bestselling Toyota Camry seem almost like a rebellious choice.
What was perhaps the 2019 Passat’s most compelling feature, VW‘s 6-year/72,000-mile warranty, is no more for 2020. Replacing it is a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty, which isn’t quite as generous but remains better than the offerings of competitors like Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Subaru. VW’s decision to change its warranty for 2020 leads us to wonder if the company has really addressed its long-held issues when it comes to quality and reliability.
Altogether, VW appears to be focusing its future on electric vehicles and relatively low-volume sellers like the strictly gas-powered Passat, which was a backseat player in the dwindling midsize sedan segment to begin with, just don’t appear to be much of a priority. We have to wonder how much thought VW gave to discontinuing the Passat altogether ahead of this mild redesign.
What’s New for 2020?
While its underpinnings and powertrain are largely the same, the Passat gets a heavy re-skinning for 2020. Its exterior sheetmetal has been modernized, and it wears a new interpretation of VW’s corporate face. Around back, the Passat gets broader taillights, while some new and unique wheel options round out the aesthetic changes. Inside is similar. The Passat gets a redesigned dashboard that now features a horizontal design element spanning its width. While it’s more visually compelling than the previous design, the Passat still won’t stand out in a crowd.
While last year’s model was limited to just two trims, the updated Passat offers a more traditional four-trim lineup for 2020. Additionally, little tweaks here and there will help to keep this vehicle somewhat competitive. Just don’t expect any of the massive improvements and all-new features associated with a full redesign. See the 2020 Volkswagen Passat models for sale near you
What We Like
- More than just a facelift
- Spacious interior
- Generous standard equipment
- Cavernous trunk
- 4-year/50,000-mile warranty
What We Don’t
- No more 6-year/72,000-mile warranty
- It’s the same old lumbering Passat underneath
- No performance engine option
- Unremarkable driving experience
- Questionable quality
How Much?
$23,915-$32,015
Fuel Economy
While it looks a little different inside and out, the Passat’s powertrain is almost the same as the one found in the 2019 model. The sole engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder making 174 horsepower and 206 lb-ft of torque, up from 184 in the 2019 model. Power is sent to the front wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission. Unlike many competitors, the Passat doesn’t offer a performance or a hybrid option.
Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy figures for the 2020 Passat have yet to be released, but we doubt they’ll deviate much, if any, from those of the 2019 model, which was rated at 25 miles per gallon in the city, 36 mpg on the highway and 29 mpg in combined driving.
Standard Features & Options
The updated 2020 Volkswagen Passat comes in four trim levels. S, SE, R-Line and SEL.
The S ($23,915) comes standard with 17-in wheels, LED headlights, daytime running lights and taillights, automatic headlights, a multi-function steering wheel, cloth seats, manual climate control, a 6.3-in touchscreen infotainment system, Sirius XM satellite radio, two USB ports, Bluetooth, a rearview camera, forward-collision warning and pedestrian detection with automatic emergency braking, and blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.
The SE ($26,765) adds chrome window surrounds, passive keyless entry with push-button start, remote start, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a power driver’s seat, faux leather seating surfaces, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, rain-sensing windshield wipers, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, two rear-seat USB ports for charging devices, Wi-Fi capability if you subscribe to a data plan, adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist. A sunroof can be added to SE models for $995.
The appearance-oriented Passat R-Line ($29,565) gains a standard sunroof, an alarm system, ambient interior lighting, stainless steel pedal caps, 19-in wheels, a unique R-Line front bumper, a unique grille, R-Line badging, black window surrounds, a rear spoiler, a rear diffuser, chrome exhaust tips, stainless steel door sills and paddle shifters.
The range-topping SEL model ($32,015) forgoes the R-Line appearance bits, instead adding 18-in wheels, upgraded headlights, automatic high beams, comfort sport seats with leather seating surfaces, memory recall for the driver’s seat and side view mirrors, a power passenger seat, heated rear seats, navigation, a Fender-branded premium audio system, an easy-open trunk and a parking assist system.
Safety
While the 2020 model has yet to be tested, we can look at the performance of the 2019 Passat for an idea of how the 2020 model will perform. Last year’s Passat earned scores of good in five out of six Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test categories, its lone blemish coming in the form of a score of “Marginal” — one up from the bottom — in the passenger-side small-overlap front crash test. Headlights were said to provide inadequate visibility and thus were given a score of “Poor,” while the automatic emergency braking system didn’t slow the vehicle down in the Institute’s 25 mph test, for which it was docked. Luckily, these three problem areas are easily addressed, and we expect VW to have rectified these issues for the 2020 model. We’ll have to wait until the IIHS tests a 2020 model to find out if this is the case.
Standard active safety features consist of forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking and blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. Adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist are added on the SE trim. Oddly, the Passat only offers automatic high beams on the top-spec SEL models despite competitors like Toyota offering this feature as standard.
Other typical safety features on the Passat include side-curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes and an automatic post-collision braking system.
Behind the Wheel
This midsize sedan prioritizes comfort over performance or style, offering decent outward vision, a supple ride, a nice-enough interior and predictable yet dull handling. The 4-cylinder engine seems a bit overwhelmed by the Passat’s large size. Still, it offers decent fuel economy and a fairly smooth transmission, so it’s possible to look past the average acceleration.
Other Cars to Consider
2020 Honda Accord — A clear class leader thanks to its roomy cabin, excellent reliability and fuel-efficient powertrains. An all-new generation debuted for 2018. Unlike the Passat, the Accord offers buyers both a hybrid and a performance-oriented engine option, the latter coming in the form of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque.
2020 Toyota Camry — The other class-leader in the midsize sedan segment, the current-generation Camry wears aggressive new styling and offers an array of active safety features as standard, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — finally — for 2020. Like the Accord, the Camry offers a more powerful engine option and a hybrid. For the first time in decades, all-wheel drive is optional on the Camry for 2020 as well.
2019 Volkswagen Arteon — VW’s enthusiast-oriented midsize sedan offering is the Arteon. New for 2019, the Arteon replaces the CC and, like the CC, wears an attractive, coupe-like design. As VW has been heavily Americanized over the past decade, the Arteon serves as the most German offering in the automaker’s current US lineup, offering a variety of upscale, luxury appointments and the kinds of quirks that VW’s products were known for in the past.
Used Volkswagen GTI — While it isn’t as big as the Passat, the GTI‘s hatchback design will just about make up for its smaller footprint. And beyond that, what it lacks in rear-seat legroom, it certainly makes up for with the smile it’ll put on your face every time you sit down behind the wheel. While the Passat is pretty average, the GTI is VW at its best and is arguably one of the most well-rounded vehicles on the market today.
Autotrader’s Advice
While its powertrain is fine, offering the fuel economy most buyers should expect from a mainstream midsize sedan, there’s really nothing about the 2020 Volksweagen Passat that wows us. Its platform is old, its driving dynamics are still floaty, its tech is dated and overall, it goes against the grain in the midsize sedan segment as more emotionally appealing entrants have emerged in recent years. Frankly, as VW shifts its focus to electric vehicles, the Passat kind of feels like an afterthought at this point. Still, if you can get a decent deal on one, it’s certainly worth a look, as it offers the spacious, comfortable driving dynamics that a lot of buyers still crave along with some well-executed features. We think the SE trim is probably sufficient for most buyers’ expectations, as it comes at a reasonable price while offering some features that won’t go unappreciated like a leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Find a Volkswagen Passat for sale
